Yami Gautam Leads Ravan Vadh For Women's Rights
If you have ever stood on the grounds near the Red Fort on Dussehra, you know the feeling: the press of families, kids hoisted onto shoulders for a better view, and the roar that goes up when an arrow flies toward a giant Ravana. On Dussehra 2026, Tuesday, 20 October, the person drawing the bow will be Yami Gautam, who is set to perform the symbolic Ravan Vadh at the Luv Kush Ramlila, and the organisers have built this year’s celebration around a theme of respect for women. It sounds like a simple piece of theatre, but there’s a bigger idea behind it, and it lands only a few days after her new film, Nayyi Navelli, showed cinema audiences a very similar scene.
A Film Scene Steps Off the Screen
Nayyi Navelli, which some outlets spell Nai Naveli, opened in theatres on 16 October. It’s a horror comedy directed by Balaji Mohan and produced by Aanand L. Rai’s Colour Yellow Productions with Amazon MGM Studios, and Yami plays Mohini, a new bride whose arrival turns the noisy joint family of her husband Raja, played by Adinath Kothare, upside down in Meerut. The story is a mixture of humor, family conflict, and the supernatural, with influences of Indian folk culture. There is a scene in the movie where her character performs Ravan Vadh, which has been linked by some sources to the Ramlila invitation this week. Should you choose to watch it from the comfort of your home, sources have indicated that it may air on Amazon Prime Video anywhere from mid-November to December 2nd.
As for why they picked her, the organisers haven’t been shy about it. According to Arjun Kumar, who is the leader of the Luv Kush Ramlila Committee, the current theme is about honoring women. According to him, “Gautam shall be representative of the courage of women of India and all of Delhi in facing the adversity.” Putting a woman to shoot the arrow is to signify that women play an equally important role in the battle of good and evil. Family and children are encouraged, and the Delhi Police has stepped up security arrangements at the Red Fort ground.
More Than a Photo Opportunity?
One might roll their eyes at the sight of a movie star firing an arrow, branding it as publicity. However, such an act misses the meaning of the celebration. Dussehra marks the triumph of Rama over Ravana. According to the Ramayana, one of the crucial incidents marking the beginning of the story is an attack on a woman. A Ramlila, therefore, which highlights the dignity of a woman can hardly be considered off-target to begin with. Moreover, it is significant that a woman conducts the ritual because it is often men who conduct it. But symbolism can only go so far. The true success of the event is measured by how lasting a message the event leaves after the spectacle.
Gautam also joins a long line of guests at this ceremony. Over time, Ravan Vadh at Luv Kush Ramlila featured actors such as Akshay Kumar, Ajay Devgn, John Abraham, Prabhas, and Kareena Kapoor alongside director Rohit Shetty. What makes this year feel different is how neatly the screen and the street line up: an actor who plays a woman guarding a secret in a film that opened days ago now repeats the gesture in front of thousands of real people, and it’s hard not to notice the echo.
If you’re planning to go, the committee has invited families to bring their children to the Red Fort ground on 20 October. With crowds like these, it’s wise to leave early, expect tighter security, and think ahead about how you’ll get home, since Dussehra gatherings in the capital tend to draw a very large rush. And if the cinema is more your speed, Nayyi Navelli is already in theatres, with a streaming release likely to follow in the weeks ahead. Whichever way the day goes, there is nothing better to talk about until after the effigy has been burnt and everybody gone home.
It doesn’t have anything to do with film promotion; this is not what remains after watching the movie. It concerns the way respect towards women transitions from words to a banner into a thing that a girl can trust in her own community. Ramlila can address this issue: an actor holding a bow can draw a crowd, but a solution to the problem can be found only in real-life situations, at home, in the workplace, and on the streets far beyond the movie event. Yami Gautam made her choice, and now it is up to the others to decide what to do with their applause. At She Inspires Magazine, that’s the part we’ll be following most closely.
