Mahabharat (1988 TV series)

1988 TV Series by B.R. Chopra based on epic Mahabharata

This article is about 1988 television series produced by B.R. Chopra. For the 2013 Star Plus series produced by Swastik Pictures, see Mahabharat (2013 TV series).

Mahabharat
Genre	History
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 Firoz Khan Puneet Issar Pankaj Dheer Gufi Paintal Roopa Ganguly Praveen Kumar Virendra Razdan Surendra Pal Mukesh Khanna Gajendra Chauhan
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	45 minutes
Production company	B R Films
Release
Original network	DD National DD Bharati
Picture format	576i
Original release	2 October 1988 (1988-10-02) – 24 June 1990 (1990-06-24)
Chronology
Followed by	Mahabharat Katha

Mahabharat is an epic Indian television series based on the ancient Sanskrit epic of the same name. The original airing consisted of a total of ninety-four episodes^[1] and were broadcast from 2 October 1988 to 24 June 1990 on Doordarshan.^[2][3] It was produced by B. R. Chopra and directed by his son, Ravi Chopra.^[4] 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 original story by Vyasa. Costumes for the series were provided by Maganlal Dresswala.^[5]

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.^[6] 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 episode. It is the most successful Mahabharata series ever produced for television.^[7]

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, Virshaketu, Babruvahana, Conspiracies of Viprachitti, Ashwamedha Yajna and aftermath of the War, which are not covered in the original series.

Premise

The series covers the incidents of epic Mahabharata revolving around Lord Krishna, Pandavas, Kauravas, Karna, Draupadi etc.

The show begins with Emperor Bharata giving more importance to 'Capacity' over 'Birth'. The latter shows the birth of Bheeshma and his oath, birth of Pandu, Dhitarashtra 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, Drupad obtains Dhrishthadhyumna 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.

After 13 years, 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. Krishna 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 Shri Krishna, Eighth Avatar of Lord 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 16106 queens/Lord Rama in the song sabso Uchi prem sagaai.
  • Kewal Shah as Adolescent Krishna
• Mukesh Khanna as "Devavrata" 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/ Eldest of the Kuru Clan during the Kurukshetra battle
  • Daboo Malik as Adolescent Bhishma
• Gajendra Chauhan as Yudhishthir, first Pandav / son of Kunti and Yama / eldest son of Kuru Clan / King of Indraprastha and later Hastinapura / husband of Draupadi
  • Sonu as Young Yudhishthir
• Praveen Kumar as Bhim, second Pandav / son of Kunti and Vayu / Yuvraaj(crown Prince) of Indraprastha / husband of Draupadi and Hidimba / father of Ghatotkacha.
  • 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-Krishna/ father of Abhimanyu
  • Ankur Javeri as Young Arjun
• Sameer Chitre as Nakul, fourth Pandav, son of Madri and Ashwini Kumara/husband of Draupadi
• Sanjeev Chitre as Sahadeva, fifth Pandav, son of Madri and Ashwini Kumara/husband of Draupadi
• Roopa Ganguly as Draupadi, wife of Pandavas / also called as Panchali / 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
  • Amit Shukla as young Duryodhan
• Pankaj Dheer as Karna, son of Kunti and Surya / Adhiratha-Radha's foster son / King of Anga
  • Harendra Paintal as Young Karna
• Vinod Kapoor as Dushasan, the 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 Arjun / 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 and also the uncle of Pandavas and Kauravas
• Surendra Pal as Dronacharya, Kauravas and Pandavas' guru / Ashwatthama's father
• Pradeep Rawat as Ashwatthama, son of Dronacharya

