Hub of Myths brings Ramleela story to life at Regis College

Growing up in India, “Ramleela,” a dramatic reenactment of the story of Lord Rama, was a familiar part of Anita Varma’s life.

“‘Ramleela’ is a story that most of us in the Indian community grew up with,” she said.

During Diwali, the annual Hindu festival of lights, the story is reenacted by families and friends all across India, Varma said.

“Most of the neighborhood puts up makeshift theaters and folks will stage ‘Ramleela,’” Varma said.

A few years ago, Varma and a group of friends decided to bring the story to a larger audience and created the Hub of Myths, a Weston-based, nonprofit theater group.

Hub of Myths will bring “Ramleela Reimagined” to the stage on Oct. 18, at the Eleanor Welch Casey Theater at Regis College.

“It’s a great epic,” Varma said, noting it could be compared to Homer’s “Odyssey.” 

“It’s about comparisons of loyalty, family, duty, responsibility, good versus evil.”

Varma, and co-founders Bhanu Srinivasan and Navjot Singh, started Hub of Myths in 2025 to “bring mythological stories, epic stories, to life using theater as a medium.”

“Our goal is twofold. Introducing these global, mythological stories to audiences, improve our cultural understanding and create some intergenerational learning opportunities,” Varma said.

“Ramleela Reimagined” follows the life of Lord Rama, who is exiled in the forest for 14 years, with his wife, Sita and brother, Lakshmana. When the demon king Ravana abducts Sita, Rama, with the help of Hanuman and an army of monkeys, goes to war to rescue Sita and defeats Ravana.

The story celebrates the triumph of good over evil and ends during the autumn festival of Dussehra, where large statues of Ravana are burned with fireworks. Dussehra comes 20 days before Diwali, which is the joyful festival of lights celebrating Rama’s eventual return home.

Hub of Myths co-founders created their own script for “Ramleela Reimagined,” which depicts grandparents sharing the story with their grandchildren to bring it to life.

This brings the different generations into focus, Varma said, showing how older generations are “choosing to help current generations understand the story in terms that may be more relatable to them.”

The theater’s first performance of “Ramleela Reimagined” was in 2025, at the Charles E. Brown Middle School in Newton. They were encouraged by the response, Varma said.

“The best moment that was unforgettable was about five minutes into the play. There was laughter from the audience. That was just an indescribable moment,” she said.

All performances are in English – another way to bridge the cultural gap, she said. And while they started with “Ramleela” because it is “known and familiar,” they intend to bring other epic stories to life. Next in line could be stories from the epic “Mahabharata,” Varma said.

Considered to be one of the most significant epics in Indian literature, “Mahabharata” was written by Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa and is the longest poem in world literature. The poem narrates the conflict between the Pandavas and Kauravas, blending history, mythology, and spiritual philosophy, while giving lessons in duty, justice, and the path to liberation.

Varma hopes people will come out on Oct. 18, not only to enjoy the performance, but to join the Hub of Myths community.

“Be part of our journey – audition next year, join us, be a cast member, be a crew member,” she said. “No training is needed other than enthusiasm and a joy to perform and enjoy the arts”

If you go

“Ramleela Reimagined”

WHEN: Oct. 18; doors open at 3 p.m.; performance starts at 3:30 p.m.

WHERE: Eleanor Welch Casey Theater at Regis College, 235 Wellesley St.

TICKETS: $75, VIP; $50, Premium; $25, general admission

INFO: hubofmyths.com

Correction: A previous version of this story misspelled Anita Varma’s last name.