Sanjeev K. Sharma
JAMMU, May 15: While moms are finding it hard to make their kids learn lessons in the ongoing nationwide lockdown clamped by the authorities as a safeguard against the deadly COVID-19 pandemic, ‘Ramayana’ has proved as a game-changer in this regard at the Chennani area of J&K.
It is a common habit among the children to ape characters after watching some thrilling movie or TV serial and the same motivation is being triggered by Ramanand Sagar’s ‘Ramayana’ among children these days.
After watching ‘Ramayana’, many children are now seen speaking and behaving like Rama, Lakshman etc.
Such behavior of kids in Chenani area struck an idea in the mind of one of the office bearers of a local traders’ body who in turn planned a ‘Ramayana’ locally by involving kids.
“I started from my home itself and afterwards called neighbouring kids to play different characters in the locally made ‘Ramayana’ for social media,” Rajesh Rinku-an office bearer of Chennani Beopar Mandal told this reporter.
“This on one side reduced the stress among kids they were undergoing during the prolonged stay at home in the ongoing lockdown while on the other hand they discovered their hidden talent,” he maintained.
Rinku also said that his family has a long association with Ramleela Club of the area.
“Also while enacting different characters of Ramayana the children are becoming familiar with their culture,” he said adding that they are making clips to use as trailers on social media but the low speed 2G network hinders in uploading videos on WhatsApp, Facebook and YouTube platforms.
“We started it some 20 days back and soon the entire play will be completed after which it will be released on social media platforms,” he informed adding that norms of social distancing etc set by the authorities are also being followed by the kids while performing in the play.
Agreeing that the kids don’t recite their dialogues properly, Rinku said, “Still they (kids) try their best and watch YouTube to improve themselves in this regard.”
He said that some 9-10 children in the age group of 4-16 years including both boys and girls are performing in the play.
Rishu Jamwal-a housewife said her son, Adeshwar, 9, student of Class-V is feeling happy as he is enacting the character of ‘Bharat’ in the play.
“Now he learns his lessons properly as I have told him that he won’t be allowed to act in the play otherwise,” she said.
Many more mothers are also happy as their kids are now away from mobile phones and TV sets and they only use smart phones to watch their own performance in the play.
Locals of the area were also rejoicing as they watch the kids enacting characters of Rama, Hanuman, Sita etc.
Atharav Gupta, Alina Gupta, Pragun Mahajan, Yug, Adhi, Ujjwal Verma, Vandit Mahajan, Raghav Mahajan, Balvinder Singh, Bhumika Anthal, Danish Gupta, Ananta Jamwal, Dharika Mahajan and Rahat Gupta are some of the children playing different characters in kids ‘Ramayana’.
It is pertinent to mention here that authorities have decided to telecast legendary serials Ramayana and Mahabharata again on Television after 30 years as the authorities concerned have clamped a nationwide lockdown.
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