Mahabharat (1988 TV series)

1988 TV series by B. R. Chopra based on Mahabharata

Mahabharat

Genre| Epic
Created by| B. R. Chopra
Based on| Mahabharata by Vyasa
Written by| Pandit Narendra Sharma
Rahi Masoom Raza
Screenplay by| Rahi Masoom Raza
Directed by| B. R. Chopra
Ravi Chopra
Creative director| Yashwant Mahilwar
Starring| See below
Narrated by| Harish Bhimani
Composer| Raj Kamal
Country of origin| India
Original language| Hindi
No. of seasons| 1
No. of episodes| 94
Production
Executive producer| D.H. Vengurlekar
Producer| B. R. Chopra
Cinematography| Dharam Chopra
Editors| Shailendra Doke
Birpal Singh
Running time| 40-45 minutes
Production company| B.R. Films
Original release
Network| DD National
Release| 2 October 1988 (1988-10-02) –
24 June 1990 (1990-06-24)[1]
Related
Mahabharat Katha

Mahabharat is an Indian Hindi-language epic television series based on the ancient Sanskrit epic Mahabharata. The original airing consisted of a total of 94 episodes[2] and were broadcast from 2 October 1988 to 24 June 1990 on Doordarshan.[3][4][5] It was produced by B. R. Chopra and directed by his son, Ravi Chopra.[6] The music was composed by Raj Kamal. The script was written by Pandit Narendra Sharma and the Hindi/Urdu poet Rahi Masoom Raza, based on the epic by Vyasa. Costumes for the series were provided by Maganlal Dresswala.[7] The serial claims to have used the Critical Edition of Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute as its basic source with Vishnu Sitaram Sukthankar and Shripad Krishna Belwalkar as its primary editor.

Each episode is 40–46 minutes long and begins with a title song that consisted of lyrical content and two verses from the Bhagavad Gita.[8] The title song was sung and the verses rendered by singer Mahendra Kapoor. The title song is followed by a narration by Indian voice-artist Harish Bhimani as a personification of Time, detailing the current circumstances and highlighting the spiritual significance of the content of the episodes.[9]

Mahabharat Katha, another part of the serial was aired on 1997 which covers all the untold stories about Karna's marriage with Padmavati, Arjuna's marriage with Chitrāngadā and Ulupi, and stories about Ghatotkacha, Barbarika, Vrishaketu, Babruvahana, conspiracies of Viprachitti, Ashwamedha Yajna, Dushala's story and aftermath of the Kurukshetra War, which are not covered in the original series.[citation needed]

## Premise

[edit]

The series covers the story of epic Mahabharata with Krishna, Pandavas, Kauravas being the main focus of the epic.

The show begins with Emperor Bharata giving more importance to 'Capacity' than to 'Birth'. He shows the birth of Bhishma and his oath, birth of Pandu, Dhritarashtra and Vidura and birth of Pandavas and Kauravas. The story then focuses on the childhood of Lord Krishna.

Elsewhere, Dronacharya teaches Pandavas and Kauravas warfare, and after completion asks them to defeat his enemy king Drupada as payment for services orGuru Dakshina. Pandavas do so and give half of Drupad’s kingdom to Drona. Dhritarashtra makes Yudhishthira ( the eldest son of Pandu) the crown prince of Hastinapur. Shakuni (the maternal uncle of the Kauravas) and Duryodhana the eldest of the Kauravas hatch a plan to burn Pandavas and Kunti alive, but they survive and go into hiding, letting the rumour spread that they died in the fire. Duryodhana is made crown prince of Hastinapur.

Arjuna the best fighter among the Pandavas wins the hand of Draupadi in her swayamvara. Later, Yudhishthira is made the king of Indraprastha and Pandavas conduct Rajsuya Yagna where Draupadi insults Duryodhana. Later Duryodhana has his revenge by first defeating Yudhisthira in a rigged game of dice, in which Yudhisthira stakes his kingdom, his brothers and Draupadi and loses all, Duryodhana tries to disrobe Draupadi in front of the whole court, but she is saved by lord Krishna, then the Pandavas along with Draupadi are sent to an exile of 12 years and 1 year of living in anonymity. After the period of exile is over Duryodhana argues that the Pandavas violated the condition of anonymity in their last year of exile, therefore they must spend another 12 years in exile followed by another year of exile in anonymity. This conflict begins to sow the seed for the Mahabharata War.

Arjuna and Subhadra's son Abhimanyu marries Uttara. Krishna tries to make peace between both parties. Indra in the disguise of a Brahmin took Karna's armor and earrings. Kunti's sorrow on the corpse of Karna reveals Karna's true identity of being the eldest Pandava.

Before Mahabharata War, Shri Krishna enlightens Arjuna about the "Bhagavad Gita" and shows his Virata Swaroopa to Arjuna. The latter shows the deaths of Bhishma, Drona, Karna, Abhimanyu, Shalya, Shakuni, Jayadrata, Ghatotkacha, 100 Kauravas, 5 sons of Draupadi and many other warriors in the war leading to the victory of Pandavas over Kauravas. Only 5 Pandavas, Satyaki, Yuyutsu, Krishna, Ashwatthama, Kritavarma and Kripacharya survive. Gandhari holds Krishna responsible for her sons' death and curses that his family will also get destroyed. The show ends with Yudhishthir's Rajyabhishek and Bhishma's death.

