''Mahabharat'' is an Indian Hindi-language epic television series based on the ancient

Sanskrit epic Indian epic poetry is the epic poetry written in the Indian subcontinent, traditionally called ''Kavya'' (or ''Kāvya''; Sanskrit: काव्य, IAST: ''kāvyá''). The ''Ramayana'' and the ''Mahabharata'', which were originally composed i ...

of the same title. The original airing consisted of a total of 94 episodes and were broadcast from 2 October 1988 to 24 June 1990 on

Doordarshan Doordarshan (abbreviated as DD; Hindi: , ) is an Indian public service broadcaster founded by the Government of India, owned by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and one of Prasar Bharati's two divisions. One of India's largest bro ...

. It was produced by B. R. Chopra and directed by his son,

Ravi Chopra Ravi Chopra (27 September 1946 – 12 November 2014) was an Indian film and television director, producer and screenwriter. Early life Chopra was the son of producer and director B.R.Chopra and nephew of Yash Chopra. Aditya Chopra and Uday Ch ...

. The music was composed by

Raj Kamal Raj Kamal (15 January 1928 – 1 September 2005) was a well-known Indian composer. He composed classics such as the unforgettable '' Chashm-e-Buddoor'', ''kahan se aaye badra'', ''kaali ghodi dwaar khadi'', ''Sawan Ko Aane Do'', ''Chand Ja ...

. The script was written by Pandit Narendra Sharma and the Hindi/Urdu poet

Rahi Masoom Raza Rahi Masoom Reza (September 1927 – 15 March 1992) was an Indian Urdu and Hindi poet and writer and a Bollywood lyricist. He won the Filmfare Best Dialogue Award for the hit film ''Main Tulsi Tere Aangan Ki'' in 1979, followed by '' Mili'' and ...

, based on the epic by

Vyasa Krishna Dvaipayana ( sa, कृष्णद्वैपायन, Kṛṣṇadvaipāyana), better known as Vyasa (; sa, व्यासः, Vyāsaḥ, compiler) or Vedavyasa (वेदव्यासः, ''Veda-vyāsaḥ'', "the one who cl ...

. Costumes for the series were provided by

Maganlal Dresswala Maganlal Dresswala or Maganlal Dresswala & Co. is a noted costumer and costume designer for Bollywood productions. Established in 1926 as a small shop in Kalbadevi, Mumbai, it is most known for its period costumes, in '' Ram Rajya'' (1943) ''Mu ...

. The serial claims to have used the Critical Edition of

Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute The Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute (BORI) is located in Pune, Maharashtra, India. It was founded on 6 July 1917 and named after Ramakrishna Gopal Bhandarkar (1837–1925), long regarded as the founder of Indology (Orientalism) in Ind ...

as its basic source with

Vishnu Sitaram Sukthankar Vishnu Sitaram Sukthankar, also known as V. S. Sukthankar (4 May 1887 – 21 January 1943), was an Indologist and scholar of Sanskrit. He is principally known as the General Editor of the Critical Edition of the Mahabharata published by the Bhandar ...

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 The Bhagavad Gita (; sa, श्रीमद्भगवद्गीता, lit=The Song by God, translit=śrīmadbhagavadgītā;), often referred to as the Gita (), is a 700- verse Hindu scripture that is part of the epic ''Mahabharata'' (c ...

. The title song was sung and the verses rendered by singer

Mahendra Kapoor Mahendra Kapoor (9 January 1934 – 27 September 2008) was an Indian playback singer. In a long career spanning decades, his repertoire included popular songs such as ''Chalo ekbaar phir se Ajnabi ban jayen hum dono'' ( Gumrah) and ''Neele Gaga ...

. The title song is followed by a narration by Indian voice-artist

Harish Bhimani Harish Bhimani (born 15 February) is a voiceover artiste and anchor.He is the voice of '' Samay'', the narrator of the TV series ''Mahabharat'' Personal life Harish was born in Mumbai. His brother Kishore Bhimani was a famous sports journalis ...

as a personification of Time, detailing the current circumstances and highlighting the spiritual significance of the content of the episodes ''

Mahabharat Katha ''Mahabharat Katha'' is an Indian television series aired on DD National. This is a sequel which contains portions and stories left out of Mahabharat. It was produced by B. R. Chopra and directed by his son Ravi Chopra. Plot This series covers ...

'', 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 Ulupi (), also known as Uluchi and Ulupika, is a character the Hindu epic ''Mahabharata''. She is a Naga princess, the daughter of the king Kauravya, and is among the four wives of Arjuna. She also finds a mention in the ''Vishnu Purana'' and t ...

, and stories about Ghatotkacha,

Barbarika Barbarika (''Barbarīka)'' or Khatu Shyam, is a Hindu deity, particularly worshipped in western India. According to the ''Skanda Purana'', Barbarika was the son of Ghatotkacha (Son of Bhima) and Princess Maurvi, daughter of Daitya Moora, thou ...

Vrishaketu Vrishaketu ( sa, वृषकेतु ) is a figure in the Hindu Sanskrit epic ''Mahabharata''. He was the son of Karna and Vrushali and also the youngest of Karna's sons. He was the only surviving son of Karna as he didn't participate b ...

Babruvahana In the Hindu epic ''Mahabharata'', Babruvahana ( sa, बब्रुवाहन) is the son of Arjuna, a Pandava prince, and Chitrangada, the princess of Manalura. Babruvahana was adopted as the heir of Manalura by his maternal grandfath ...

, conspiracies of Viprachitti, Ashwamedha Yajna, Dushala's story and aftermath of the

Kurukshetra War The Kurukshetra War ( sa, कुरुक्षेत्र युद्ध ), also called the Mahabharata War, is a war described in the ''Mahabharata ( sa, महाभारत )''. The conflict arose from a dynastic succession struggle be ...

, which are not covered in the original series.

Premise

The series covers the incidents of epic

Mahabharata The ''Mahābhārata'' ( ; sa, महाभारतम्, ', ) is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India in Hinduism, the other being the ''Rāmāyaṇa''. It narrates the struggle between two groups of cousins in the Kuruk ...

revolving around

Krishna Krishna (; sa, कृष्ण ) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the eighth avatar of Vishnu and also as the Supreme god in his own right. He is the god of protection, compassion, tenderness, and love; and is one ...

Pandavas The Pandavas (Sanskrit: पाण्डव, IAST: Pāṇḍava) refers to the five legendary brothers— Yudhishthira, Bhima, Arjuna, Nakula and Sahadeva—who are the central characters of the Hindu epic ''Mahabharata''. They are acknowledg ...

