Mahabharat (1988 TV series)
Mahabharat is an Indian Hindi-language epic television series based on the ancient Sanskrit epic of the same title. 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.
| 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 | Nitish Bharadwaj Mukesh Khanna Arjun Puneet Issar Roopa Ganguly Pankaj Dheer Praveen Kumar Gajendra Chauhan Gufi Paintal |
| 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 |
| Release | |
| Original network | DD National |
| Picture format | 576i |
| Original release | 2 October 1988 – 24 June 1990[1] |
| Chronology | |
| Followed by | Mahabharat Katha |
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
The series covers the incidents of epic Mahabharata revolving around Krishna, Pandavas, Kauravas among other characters.
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 Vidur and birth of Pandavas and Kauravas. The story then focuses on the childhood of Lord Krishna.
Elsewhere, Dronacharya teaches Pandavas and Kauravas and asks to defeat Drupad as Guru Dakshina. Pandavas do so and give half of his kingdom to Drona. For revenge, Drupada obtains Dhrishtadyumna and Draupadi. Dhritarashtra makes Yudhishthir the crown prince of Hastinapur. Shakuni (the maternal uncle of the Kauravas) and Duryodhan hatch a plan to burn Pandavas and Kunti alive, but they survive and go into incognito. Duryodhan is made crown prince of Hastinapur.
Arjuna wins Draupadi in her swayamvara but later shows her marriage with all five Pandavas. Later, Yudhishthir is made the king of Indraprastha and Pandavas conduct Rajsuya Yagna where Draupadi insults Duryodhana. Latter shows Duryodhana's revenge by trying to disrobe her and sending Pandavas along with Draupadi for an exile of 12 years and 1 year of anonymity. 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 sows the seed for the Mahabharata War.
Arjun 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 showed his Virata Swaroopa to Arjuna. The latter shows the deaths of Bheeshma, 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. Gandhari holds Krishna responsible for her son's death and curses that his family will also get destroyed. The show ends with Yudhishthir's Rajyabhishek and Bhishma's death.
Cast
Main
- Nitish Bharadwaj as Krishna, eighth avatar of Vishnu, Devaki-Vasudev's eighth son, foster son of Nand and Yashoda, Balaram and Subhadra's brother, Pandavas' cousin, Radha's consort, husband of Rukmini, Satyabhama and other 6 rani, Rama in the song sabso Uchi prem sagaai
- Kewal Shah as adolescent Krishna
- 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 grand-uncle of the Kauravas and the Pandavas
- Krish Malik as adolescent Bhishma
- Gajendra Chauhan as Yudhishthir, first Pandava, son of Kunti and Yama, eldest son of Kuru Clan, King of Indraprastha and later Hastinapura, husband of Draupadi, father of Prativindhya, Kaurava's Elder Cousin
- Sonu as young Yudhishthir
- Praveen Kumar as Bhim, second Pandava, son of Kunti and Vayu, Yuvraaj (crown prince) of Indraprastha, husband of Draupadi and Hidimba, father of Ghatotkacha, Sutasoma, Duryodhan's Younger Cousin
- Mallik as young Bhim
- Arjun aka Firoz Khan as Arjuna, third Pandava, son of Kunti and Indra, husband of Draupadi, Uloopi, Chitrangada 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 Pandavas, also called as Panchali and Yagyaseni, younger daughter of Drupad, Princess of Panchala, sister of Dhrishtadhyumna and Shikhandi, mother of Upapandavas
- Puneet Issar as Duryodhan, eldest son of Gandhari and Dhritarashtra, elder brother of 99 Kauravas, husband of Bhanumati, Yudhishthir's younger cousin, Elder Cousin of other 4 Pandavas, Lakshmanaa's Father, Crown prince of Hastinapur, Karna's best friend
- Amit Shukla as young Duryodhan
- Pankaj Dheer as Karna, son of Kunti and Surya, Adhiratha-Radha's foster son, King of Anga, Pandava's Eldest Brother, Padmaavati's Husband, Duryodhan's best friend
- Harendra Paintal as young Karna
- Sameer Chitre as Nakul, 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 Dushasan, second son of Gandhari and Dhritarashtra, Duryodhan's younger brother
- Kaushal Shah as young Dushasan
- Gufi Paintal as Shakuni, Gandhari's brother, later King of Gandhara, maternal uncle of Duryodhan and his 99 brothers
- Girija Shankar as Dhritrashtra, Vichitravirya's son from Ambika (eldest), later king of Hastinapur, father of Kauravas
