The Man Who Would Be Ravana | 101 Heartland

Abduct. Laugh. Die. Repeat.

If you passed Shiv Shankar Nagar on the streets of Shalimar Bagh, you wouldn't believe for a moment that he could also be a completely convincing Ravana. But every year at Dussehra, this mild mannered Delhi Tourism & Transport Development Corporation employee undergoes a miraculous transformation. After 45 minutes in a makeup chair, and wearing a ten-headed crown that weighs 11 kilos, Shiv Shankar Nagar delights crowds of thousands of spectators in the yearly Shalimar Bagh Ram Leela. He spoke to Doctor VC about his humble beginnings, and the kinship he feels for the Lord of Lanka.

Outside the metros and beyond the urban jungle live the sons and daughters of India’s heartland. This series tells their stories. 101 Heartland celebrates both unique communities and individual tales of hope, struggle, and reform. From the village of bouncers just outside Delhi to the fascinating story of Ram Kumar Tyagi, once a wanted man but now a coach for aspiring female wrestlers, 
101 Heartland tells stories for the heart, from the heartland.