Kauravas ''Kaurava'' is a Sanskrit term which refers to descendants of Kuru, a legendary king of India who is the ancestor of many of the characters of the epic ''Mahabharata''. Usually, the term is used for the 100 sons of King Dhritarashtra and his wi ...

among other characters. The show begins with Emperor Bharata giving more importance to 'Capacity' than to 'Birth'. He shows the birth of

Bhishma Bhishma (Sanskrit: भीष्‍म, , ), also known as Pitamaha, Gangaputra, and Devavrata, played an integral role in Mahabharata. He was the supreme commander of the Kaurava forces during the Kurukshetra War mentioned in the Hindu epic M ...

and his oath, birth of Pandu,

Dhritarashtra Dhritarashtra ( sa, धृतराष्ट्र, ISO-15919: Dhr̥tarāṣṭra) was a Kuru king, and the father of the Kauravas in the Hindu epic ''Mahabharata''. He was the King of the Kuru Kingdom, with its capital at Hastinapura. He was ...

and Vidur and birth of Pandavas and Kauravas. The story then focuses on the childhood of Lord Krishna. Elsewhere,

Dronacharya Droṇa ( sa, द्रोण, Droṇa), also referred to as Dronacharya ( sa, द्रोणाचार्य, Droṇācārya), is a major character of the Hindu epic Mahabharata. In the epic, he serves as the royal preceptor of the Kaura ...

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 Drupada (Sanskrit: द्रुपद, lit. ''firm-footed'' or ''pillar''), also known as Yajnasena (Sanskrit: यज्ञसेन, lit. ''he whose army is sacrificial''), is a character in the Mahābhārata. The son of King Prishata, he wa ...

obtains

Dhrishtadyumna Dhrishtadyumna ( sa, धृष्टद्युम्न, Dhṛṣṭadyumna, the courageous and splendid one) is the son of Drupada—the king of the Panchala kingdom—and the twin brother of Draupadi in the Hindu epic ''Mahabharata''. Dhr ...

and

Draupadi Draupadi ( sa, द्रौपदी, draupadī, Daughter of Drupada), also referred to as Krishnaa, Panchali, and Yagyaseni, is the main female protagonist of the Hindu epic ''Mahabharata,'' and the common consort of the five Pandava brothers ...

. 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 Svayamvara ( sa, स्वयंवर, svayaṃvara, translit-std=IAST), in ancient India, was a method of marriage in which a woman chose a man as her husband from a group of suitors. In this context, in Sanskrit means 'self' and means 'g ...

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 Duryodhana ( sa, दुर्योधन, ) also known as Suyodhana, is the primary antagonist in the Hindu epic ''Mahabharata.'' He was the eldest of the Kauravas, the hundred sons of the blind king Dhritarashtra and his queen Gandhari. Being ...

. 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 Indra (; Sanskrit: इन्द्र) is the king of the devas (god-like deities) and Svarga (heaven) in Hindu mythology. He is associated with the sky, lightning, weather, thunder, storms, rains, river flows, and war. volumes/ref> I ...

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 "

" 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 Nitish Bharadwaj (born 2 June 1963) is an Indian television and film actor, director, screenwriter, film and TV programme producer, veterinarian (veterinary surgeon) graduate from Mumbai Veterinary college and former Member of Parliament in Lok S ...

, eighth avatar of

Vishnu Vishnu ( ; , ), also known as Narayana and Hari, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the supreme being within Vaishnavism, one of the major traditions within contemporary Hinduism. Vishnu is known as "The Preserver" within t ...

, 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 Rama (; ), Ram, Raman or Ramar, also known as Ramachandra (; , ), is a major deity in Hinduism. He is the seventh and one of the most popular '' avatars'' of Vishnu. In Rama-centric traditions of Hinduism, he is considered the Supreme Bein ...

in the song sabso Uchi prem sagaai ** Kewal Shah as adolescent

Mukesh Khanna Mukesh Khanna (born 23 June 1958) is an Indian actor, talk show host and producer who works in Hindi language films and television shows. He is best known for his portrayal of Shaktimaan, the superhero character in ''Shaktimaan'' (1997–2005) ...

, Shantanu-Ganga's eighth son, eighth

Vasu The Vasus () refers to a group of deities in Hinduism associated with fire and light. They are described to be the attendant deities of Indra, and later Vishnu. Generally numbering eight and classified as the Ashtavasu, they are described in the R ...

Satyavati Satyavati ( sa, सत्यवती, ; also spelled Satyawati) was the queen of the Kuru. She is the wife of king Shantanu of Hastinapura, and the great-grandmother of the Pandava and Kaurava princes (The principal characters of the Hindu ...

's step-son, elder half-brother of Chitrangada and

Vichitravirya Vichitravirya ( sa, विचित्रवीर्य, translit=Vicitravīrya, lit=Strange potency) is a character in the Mahabharata, where he is featured as a Kuru king. According to the Hindu epic, he is the younger son of Queen Satyavati ...

, paternal uncle of

Dhritrashtra Dhritarashtra ( sa, धृतराष्ट्र, ISO-15919: Dhr̥tarāṣṭra) was a Kuru king, and the father of the Kauravas in the Hindu epic ''Mahabharata''. He was the King of the Kuru Kingdom, with its capital at Hastinapura. He was ...

Pandu In the Hindu epic ''Mahabharata'', Pandu ( sa, पाण्डु, Pāṇḍu, pale) was a king of the Kuru Kingdom. He was the foster-father of the five Pandava brothers, who were the boons bestowed upon his wife Kunti by a number of deities ...

, and

Vidur Vidura (Sanskrit: विदुर, lit. ''skilled'', ''intelligent'' or ''wise''), also known as Kshatri, plays a key role in the Hindu epic ''Mahabharata''. He is described as the prime minister of the Kuru kingdom and is the paternal uncle o ...

, paternal grand-uncle of the

and the

** Krish Malik as adolescent

Gajendra Chauhan Gajendra Singh Chauhan known professionally as Gajendra Chauhan, is a former television actor known for his work on Indian television, especially his portrayal of Yudhishthira in the historical television series ''Mahabharat'' (1988–90). He h ...

as Yudhishthir, first Pandava, son of Kunti and Yama, eldest son of Kuru Clan, King of

Indraprastha Indraprastha (lit. "Plain of Indra" or "City of Indra") is mentioned in ancient Indian literature as a city of the Kuru Kingdom. It was the capital of the kingdom led by the Pandavas mentioned in ''Mahabharata'' . Under the Pali form of its name ...

and later

Hastinapura Hastinapur is a city in the Meerut district in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. ''Hastinapura'', described in Hindu texts such as the ''Mahabharata'' and the Puranas as the capital of the Kuru Kingdom, is also mentioned in ancient Jain tex ...