- Renuka Israni as Gandhari, wife of Dhritrashtra, Queen of Hastinapur, 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 Shoorsen, Vasudev's sister, Yadava princess, foster daughter of Kuntibhoj
- Virendra Razdan as Vidur, the Mahaa Mantri 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 Dronacharya, Kauravas and Pandavas' guru, Ashwatthama's father
- Dharmesh Tiwari as Kripacharya, family teacher, brother of Kripi, Ashwatthama's maternal uncle
- Pradeep Rawat as Ashwatthama, son of Dronacharya
- Ayush Shah as young Ashwatthama
Recurring
- Harish Bhimani as Samay / narrator
- Sagar Salunke as Balarama, Krishna's elder half brother
- 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 Maharishi Ved Vyas, son of sage 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, the first princess of Kashi, Shikhandi in the next life
- 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 Nakul and Sahadev
- Asha Singh as Kripi, sister of Kripacharya, wife of Dronacharya and mother of Ashwathama
- Kamlesh Maan as Devi Sulabha, Vidur'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 Hidimbā, 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 Kansa, 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, Vasudev'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 Devi Radha, Krishna's consort
- Sumeet Raghavan as adolescent Sudama
- Ajay Sinha as Akroor, Vrishni chief
- Bashir Khan as Satyaki, General
- Ashok Banthia as Senapati Kritavarma
- Pradeep Sharma as Panchalaraj Drupada, Draupadi's father, King of Panchala
- Arun Bakshi as Yuvraaj Dhrishtadyumna, Draupadi's elder brother, Prince of Panchala
- Paintal as Shikhandi, Drupad's elder son, 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 Devraj 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 Rishi Kanva
- Pankaj Berry as Rishi Kindama, a sage who cursed Pandu
- Mini Singh as Rishi Kindama's wife
Episodic appearance
- 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 as Rishi Parashar, father of Vyasa, Senapati of Hastinapura
Episodes
Episode 1 – Introduction of Kuru Family, Raja Bharat and Raja Shantanu
Episode 2 – Ganga Kills Her Sons
Episode 3 – Bhishma is Grown-up
Episode 4 – Bhishma Pratigya & Iccha Mrityu Vardaan
Episode 5 – Amba, Ambika and Ambalika's Introduction
Episode 6 – Birth of Pandu, Dhritarashtra and Vidur
Episode 7 – Karna's Birth-story
Episode 8 – Story of Adhiratha and Radha, Pandu is cursed
Episode 9 – Dhritarashtra is king, Pandu's sanyas and Pandavas are born.
Episode 10 – Kansa is king at Mathura and Akashwani about Krishna
Episode 11 – Birth of Balarama and Krishna
Episode 12 – Krishna Janma (birth of Krishna) celebrations and Pootna's Death
Episode 13 – Krishna Brahmand Darshan and Krishna gets caught while stealing Makhan
Episode 14 – Maiya Mori Mai nahi makhan khayo and Kaliya Nag Tandav
Episode 15 – Radha and Gopikas, protest against Mathura, Devakasur and Trulambasur Vadh
Episode 16 – Kansa invites Krishna to Mathura
Episode 17 – Kansa Vadh; Krishna meets his parents and grandfather
Episode 18 – Karna’s adoption, Pandu and Madri's Death
Episode 19 – Satyavati, Ambika and Ambalika take sanyas with Rishi Vyas
Episode 20 – Karna grows up; Duryodhan Poisons Bhim and Bhim gets strength of 1000 Elephants
Episode 21 – Sudama's chivda story and Drona arrives at Hastinapur
Episode 22 – Shastra Pooja, Drona rejects Karna
Episode 23 – Karna's education under Parshurama
Episode 24 – Karna enters the Rangbhoomi
Episode 25 – Karna is crowned as king of Anga, Drona's guru Dakshina to capture Dhrupad
Episode 26 – Krishna gets Sudarshana chakra from Parshuram, defeats Jarasandh and orders building Dwaraka
Episode 27 – Yudhishthira is crowned as Prince. Rukmini of Vidarbha is Being Forced to Marry Shishupal
Episode 28 – Krishna Rescues Rukmini and marry her
Episode 29 – Lakshagraha is built-in Varnavata by Purochan
Episode 30 – Tunneling in Varnavat Begins
Episode 31 – Escape from Lakshagraha
Episode 32 – Hidimb Vadh and Bhima's marriage with demoness Hidimba
Episode 33 – Bheema kills Bakasura
Episode 34 – Drishtadhyumna & Draupadi Birth and Draupadi Swayamvar
Episode 35 – Arjuna wins Draupadi and later she became the wife of the 5 Pandavas
Episode 36 – Pandavas Leave from Panchal Kingdom to Hastinapur
Episode 37 – Karna meets the Pandavas.
