Dussehra 2021: From 'Swades' to 'Delhi 6'- Bollywood movies that incorporated Ramlila in their plot

 | Updated: Oct 15, 2021, 04:58 PM IST

The festive fervour during Dussehra is something that can't be missed, especially if you attend a vibrant and theatrical Ramlila which literally translates to 'Rama's play'. Over the years, filmmakers have often added this festival to their stories with various twists along with a dash of their own creativity.

In honour of this festival that India dearly celebrates, take a look back at some of the prominent films that have beautifully incorporated Ramlila in their plot

Delhi 6

Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra's 'Delhi 6' revolved around Delhi's Chandni Chowk and one of the recurring themes of the movie was Ramlila and Dussehra. The film highlighted the importance of identifying fear, good and the evil that resides within human beings. In several of the scenes, the characters are often seen watching a theatrical depiction of Ramlila.
 

(Photograph:Twitter)

Raavan

This thriller showed a close resemblance to Ramayan where a person kidnaps the wife of his rival. However, one can also sense that over time Aishwarya Rai Bachchan's character develops a soft spot for her kidnapper, which was not the case in the actual epic.

Apart from that, the story showcases the life of Ragini (Aishwarya) and how she is abducted by Beera (played by Abhishek Bachchan) in the film.
 

(Photograph:Twitter)

Swades

One of the gems of Bollywood from filmmaker Ashutosh Gowariker, which didn't get its due at the time of release, was 'Swades'. It featured a special song titled 'Pal Pal Hai Bhaari', that is set during a Ramlila sequence.

This song from the Shah Rukh Khan-starrer is about Sita's yearning for Lord Rama, while she is in captivity of Raavana. When the demon king taunts her about her husband, Sita sings praises of Rama, even saying that words aren't even enough to describe his greatness.

(Photograph:Twitter)

Ra. One

The Anubhav Sinha directorial 'Ra. One' was a modern-day retelling of Ramayana but with a sci-fi twist. In the film, antagonist Arjun Rampal, aka Ra. One, resembled the character of Raavana and even made an entry in real life from a video game. In one of the scenes, he was shown walking against the backdrop of burning Raavan's effigy.
 

(Photograph:Twitter)
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Nautanki Saala

Directed by Rohan Sippy, the movie starred Ayushmann Khurrana and Kunaal Roy Kapur in lead roles. In it, Khurrana played the role of R.P. aka Ram Parmar, who is a successful theatre artist. He soon befriends a suicidal guy named Mandar, played by Kunal Roy Kapur. Throughout the film, several times, one can see the theatrical resemblance of Ramayan's plot in the storyline.

(Photograph:Twitter)