## Cast

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### Main

[edit]

* Nitish Bharadwaj / Rishabh Shukla as Krishna, eighth avatar of Vishnu, Devaki-Vasudev's eighth son, foster son of Nand and Yashoda, Balrama and Subhadra's brother, Pandavas' cousin.
* Kewal Shah as adolescent Krishna
* Pankaj Dheer as Karna, son of Kunti and Surya Dev, Adhiratha-Radha's foster son, King of Anga, Pandava's Eldest Brother.
* Harendra Paintal as young Karna
* Mukesh Khanna as Bhishma, Shantanu-Ganga's eighth son, eighth Vasu, Satyavati's step-son, elder half-brother of Chitrangada and Vichitravirya, paternal uncle of Dhritrashtra, Pandu, and Vidur, paternal grandfather of the Kauravas and the Pandavas
* Krish Malik as adolescent Bhishma
* Gajendra Chauhan as Yudhishthira, first Pandava, son of Kunti and Yama, second eldest son of Kuru Clan, King of Indraprastha and later Hastinapura, husband of Draupadi, father of Prativindhya, Kauravas' Elder Cousin
* Sonu as young Yudhishthira
* Praveen Kumar as Bhima, second Pandava, son of Kunti and Vayu, Yuvraja (crown prince) of Indraprastha, husband of Draupadi and Hidimbi, father of Ghatotkacha, Sutasoma, Duryodhana's Younger Cousin
* Mallik as young Bhima
* Firoz Khan as Arjuna, third Pandava, son of Kunti and Indra, husband of Draupadi, Ulupi, Chitrāngadā and Subhadra, brother-in-law of Balaram and Krishna, father of Abhimanyu, Babruvahana, Iravan and Shrutakarma, Duryodhan's Younger cousin
* Ankur Javeri as young Arjuna
* Roopa Ganguly as Draupadi, wife of the Pandavas, also called Panchali and Yagyaseni, younger daughter of Drupada, Princess of Panchala, sister of Dhrishtadhyumna and Shikhandi, mother of Upapandavas
* Puneet Issar as Duryodhana, eldest son of Gandhari and Dhritarashtra, elder brother of 99 Kauravas, husband of Bhanumati, Yudhishthira's younger cousin, Elder Cousin of other 4 Pandavas, Lakshmanaa's Father, Crown prince of Hastinapura, Karna's best friend
* Amit Shukla as young Duryodhana
* Sameer Chitre as Nakula, fourth Pandava, son of Madri and Ashwini Kumara, husband of Draupadi, father of Shatanika
* Sanjeev Chitre as Sahadeva, fifth Pandav, son of Madri and Ashwini Kumara, husband of Draupadi and father of Shrutasena
* Vinod Kapoor as Dushasana, second son of Gandhari and Dhritarashtra, Duryodhan's younger brother
* Kaushal Shah as young Dushasana
* Gufi Paintal as Shakuni, Gandhari's brother, later King of Gandhara, maternal uncle of Duryodhana and his 99 brothers
* Girija Shankar as Dhritrashtra, Vichitravirya's son from Ambika (eldest), later king of Hastinapura, father of Kauravas
* Renuka Israni as Gandhari, wife of Dhritrashtra, Queen of Hastinapura, mother of Kauravas, princess of Gandhara, sister of Shakuni
* Nazneen as Kunti, Pandu's first wife, mother of Karna, Yudhisthira, Bhim and Arjuna, daughter of Shurasena, Vasudeva's sister, Yadava princess, foster daughter of Kunti-Bhoja
* Virendra Razdan as Vidura, the prime minister of Hastinapur, son of Ambika's head maid Parishrami, fathered by Vyasa, half-brother to the kings Dhritarashtra and Pandu of Hastinapura, uncle of Pandavas and Kauravas
* Surendra Pal as Drona, Kauravas and Pandavas' guru, Ashwatthama's father
* Dharmesh Tiwari as Kripa, family teacher, brother of Kripi, Ashwatthama's maternal uncle
* Pradeep Rawat as Ashwatthama, son of Dronacharya
* Ayush Shah as young Ashwatthama

### Recurring

[edit]