, husband of Draupadi, father of

Prativindhya In the Hindu epic Mahabharata, the ''Upapandavas'' (, sa, उपपाण्डव, lit. ''junior Pandavas''), also known as ''Pandavaputras'' (, sa, पाण्डवपुत्र, lit. ''sons of Pandavas''), Draupadeyas or ''Panchakumaras ...

, Kaurava's Elder Cousin ** Sonu as young Yudhishthir *

Praveen Kumar Praveen Kumar (, born 2 October 1986) is a former Indian cricketer who bowled right-hand medium-pace. In first-class cricket, he played for Uttar Pradesh cricket team. He relied on his ability to swing the ball both ways along with line and le ...

Bhim BHIM (Bharat Interface for Money) is an Indian mobile payment mobile app, app developed by the National Payments Corporation of India, National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), based on the Unified Payments Interface, Unified Payments Int ...

, second Pandava, son of Kunti and Vayu, Yuvraaj (crown prince) of

, husband of Draupadi and Hidimba, father of Ghatotkacha, Sutasoma, Duryodhan's Younger Cousin ** Mallik as young

* Arjun aka Firoz Khan as

Arjuna Arjuna (Sanskrit: अर्जुन, ), also known as Partha and Dhananjaya, is a character in several ancient Hindu texts, and specifically one of the major characters of the Indian epic Mahabharata. In the epic, he is the third among Panda ...

, third Pandava, son of Kunti and Indra, husband of

Uloopi Ulupi (), also known as Uluchi and Ulupika, is a character the Hindu epic ''Mahabharata''. She is a Naga princess, the daughter of the king Kauravya, and is among the four wives of Arjuna. She also finds a mention in the ''Vishnu Purana'' and ...

, Chitrangada and

Subhadra Subhadra ( sa, सुभद्रा, Subhadrā) is a Hindu goddess mentioned in ancient Hindu scriptures like the ''Mahabharata'' and the ''Bhagavata Purana''. She is described as the favourite child of Vasudeva and the younger sister of de ...

, brother-in-law of

Balaram Balarama (Sanskrit: बलराम, IAST: ''Balarāma'') is a Hindu god and the elder brother of Krishna. He is particularly significant in the Jagannath tradition, as one of the triad deities. He is also known as Haladhara, Halayudha, Balad ...

and

, father of

Abhimanyu Abhimanyu is a legendary warrior from the ancient Hindu history ''Mahabharata''. He was born to the third Pandava prince Arjuna and the Yadu princess Subhadra, who was Krishna's younger sister. The ''Sambhava Parva'' of the Adi Parva sta ...

Iravan Iravan also known as Iravat and Iravant, is a minor character from the Hindu epic Mahabharata. The son of Pandava prince Arjuna (one of the main heroes of the Mahabharata) and the Naga princess Ulupi, Iravan is the central deity of the cu ...

and

Shrutakarma In the Hindu epic Mahabharata, the ''Upapandavas'' (, sa, उपपाण्डव, lit. ''junior Pandavas''), also known as ''Pandavaputras'' (, sa, पाण्डवपुत्र, lit. ''sons of Pandavas''), Draupadeyas or ''Panchakumaras ...

, Duryodhan's Younger cousin ** Ankur Javeri as young

Roopa Ganguly Roopa Ganguly is an Indian actress, playback singer and politician. She is best known for her portrayal of Draupadi in B R Chopra's hit television series ''Mahabharat''. Often promoted as the Tollywood's answer to Bollywood's Shabana Azmi, she ...

, wife of Pandavas, also called as Panchali and Yagyaseni, younger daughter of

Drupad Dhrupad is a genre in Hindustani classical music from the Indian subcontinent. It is the oldest known style of major vocal styles associated with Hindustani classical music, Haveli Sangeet of Pushtimarg Sampraday and also related to the South Ind ...

, Princess of Panchala, sister of Dhrishtadhyumna and Shikhandi, mother of

Upapandavas In the Hindu epic Mahabharata, the ''Upapandavas'' (, sa, उपपाण्डव, lit. ''junior Pandavas''), also known as ''Pandavaputras'' (, sa, पाण्डवपुत्र, lit. ''sons of Pandavas''), Draupadeyas or ''Panchakumar ...

Puneet Issar Puneet Issar (born 6 November 1959) is an Indian actor, writer, director, producer and dialect coach best known for his works in Hindi films and television shows. Issar started his acting career as a villain in the Manmohan Desai's 1983 film '' ...

Duryodhan Duryodhana ( sa, दुर्योधन, ) also known as Suyodhana, is the primary antagonist in the Hindu epic ''Mahabharata.'' He was the eldest of the Kauravas, the hundred sons of the blind king Dhritarashtra and his queen Gandhari. Being ...

, 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

Pankaj Dheer Pankaj Dheer is an Indian actor who appears in Hindi films and TV series. He is known for his role of Karna in TV series ''Mahabharat and'' other roles in '' Chandrakanta'', ''The Great Maratha'', '' Yug'' and '' Badho Bahu''. He appeared in se ...

Karna Karna (Sanskrit: कर्ण, IAST: ''Karṇa''), also known as Vasusena, Anga-raja, and Radheya, is one of the main protagonists of the Hindu epic '' Mahābhārata''. He is the son of the sun god Surya and princess Kunti (mother of the ...

, son of Kunti and Surya, Adhiratha-Radha's foster son, King of

Anga Anga (Sanskrit: ) was an ancient Indo-Aryan tribe of eastern South Asia whose existence is attested during the Iron Age. The members of the Aṅga tribe were called the Āṅgeyas. Counted among the "sixteen great nations" in Buddhist texts ...

, Pandava's Eldest Brother, Padmaavati's Husband, Duryodhan's best friend ** Harendra Paintal as young

* Sameer Chitre as

Nakul In the Hindu epic Mahabharata, ''Nakula'' (Sanskrit: नकुल) was fourth of the five Pandava brothers. Nakula and Sahadeva were twins blessed to Madri, by Ashwini Kumaras, the divine physicians. Their parents Pandu and Madri - died early ...

, fourth Pandava, son of Madri and Ashwini Kumara, husband of Draupadi, father of

Shatanika In the Hindu epic Mahabharata, the ''Upapandavas'' (, sa, उपपाण्डव, lit. ''junior Pandavas''), also known as ''Pandavaputras'' (, sa, पाण्डवपुत्र, lit. ''sons of Pandavas''), Draupadeyas or ''Panchakumaras ...

