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It is said that there is nothing in the world which doesn’t exist in the epic Mahabharat. It is of course the biggest epic/poetry ever written. Consists so many additional tales, it focuses mainly on the incidents happened in the Kuru clan of Bharat aka BharatVarsh aka India.
The original name of the epic was Jaya (pronounciation: Jay) or JayaSamhita. It was later got popular with the name Mahabharat or Mahabharata. Its influence in various cultures can be seen clearly. Possibly because it explores all the situations and emotions we may ever encounter with. And that is why we can relate to it very easily. Writers and film makers often take references from the tale to move ahead their story.
The epic is rewritten in so many languages so many times and even explored as various TV Serials, Plays, Movies,… and more. Here are some quick links for the same.
- Jaya : an Illustrated retelling of The Mahabharata : Book Reviews
- Mahabharata 1 : Bharat Ek Khoj Hindi TV Serial : Reviews
- Mahabharata 2 : Bharat Ek Khoj Hindi TV Serial : Reviews
- News about animated movie : Mahabharata
- A set of books written in Gujarati based on The Mahabharata
The list could grow more and more…
If we talk about Hindi TV serials made on this Epic, the Mahabharat made by B. R. Chopra and directed by Ravi Chopra remain on the top. The thoughtful dialogs by Dr. Rahi Masoom Raza and fantastic acting of most of the cast, the eye-catching wardrobe by Maganlal Dresswala, the convincing narration by Harish Bhimani, the pace of the tale and direction are amongst the most positive attributes of the TV Serial. There was a time when the TV serial was aired on DoorDarshan (the National Television network in India) in 1988 and 1989, the roads were seemed literally like there is a curfew.
The TV serial was made with technical limitations and comparatively tight budget, then most of the attempts made then after to re-create the charisma of this TV serial; but the positive attributes mentioned above overcome the rest of the stuff.
| TV Serial | : |
Mahabharat
|
| Producer | : | B. R. Chopra |
| Writer/Dialogs | : | Dr. Rahi Masum Raza |
| Director | : | Ravi Chopra |
| Starring | : | Harish Bhimani (Samay (voice)), Rajesh Vivek (Maharishi Veda Vyasa), Nitish Bharadwaj (Lord Krishna), Shampa Gopikrishan (child Krishna), Kewal Shah (adolescent Krishna), Gajendra Chouhan (Yudhishthira), Sonu (young Yudhishthira), Arjun (Real name: Firoz Khan) (Arjuna), Ankur Javeri (young Arjuna), Roopa Ganguly (Draupadi), Praveen Kumar (Bhima), Sameer Chitre (Nakula), Sanjeev Chitre (Sahadeva), Razak Khan (Ghatotkacha), Paintal (Shikhandi), Arun Bakshi (Dhrishtadyumna), Mayur (Abhimanyu), Mukesh Khanna (Bhishma), Pankaj Dheer (Karna), Harendra Paintal (young Karna), Puneet Issar (Duryodhana), Vinod Kapoor (Dushasana), Kaushal Shah (young Dushasana), Gufi Paintal (Shakuni), Surendra Pal (Dronacharya), Dharmesh Tiwari (Kripacharya), Pradeep Rawat (Ashwatthama), Babbu (young Ashwatthama), Ashok Banthia (Kritavarma), Kapil Kumar (Shalya), Deep Dhillon (Jayadratha), Raj Babbar (Bharata), Ashalata (Shakuntala), Kiran Juneja (Ganga), Rishabh Shukla (Shantanu), Debashree Roy (Satyavati), Sudesh Berry (Vichitraveerya,), Vishnu Sharma (Vasudeva), Sheela Sharma (Devaki), Kshama Raj (Rohini), Ramlal Gupta (Ugrasena), Goga Kapoor (Kans), Rasik Dave (Nanda), Manju Vyas (Yashoda), Sagar Salunke (Balarama), Ajay Sinha (Akroora), Devidas (Kans’s Minister), Girija Shankar (Dhritrashtra), Renuka Israni (Gandhari), Virendra Razdan (Vidura), Tarakesh (Pandu), Nazneen (Kunti), Roma Manik (Madri), Kamlesh Maan (Sulabha), Channa Ruparel (Rukmini), Vikas Prasad (Ekalavya), Vinod Raut (Purochana), Om Katare (Adhiratha Sushen), Saroj Sharma (Radha), Varsha Usgaonkar (Uttaraa), Sameer Rajda (Uttar), Chandni Sharma (Sudeshna), Lalit Tiwari (Sanjay), Dara Singh (Hanuman), Sumeet Raghavan (Young Sudama), Chetan Hansraj (Young Balarama), Parijat (Radha), Ram Mohan (Head Priest), Rafique Mukkadam (Minister), Shivendra Mahal (Parashurama and Lord Shiva), Randhir Singh (Hidimb), Rana Jung Bahadur (Jarasandha), Karunakar Pathak (Shishupala), Sharat Saxena (Kichaka), Gopi Krishna (Chitrasena), Ayub Khan (Parikshit Abhimanyu’s son), and others… |
| Purchase Links | : |
The TV serial is available as a set of 19 DVD (and VCD version have 47 VCDs). Below given is the list of episode and the major incidents covered in the same. As soon as we post separate review for each episode we will keep adding link to the same.