Episode 38 – Pandav Get Khandavprastha
Episode 39 – Coronation of Yudhirsthir, Khandavprastha Becomes Indraprastha
Episode 40 – Balraam talks about Subhadra’s marriage
Episode 41 – Arjuna weds Subhadra. Arjun gets Devdatta Conch and Gandiva and Bhima gets his Gada
Episode 42 – Jarasandha Vadh, Rajsuya Yagnya begins, Shishupala's story
Episode 43 – Rajsuya Yagya, Shishupala Vadh
Episode 44 – Vyas predicts war
Episode 45 – Pandavas go to Hastinapur to gamble
Episode 46 – Yudhishthir loses Everything in the gamble
Episode 47 – Vastraharan of Draupadi
Episode 48 – Pandavas bet back everything
Episode 49 – Re-match of Dyut
Episode 50 – Vanvas Begins
Episode 51 – Gandharvas catch Duryodhan
Episode 52 – Karna conquers the world
Episode 53 – Krishna's story of one grain of rice, Bheema meets Ghatotkacha and Hanuman, Arjun learns dance from Chitrasena
Episode 54 – Arjuna gets curse of impotency from Urvashi, Abhimanyu as a kid, Jayadrath's head is shaved
Episode 55 – Story of Poisoned Water and Yaksha's Questions to Yudhishthira, Abhimanyu is Grown-up
Episode 56 – Exile in Matsya Desh
Episode 57 – Karna's curse
Episode 58 – Keechaka Vadh by Bheema
Episode 59 – Kaurav Attack Matsya Desh
Episode 60 – Viraat war and clothes for Uttaraa's dolls
Episode 61 – Abhimanyu and Uttaraa's marriage and Pandavs decide to send a Doot to Hastinapur
Episode 62 – Dhritarashtra does not agree and sends Sanjay
Episode 63 – Duryodhana gets Narayani Sena from Krishna, Krishna agrees to become charioteer of Arjuna
Episode 64 – Krishna Goes to Hastinapur as Shanti Doot
Episode 65 – Karna gives away his kawacha and kundala to Indra
Episode 66 – Karna's identity is disclosed
Episode 67 – Kunti meets Karna
Episode 68 – Karna refuses to fight
Episode 69 – Shalya becomes Karna’s charioteer
Episode 70 – Shikhandi's Story of rebirth
Episode 71 – Krishna meets Karna; rules of war are laid
Episode 72 – Kurukshetra War begins and Arjun Drops His weapons, Geeta Saar begins
Episode 73 – Geeta Saar continues
Episode 74 – Geeta Saar continues and Krishna shows his Maha-avtaar
Episode 75 – Yudhishthira gets blessings, Yuyutsu changes side and war begins, Abhimanyu faces Bhishma
Episode 76 – Uttar dies, Arjuna faces Bhishma and day 2 begins
Episode 77 – 3rd day is over, 4th day begins, Bhima is surrounded, 10 Kauravas are killed, Krishna takes out his Sudarshan
Episode 78 – 9th Day is over and 16 Kauravs are dead, Bhishma tells how to take him out of the war
Episode 79 – Karna meets Bhishma
Episode 80 – Karna enters the field, Drona tries to capture Yudhishthir but is unsuccessful, Shantanu comes to Bhishma
Episode 81 – Chakra Vyuh Planned, Duryodhan Promises Susharma
Episode 82 – Abhimanyu Vadh; Uttaraa is pregnant
Episode 83 – Arjuna Vows to Kill Jayadrath and Story About Jayadratha's Curse
Episode 84 – Arjuna Breaks Kamal Vyuh to Get to Jayadratha
Episode 85 – Shri Krishna covers the Sun with his Sudarshana Chakra, Jayadratha Vadh
Episode 86 – Karna kills Ghatotkacha by Shakti Astra
Episode 87 – Karna defeats Bahlika army; Virat and Drupad are killed, Drona Dies
Episode 88 – Karna spares Arjun’s life again
Episode 89 – Karna's curse, Karna dies .