* Sanjeev Chitre as

Sahadeva Sahadeva (Sanskrit: सहदेव) was the youngest of the Pandava brothers, the five principal protagonists of the epic ''Mahabharata''. He and his twin brother, Nakula, were blessed to King Pandu and Queen Madri by invoking the twin gods Ash ...

, fifth Pandav, son of Madri and Ashwini Kumara, husband of Draupadi and father of

Shrutasena In the Hindu epic Mahabharata, the ''Upapandavas'' (, sa, उपपाण्डव, lit. ''junior Pandavas''), also known as ''Pandavaputras'' (, sa, पाण्डवपुत्र, lit. ''sons of Pandavas''), Draupadeyas or ''Panchakumaras ...

Vinod Kapoor Vinod Kapoor is an Indian actor who works in Hindi cinema and TV serials. He played the role of Dushasana in the Indian TV serial ''Mahabharat'' and essayed the role of Vibhishana in the TV serial '' Vishnu Puran'' and ''Ramayan''. Early l ...

as Dushasan, second son of Gandhari and Dhritarashtra, Duryodhan's younger brother ** Kaushal Shah as young Dushasan *

Gufi Paintal Sarabjeet "Gufi" Paintal (born 4 October 1944) is an Indian actor and director. His most famous role was that of Shakuni in the TV serial Mahabharat. He is the elder brother of the noted comedian and character actor Paintal. Career Gufi Pai ...

as Shakuni, Gandhari's brother, later King of

Gandhara Gandhāra is the name of an ancient region located in the northwestern region of the Indian subcontinent, more precisely in present-day north-west Pakistan and parts of south-east Afghanistan. The region centered around the Peshawar Vall ...

, maternal uncle of Duryodhan and his 99 brothers * Girija Shankar as

's son from Ambika (eldest), later king of

Hastinapur Hastinapur is a city in the Meerut district in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. ''Hastinapura'', described in Hindu texts such as the ''Mahabharata'' and the Puranas as the capital of the Kuru Kingdom, is also mentioned in ancient Jain tex ...

, father of Kauravas *

Renuka Israni Renuka, also known as Yellamma, is a Hindu goddess worshipped predominantly in the South Indian states of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and western state of Maharashtra. She is also known as the mother of Parashuram ...

as Gandhari, wife of Dhritrashtra, Queen of

, mother of Kauravas, princess of

, sister of Shakuni *

Nazneen Nazneen is an Indian Bollywood actress who was active in the 1970s and 1980s. She was born on (23 February 1958) in Kolkata and studied in Lucknow before moving to Mumbai with her parents. She was cast in ''Sa-Re-Ga-Ma-Pa'' (1972) after meetin ...

Kunti Kunti ( sa, कुन्ती, ), named at birth as Pritha ( sa, पृथा, ), is one of the prominent characters of the Hindu epic ''Mahabharata''. She is best known as the mother of the Pandavas and Karna, the main protagonists of the epi ...

, 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 Virendra Razdan (1951 – 13 June 2003) was an Indian actor. Early Life Virendra Razdan was born on 6 March 1951 to a middle class Brahmin family at Srinagar, Kashmir. His father Govind Razdan was a Sufi Musician. He aspired to become an actor ...

, the Mahaa Mantri of Hastinapur, son of Ambika's head maid Parishrami, fathered by

, half-brother to the kings

and

, uncle of

and

* Surendra Pal as

and

' guru, Ashwatthama's father *

Dharmesh Tiwari Dharmesh Tiwari (27 April 1951 – 6 August 2014) was an Indian actor and film director. He is memorable for portraying Kripacharya in the TV series ''Mahabharat'' and Malayraj in ''Chanakya''. He essayed the role of a judge on the Hindi TV s ...

as Kripacharya, family teacher, brother of Kripi, Ashwatthama's maternal uncle * Pradeep Rawat as Ashwatthama, son of

**Ayush Shah as young Ashwatthama

Recurring

as Samay / narrator * Sagar Salunke as

Balarama Balarama (Sanskrit: बलराम, IAST: ''Balarāma'') is a Hindu god and the elder brother of Krishna. He is particularly significant in the Jagannath tradition, as one of the triad deities. He is also known as Haladhara, Halayudha, Balad ...

, Krishna's elder half brother * Aloka Mukherjee as

, Arjuna's fourth wife, Abhimanyu's mother, Vasudev's and Rohini's daughter, Krishna-Balaram's younger sister, Yadava princess *

Raj Babbar Raj Babbar (born 23 June 1952) is an Indian Hindi and Punjabi film actor and politician belonging to Indian National Congress. three-time member of the Lok Sabha and a two-time member of the Upper House of the Indian Parliament. He was the Pr ...

as Bharata, paternal ancestor of the

and

, son of King

Dushyanta Dushyanta ( sa, दुष्यन्त, translit=Duṣyanta) is a king of the Chandravamsha (Lunar) dynasty featured in Hindu literature. He is the husband of Shakuntala and the father of Bharata. He appears in the Mahabharata and in Kalid ...

and

Shakuntala Shakuntala (Sanskrit: ''Śakuntalā'') is the wife of Dushyanta and the mother of Emperor Bharata. Her story is told in the '' Adi Parva'' of the ancient Indian epic ''Mahabharata'' and dramatized by many writers, the most famous adaption bein ...

Ashalata Wabgaonkar Ashalata Wabgaonkar (2 July 1941 – 22 September 2020) commonly known as Ashalata, was an Indian actress. Originally tracing her roots to Goa's Palolem village in Canacona ''taluka'' (or 'sub-district'), she was associated with the Mumbai-base ...

, Bharata's mother, King

's wife *

Rishabh Shukla Rishabh Shukla (''R̥ṣabha Śuklā'') is an Indian film and television actor and a voice-dubbing artist, who speaks Hindi as his mother tongue language. On television he is most known for his role of King Shantanu in ''Mahabharat'' (TV serie ...

Shantanu Shantanu (Sanskrit: शंतनु) is a character in the Mahabharata, described as the ruler of the Kuru Kingdom with his capital at Hastinapura. He was a descendant of the Bharata race, a forebear of the lineage of the Lunar dynasty, and th ...