Episode List:
| Introduction of Kuru Family, Raja Bharat and Raja Shantanu |
| Ganga kills her sons |
| Bhishma is grown-up |
| Bhisma Pratigya/Iccha Mrityu Vardaan |
| Amba, Ambika and Ambalika’s Introduction |
| Birth of Pandu, Dhritarashtra and Vidur |
| Karna’s birth-story, Dhritarashtra and Gandhari get married and Pandu and Kunti get married |
| Madri is gifted to Pandu, Pandu is resting and Sage Kindama’s curse on Pandu |
| Dhritarashtra is king his sanyas and Kansa is king and Akashwani about Krishna |
| Birth of Balarama and Five Pandavas |
| Krishna Janma |
| Pootna’s death |
| Krishna brahmand darshan and Krishna gets caught while stealing makhan |
| Maiya Mori Mai nahi makhan khayo and Kaliya Nag Tandav |
| Radha and Gopikas, protest against Mathura, Devakasur and Trulambasur Vadh |
| Kansa invites Krishna to Mathura |
| Kansa vadh |
| Pandu’s death |
| Satyavati, Ambika, Ambalika take sanyas with Rishi Vyas |
| Duryodhan poisons Bhim and Bhim gets strength of 1000 elephants |
| Sudama’s chivda and Dron arrives to Hastinapur |
| Shastra Pooja, Drona insults Karna and Arjun’s Test |
| Ekalavya, Karna’s Education, Arjun’s test of Bird’s eye |
| All grown up, prince is to be nominated and everyone exhibit their skills in Rangbhoomi, Karna challenges Arjun and Duryodhan gives Anga desh to Karna |
| Drona’s guru dakshina to capture Dhrupad |
| Krishna gets Sudarshan chakra from Parshuram, defeats Jarasandh and orders building Dwarika |
| Yudhishthir is crowned as prince. Rukmini is being forced to marry Shishupal |
| Krishna kidnaps Rukmini |
| Lakshagraha is built in Varnavar by Purochan |
| Tunneling in Varnavat begins |
| Escape from Lakshagraha |
| Hidimb Vadh and Bhima’s marriage. |
| Bakasur Vadh |
| Dristadyumna & Draupadi Birth and Draupadi Swayamvar |
| Arjun wins Draupadi and later she became the wives of 5 Pandavas |
| Pandav leave from Panchal to Hastinapur |
| Pandavas arrives at Hastinapur and kingdom is divided |
| Pandav get Khandavprastha |
| Coronation of Yudhirsthir, Khandavprastha becomes Indraprastha |
| Arjun runs away with Subhadra |
| Arjun weds Subhadra. Arjun gets Devdatta conch and Gandiv and Bhim gets his Gada |
| Jarasandh Vadh, Rajsuya Yagnya begins, Shishupals Story |
| Rajsuya Yagya, Shishupal Vadh |
| Vyas predicts war, Draupadi laughs at Duryodhan |
| Pandavas go to Hastinapur to Gamble |
| Yudhirshthir loses everything |
| Vastraharan of Draupadi |
| Pandavas Get Back Everything |
| Re-match of Dyut |
| Vanvas Begins |
| Gandharvas Catch Duryodhan |
| Arjun worships Lord Indra and Lord Shiva for Divyastra and gets Pashupatastra |
| Krishna’s story of one grain of rice, Bhim meets Ghatotkach and Hanuman, Arjun learns dance from Chitrasen |
| Arjun gets curse of impotency from Urvashi, Abhimanyus as a kid, Jayadraths head is shaved |
| Story of poisoned water and Yaksha, Abhimanyu is grown-up |
| Agyatvas in Matsya desh |
| Karna’s curse, Draupadi as Maid Sairandhri rejects Keechak |
| Keechak Vadh by Bheema |
| Kaurav attack Matsya desh |
| Viraat yudh and clothes for Uttaras dolls |
