New Delhi: From bhajan clubbing to AI-assisted graphics, Delhi’s Ramlilas are giving an age-old story a contemporary stage. As some of the capital’s biggest productions opened with Ganesh Pujan Sunday, organisers promised aerial battles, immersive digital effects and musical performances designed to draw younger audiences into the world of Ramayana.The ambition is to make the spectacle an invitation with music, flying chariots and towering sets, and to make people stay for the story. Across venues, committees are pairing familiar narratives with new ways of engaging Gen Z.At Red Fort grounds, Luv Kush Ramlila Committee is taking that spectacle skyward. Two cranes reaching up to 250 feet will support aerial sequences, including Ram and Ravan confronting each other in airborne chariots, with sparks flying as their swords clash. Sita’s abduction is planned at 150 feet, while Hanuman will descend with Ram and Lakshman on his shoulders.Committee president Arjun Kumar said, “Around 50 artists from Mumbai and nearly 250 local performers will participate. Specialists with experience handling such sequences in films will manage the aerial effects, while AI-assisted graphics and 3D mapping will enhance the production.” An Oct 21 musical programme will bring devotional songs and a live band to the venue, encouraging youngsters to sing and dance. Shri Dharmic Leela Committee is giving its 103-year-old Ramlila a technological makeover, pairing the traditional Ram Katha with AI-assisted effects, laser lights and large screens to engage younger audiences. Around 80 artists, supported by technicians, will perform on an LED-lit stage, with elaborate dance sequences adding to the spectacle.Committee spokesperson Ravi Jain said AI would help visualise scenes, design stage settings and coordinate special effects. The dialogue, however, will remain live. “Our aim from the beginning has been to introduce the youth to the life and character of Lord Ram. They should understand what he stood for and how he always upheld truth,” Jain said. He added that the expanded cultural and religious programmes were intended to deepen that connection.Nearby, Nav Shri Dharmik Leela Committee is preparing a four-level stage, a giant LED screen and a hydraulic platform for Sita’s swayamvar. High-tech effects will animate Ravan’s aerial battle with Jatayu, while Hanuman will bring the Sanjeevani herb through the air. An online Ramayana quiz will offer Gen Z and Gen Alpha another route into the epic. “Renowned designers have been commissioned to create costumes for the deities,” said committee secretary Prakash Barathi.Committee publicity secretary Rahul Sharma said, “While the story remains the same each year, we try to give its presentation a fresh look so that audiences can reconnect with their culture and religious traditions while also experiencing something new.”In Dwarka’s Sector 10, Dwarka Shri Ramlila Society’s 15th Ramlila will feature a Somnath Temple-inspired stage, a 221-foot Ravan effigy and young actors in prominent roles. A fair, swings and rides will broaden the family outing. Society chairman and chief patron Akash Rajesh Gehlot said connecting the Ramlila tradition with younger generations was the need of the hour. With this objective, Gen Z performers are being given prominent roles portraying various Ramayana characters.Janakpuri’s Shri Ram Lila Committee will bring together nearly 150 performers selected through auditions across Delhi theatre groups. “The basic concept remains unchanged, but we improve its presentation every year,” said general secretary Narendra Chawla.