, descendant of King Bharata, husband of Ganga and

, father of

, Chitrangada and

, paternal grandfather of

and

, paternal great-grandfather of the

and the

Kiran Juneja Kiran Juneja is an Indian actress who works in Hindi cinema. Personal life She is second wife of filmmaker Ramesh Sippy. She hails from Punjabi Bagh area of New Delhi, India and her father was a doctor. Career In 1984, she started her actin ...

as Ganga, Shantanu's first wife,

's mother, the

holy river Sacred waters are sacred natural sites characterized by tangible topographical land formations such as rivers, lakes, springs, reservoirs, and oceans, as opposed to holy water which is water elevated with the sacramental blessing of a cleric. T ...

Hindus Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism.Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...

Debashree Roy Debashree Roy (born 8 August 1962), also known as Debasree Roy, is an Indian actress, dancer, choreographer, politician and animal rights activist. As an actress, she is known for her work in Hindi and Bengali cinema. She has been cited as the ...

, King Shantanu's second wife;

, Chitrangada, and

's mother,

's step-mother, paternal grandmother of

, and

, paternal great-grandmother of the

and the

Rajesh Vivek Rajesh Vivek Upadhyay (31 January 1949 – 14 January 2016) was an Indian actor. He is best known to Hindi film audiences for his role as the astrologer Guran in '' Lagaan'' (2001) and as the postmaster Nivaran in '' Swades'' (2004). He had ...

Maharishi Maharishi is a Sanskrit word, written as "महर्षि" in Devanagari (formed from the prefix mahā- meaning "great" and r̥ṣi - sage, poet or a singer of sacred hymns), indicating members of the highest order of ancient Indian sages, po ...

Ved Vyas Krishna Dvaipayana ( sa, कृष्णद्वैपायन, Kṛṣṇadvaipāyana), better known as Vyasa (; sa, व्यासः, Vyāsaḥ, compiler) or Vedavyasa (वेदव्यासः, ''Veda-vyāsaḥ'', "the one who cl ...

, son of sage Parashara and

, father of

and

Vidura Vidura (Sanskrit: विदुर, lit. ''skilled'', ''intelligent'' or ''wise''), also known as Kshatri, plays a key role in the Hindu epic ''Mahabharata''. He is described as the prime minister of the Kuru kingdom and is the paternal uncle o ...

, partial incarnation of

, author of

Sudesh Berry Sudesh Berry is an Indian actor and personality known for his works in Hindi cinema and Indian television. Films * ''Rajnandini'' (2021) *''Sardar Saab'' (2017) (Punjabi) * '' Sanam Teri Kasam'' (2016) - Inder's father * '' Ainthu Ainthu Ai ...

, Shantanu-Satyavati's second son after Chitrangada, Bhisma's step brother, husband of

Ambika Ambika may refer to: Mythology * Ambika (goddess), an avatar of the Hindu goddesses Durga, Parvati, and Shakti * Ambika (Jainism), a Jain Yakshini goddess * Ambika (Mahabharata), the wife of Vichitravirya was also the mother of Dhritarashtra, ...

and

Ambalika Ambalika () is a princess featured in the Mahabharata. The youngest daughter of Kashya, the King of Kashi, and Kausalya, she is abducted by Bhishma during her svayamvara ceremony, and becomes the wife of Vichitravirya, the King of Hastinapu ...

, father of

and

, paternal grandfather of the

and the

* Jahnavi as

Amba Amba or AMBA may refer to: Title * Amba Hor, alternative name for Abhor and Mehraela, Christian martyrs * Amba Sada, also known as Psote, Christian bishop and martyr in Upper Egypt Given name * Amba, the traditional first name given to the first ...

, the first princess of

Kashi Kashi or Kaashi may refer to: Places * Varanasi (historically known as "Kashi"), a holy city in India **Kingdom of Kashi, an ancient kingdom in the same place, one of the sixteen Mahajanapadas **Kashi Vishwanath Temple, Varanasi * Kashgar, a cit ...

Shikhandi Shikhandi ( sa, शिखण्डी, translit=Śikhaṇḍī) is a character in the Hindu epic Mahabharata. Born as the daughter of Drupada, the King of Panchala, Shikhandi becomes a biological male after agreeing to a sex exchange with a y ...

in the next life * Meena Chakrabarty as

, second princess of

's first queen, mother of

, paternal grandmother of the

* Menaka Babbar as

, third princess of

's second queen, mother of

, paternal grandmother of the

* Tarakesh Chauhan as

's son from Ambalika (the youngest wife), King of

, husband of

and

Madri In the Hindu epic ''Mahabharata'', Madri is the princess of Madra Kingdom and the second wife of the king Pandu. She is the mother of the youngest Pandavas - the twin brothers Nakula and Sahadeva. The word ''Mādrī'' means 'woman of Madra'. ...

, father of

* Roma Manek as

, Pandu's second wife,

Madra Madra (Sanskrit: ) was an ancient Indo-Aryan tribe of north-western South Asia whose existence is attested since the Vedic period. The members of the Madra tribe were called the Madrakas. Location The Madras were divided into -Madra ("northe ...

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,

's wife *

Lalit Mohan Tiwari Lalit Tiwari is an Indian film and television actor. His best-known television roles are that of Sanjaya in the series ''Mahabharat'' (1988–1990), and the one in the historical television series ''Bharat Ek Khoj - The Discovery of India'' (1 ...

Sanjaya Sanjaya or Sanjay (Sanskrit: सञ्जय, meaning "victory") or Sanjaya Gavalgana is an advisor from the ancient Indian Hindu war epic '' Mahābhārata''. In ''Mahabharata''—An ancient story of a war between the Pandavas and the Kaurava ...

, Dhritarashtra's advisor and also his

chariot A chariot is a type of cart driven by a charioteer, usually using horses to provide rapid motive power. The oldest known chariots have been found in burials of the Sintashta culture in modern-day Chelyabinsk Oblast, Russia, dated to c. 2000&nbs ...

eer * Kapil Kumar as

Shalya In the Hindu epic ''Mahabharata'', King Shalya ( sa, शल्य, lit. ''pointed weapon'') was the brother of Madri (mother of Nakula and Sahadeva), and the ruler of the Madra kingdom. Skilled with the mace and a formidable warrior, he was tric ...

, Madri's elder brother, King of

* 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 In Hindu epic Mahabharata, Bhima ( sa, भीम, ) is the second among the five Pandavas. The ''Mahabharata'' relates many events that portray the might of Bhima. Bhima was born when Vayu, the wind god, granted a son to Kunti and Pandu. Af ...

and

Hidimbi Hiḍimbī (Sanskrit: , IAST: ''Hiḍimbī''), or Hiḍimbā, is the rakshasi wife of the Pandava Bhima and the mother of Ghatotkacha in the ''Mahābhārata''. She meets Bhima in the 9th sub-parva (Hidimva-vadha Parva) of the Adi Parva. She i ...