| Abhimanyu’s marriage and Pandavs decide to send a doot to Hastinapur |
| Dhritarashtra does not agree and sends Sanjay |
| Duryodhan gets Narayani Sena from Krishna |
| Krishna goes to hastinapur as shanti doot |
| Krishna tooks Virat Avtar and Indra takes Karna’s kawach kundala |
| Karna’s Identity is disclosed |
| Vidur resigns as a prime minister, Kunti meets Karna |
| Sanjay gets divya drishti, Ulluk goes to Pandavs |
| Shalya becomes Karna’s Sarathi |
| Shikhandi’s Story |
| Arjun worships Goddess Durga, rules of war laid |
| Kurukshetra war begins and Arjun drops his weapons, Geeta saar begins |
| Geeta Saar continues |
| Geeta Saar continues and Krishna shows his Maha-Avtaar |
| Yudhishthir gets blessings, Yuyutsu changes side and war begins, Abhimanyu faces Bhishma |
| Uttar dies, Arjun faces Bhishma and day 2 begins |
| Arjun is unstoppable, 3rd is over, 4th day begins, Bhim is surrounded, 10 Kauravs are killed, Krishna takes out his sudarshan |
| 9th day is over and 16 kauravs are dead, Bhisma tells Arjun how to take him out of the war |
| Bhishma lies on the Bed of Arrows, Karna meets Bhisma |
| Day 11, Dron tries to capture Yudhishthir but is unsuccessful, Shantanu comes to Bhishma |
| Chakra Vyuh planned, Duryodhan promises Susharma |
| Abhimanyu Vadh |
| Arjun vows to kill Jayadrath and Story about Jayadraths Curse |
| Arjun breaks Kamal Vyuh to get to Jayadrath |
| Jayadrath Vadh |
| Ghatotkach dies |
| Drona dies |
| Dushyasan dies and Karna fights with Arjun, Krishna puts the rath in the land so that Arjun is saved |
| Karna’s curse, Karna Dies |
| Shakuni dies, Yudhishthir curses all woman kind and Duryodhan becomes iron bodied |
| Balaram arrives, Bhim-Duryodhan Gada Yudh |
| Duryodhan Dies, Ashwathama, Krip and Kritvarma remain, Parikshit’s story |
| Dhritarashtra tries to kill Bhim |
| Yudhisthir becomes King of Hastinapur, Bhishma dies |
| The kingdom under Yudhishtir and Time leap; Parikshit as the new king |
| Pandavas renounce the worldly pleasures and The death of the Pandavas and Draupadi. |
We are excited to review this fantastic TV Serial, episode by episode and we hope that you are also feeling the same. The overall product comes in a nice packing. Though you find the video quality a little dull than HD videos we are seeing these days. But it is really nice. The digitize sound and picture are definitely good.
Overall, the product is worth to have for sure.
Do you like the TV Serial? Have you watched it on DVDs? (We watched it many times on DVDs, and every time we watch we got something new to learn). It is definitely way better than some meaningless stuff available on TV and media. Do share your thoughts and comments about the TV Serial via comments below. And yes, subscribe to our RSS feeds so every time a review to an episode is posted, you can find it easily. If you like this article and/or this TV serial, do not forget to share it with your friends via various social networks like Facebook, Twitter and others. See you again with another personal review soon 🙂
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