* Harish Bhimani as Time (Samaya), Narrator
* Sagar Salunke as Balarama, Krishna's elder brother
* Chetan Hansraj as adolescent Balarama
* Aloka Mukherjee as Subhadra, Arjuna's fourth wife, Abhimanyu's mother, Vasudev's and Rohini's daughter, Krishna-Balaram's younger sister, Yadava princess
* Raj Babbar as Bharata, paternal ancestor of the Kauravas and Pandavas, son of King Dushyanta and Shakuntala
* Ashalata Wabgaonkar as Shakuntala, Bharata's mother, King Dushyanta's wife
* Rishabh Shukla as Shantanu, descendant of King Bharata, husband of Ganga and Satyavati, father of Bhishma, Chitrangada and Vichitravirya, paternal grandfather of Dhritarashtra and Pandu, paternal great-grandfather of the Kauravas and the Pandavas
* Kiran Juneja as Ganga, Shantanu's first wife, Bhishma's mother, the holy river of Hindus
* Debashree Roy as Satyavati, King Shantanu's second wife; Vyasa, Chitrangada, and Vichitravirya's mother, Bhishma's step-mother, paternal grandmother of Dhritarashtra, Pandu, and Vidur, paternal great-grandmother of the Kauravas and the Pandavas
* Rajesh Vivek as Vyasa, son of Parashara and Satyavati, father of Dhritarashtra, Pandu and Vidura, partial incarnation of Vishnu, author of Mahabharata
* Sudesh Berry as Vichitravirya, Shantanu-Satyavati's second son after Chitrangada, Bhisma's step brother, husband of Ambika and Ambalika, father of Dhritarashtra and Pandu, paternal grandfather of the Kauravas and the Pandavas
* Jahnavi as Amba (Shikhandini), the first princess of Kashi, Shikhandi (reincarnated by Yaksha)
* Meena Chakrabarty as Ambika, second princess of Kashi, Vichitravirya's first queen, mother of Dhritarashtra, paternal grandmother of the Kauravas
* Menaka Babbar as Ambalika, third princess of Kashi, Vichitravirya's second queen, mother of Pandu, paternal grandmother of the Pandavas
* Tarakesh Chauhan as Pandu, Vichitravirya's son from Ambalika (the youngest wife), King of Hastinapur, husband of Kunti and Madri, father of Pandavas
* Roma Manek as Madri, Pandu's second wife, Madra princess, mother of Nakula and Sahadeva
* Asha Singh as Kripi, sister of Kripacharya, wife of Dronacharya and mother of Ashwathama
* Kamlesh Maan as Devi Sulabha, Vidura's wife
* Lalit Mohan Tiwari as Sanjaya, Dhritarashtra's advisor and also his charioteer
* Kapil Kumar as Shalya, Madri's elder brother, King of Madra
* Shahla Khan as Hidimbi, Hidimb's sister, Bheem's wife, Kunti's daughter-in-law and Ghatotkacha's mother
* Razak Khan as Ghatotkacha, son of Bhima and Hidimbi
* Mayur Verma (Master Mayur) as Abhimanyu, son of Arjun and Subhadra, husband of Uttara, father of Parikshit
* Varsha Usgaonkar as Uttara, Abhimanyu's wife, Matsya princess, mother of Parikshit
* Dinesh Anand as Vikarna, son of Gandhari and Dhritarashtra, Duyodhan's younger brother
* Paramjeet Chima as Dashraj, Satyavati's father
* Om Katare as Adhiratha, charioteer, Karna's foster father
* Saroj Sharma as Radha, Adhiratha's wife, Karna's foster mother
* Ramlal Gupta as Ugrasena, King of Mathura, Surasena, father of Kansa and Devaki
* Goga Kapoor as Kamsa, son of Ugrasena, elder brother of Devaki, maternal uncle of Krishna and Balarama
* Vishnu Sharma as Vasudev, son of Shurasena, brother of Kunti, prince of Vrishni tribe, father of Balarama, Krishna, and Subhadra, maternal uncle of the Pandavas
* Kshama Raj as Rohini, Vasudeva's elder wife, mother of Balarama
* Sheela Sharma as Devaki, Vasudeva's younger wife, younger sister of Kansa, daughter of Ugrasena, mother of Krishna and Subhadra
* Rasik Dave as Nanda, chief of Gokul, foster father of Krishna
* Manju Vyas as Yashoda, Nand's wife, foster mother of Krishna
* Channa Ruparel as Maharani Rukmini, Krishna's chief wife
* Parijat as Maharani Radha, Krishna's consort
* Sumeet Raghavan as adolescent Sudama
* Ajay Sinha as Akroor, Chief of the Vrishni
* Bashir Khan as Satyaki
* Ashok Banthia as Kritavarma
* Pradeep Sharma as Panchalaraj Drupada, Draupadi's father, King of Panchala
* Arun Bakshi as Dhrishtadyumna, Draupadi's elder brother, Prince of Panchala
* Kanwarjit Paintal as Shikhandi, Drupad's elder son and also as adult Sudama
* Ashok Sharma as Virata, King of Matsya
* Chandni Sharma as Sudeshna, Queen of Matsya
* Sameer Rajda as Uttar, crown prince of Matsya
* Sharat Saxena as Kichaka, Army General of Matsya
* Deep Dhillon as Jayadratha, Duhsala's husband, Kauravas' brother-in-law, King of Sindhu
* Vikrant Mathur as Subala, Shakuni's and Gandhari's father, King of Gandhara
* Shivendra Mahal as Parashurama and Shiva
* Satish Kaul as Indra
* Gopi Krishna as Chitrasena
* Rakesh Bidua as Kashya, King of Kashi
* Rana Jung Bahadur as Jarasandha, King of Magadha, father-in-law of Kamsa
* Karunakar Pathak as Shishupala, King of Chedi, a maternal cousin of Krishna and Balarama
* Pawan Shukla as Shalva Kumar, Prince of Salwa, Princess Amba's lover
* Prem Sagar as Kanva
* Pankaj Berry as Kindama, a sage who cursed Pandu
* Mini Singh as Kindama's wife

### Episodic appearance

[edit]

* Vikas Prasad as Ekalavya
* Randhir Singh as Hidimb and Putana
* Sabrina as Putana (cameo)
* Dara Singh as Hanuman (cameo)
* Raj Kishore as Rajpurohit of Panchal Kingdom (cameo)
* Dinesh Kaushik as Rukmi
* Bashir Khan (not the one who played Satyaki) as Parashar, father of Vyasa, Commandant of Hastinapura
* Vinod Raut as Purochana at Laksagriha in Varnavata

## Episodes

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Episode No. | Summary | Air date