* Mayur Verma (Master Mayur) as

, son of Arjun and

, husband of

Uttara Uttara, which means "north" in Sanskrit and many other South Asian languages, may refer to: Places * Uttara Export Processing Zone, Bangladesh * Uttara, a suburb north of Dhaka, Bangladesh *Uttara East Thana *Uttara West Thana *Uttaradit, a city i ...

, father of

Parikshit Parikshit ( sa, परीक्षित्, ) was a Kuru king who reigned during the Middle Vedic period (12th-10th centuries BCE). Along with his son and successor, Janamejaya, he played a decisive role in the consolidation of the Kuru state, ...

Varsha Usgaonkar Varsha may refer to: * Varsha, Rainy season or ritu in Hindu calendar * ''Varsha'' (genus), an insect genus in the tribe Empoascini * ''Varsha'' (2005 film), a 2005 Kannada-language Indian feature film directed by S. Narayan People * Bob Varsh ...

, Abhimanyu's wife,

Matsya Matsya ( sa, मत्स्य, lit. ''fish'') is the fish avatar of the Hindu god Vishnu. Often described as the first of Vishnu's ten primary avatars, Matsya is described to have rescued the first man, Manu, from a great deluge. Matsya ...

princess, mother of

* Dinesh Anand as

Vikarna In the Hindu epic ''Mahabharata'', Vikarna ( sa, विकर्ण) was the third Kaurava, a son of Dhritarashtra and Gandhari, and a brother to the crown prince Duryodhana. Vikarna is also referred to as the third-most reputable of the Kaurav ...

, son of Gandhari and Dhritarashtra, Duyodhan's younger brother * Paramjeet Chima as Dashraj,

's father *

Om Katare Om Katare, (born Datia, Madhya Pradesh, India) is an Indian actor in the Bollywood and theater industries. He is also a director and playwright under the banner of the Yatri Theatre, which he established in 1979. Katare's theatre group has pres ...

Adhiratha The ''Mahabharata'' is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India; it was composed by the sage Vyasa. The most important characters of ''Mahabharata'' can be said to include: Krishna; the Pandavas Yudhishthira, Bhima, Arjuna, Naku ...

, charioteer,

's foster father * Saroj Sharma as

Radha Radha ( sa, राधा, ), also called Radhika, is a Hindu goddess and the chief consort of the god Krishna. She is worshiped as the goddess of love, tenderness, compassion, and devotion. She is the avatar of goddess Lakshmi and is also de ...

's wife,

's foster mother * Ramlal Gupta as Ugrasena, King of

Mathura Mathura () is a city and the administrative headquarters of Mathura district in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It is located approximately north of Agra, and south-east of Delhi; about from the town of Vrindavan, and from Govardhan. ...

Surasena Kingdom of Surasena (or Sourasena) (Sanskrit: ) was an ancient Indian region corresponding to the present-day Braj region in Uttar Pradesh, with Mathura as its capital city. According to the Buddhist text '' Anguttara Nikaya'', Surasena was on ...

, father of Kansa and Devaki *

Goga Kapoor Ravinder Kapoor (15 December 1940 – 3 March 2011), popularly known as Goga Kapoor, was an Indian actor, who appeared mostly in Bollywood films. He has acted in over 120 films, majorly known for playing supporting roles of that of villain's h ...

as Kansa, son of Ugrasena, elder brother of Devaki, maternal uncle of

and

Vishnu Sharma Sharma (Sanskrit: विष्णुशर्मन् / विष्णुशर्मा) was an Indian scholar and author who wrote the '' Panchatantra'', a collection of fables. Works Panchatantra is one of the most widely translated non-r ...

as Vasudev, son of

Shurasena Shurasena ( sa, शूरसेन, ) was an ancient Yadava ruler of Mathura. He was married to a Nāga (or serpent) woman named Marisha. She bore all of his children and was the cause for Vasuki’s boon to Bhima."''Surasena or shoorsaini was ...

, brother of

, prince of

Vrishni The Vrishnis (Brahmi: ''vri-shņi'') were an ancient Vedic Indian clan who were believed to be the descendants of Vrishni. It is believed that Vrishni was the son of Satvata, a descendant of Yadu, the son of Yayati. He had two wives, Gandhari an ...

tribe, father of Balarama, Krishna, and Subhadra, maternal uncle of the

* Kshama Raj as Rohini, Vasudeva's elder wife, mother of Balarama *

Sheela Sharma Sheela Sharma ( Sheela David) is an Indian film and television actress in Hindi and Gujarati cinema, best known for the films '' Nadiya Ke Paar'' (1982), '' Hum Saath Saath Hain'' and ''Mere Yaar Ki Shaadi Hai''. Born in Valsad district, Gujar ...

Devaki Devaki (Sanskrit: देवकी, IAST: ''Devakī'') is a character in Hindu literature, most noted for being the mother of the god Krishna. She is one of the seven daughters of Devapa or Devaka, a king of the Yadu dynasty, and has four broth ...

, Vasudev's younger wife, younger sister of Kansa, daughter of Ugrasena, mother of Krishna and Subhadra *

Rasik Dave Rasik Dave (19 June 1957 – 29 July 2022) was an Indian actor working predominantly in Hindi television industry. He is best known for his role of Nanda baba, father of Krishna in B. R. Chopra's television show ''Mahabharat'' (1988). Dave was ...

Nanda Nanda may refer to: Indian history and religion * Nanda Empire, ruled by the Nanda dynasty, an Indian royal dynasty ruling Magadha in the 4th century BCE ** Mahapadma Nanda, first Emperor of the Nanda Empire ** Dhana Nanda (died c. 321 BCE), last ...

, chief of

Gokul Gokul is a town in the Mathura district of the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It is located south-east of Mathura. According to Bhagavata Purana, Krishna spent his childhood in Gokul. Geography The town has an average elevation of . Demo ...

, foster father of Krishna * Manju Vyas as Yashoda, Nand's wife, foster mother of Krishna * Channa Ruparel as Maharani

Rukmini Rukmini ( sa, रुक्मिणी, , ) is a Hindu goddess and the first queen and chief wife of Krishna. In Vaishnava tradition, she is described as Krishna's principal queen in Dvaraka, as well as the chief of his wives. She is an inc ...

