To know more about Ram, you must know about Raavan." The audience waits with bated breath as the air is filled with smoke. A song begins and a spotlight pierces the darkened auditorium. As Raavan walks up to the stage through the audience, loud applause and whistling echo in the hall.
It is a peculiar sight to see people cheer the entry of Raavan on stage in a play on the Ramayana. Then again, the actor who plays Raavan is the biggest star in the cast-Ashutosh Rana, known for the unforgettable villains he has essayed on screen. An intriguing mix of mythology and stardom is at play as the hall has filled up to watch their favourite anti-hero being played by a memorable villain.
Apeksha Priyadarshini spoke to Ashutosh Rana before his performance in Humare Ram at Kamani Auditorium, New Delhi. Excerpts:
What is it that attracts you to Raavan?
My attraction is towards Ram, but to know Ram, you need to see him through Raavan's perspective. I firmly believe this philosophy. It was to put an end to Raavan that Lord Vishnu had to be incarnated as Ram. If he had to take the form of a human from a formless force, then it must have been for someone so worthy, whose existence cannot be balanced by anyone other than God himself.
So, my interest in Raavan has been in that part of his divinity-his wisdom, his knowledge, his complete surrender and unbounded love and devotion towards Lord Shiva. The question is, even after all his qualities, what happened that Raavan gained arrogance about his knowledge, but couldn't gain the knowledge about his arrogance? When we look at the journey of Raavan, we find that his journey is a lesson for all, including me and you.
The personality of Raavan is very distinguished. What does an enemy do? Raavan was the enemy of Lord Ram.
Denne historien er fra October 21, 2024-utgaven av Outlook.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prÞveperiode pÄ Magzter GOLD for Ä fÄ tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ?  Logg pÄ
Denne historien er fra October 21, 2024-utgaven av Outlook.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prÞveperiode pÄ Magzter GOLD for Ä fÄ tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg pÄ
Ratan, Ta-ta
Many in the Indian industry think they have lost a moral compass in the passing of Tata
Plutarch's Mine of Poetry
Poet, writer and former IPS officer Keki N. Daruwalla has left behind a towering literary legacy
The Memory Keeper
Much of Han Kang's fiction traces the impact of the violence inflicted on ordinary lives by authoritarians and the burden of historical traumas
A Ploy for Self-Coronation
The ONOE proposal to synchronise elections puts the dynamic democratic process at risk
Time to Abrogate Bitterness
The National Conference's win in the recent assembly elections is a mandate for transformation, not celebration
'We Lose Our House Every Day'
With nearly one in every 100 people in India living under the threat of eviction, the weight of anxiety, fear and confusion has become an inescapable reality
THE PROMISE OF INDIAN MANAGEMENT EDUCATION IN CONTEMPORARY TIMES
The question of whether âpolitics informs economicsâ or vice-versa has been looming large for decades now, but has hardly been as prominent and critical as today.
SHAPING TOMORROW'S LEADERS
The Power, Challenges, and Future of Business Schools in India and Beyond
Archived Memories
A mechanical engineer who clocks in every day at the boiler room, a mushroom farmer on campus, and an old Parsi lady who used to work in the archive and record-keeping department in the 70s Tatanagar in Jamshedpur Is a boxâ full of stories
Philanthropic Saint?
Why it is necessary to speak about the Adivasis when we talk about Ratan Tata