Recurring

• Harish Bhimani as Samay / narrator
• Sagar Salunkhe as Balram, Krishna's elder brother
  • Chetan Hansraj as adolescent Balram
• 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 Bharat, 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 Lord 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/ will be 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
• Dharmesh Tiwari as Kripacharya, family Teacher / brother of Kripi/ Ashwatthama's maternal uncle
• 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 Ghatotkach's mother
• Rajaq Khan (not comedian razzak Khan) as Ghatotkach, Son of Bheem 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 Ugrasen, King of Mathura, Surasena / father of Kansa and Devaki
• Goga Kapoor as Kansa, son of Ugrasen / elder brother of Devaki/ Maternal uncle of Lord Krishna and Balaram
• Vishnu Sharma as Vasudev, son of Shoorsen / brother of Kunti / prince of Vrishni tribe / father of Balaram, Krishna, and Subhadra/ Maternal Uncle of the Pandavas
• Kshama Raj as Rohini, Vasudev's elder wife/mother of Balaram
• Sheela Sharma as Devaki, Vasudev's younger wife / younger sister of Kansa / daughter of Ugrasena / mother of Krishna and Subhadra
• Rasik Dave as Nand Raj, 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 Kritvarma
• Pradeep Sharma as Panchalaraj Drupad, 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 Kichak, Army General of Matsya
• Deep Dhillon as Jayadratha, Dussala'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 Bhagwan Parshuram / Lord Shiva
• Satish Kaul as Devraj Indra
• Gopi Krishna as Chitrasena
• Rakesh Bidua as Kashya, King Of Kashi
• Rana Jung Bahadur as Jarasandh, King of Magadha, father-in-law of Kans
• Karunakar Pathak as Shishupala, King of Chedi, a maternal cousin of Krishna and Balaram
• 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 / 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 Maharishi Vyas)/Senapati of Hastinapura

Episodes

Episode 1 – Introduction of Kuru Family, Raja Bharat, and Raja Shantanu video dekhe

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, Dhritarashtra and Gandhari Get married, and Pandu and Kunti Get married

Episode 8 – Madri is gifted to Pandu, Pandu is resting and Sage Kindama's curse on Pandu

Episode 9 – Dhritarashtra is king, Pandu's sanyas and Pandavas are born.

Episode 10 – Kansa is king 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

Episode 18 – Pandu's Death

Episode 19 – Satyavati, Ambika, Ambalika take sanyas with Rishi Vyas

Episode 20 – Duryodhan Poisons Bhim and Bhim Gets Strength of 1000 Elephants

Episode 21 – Sudama's chivda and Drona arrives at Hastinapur

Episode 22 – Shastra Pooja, Drona insults Karna and Arjun's Test

Episode 23 – Ekalavya, Karna's Education, Arjun's Test of Bird's Eye

Episode 24 – All the Princes have grown up, and they exhibit their skills in Rangbhoomi, Karna challenges Arjun and Duryodhan gives Anga desh to Karna

Episode 25 – Drona's guru Dakshina to capture Dhrupad

Episode 26 – Krishna gets Sudarshan chakra from Parshuram, defeats Jarasandh and orders building Dwarika

Episode 27 – Yudhishthir Is crowned as Prince. Rukmini Is Being Forced to Marry Shishupal

Episode 28 – Krishna Rescues Rukmini

Episode 29 – Lakshagraha is built-in Varnavata by Purochan

Episode 30 – Tunneling in Varnavat Begins

Episode 31 – Escape from Lakshagraha

Episode 32 – Hidimba Vadh and Bhima's marriage

Episode 33 – Bakasur Vadh

Episode 34 – Dristadyumna & Draupadi Birth and Draupadi Swayamvar

Episode 35 – Arjun wins Draupadi and later she became the wife of the 5 Pandavas

Episode 36 – Pandavas Leave from Panchal to Hastinapur

Episode 37 – Pandavas Arrives at Hastinapur and Kingdom Is Divided

Episode 38 – Pandav Get Khandavprastha

Episode 39 – Coronation of Yudhirsthir, Khandavprastha Becomes Indraprastha

Episode 40 – Arjun runs away with Subhadra

Episode 41 – Arjun weds Subhadra. Arjun gets Devdatta Conch and Gandiva and Bhima gets his Gada

Episode 42 – Jarasandh Vadh, Rajsuya Yagnya begins, Shishupal's Story

Episode 43 – Rajsuya Yagya, Shishupal Vadh

Episode 44 – Vyas predicts War, Draupadi laughs at Duryodhan

Episode 45 – Pandavas go to Hastinapur to gamble

Episode 46 – Yudhishthir loses Everything in the Gamble

Episode 47 – Vastraharan of Draupadi

Episode 48 – Pandavas Get Back Everything

Episode 49 – Re-match of Dyut

Episode 50 – Vanvas Begins

Episode 51 – Gandharvas catch Duryodhan

Episode 52 – Arjun worships Lord Indra and Lord Shiva for Divyastra and gets Pashupatastra