's chief wife * Parijat as Devi

's consort *

Sumeet Raghavan Sumeet Raghavan is an Indian film, television, and theatre actor known for his roles in '' Wagle Ki Duniya - Nayi Peedi Naye Kissey,'' Hudd Kar Di'', '' Sarabhai vs Sarabhai'', ''Sajan Re Jhoot Mat Bolo'', ''Badi Door Se Aaye Hai'', and Sa ...

as adolescent

Sudama Sudama (), also known as Kuchela (), is a childhood friend of the Hindu deity Krishna. The story of his visit to Dvaraka to meet his friend is featured in the Bhagavata Purana. In their legend, Sudama and Krishna study together as children a ...

* Ajay Sinha as Akroor,

chief * Bashir Khan as

Satyaki Yuyudhana ( sa, युयुधान, '), better known as Satyaki ( sa, सात्यकि, ), was a powerful Yadava chieftain of Narayani Sena, belonging to the Vrishni clan to which Krishna also belonged. According to the Puranas, he was ...

, General *

Ashok Banthia Ashok Banthia, sometimes referred as Ashok Bathia or Ashok Bhatia, is an Indian actor and director associated with Hindi film, television and theatre actor. He is a NSD (National School of Drama) alumnus known for his roles in Australian TV ...

as Senapati

Kritavarma Kritavarma ( sa, कृतवर्मा, translit=Kṛtavarmā) is a Yadava warrior in Hinduism. He appears as a minor character in the Mahabharata, fighting in the Kurukshetra war for the Kauravas. According to F.E. Pargiter, he was the son o ...

* Pradeep Sharma as Panchalaraj

, Draupadi's father, King of Panchala *

Arun Bakshi Arun Bakshi is an Indian film and television actor and also a singer. He has acted as a character actor in over 100 Hindi films, and as a playback singer has also sung 298 songs. He has also worked in Punjabi and Bhojpuri cinema. He also played ...

as Yuvraaj

, Draupadi's elder brother, Prince of Panchala * Paintal as

, Drupad's elder son, adult

* Ashok Sharma as

Virata Virata ( sa, विराट, IAST ''virāṭa''), was the king of the Matsya Kingdom, in whose court the Pandavas spent a year in concealment during their exile. Virata was married to Queen Sudeshna and was the father of Prince Uttara and Pr ...

, King of

* Chandni Sharma as Sudeshna, Queen of

* Sameer Rajda as Uttar, crown prince of

Sharat Saxena Sharat Saxena (born 17 August 1950) is an Indian actor who appears in Hindi films along with Telugu, Malayalam and Tamil films. He has acted in more than 250 Bollywood films. Saxena started his career in the early 1970s and has mainly played su ...

Kichaka In the Hindu epic ''Mahabharata'', Kichaka or Keechaka is the commander-in-chief of Matsya kingdom, the country ruled by King Virata. He was the 1st Younger Brother of Sudeshna, the queen of Virata. Kichaka was a very powerful man and had immen ...

, Army General of

Deep Dhillon Deep Dhillon is an Indian actor who works in Hindi and Punjabi cinema. He played the role of Jayadratha in the famous Indian TV serial ''Mahabharat'' and appeared as Sahasrarjun in the TV serial '' Vishnu Puran''. He is known for playing Ins ...

Jayadratha Jayadratha () is the king of the Sindhu kingdom featured in the Mahabharata. He was married to Dushala, the only sister of the hundred Kaurava brothers. The son of the king Vriddhakshatra, he is killed by Arjuna. He has a son named Suratha. Et ...

Duhsala Dushshala () is a princess of Hastinapura, and the only daughter of King Dhritarashtra and Queen Gandhari in the Hindu epic ''Mahabharata''. She was born after the birth of her Kaurava brothers and her paternal half-sibling, Yuyutsu. She is mar ...

's husband, Kauravas' brother-in-law, King of

Sindhu The Indus ( ) is a transboundary river of Asia and a trans-Himalayan river of South and Central Asia. The river rises in mountain springs northeast of Mount Kailash in Western Tibet, flows northwest through the disputed region of Kashmir, ...

* Vikrant Mathur as Subala, Shakuni's and Gandhari's father, King of

* Shivendra Mahal as

Parashurama Parashurama (), also referred to as Rama Jamadagnya, Rama Bhargava and Veerarama, is the sixth avatar among the Dashavatara of the preserver god Vishnu in Hinduism. He is believed to be one of the ''Chiranjeevis'' (Immortals), who will appear ...

and

Shiva Shiva (; sa, शिव, lit=The Auspicious One, Śiva ), also known as Mahadeva (; ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐ, or Hara, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions within Hindu ...

Satish Kaul Satish Kaul (8 September 1946 – 10 April 2021) was an Indian actor in both Punjabi and Hindi movies. He acted in over 300 Hindi and Punjabi films and worked with Bollywood actors such as Dev Anand, Dilip Kumar and Shahrukh Khan amongst oth ...

as Devraj

* Gopi Krishna as Chitrasena * Rakesh Bidua as Kashya, King of

* Rana Jung Bahadur as

Jarasandha Jarasandha was a powerful king of Magadha, a minor antagonist in Mahabharata. He was the son of king Brihadratha, the founder of the Barhadratha dynasty of Magadha. According to popular lore, the descendants of Brihadratha ruled Magadha for 260 ...

, King of

Magadha Magadha was a region and one of the sixteen sa, script=Latn, Mahajanapadas, label=none, lit=Great Kingdoms of the Second Urbanization (600–200 BCE) in what is now south Bihar (before expansion) at the eastern Ganges Plain. Magadha was ruled ...

, father-in-law of Kamsa * Karunakar Pathak as

Shishupala Shishupala ( sa, शिशुपाल, lit. ''protector of children'', IAST: ''Śiśupāla''; sometimes spelt Sisupala) was the king of the Chedi kingdom, and an antagonist in the Mahabharata. He was the son of King Damaghosha and Srutashubha, ...

, King of Chedi, a maternal cousin of

and

* Pawan Shukla as Shalva Kumar, Prince of Salwa, Princess

's lover * Prem Sagar as Rishi Kanva *

Pankaj Berry Pankaj Berry (born 8 January 1956) is an Indian film and television actor. He did his post-graduation from Department of Indian Theatre, Panjab University, Chandigarh where he acted in many theatre productions of the department. His first majo ...

as Rishi

Kindama Kindama ( sa, किन्दम) is a rishi featured in the Hindu epic ''Mahabharata''. Legend Once, the sage and his wife were mating in the form of a deer and a doe. King Pandu of Hastinapur, Hastinapura, who had been hunting there, shot th ...

, a sage who cursed

* Mini Singh as Rishi

's wife

Episodic appearance

* Vikas Prasad as

Ekalavya Ekalavya (Sanskrit: एकलव्य, ''ékalavya'') is a character from the Indian epic Mahābhārata. He was a young prince of the Nishadas, a confederation of forest and hill tribes in ancient India. Ekalavya is called as one of the fore ...

