VIDEO: Veteran Ramleela artist playing King Dashrath dies of Heart Attack during performance in Chamba

Dharamshala: In a tragic incident, a 73-year-old theatre artist died on stage while performing as King Dashrath during the ongoing Ramleela in Chamba.

The deceased, identified as Amresh Mahajan, had been enacting the role of King Dashrath in the traditional Ramleela for the past 40 years.

Eyewitnesses said last evening the court of King Dashrath was staged when Mahajan, while delivering his dialogue promising to sacrifice his life for the welfare of his subjects, suddenly leaned towards a fellow actor and fell silent.

Initially, the audience and co-actors believed it to be part of the act. However, organisers grew alarmed when he failed to respond and it was soon realised that he had suffered a heart attack.

Mahajan was immediately rushed to hospital, where doctors declared him dead.

#Watch | Veteran Ramleela artist Amresh Mahajan, a 73-year-old theatre veteran known for portraying King Dashrath for over 40 years, died of a heart attack during a Ramleela performance in Chamba on Tuesday evening.

He collapsed while delivering his dialogue and was declared… pic.twitter.com/MBHZ30PJ5v

— United News of India (@uniindianews) September 24, 2025

The incident has cast a pall of gloom over Chamba, with all subsequent Ramleela programmes being cancelled.