Episode 53 – Krishna's story of one grain of rice, Bhim meets Ghatotkach and Hanuman, Arjun learns a dance from Chitrasen

Episode 54 – Arjun gets curse of impotency from Urvashi, Abhimanyu as a kid, Jayadrath's head is shaved

Episode 55 – Story of Poisoned Water and Yaksha, Abhimanyu is Grown-up

Episode 56 – Agyatvas in Matsya Desh

Episode 57 – Karna's curse, Draupadi as Maid Sairandhri rejects Keechak

Episode 58 – Keechak Vadh by Bheema

Episode 59 – Kaurav Attack Matsya Desh

Episode 60 – Viraat war and clothes for Uttara's dolls

Episode 61 – Abhimanyu's marriage and Pandavs decide to send a Doot to Hastinapur

Episode 62 – Dhritarashtra does not agree and sends Sanjay

Episode 63 – Duryodhan gets Narayani Sena from Krishna

Episode 64 – Krishna Goes to Hastinapur as Shanti Doot

Episode 65 – Krishna took Virat Avtar and Indra takes Karna's kawach kundala

Episode 66 – Karna's identity is disclosed

Episode 67 – Vidur resigns as prime minister, Kunti meets Karna

Episode 68 – Sanjay gets Divya Drishti, Ulluk goes to Pandavas

Episode 69 – Duryodhan tricks Shalya to join Kauravas

Episode 70 – Shikhandi's Story

Episode 71 – Arjun Worships Goddess Durga, rules of war 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 – Yudhishthir gets blessings, Yuyutsu changes side and war begins, Abhimanyu faces Bhishma

Episode 76 – Uttar dies, Arjun faces Bhishma and day 2 begins

Episode 77 – Arjun is unstoppable, 3rd day is over, 4th day begins, Bhim is surrounded, 10 Kauravs are killed, Krishna takes out his Sudarshan

Episode 78 – 9th Day is over and 16 Kauravs are dead, Bhishma tells Arjun how to take him out of the war

Episode 79 – Bhishma lies on the bed of Arrows, Karna meets Bhishma

Episode 80 – Day 11, Drona tries to capture Yudhishthir but is unsuccessful, Shantanu comes to Bhishma

Episode 81 – Chakra Vyuh Planned, Duryodhan Promises Susharma

Episode 82 – Abhimanyu Vadh

Episode 83 – Arjun Vows to Kill Jayadrath and Story About Jayadrath's Curse

Episode 84 – Arjun Breaks Kamal Vyuh to Get to Jayadrath

Episode 85 – Shri Krishna covers the Sun, Jayadrath Vadh

Episode 86 – Ghatotkach dies

Episode 87 – Virat and Drupad are killed, Drona Dies

Episode 88 – Dushasana dies and Karna fights with Arjun, Krishna puts the Rath in the land so that Arjun is saved

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, Ashwathama, Kripa and Kritvarma Remain, Ashwathama kill the sons of Pandavas (Uppandavas) and Drishtadyumna, Ashwathama tries to kill Uttara's unborn son, Krishna curses Ashwathama, Parikshit Born

Episode 93 – Dhritarashtra-Vidur discussion about dharma, Pandavas arrive at Hastinapur, Dhritarashtra Tries to Kill Bhim

Episode 94 – Dhritarashtra and Gandhari ready for Vanaprastha. Yudhisthir Becomes King of Hastinapur, Bhishma Dies

Production

Development

According to production team member Kishore Malhotra, the total cost of producing the series was ₹9 crore (US$1.3 million).^[8] Casting for the series began in 1986 and shooting started off in mid-1988.^[9] 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.^[4]

The series was initially submitted to the channel for 104 episodes which was later shortened to 94 episodes.^[7]

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^[10] Almost all actors in the series were newcomers, barring Raj Babbar who played King Bharat and Debashree Roy who played Satyavati.^[11] 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.^[12][13] 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.^[14] 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.^[14] 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.^[15] Asian games gold medalist Praveen Kumar was selected to portray Bhima after Chopra was looking for someone "who could look the robust historical character".^[16] Around six actors 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.^[17] 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.^[18] Mukesh Khanna who wished to play Arjun was initially offered the role of Duryodhan. But he was signed for Dhronacharya.^[19] When Vijayendra Ghadge dropped his role of Bhisma, Khanna got the role of Bhishma.^[20] Puneet Issar was offered to play the role of Bheem but was cast as Duryodhan on his wish.^[9] The casting director of the show, Gufi Paintal had cast himself in the role of Shakuni.^[21]

