Haryana actor playing Hanuman dies ‘of heart attack’ at ‘Ram’s feet’, as Ayodhya consecration was underway

Harish Mehta, 63, fell at the feet of child playing Ram, as spectators cheered and raised religious slogans. He was later declared dead, likely of a heart attack, in a private hospital.

Harish Mehta, playing Hanuman, collapses on stage in Bhiwani | Photo: By special arrangement

Gurugram: As the consecration ceremony of Ram Lalla was underway in Ayodhya Monday, a 63-year-old actor portraying the character of Hanuman [Hindu deity and Ram devotee] in an enactment of the epic Ramayana, in Haryana’s Bhiwani town, lay lifeless at the feet of the child essaying the role of the Hindu deity Ram.

The spectators, believing it to be a part of the act, burst into applause. But the actor, identified by his group as Harish Mehta, a retired junior engineer of Dakshin Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam, was later declared dead, likely of a heart attack, in a private hospital.

“He [Mehta] had been essaying the role of Hanuman in our club for the past 25 years. He was such a devotee that he would observe Yam Niyam [spiritual practices] on the days he used to play Hanuman in Ramlilas, and used to take a restricted diet only,” said Sanjay Panwar, president of New Vaskinath Kala Manch, which had organised the play.

Dr Vinod Anchal, of Anchal Multi Specialty Hospital and Maternity Centre, Bhiwani, told ThePrint that Mehta was brought to his hospital in the afternoon.

“We got a call before the patient arrived and were asked to be prepared for an emergency. The patient was dressed as Hanuman ji. On examination, we found that he was already dead,” Anchal said, adding that it appeared Mehta had died of a heart attack.

When ThePrint reached out to Vidhyanand, station house officer at Bhiwani city police station, he said the police hadn’t received any information about the incident so far.

“Maybe they didn’t inform the police since they didn’t suspect any foul play. But in any case, we will check out the case,” he added.

Describing the events prior to Mehta’s death, Panwar said that local people had arranged for the live telecast of the Ayodhya ceremony on a big screen at Jawahar Chowk in Bhiwani. At the same stage, they also organised the enactment of the section from the Ramayana which talks about Ram’s coronation.

“Mehta was acting on the Mann Ki Aankho Se Main Dekhun song from the film Mahabali Hanuman and was repeatedly bowing at the feet of the child essaying the character of lord Ram. At the end of the song, he was to bow to the child’s feet again. However, he fell on the ground even while the song was in progress,” said Panwar. “Everyone thought it was part of the act and continued clapping and raising religious slogans.”

A ‘devoted’ person

With Mehta lying prostrate on stage, the organisers handed over the mike to another actor thinking that Mehta was prolonging the act due to his religious nature. This actor touched Mehta’s body and said, “Hanumanji uthiye, Hanumanji uthiye (get up Hanumanji)”, Panwar recalled.

In videos of the Bhiwani play doing the rounds of social media, one of the organisers is heard saying on the mike that “our Harish ji is such a devoted person that he has forgotten everything with people chanting slogans of ‘Jai Shri Ram’ and ‘Bolo Ram Bhakt Hanuman Ki Jai’,”.

Panwar said that it was only after a while that people realised something was wrong with Mehta and rushed him to hospital where the doctors pronounced him dead.

(Edited by Nida Fatima Siddiqui)