|
|

1 | Introduction of the Kuru dynasty, Bharata and Shantanu, Shantanu and Ganga's marriage | 2 October 1988
2 | Ganga kills her seven cursed sons, Bhishma's birth, Ganga and Bhishma leave Shantanu | 9 October 1988
3 | Ganga returns Bhishma to Shantanu | 16 October 1988
4 | Shantanu and Satyavati's marriage, Bhishma's vow of celibacy & Bhishma's immortality boon, Vichitravirya's birth | 23 October 1988
5 | Amba, Ambika and Ambalika's Introduction, Bhishma abducts the three princesses, Bhishma releases Amba while Ambika and Ambalika marry Vichitravirya | 30 October 1988
6 | Birth of Pandu, Dhritarashtra and Vidura, Pandu becomes the temporary king | 6 November 1988
7 | Kunti's introduction, Karna's birth and abandonment, Kunti and Madri marry Pandu, Dhritarashtra marries Gandhari | 13 November 1988
8 | Adhiratha and Radha's story, Kindama curses Pandu | 20 November 1988
9 | Dhritarashtra's coronation, Pandu, Kunti and Madri renounce the throne, birth of the Pandavas | 27 November 1988
10 | Kamsa's cousin Devaki marries Vasudeva and a voice warns Kamsa of his doom | 4 December 1988
11 | Birth of Balarama and Krishna | 11 December 1988
12 | Nanda and Yashoda adopt Krishna and Putana's Death | 18 December 1988
13 | Yashoda witnesses the universe in Krishna's mouth and Krishna gets caught stealing butter | 25 December 1988
14 | Krishna's no-butter promise to Yashoda and the defeat of Kaliya | 1 January 1989
15 | Radha's relationship with Krishna, protest against Kamsa, Devakasur and Trulambasur's death by Krishna | 8 January 1989
16 | Kamsa invites Krishna and Balarama to Mathura | 15 January 1989
17 | Krishna kills Kamsa and his assistants; Krishna releases his birth parents and Ugrasena | 22 January 1989
18 | Karna's adoption, Pandu and Madri's death, Kunti and her sons return to Hastinapura | 29 January 1989
19 | Satyavati, Ambika and Ambalika quit the kingdom and stay with Vyasa | 5 February 1989
20 | Karna grows up; The enmity between the Pandavas and Kauravas begin, Duryodhana poisons Bhima and Bhima gains the strength of 1000 Elephants | 12 February 1989
21 | Sudama reunites with Krishna, Dronacharya arrives at Hastinapur and becomes the royal teacher | 19 February 1989
22 | Shastra Pooja begins, Drona rejects Karna, Arjuna becomes Drona's favourite student | 26 February 1989
23 | Karna's education under Parashurama, Story of Ekalavya | 5 March 1989
24 | The great weaponry test begins, Karna enters the arena | 12 March 1989
25 | Karna is crowned as the king of Anga, and Drona asks the Pandavas and Kauravas to capture Drupada as revenge | 19 March 1989
26 | Krishna obtains the Sudarshana Chakra from Parashurama, Jarasandha's birth and Krishna moves to his new kingdom in Dwaraka | 26 March 1989
27 | Yudhishthira is crowned as the Crown Prince. Rukmini of Vidarbha is Being Forced to Marry Shishupala | 2 April 1989
28 | Krishna Rescues Rukmini and marries her | 9 April 1989
29 | The Lac-Palace is built in Varnavata by Purochana as a murder plot on the Pandavas by Duryodhana and Shakuni | 16 April 1989
30 | Tunneling in the Lac-Palace Begins, The Lac-Palace catches fire | 23 April 1989
31 | Escape from the Lac-Palace, Purochana's death | 30 April 1989
32 | Hidimba's death and Bhima's marriage with demoness Hidimbi, Ghatotkacha's birth | 7 May 1989
33 | The Pandavas and Kunti move to Ekachakra and Bhima kills Bakasura | 14 May 1989
34 | Dhrishtadyumna & Draupadi's Birth and Draupadi's Swayamvar | 21 May 1989
35 | Arjuna wins Draupadi and later she becomes the wife of the 5 Pandavas | 28 May 1989
36 | Pandavas Leave from Panchala Kingdom to Hastinapur | 4 June 1989
37 | Pandavas arrive at Hastinapur and Partition of the kingdom | 11 June 1989
38 | Pandavas Get Khandavprastha, Agni's food deal and Krishna and Arjuna's battle with Indra, Mayasura builds a grand palace | 18 June 1989
39 | Coronation of Yudhishthira, Khandavprastha Becomes Indraprastha | 25 June 1989
40 | Balarama talks about his sister Subhadra's marriage, Arjuna elopes with Subhadra | 2 July 1989
41 | Arjuna marries Subhadra, Jarasandha's story | 9 July 1989
42 | Jarasandha's murder, Rajasuya Yajna begins, Shishupala's story | 16 July 1989
43 | Rajasuya Yajna, Shishupala's death | 23 July 1989
44 | Vyasa predicts war between Pandavas and Kauravas, Draupadi laughs at Duryodhana | 30 July 1989
45 | Pandavas are invited to Hastinapur to gamble with Shakuni | 6 August 1989
46 | Yudhishthir loses everything in the gambling game | 13 August 1989
47 | Draupadi's disrobing, Krishna saves Draupadi | 20 August 1989
48 | Dhritarashtra returns the losses incurred by Pandavas | 27 August 1989
49 | Re-match between Pandavas and Shakuni | 3 September 1989
50 | 12 years of exile | 10 September 1989
51 | Chitrasena and the Gandharvas imprison Duryodhana | 17 September 1989
52 | Arjuna gets the Pashupatastra from Shiva, Karna conquers the world | 24 September 1989
53 | Krishna saves Draupadi from Durvasa using the Akshaya-patra, Bheema meets his son Ghatotkacha and brother Hanuman, Arjuna visits his celestial father Indra and learns dance and music from Chitrasena | 1 October 1989
54 | Urvashi curses Arjuna, Abhimanyu's birth, Jayadratha's defeat | 8 October 1989
55 | Story of the poisoned lake and the Yaksha's Questions to Yudhishthira, Abhimanyu is Grown-up | 15 October 1989
56 | Pandavas' 1 year of incognito beings in Matsya Desh | 22 October 1989
57 | Parashurama curses Karna | 29 October 1989
58 | Keechaka harasses Draupadi and is killed by Bheema | 5 November 1989
59 | Kauravas Attack Matsya kingdom to expose the Pandavas | 12 November 1989
60 | Uttar and Arjuna fight in the war and clothes for Uttaraa's dolls | 19 November 1989
61 | Abhimanyu and Uttaraa's marriage and Pandavas decide to send a messenger to Hastinapur to prevent war | 26 November 1989
62 | Dhritarashtra does not agree and sends Sanjaya | 3 December 1989
63 | Duryodhana and Arjuna meet Krishna at Dwaraka, Duryodhana gets the Narayani Army from Krishna, and Krishna agrees to become charioteer of Arjuna | 10 December 1989
64 | Krishna Goes to Hastinapur as a messenger of peace | 17 December 1989
65 | Duryodhana tries to capture Krishna but he shows his Virata form, Karna gives away his holy armour and earrings to Indra | 24 December 1989
66 | Karna's true identity is disclosed | 31 December 1989
67 | Kunti reunites with Karna | 7 January 1990
68 | Sanjaya gets divine eyesight from Vyasa to witness the war | 14 January 1990
69 | Duryodhan Tricks Shalya to join the Kaurava army | 21 January 1990
70 | Shikhandi's Story of Rebirth | 28 January 1990
71 | Rules of the war are laid out, The battle will take place in Kurukshetra | 4 February 1990
72 | War begins and Arjuna Drops His weapons out of grief, Krishna teaches him the Bhagavad Gita | 11 February 1990
73 | Bhagavad Gita teaching continues | 18 February 1990
74 | Bhagavad Gita teaching continues and Krishna shows his Vishvarupa form, Arjuna is ready to fight again | 25 February 1990
75 | Yudhishthira gets his blessings from his elders, Yuyutsu changes sides and war begins, Abhimanyu faces Bhishma | 4 March 1990
76 | Uttar dies, Arjuna faces Bhishma and Day 2 begins | 11 March 1990
77 | 3rd day is over, 4th day begins, Bhima is surrounded, 10 Kauravas are killed, Krishna takes out his Sudarshan Chakra to kill Bhishma, but Arjuna stops him | 18 March 1990
78 | 9th Day is over and 16 Kauravs are dead, Bhishma teaches the Kauravas how to take Arjuna out of the war | 25 March 1990
79 | Arjuna shoots arrows at Bhishma, Bhishma's bed of arrows is created, Bhishma still survives | 1 April 1990
80 | Karna enters the battlefield, Drona tries to capture Yudhishthira but is unsuccessful, Shantanu appears in Bhishma's dream | 8 April 1990
81 | Chakravyuha formation Planned, Duryodhana Promises Susharma | 15 April 1990
82 | Abhimanyu's murder; Uttaraa becomes pregnant | 22 April 1990
83 | Arjuna Vows to Kill Jayadratha and the Story About Jayadratha's Curse | 29 April 1990
84 | Arjuna Breaks the Kamalavyuha formation to attack Jayadratha | 6 May 1990
85 | Krishna covers the Sun with his Sudarshana Chakra, Jayadratha's death | 13 May 1990
86 | Ghatotkacha enters battle; Karna kills Ghatotkacha by using his Shakti Astra | 20 May 1990
87 | Virata and Drupada are killed by Drona, and Drona is killed by Dhrishtadyuma | 27 May 1990
88 | Bheema kills Dushasana, Draupadi washes her hair with Dushasana's blood, Karna spares Arjuna's life again | 3 June 1990
89 | Karna killed by Arjuna | 10 June 1990
90 | Shakuni and Shalya die, Duryodhana and the Pandavas learn about Karna's truth, Yudhishthira curses Kunti and all womankind to never keep their secrets, Gandhari curses Krishna and his dynasty to doom, Duryodhana gets protected by Gandhari's magic | 17 June 1990
91 | Balarama arrives, Bhima and Duryodhana's duel, Duryodhana is fatally wounded, Balarama scolds Bhima but Krishna calms him down | 24 June 1990
92 | Duryodhana Dies, War ends, Ashwatthama, Kripa and Kritavarma are the lone survivors, Ashwathama kill the sons of the Pandavas (Upapandavas) and Drishtadyumna, Ashwatthama tries to kill Uttaraa's unborn son, Krishna curses Ashwatthama, Parikshit's birth | 1 July 1990
93 | Dhritarashtra and Vidura's discussion about Dharma, Pandavas return to Hastinapur, Dhritarashtra Tries to kill Bhima | 8 July 1990
94 | Dhritarashtra, Kunti and Gandhari quit the kingdom. Yudhisthira becomes King of Hastinapur, and Bhishma dies | 15 July 1990