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.^[22][23]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"	Anuradha Paudwal	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.	"Kripa Krishna Ki"	Raj Kamal	07:01
13.	"Main Boondan Bheeji Saari"	Sadhana Sargam	04:30
14.	"Pranay ke Pratham Prahar Ki Baat"	Anuradha Paudwal	05:20
15.	"Samay Bada Balwaan"	Raj Kamal	05:17
16.	"Jhanak Jhanak Baaje Payaliya"	Sadhana Sargam	04:51
17.	"Manwa Madhur Madhur Kachu Bol"	Sadhana Sargam	04:04
18.	"Naino Ke Darpan mein"	Roopa Ganguly	03:27
19.	"Sabso oonchi prem sagai"	Raj Kamal	05:44
20.	"Yeh Dharma Yudh Hain"	Raj Kamal	10:30
21.	"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,^[24] where it achieved audience figures of 5.1 million.^[25][26] It was also the first programme broadcast on BBC2 after its 1991 revamp,^[27] but it had also been shown late at night on BBC1 the previous year.^[28] It has also been shown on FBC TV in Fiji and STAR Utsav. It also aired on Epic in Hong Kong and TVB Jade. Dubbed versions were aired in Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and also in Indonesia in the early 1990s on TPI (now MNCTV) and in the early 2000s on ANteve (now antv).

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.^[29][3][30]

Reception

Ganguly was applauded for her performance in the sequence.^[31] Ravi Chopra later disclosed that she was originally weeping while enacting in the sequence and the crew members had to console her later to make her stop.^[31][32]|The sequence is often claimed to be the most climactic one of the series.^[33] For the sequence Chopra recreated the visual effect of the Vastraharan sequence of Babubhai Mistry's Mahabharat (1965) starring Padmini as Draupadi.^[34] 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.^[35][36] of the most successful television series in Indian television history.^[37] 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.^[38] Along with general audience many big names from Hindi film industry like Rajesh Khanna, Dharmendra, Hema Malini and Jeetendra also praised the show.^[39]

During its rerun in COVID-19 lockdown, it became the second most watched Indian TV show after Ramayan.^[40] In week 13, it garnered 145.8 million impressions with both morning and evening slots combined on DD Bharati.^[41] However, after Ramayan ended, Mahabharat became the most watched TV show until its end.^[42] The series ended with 22.9 million viewership.^[42]

Home media

The series was uploaded onto the website "Rajshri.com" along with its dubbed Tamil version.^[43] Home video of the Bengali-dubbed version of this series has been released by Heart Video.^[44] 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.^[45]

Legacy

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.^[46] Roopa Ganguly who played Draupadi; went on to become a successful actress in Bengali cinema.^[47][48] Actor Pankaj Dheer also got 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 Batar.^[49] Actor Firoz Khan changed his name to "Arjun" professionally after finding success with the role of Arjun.^[50]Mukesh Khanna who was a flop actor until then, shot to fame as Bhishma and named his production company after his character.