Episode 90 – Shakuni Dies, Shalya dies, Duryodhan learns about Karna's truth, Yudhishthir curses All womankind, Gandhari curses Krishna & Yaduvansh, Duryodhan becomes iron bodied
Episode 91 – Balaram arrives, Bhim-Duryodhan Gada Yudh, Duryodhan fatally wounded, Balaram decides to kill Bhim
Episode 92 – Duryodhan Dies, Ashwatthama, Kripa and Kritvarma remain, Ashwathamas kill the sons of Pandavas (Uppandavas) and Drishtadyumna, Ashwathama tries to kill Uttaraa's unborn son, Krishna curses Ashwatthama, Parikshit is Born
Episode 93 – Dhritarashtra-Vidur discussion about dharma, Pandavas arrive at Hastinapur, Dhritarashtra Tries to kill Bhim
Episode 94 – Dhritarashtra and Gandhari ready for Vanaprasthan. Yudhisthir Becomes King of Hastinapur, Bhishma leaves his body.
Production
Development
According to production team member Kishore Malhotra, the total cost of producing the series was ₹9 crore (US$1.1 million).[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
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, GufiPaintal had offered role of Shakuni by the maker's of Mahabharat.[22]
Music
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 verses decoding summary of each episode. All those verse 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
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 BBC2 after its 1991 revamp, but it had also been shown late at night on BBC1 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
Ganguly was applauded for her performance in the sequence.[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
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
Mahabharat along with Ramayan (1987), became one of the most successful television series based on an epic in Indian television history.
It was massively entered into the GuinnessWorldrecord of record of maximum viewership in television with 97% viewership[citation needed]
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.[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, who was a not so famous actor until then, shot to fame as Bhishma and named his production company after his character.[51]
References
- ^ "31 years of Mahabharat on Doordarshan: Interesting facts about one of most popular TV shows ever". The Financial Express. Retrieved 10 March 2022.
- ^ "B.R. Chopra (Indian filmmaker) – Britannica Online Encyclopedia". Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 10 August 2012.
- ^ 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.
- ^ McLain, Karline (2009). India's immortal comic books: gods, kings, and other heroes. Indiana University Press. p. 46. ISBN 978-0-253-22052-3.
- ^ a b "Iconic mythological series 'Mahabharat' to be re-telecast beginning Saturday at 12 and 7 PM". The Times of India.
- ^ a b "Remembering BR Chopra: The Story Behind His Iconic 'Mahabharat'". The Quint. 22 April 2016.
- ^ "Behind the scenes: Dress designers to actors & deities". The Tribune. 20 April 2003. Retrieved 2 June 2013.
- ^ , 21 September 2013, archived from the original on 18 March 2017, retrieved 1 December 2014
- ^ a b "31 years of Mahabharat on Doordarshan: Interesting facts about one of most popular TV shows ever". The Financial Express.
- ^ Mahabharat Ki Mahabharat: The Making of B.R. Chopra's "Mahabharat"
- ^ a b "Mahabharat actor Puneet Issar: BR Chopra wanted me to play Bheem, I chose Duryodhan". India Today.
- ^ "B.R. Chopra's serial 'Mahabharat' promises to be another bonanza 31101988". m.indiatoday.in. Retrieved 8 April 2017.
- ^ "Nitish Bharadwaj refused to play Krishna in Mahabharat". 29 March 2020.
- ^ "Janmashtami 2017: Actor Nitish Bharadwaj recollects his days from the Mahabharat". 14 August 2017.
- ^ a b "Mahabharat: Nitish Bharadwaj refused to play Krishna, dodged BR Chopra to avoid screen test". Hindustan Times. 29 March 2020.
- ^ Tankha, Madhur (29 August 2012). "Mahabharat's Arjun gets blacklisted!". The Hindu. Retrieved 6 October 2018.