## Production

[edit]

### Development

[edit]

According to production team member Kishore Malhotra, the total cost of producing the series was ₹9 crore (equivalent to ₹103 crore or US$12 million in 2023).[10] According to Director Ravichopra each episode was made up of ₹6.5 lakh to ₹7 lakh. Casting for the series began in 1986 and shooting started off in mid-1988.[11] Show was shot mostly at Mumbai's Film City, and the grand battle of Kurukshetra was shot in Rajasthan, with thousands of extras to fill the screen.[6]

The series was initially submitted to the channel for 104 episodes which was later shortened to 94 episodes.[9]

### Casting

[edit]

15,000 people applied to play different roles in the Mahabharat TV series. The casting team led by Gufi Paintal shortlisted them and called around 1,500 for video screen tests[3] Almost all actors in the series were newcomers, barring Raj Babbar who played King Bharat, Debashree Roy who played Satyavati.[12] Nitish Bharadwaj was chosen by B.R. Chopra, Ravi Chopra, Pandit Narendra Sharma and Rahi Masoom Raza, to play the central role of Krishna, at the age of 23.[13][14] Initially, he was chosen for playing Vidur. But Virendra Razdan was cast for it as B.R.Chopra considered Bharadwaj young to play the role.[15] Then Bharadwaj was offered to play Nakul and Sahadev, but he rejected and wanted to play Abhimanyu. Days later, he was called and finalized to play Krishna.[15] Firoz Khan was chosen to portray the character of Arjuna (which he later adopted as his screen name, to not become confused with a more popular actor of the same name) despite being rejected in auditions.[16] Asian games gold medalist Praveen Kumar was selected to portray Bhima after Chopra was looking for someone "who could look the robust historical character".[17] Around six actresses were shortlisted for the role of Draupadi, including Juhi Chawla, who opted out of the show as she had bagged a film. Ramya Krishnan and Roopa Ganguly were the final names, and at last Roopa Ganguly was chosen, as her Hindi was good.[18] Govinda and Chunky Pandey were signed for the role of Abhimanyu, but they opted out when they bagged films. Later, Master Mayur played the role.[19] Mukesh Khanna who wished to play role of Arjun was initially offered the role of Duryodhan. But later he was signed for Dhronacharya.[20] When Vijayendra Ghadge dropped his role of Bhisma, Khanna got the role of Bhishma.[21] Puneet Issar was offered to play the role of Bheem but was cast as Duryodhan on his wish.[11] The casting director of the show, Gufi Paintal was offered role of Shakuni by the makers of Mahabharat.[22]

## Music

[edit]

Mahabharat's music was composed by Raj Kamal and lyrics were penned by Pandit Narendra Sharma. Some songs were taken from works of devotional writers like Surdas, Raskhan etc. Apart from main songs there are also several short couplets, which covered the summary of each episode. All of these verses were sung by Mahendra Kapoor.[23][24]

All music is composed by Raj Kamal.

