Popular theatrical ‘Humare Ram’ to be staged across Punjab for free

Chandigarh: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Punjab has decided to stage ‘Humare Ram’, a popular theatrical retelling of the Ramayana featuring Ashutosh Rana and Rahul R Bhuchar, across multiple cities in the state. The proposal received approval from the Punjab Cabinet at its meeting on Tuesday.

Briefing the media after the meeting, Finance Minister Harpal Cheema said the government plans to organise 40 free shows of the play, with all production and staging costs to be borne by the state. Tickets for the play typically start at Rs 799.

The Cultural Affairs Committee under the state’s Tourism and Culture Department will act as the nodal agency to organise the performances and finalise the list of cities and venues. Cheema said auditoriums of universities and other institutions will be used for the shows.

A senior AAP leader said the shows had been booked after discussions with the organisers, with available slots scheduled for September and October. The performances are expected to be staged in major cities including Amritsar, Jalandhar, Patiala, Bathinda, Mohali and Ludhiana, with venues accommodating around 2,500 people. Multiple shows will be organised if demand is high.

The Tourism and Cultural Affairs Department will soon convene a meeting to draw up a detailed blueprint for the programme.

The decision follows the government’s recent cultural initiatives, including the 350th birth anniversary commemoration of Guru Teg Bahadur and the upcoming 650th birth anniversary celebrations of Guru Ravidas in February. Officials said the move is part of the government’s broader outreach through cultural programmes, aimed at public engagement and community service.