- ^ "'Bheem' waiting for a special role". The Hindu. 12 January 2009. Retrieved 6 October 2018.
- ^ "Juhi Chawla turned down Draupadi in Mahabharat. Then Roopa Ganguly got the role". India Today.
- ^ "Actors talk about what went into making Mahabharat in 1988". Hindustan Times. Retrieved 6 May 2016.
- ^ "Puneet Issar on playing Duryodhan in Mahabharat: 'My body turned black and blue after climax fight scene with Bheem'". Hindustan Times. 7 May 2020.
- ^ "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.
- ^ "Mahabharat's Shakuni Mama aka Gufi Paintal remembers the show: 'Golden age of television'". Hindustan Times. 6 July 2020. Retrieved 29 July 2020.
- ^ "These singers gives their voice for Mahabharata". News Track. 31 May 2020. Retrieved 22 July 2020.
- ^ "जानिए, महाभारत के प्रसिद्ध गीतों को किन-किन गायकों ने दी थी आवाज". Zee Hindustan. 2 June 2020. Retrieved 22 July 2020.
- ^ "BBC Genome:Mahabarat – transmission times". Retrieved 1 October 2015.
- ^ . 29 April 2008. Archived from the original on 29 April 2008. Retrieved 10 March 2022.
- ^ Jones, Mark (7 June 2013). "The Returned: how British TV viewers came to lose their fear of subtitles". The Guardian. Retrieved 10 March 2022.
- ^ "On public demand, Ramayan & Mahabharat makes comeback during lockdown". Outlook India. Retrieved 27 March 2020.
- ^ Service, Tribune News. "Mahabharat to air on Colors". Tribuneindia News Service. Retrieved 4 May 2020.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "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.
- ^ "Actors talk about what went into making Mahabharat in 1988". Hindustan Times. 5 May 2016. Retrieved 7 May 2019.
- ^ "Mahabharat (1965) – Review, Star Cast, News, Photos". Cinestaan. Retrieved 9 May 2019.
- ^ "Why the new Mahabharat is an epic fail- Entertainment News, Firstpost". Firstpost. 17 September 2013. Retrieved 9 May 2019.
- ^ "Happy B'day BR Chopra: The Story Behind His Iconic 'Mahabharat'". The Quint. 22 April 2016. Retrieved 6 May 2019.
- ^ Keshri, Shweta (20 April 2020). "Monday Masala: BR Chopra's Mahabharat is the baap of all masala entertainers". India Today. Retrieved 5 August 2020.
- ^ Mohan, Lavanya (16 October 2015). "Epic television". The Hindu. Retrieved 6 October 2018.
- ^ "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.
- ^ "DD emerges as most watched channel; Ramayana, Mahabharata among favourites". Live Mint. 9 April 2020.
- ^ "Reruns of 1980-90s classics Ramayan, Shaktimaan, Byomkesh make DD most-watched channel". ThePrint. 9 April 2020.
- ^ a b "Mahabharat becomes the most-watched show. Doordarshan witnesses major dip in ratings". India Today.
- ^ "Mahabharat on the net". The Hindu. 22 December 2006. Retrieved 6 October 2018.
- ^ "Mahabharat now in Bengali". The Hindu. 20 February 2012. Retrieved 6 October 2018.
- ^ "After TV, BR Chopra's Mahabharat to be Available on YouTube As Well". News18. April 2020. Retrieved 29 July 2020.
- ^ "Mahabharat (महाभारत) B. R. Chopra All Episodes with English Subtitles, Pen Bhakti". youtube. September 2019. Retrieved 24 December 2022.
- ^ "The Sunday Tribune – Spectrum – Television". The Tribune. Retrieved 21 June 2020.
- ^ Ghosh, Bishwanath (25 July 2015). "Ideology vs. stature". The Hindu. Retrieved 6 October 2018.
- ^ Tankha, Madhur (8 May 2015). "No child's play". The Hindu. Retrieved 6 October 2018.
- ^ "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.
- ^ "Mahabharat's Arjun Firoz Khan Says Changing His Name Gave Him Everything He'd Dreamed of". News18. 27 April 2020. Retrieved 21 June 2020.
- ^ "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
- Mahabharat at IMDb