No.| Title| Singer(s)| Length

|
|
|

1.| "Ath Shree Mahabharat Katha (Opening Theme)"| Mahendra Kapoor| 04:12
2.| "Bharat Ki Yeh Kahaani (Ending Theme)"| Mahendra Kapoor| 05:21
3.| "Beet Gaye Din Par Din Beet Gaye"| Raj Kamal| 05:23
4.| "Govind Gokul Aayo"| Raj Kamal| 04:49
5.| "Jagiye Brijraj Kunwar"| Kavita Krishnamurthy| 04:10
6.| "Main Naahin Maakhan Khaayo"| Nitin Mukesh| 05:20
7.| "Maiya Mohi Dau Bahut Khijayo"| Nitin Mukesh| 04:00
8.| "Shyam ne Murli Madhur"| Suresh Wadkar| 05:42
9.| "Mor Pakha Seer Upar Rakhiyo"| Kavita Krishnamurthy| 04:16
10.| "Mohan Ke Mukh Par Bansari"| Raj Kamal and Kavita Krishnamurthy| 07:01
11.| "Binati Suniye Nath Hamari"| Sadhana Sargam| 04:51
12.| "Beti Chali Paraye Desh"| Raj Kamal| 07:05
13.| "Kripa Krishna Ki"| Raj Kamal| 07:01
14.| "Main Boondan Bheeji Saari"| Sadhana Sargam| 04:30
15.| "Pranay Ke Pratham Prahar Ki Baat"| Anuradha Paudwal| 05:20
16.| "Samay Bada Balwaan"| Raj Kamal| 05:17
17.| "Jhanak Jhanak Baaje Payaliya"| Sadhana Sargam| 04:51
18.| "Manwa Madhur Madhur Kachu Bol"| Sadhana Sargam| 04:04
19.| "Naino Ke Darpan mein"| Roopa Ganguly| 03:27
20.| "Sabso Onchi Prem Sagai"| Raj Kamal| 05:44
21.| "Yeh Dharma Yudh Hain"| Raj Kamal| 10:30
22.| "Hey Priyatame"| Raj Kamal| 06:16

## Broadcast

[edit]

In India the series was originally broadcast on DD National. It was shown in the United Kingdom by the BBC,[25] where it achieved audience figures of 5 million.[26][27] It was also the first programme broadcast on BBC Two after its 1991 revamp, but it had also been shown late at night on BBC One the previous year.[citation needed]

The show was again telecast on DD Bharati from 28 March 2020, on DD Retro from 13 April 2020, on Colors TV from 4 May 2020 as well as Star Bharat during the lockdown due to coronavirus.[28][5][29]

## Reception

[edit]

Ganguly was applauded for her performance in the Vastraharan sequence in which Draupadi is disrobed.[30] Ravi Chopra later disclosed that she was originally weeping while enacting in the Vastraharan sequence and the crew members had to console her later to make her stop.[30][31]|The sequence is often claimed to be the most climactic one of the series.[32] For the sequence Chopra recreated the visual effect of the Vastraharan sequence of Babubhai Mistry's Mahabharat (1965) starring Padmini as Draupadi.[33] His visual effects won more favour than that of the 1965 film and has still been considered by a part of critics to be the most brilliant in line.[34][35] of the most successful television series in Indian television history.[36] In common with the "Ramayana" serial, the broadcasting of a Mahabharat episode was associated with the simultaneous emptying of streets in the cities and people leaving work early to watch it.[37] Along with general audience many big names from Hindi film industry like Rajesh Khanna, Amitabh Bachchan, Jeetendra, Hema Malini and Dharmendra also praised the show.[38]

During its rerun in COVID-19 lockdown in India, it became the second most watched Indian TV show after Ramayan (1987).[39] In week 13, it garnered 145.8 million impressions with both morning and evening slots combined on DD Bharati.[40] After Ramayan ended, Mahabharat became the most watched TV show until its end.[41] The series ended with 22.9 million viewership.[41]

## Home media

[edit]

The series was uploaded onto the website "Rajshri.com" along with its dubbed Tamil version.[42] Home video of the Bengali-dubbed version of this series has been released by Heart Video.[43] In 2019, Pen India Ltd bought the rights of the show and uploaded all the episodes on its devotional YouTube channel Pen Bhakti including its spin-off series Mahabharat Katha.[44][45]

## Legacy

[edit]

Mahabharat along with Ramayan (1987), became one of the most successful television series based on an epic in Indian television history.

Many actors became popular through their appearances in this series.