See also

• Ramayan (1987 TV series)
• Mahabharat katha

References

1. "B.R. Chopra (Indian filmmaker) – Britannica Online Encyclopedia". Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 10 August 2012.
2. McLain, Karline (2009). India's immortal comic books: gods, kings, and other heroes. Indiana University Press. p. 46. ISBN 978-0-253-22052-3.
3. "Iconic mythological series 'Mahabharat' to be re-telecast beginning Saturday at 12 and 7 PM". The Times of India.
4. "Remembering BR Chopra: The Story Behind His Iconic 'Mahabharat'". The Quint.
5. "Behind the scenes: Dress designers to actors & deities". The Tribune. 20 April 2003. Retrieved 2 June 2013.
6. Title Song Lyrics from the TV Series Mahabharat, 21 September 2013, archived from the original on 18 March 2017, retrieved 1 December 2014
7. "31 years of Mahabharat on Doordarshan: Interesting facts about one of most popular TV shows ever". The Financial Express.
8. Mahabharat Ki Mahabharat: The Making of B.R. Chopra's "Mahabharat"
9. "Mahabharat actor Puneet Issar: BR Chopra wanted me to play Bheem, I chose Duryodhan". India Today.
10. "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.
11. "B.R. Chopra's serial 'Mahabharat' promises to be another bonanza 31101988". m.indiatoday.in. Retrieved 8 April 2017.
12. "Nitish Bharadwaj refused to play Krishna in Mahabharat".
13. "Janmashtami 2017: Actor Nitish Bharadwaj recollects his days from the Mahabharat".
14. "Mahabharat: Nitish Bharadwaj refused to play Krishna, dodged BR Chopra to avoid screen test". Hindustan Times.
15. Tankha, Madhur (29 August 2012). "Mahabharat's Arjun gets blacklisted!". The Hindu. Retrieved 6 October 2018.
16. "'Bheem' waiting for a special role". The Hindu. 12 January 2009. Retrieved 6 October 2018.
17. "Juhi Chawla turned down Draupadi in Mahabharat. Then Roopa Ganguly got the role". India Today.
18. "Actors talk about what went into making Mahabharat in 1988". Hindustan Times. Retrieved 6 May 2016.
19. "Puneet Issar on playing Duryodhan in Mahabharat: 'My body turned black and blue after climax fight scene with Bheem'". Hindustan Times.
20. "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.
21. "Mahabharat's Shakuni Mama aka Gufi Paintal remembers the show: 'Golden age of television'". Hindustan Times. 6 July 2020. Retrieved 29 July 2020.
22. "These singers gives their voice for Mahabharata". News Track. 31 May 2020. Retrieved 22 July 2020.
23. "जानिए, महाभारत के प्रसिद्ध गीतों को किन-किन गायकों ने दी थी आवाज". Zee Hindustan. 2 June 2020. Retrieved 22 July 2020.
24. "BBC Genome:Mahabarat – transmission times". Retrieved 1 October 2015.
25. "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 6 October 2018.
26. Jones, Mark (7 June 2013). "The Returned: how British TV viewers came to lose their fear of subtitles". The Guardian. Retrieved 6 October 2018.
27. "Rochak kahani mahabharat ki". Gkhindinews. 10 February 2020. Retrieved 10 February 2020.
28. "Watch Rochak kahani mahabharat ki". Gkhindinews. Retrieved 11 February 2020.
29. "On public demand, Ramayan & Mahabharat makes comeback during lockdown". Outlook India. Retrieved 27 March 2020.
30. Service, Tribune News. "Mahabharat to air on Colors". Tribuneindia News Service. Retrieved 4 May 2020.
31. "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.
32. "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.
33. "Actors talk about what went into making Mahabharat in 1988". Hindustan Times. Retrieved 7 May 2019.
34. "Mahabharat (1965) – Review, Star Cast, News, Photos". Cinestaan. Retrieved 9 May 2019.
35. "Why the new Mahabharat is an epic fail- Entertainment News, Firstpost". Firstpost. 17 September 2013. Retrieved 9 May 2019.
36. "Happy B'day BR Chopra: The Story Behind His Iconic 'Mahabharat'". The Quint. 22 April 2016. Retrieved 6 May 2019.
37. Keshri, Shweta (20 April 2020). "Monday Masala: BR Chopra's Mahabharat is the baap of all masala entertainers". India Today. Retrieved 5 August 2020.
38. Mohan, Lavanya (16 October 2015). "Epic television". The Hindu. Retrieved 6 October 2018.
39. "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.
40. "DD emerges as most watched channel; Ramayana, Mahabharata among favourites". Live Mint.
41. "Reruns of 1980-90s classics Ramayan, Shaktimaan, Byomkesh make DD most-watched channel". ThePrint.
42. "Mahabharat becomes the most-watched show. Doordarshan witnesses major dip in ratings". India Today.
43. "Mahabharat on the net". The Hindu. 22 December 2006. Retrieved 6 October 2018.
44. "Mahabharat now in Bengali". The Hindu. 20 February 2012. Retrieved 6 October 2018.
45. "After TV, BR Chopra's Mahabharat to be Available on YouTube As Well". News18. Retrieved 29 July 2020.
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.

External links

• Mahabharat at IMDb