* Randhir Singh as Hidimb and

Putana In Hinduism, Pūtanā () is a rakshasi (demoness), who was killed by the infant-god Krishna. Putana disguises as a young, beautiful woman and tries to kill the god by breast-feeding poisoned milk; however Krishna sucks her milk as well as her l ...

* Sabrina as

(cameo) * Dara Singh as

Hanuman Hanuman (; sa, हनुमान, ), also called Anjaneya (), is a Hindu god and a divine '' vanara'' companion of the god Rama. Hanuman is one of the central characters of the Hindu epic ''Ramayana''. He is an ardent devotee of Rama and on ...

(cameo) *

Raj Kishore Raj Kishore (1933 - 7 April 2018) was an Indian actor who played roles in the Indian films such as '' Sholay'' (1975), '' Padosan'' (1968), '' Deewaar'' (1975), '' Ram Aur Shyam'' (1967), '' Hare Rama Hare Krishna'' (1971), ''Karishma Kudrat Ka ...

as Rajpurohit of Panchal Kingdom (cameo) *

Dinesh Kaushik Dinesh Kaushik (born 27 May 1957) is an Indian actor. He is a post graduate in Indian theatre from the Punjab University, Chandigarh. He has worked with professional theatre groups in Mumbai. He has appeared in many advertisements, television ...

Rukmi Rukmi ( sa, रुक्मी) is the ruler of Vidarbha according to the epic Mahabharata. He was the son of King Bhishmaka and the elder brother of Rukmini. The Harivamsa mentions that Rukmi was trained in the arts of warfare by the Kimpurush ...

* 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 Kamal may refer to: * Kamal (name), a male given name and surname with multiple origins *Kamal (navigation), a navigational instrument for measuring latitude * Kamal, Jhapa, a rural municipality in Nepal * Alfa Romeo Kamal, an SUV by Alfa Romeo *O ...

to Get to Jayadratha Episode 85 – Shri Krishna covers the Sun with his ''

Sudarshana Chakra Sudarshana Chakra (Sanskrit: सुदर्शन चक्र, lit. "disc of auspicious vision", IAST: Sudarśana Chakra) is a spinning, celestial discus with 108 serrated edges, attributed to Vishnu and Krishna in the Hindu scriptures. The Sud ...

'',

Jayadratha Vadh Jayadratha () is the king of the Sindhu Kingdom, Sindhu kingdom featured in the Mahabharata. He was married to Dushala, the only sister of the hundred Kaurava brothers. The son of the king Vriddhakshatra, he is killed by Arjuna. He has a son na ...

Episode 86 – Karna kills Ghatotkacha by ''

Shakti Astra In Hinduism, especially Shaktism (a theological tradition of Hinduism), Shakti (Devanagari: शक्ति, IAST: Śakti; lit. "Energy, ability, strength, effort, power, capability") is the primordial cosmic energy, female in aspect, and rep ...

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

Casting

15,000 people applied to play different roles in the Mahabharat TV series. The casting team led by

shortlisted them and called around 1,500 for video screen tests Almost all actors in the series were newcomers, barring

who played King Bharat,

who played Satyavati.

was chosen by B.R. Chopra, Ravi Chopra, Pandit Narendra Sharma and Rahi Masoom Raza, to play the central role of

, at the age of 23. Initially, he was chosen for playing

. But

was cast for it as B.R.Chopra considered Bharadwaj young to play the role. Then Bharadwaj was offered to play

and Sahadev, but he rejected and wanted to play

. Days later, he was called and finalized to play Krishna. Firoz Khan was chosen to portray the character of

(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. Asian games gold medalist

was selected to portray

after Chopra was looking for someone "who could look the robust historical character". Around six actresses were shortlisted for the role of

, including

Juhi Chawla Juhi Chawla (born 13 November 1967) is an Indian actress, film producer and entrepreneur. She established herself as one of the leading actresses of Hindi cinema from the late 1980s through the early 2000s. Recognised for her comic timing and v ...

, who opted out of the show as she had bagged a film.

Ramya Krishnan Ramya Krishnan (born 15 September 1970), also credited as Ramya Krishna (in the Telugu and Kannada film industries) is an Indian actress. She has appeared in over 260 films in five languages: Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam, and Hindi. Ramy ...

and

were the final names, and at last

was chosen, as her Hindi was good.

Govinda Govinda (), also rendered Govind and Gobind, is an epithet of Vishnu which is also used for his avatars such as Krishna. The name appears as the 187th and the 539th name of Vishnu in '' Vishnu Sahasranama''. The name is also popularly addresse ...

and

Chunky Pandey Suyash Panday (born 26 September 1962), better known by his stage name Chunky Panday, is an Indian actor who works in Bollywood films. He has appeared in over 100 films in a career that has spanned over three decades. His most successful films ...

were signed for the role of

, but they opted out when they bagged films. Later, Master Mayur played the role.

who wished to play role of Arjun was initially offered the role of Duryodhan. But later he was signed for Dhronacharya. When Vijayendra Ghadge dropped his role of Bhisma, Khanna got the role of

was offered to play the role of Bheem but was cast as Duryodhan on his wish. The casting director of the show, GufiPaintal had offered role of Shakuni by the maker's of Mahabharat.

Music

Mahabharat's music was composed by

and lyrics were penned by Pandit Narendra Sharma. Some songs were taken from works of devotional writers like

Surdas Surdas (IAST: Sūr, Devanagari: सूर) was a 16th-century blind Hindu devotional poet and singer, who was known for his works written in praise of Krishna, the supreme lord. He was a Vaishnava devotee of Lord Krishna, and he was also a ...

Raskhan Syed Ibrahim Khan (1548-1628) was an Indian Sufi Muslim poet who became a devotee of the Hindu deity Krishna. He was either born in Pihani (Hardoi) or Amroha Amroha is a city in the state of Uttar Pradesh in India. It is located north-wes ...

etc. Apart from main songs there are also several short verses decoding summary of each episode. All those verse were sung by

Broadcast

In India the series was originally broadcast on

DD National DD National (formerly DD1) is a state-owned public entertainment television channel in India. It is the flagship channel of Doordarshan, India's public service broadcaster, and the oldest and most widely available terrestrial television channel ...

. It was shown in the United Kingdom by the

BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...

...

Premise

Cast

Main

Recurring

Episodic appearance

Episodes

Production

Development

Casting

Music

Broadcast

Reception

Home media

Legacy

References

External links