* Nitish Bharadwaj became famous as Lord Krishna and later he also played lead role in Chopra's another mythological show Vishnu Puran as well as Chopra's RAMAYAN.[46]
* Roopa Ganguly, who played Draupadi, went on to become a successful actress in Bengali cinema.[47][48]
* Pankaj Dheer received immense popularity after playing Karna. His pictures are used in textbooks as reference to Karna and the actor also revealed that his statues are worshipped in temples in Karnal and Bastar.[49]
* Firoz Khan changed his name to "Arjun" professionally after finding success with the role of Arjun.[50]
* Mukesh Khanna shot to fame as Bhishma and named his production company after his character.[51]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "31 years of Mahabharat on Doordarshan: Interesting facts about one of most popular TV shows ever". The Financial Express. Retrieved 10 March 2022.
2. ^ "B.R. Chopra (Indian filmmaker) – Britannica Online Encyclopedia". Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 10 August 2012.
3. ^ a b "31 years of Mahabharat on Doordarshan: Interesting facts about one of most popular TV shows ever". The Financial Express. 2 October 2019. Retrieved 24 July 2020.
4. ^ McLain, Karline (2009). India's immortal comic books: gods, kings, and other heroes. Indiana University Press. p. 46\. ISBN 978-0-253-22052-3.
5. ^ a b "Iconic mythological series 'Mahabharat' to be re-telecast beginning Saturday at 12 and 7 PM". The Times of India.
6. ^ a b "Remembering BR Chopra: The Story Behind His Iconic 'Mahabharat'". The Quint. 22 April 2016.
7. ^ "Behind the scenes: Dress designers to actors & deities". The Tribune. 20 April 2003. Retrieved 2 June 2013.
8. ^ Title Song Lyrics from the TV Series Mahabharat, 21 September 2013, archived from the original on 18 March 2017, retrieved 1 December 2014
9. ^ a b "31 years of Mahabharat on Doordarshan: Interesting facts about one of most popular TV shows ever". The Financial Express.
10. ^ Mahabharat Ki Mahabharat: The Making of B.R. Chopra's "Mahabharat"
11. ^ a b "Mahabharat actor Puneet Issar: BR Chopra wanted me to play Bheem, I chose Duryodhan". India Today.
12. ^ "B.R. Chopra's serial 'Mahabharat' promises to be another bonanza 31101988". m.indiatoday.in. Retrieved 8 April 2017.
13. ^ "Nitish Bharadwaj refused to play Krishna in Mahabharat". 29 March 2020.
14. ^ "Janmashtami 2017: Actor Nitish Bharadwaj recollects his days from the Mahabharat". 14 August 2017.
15. ^ a b "Mahabharat: Nitish Bharadwaj refused to play Krishna, dodged BR Chopra to avoid screen test". Hindustan Times. 29 March 2020.
16. ^ Tankha, Madhur (29 August 2012). "Mahabharat's Arjun gets blacklisted!". The Hindu. Retrieved 6 October 2018.
17. ^ "'Bheem' waiting for a special role". The Hindu. 12 January 2009. Retrieved 6 October 2018.
18. ^ "Juhi Chawla turned down Draupadi in Mahabharat. Then Roopa Ganguly got the role". India Today.
19. ^ "Actors talk about what went into making Mahabharat in 1988". Hindustan Times. Retrieved 6 May 2016.
20. ^ "Puneet Issar on playing Duryodhan in Mahabharat: 'My body turned black and blue after climax fight scene with Bheem'". Hindustan Times. 7 May 2020.
21. ^ "Exclusive – Mukesh Khanna: The reruns of Ramayan and Mahabharat will help people like Sonakshi Sinha, who don't know anything about mythology". The Times of India. 4 April 2020.
22. ^ "Mahabharat's Shakuni Mama aka Gufi Paintal remembers the show: 'Golden age of television'". Hindustan Times. 6 July 2020. Retrieved 29 July 2020.
23. ^ "These singers gives their voice for Mahabharata". News Track. 31 May 2020. Retrieved 22 July 2020.
24. ^ "जानिए, महाभारत के प्रसिद्ध गीतों को किन-किन गायकों ने दी थी आवाज". Zee Hindustan. 2 June 2020. Retrieved 22 July 2020.
25. ^ "BBC Genome:Mahabarat – transmission times". Retrieved 1 October 2015.
26. ^ "Epic Hindi Language Series Mahabharat Launches Exclusively on Rogers OMNI Television Channels in Ontario and British Columbia". 29 April 2008. Archived from the original on 29 April 2008. Retrieved 10 March 2022.
27. ^ Jones, Mark (7 June 2013). "The Returned: how British TV viewers came to lose their fear of subtitles". The Guardian. Retrieved 10 March 2022.
28. ^ "On public demand, Ramayan & Mahabharat makes comeback during lockdown". Outlook India. Retrieved 27 March 2020.
29. ^ Service, Tribune News. "Mahabharat to air on Colors". Tribuneindia News Service. Retrieved 4 May 2020.
30. ^ a b "Mahabharat: चीर हरण सीन के बाद आधे घंटे तक रोई थीं 'द्रौपदी' रूपा गांगुली, पहनी थीं 250 मीटर लंबी साड़ी". timesnowhindi.com (in Hindi). 11 April 2020. Retrieved 20 April 2020.
31. ^ "Mahabharat: चीर हरण सीन के बाद द्रौपदी का किरदार निभाने वालीं रूपा गांगुली आधे घंटे तक रोती रही थीं". livehindustan.com (in Hindi). 17 April 2020. Retrieved 20 April 2020.
32. ^ "Actors talk about what went into making Mahabharat in 1988". Hindustan Times. 5 May 2016. Retrieved 7 May 2019.
33. ^ "Mahabharat (1965) – Review, Star Cast, News, Photos". Cinestaan. Archived from the original on 9 May 2019. Retrieved 9 May 2019.
34. ^ "Why the new Mahabharat is an epic fail". Firstpost. 17 September 2013. Retrieved 9 May 2019.
35. ^ "Happy B'day BR Chopra: The Story Behind His Iconic 'Mahabharat'". The Quint. 22 April 2016. Retrieved 6 May 2019.
36. ^ Keshri, Shweta (20 April 2020). "Monday Masala: BR Chopra's Mahabharat is the baap of all masala entertainers". India Today. Retrieved 5 August 2020.
37. ^ Mohan, Lavanya (16 October 2015). "Epic television". The Hindu. Retrieved 6 October 2018.
38. ^ "Watch: Yesteryear superstars Rajesh Khanna, Dharmendra, Hema Malini talk about BR Chopra's Mahabharat in this old video". The Times of India. Retrieved 29 July 2020.
39. ^ "DD emerges as most watched channel; Ramayana, Mahabharata among favourites". Live Mint. 9 April 2020.
40. ^ "Reruns of 1980-90s classics Ramayan, Shaktimaan, Byomkesh make DD most-watched channel". ThePrint. 9 April 2020.
41. ^ a b "Mahabharat becomes the most-watched show. Doordarshan witnesses major dip in ratings". India Today.
42. ^ "Mahabharat on the net". The Hindu. 22 December 2006. Retrieved 6 October 2018.
43. ^ "Mahabharat now in Bengali". The Hindu. 20 February 2012. Retrieved 6 October 2018.
44. ^ "After TV, BR Chopra's Mahabharat to be Available on YouTube As Well". News18. April 2020. Retrieved 29 July 2020.
45. ^ "Mahabharat (महाभारत) B. R. Chopra All Episodes with English Subtitles, Pen Bhakti". youtube. September 2019. Retrieved 24 December 2022.
46. ^ "The Sunday Tribune – Spectrum – Television". The Tribune. Retrieved 21 June 2020.
47. ^ Ghosh, Bishwanath (25 July 2015). "Ideology vs. stature". The Hindu. Retrieved 6 October 2018.
48. ^ Tankha, Madhur (8 May 2015). "No child's play". The Hindu. Retrieved 6 October 2018.
49. ^ "Did you know Mahabharat's Karna, Pankaj Dheer's statue is worshipped in temples in Karnal and Bastar?". India Today. 27 May 2020. Retrieved 21 June 2020.
50. ^ "Mahabharat's Arjun Firoz Khan Says Changing His Name Gave Him Everything He'd Dreamed of". News18. 27 April 2020. Retrieved 21 June 2020.
51. ^ "Mukesh Khanna on his struggle before Mahabharat: 'People labelled me as a flop actor, I was deeply disappointed'". Hindustan Times. 23 May 2020. Retrieved 7 April 2022.

