Ramu, who is the founder of the Hampi Hanumayana street theater group, trained under his father who was a reputed musician and street theater artist. In those days, he recollects, they made their own costumes and ground various colored stones for use as makeup. His father’s troupe performed scenes from the different Kantas (books) of the Ramayana.

These theater performers were all male and consisted of gifted musicians and actors who were also kin and family members quite commonly. They performed in different villages during harvest and other festive times of the year. Theater performances were held during the day. The women folk rendered the Burrakatha, oral narratives in song, at night.

In the old days, before cash became the only accepted mode of exchange, payments for performances were made in kind by villagers and hosts. These included grain, clothing, jewelry and cows (Seema breed) valued both for their milk and the stamina to haul their heavy carts. This was the period, before the 60s and the coming of cinema, when street theater was the only form of public entertainment that served as both amusement and education for the masses.

Ramu’s memories take him to his early childhood to his grandmother who was a singular influence on him. She would bring him to sleep with stories from the Ramayana, planting, what he believes, were the seeds of imagination that would stand him in good stead as a performing artist later in life. She would personally stitch his costumes when he started performing solo as Hanuman, Rama and other characters in front of the Vittala temple in Hampi at just 10 years of age. He would later join his father professionally as they performed mostly in the Bellary region of Karnataka.

In 2000 he came to Hampi and formed the Hampi Hanumayana group with his cousins and other close relatives. This emphasis on Hanuman was quite intentional and had a reason. The Hampi region – defined by Anjanadri Parvath and references to ancient Kishkinda – was steeped in the lore of Hanuman, not Rama. His troupe renders tales from the life of Hanuman in the Ramayana that few are aware of. This was novel and well received.

Under Ramu’s stewardship the Hampi Hanumayana theater group became popular. He started to receive invitations to perform in other states and, later, even internationally. Today the group comprises of around 17 members. Ramu does not perform as often as he used to. He takes care of the choreography and the business side of things.

Ramu’s life has been an eventful journey, one that he acknowledges with pride and gratitude for the opportunities that came and the ideas he could manifest. Up until his time it was clear that most youth from his community would take up theater performance as a vocation following in the footsteps of their fathers, uncles and cousins. But now there is a noticeable break with this tradition. Youth from the Budagajangama community have to be cajoled and incentivised to take up theater now. Many are looking to higher education as a more viable professional alternative.

Reading the signs and keen to preserve this unique art form Ramu is planning on starting a training center for anyone interested in this kind of performance art that his ancestors created and practiced for generations. Perhaps, for the first time, its scope and reach will be extended to members outside of the Budagajangama community in order to preserve its soul and give it a fresh lease of life for these changing times.