## External links

[edit]

* Mahabharat at IMDb

* v
* t
* e

Films by B. R. Chopra

Producer|

* Dhool Ka Phool (1959)
* Waqt (1965)
* Ittefaq (1969)
* Aadmi Aur Insaan (1969)
* Zameer (1974)
* Chhoti Si Baat (1975)
* The Burning Train (1980)
* Agni Pareeksha (1981)
* Mazdoor (1983)
* Aaj Ki Awaaz (1984)
* Kirayadar (1986)
* Dahleez (1986)
* Pratigyabadh (1991)
* Baghban (2003)
* Baabul (2006)

Director|

* Afsana (1951)
* Chandni Chowk (1954)
* Ek Hi Raasta (1956)
* Naya Daur (1957)
* Sadhna (1958)
* Kanoon (1960)
* Gumrah (1963)
* Hamraaz (1967)
* Dastaan (1972)
* Dhund (1973)
* Karm (1977)
* Pati Patni Aur Woh (1978)
* Insaf Ka Tarazu (1980)
* Nikaah (1982)
* Tawaif (1985)
* Awam (1987)
* Kal Ki Awaz (1992)

Television|

* Mahabharat (1988)
* Vishnu Puran (2000)

* v
* t
* e

Works based on the Mahabharata

Poetry|

* Andhra Mahabharatam
* Bahuk
* Bharatayuddha
* Dhritarashtra
* Kakawin Bhāratayuddha
* Kakawin Hariwangsa
* Nalakhyan
* Nepali Shakuntala
* Rashmirathi

Plays|

* Urubhanga
* Karnabharam
* Andha Yug
* Kattaikkuttu
* Madhavi
* The Mahabharata (play)
* Sri Krishna Rayabaram
* Terukkuttu
* Yajnaseni

Novels|

* Ajaya: Rise of Kali
* Ajaya: Roll of the Dice
* Cheerharan
* Gods, Demons and Others
* The Great Indian Novel
* Ini Njan Urangatte
* Krishnavatara
* The Legend of Bagger Vance
* Madhabi
* Modiaain
* The Palace of Illusions: A Novel
* The Pregnant King
* Randamoozham
* Venmurasu
* Yajnaseni
* Yayati
* Yojana Gandha

Films|

* A Throw of Dice
* Agni Varsha
* Amba Ambika Ambalika
* Arjun: The Warrior Prince
* Bala Bharatam
* Bhagavad Gita
* Bhakta Vidur
* Bhishma
* Chitrangada: The Crowning Wish
* Daana Veera Soora Karna
* Dashavatar
* Dasavatharam
* Dasavatharam
* Draupadi (1931 film)
* Draupadi Vastrapaharanam (1934)
* Draupadi Vastrapaharanam (1936)
* Ghatothkach
* Ghatothkachudu
* Hum Paanch
* Kalyug
* Karnan
* Kurukshetram (1977)
* Kurukshetra (2019)
* Krishna
* Krishna Aur Kans
* The Legend of Bagger Vance (2000)
* Mahabharat (1965)
* Mahabharat (2013)
* The Mahabharata (1989)
* Naksha
* Nartanasala
* Pandavas: The Five Warriors
* Raajneeti
* Sri Krishnarjuna Yuddhamu

TV series|

* Baal Krishna
* Bhakter Bhogobaan Shri Krishna
* Dharmakshetra
* Dwarkadheesh Bhagwaan Shree Krishn
* Ek Aur Mahabharat
* Jai Shri Krishna
* Kahaani Hamaaray Mahaabhaarat Ki
* Karn Sangini
* Mahabharat (1988)
* Mahabharat (2013)
* Mahabharat Katha
* Mahabharatham
* Mrityunjay
* Paramavatar Shri Krishna
* Roll No 21
* Shri Krishna
* Suryaputra Karn

Others|

* Comics
* Manipuri Mahabharata

* Category
* Hinduism portal

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