Mahabharat on Star Plus

Mahabharata is such an epic that has been part of many books, television series and movies over many years. Documentary movies have been made on this flawless epic. Even British and US broadcasters have adopted this epic for documentary movies. In India, the most famous on-screen depiction was that of B.R. Chopra's Mahabharata. I was about five years old then, and I gladly saw its repeats later on Doordarshan. After almost a decade and a half, I heard it was being remade by none other than the makers of Dev o Ka Dev Mahadev. It was the best mythology serial I ever saw with Mohit Raina in the lead, and its special effects and storytelling were simply the best.

The actors...

I started watching Mahabharat on Star Plus since its first episode and never missed one.

The first name I want to take is that of Praneet Bhat. His signature walk, one-eyed talk and his famous lines "Mere Bacchae..." make you hate his Shakuni, and that proves how great his acting skills are. Shakuni was the crudest and sly person in the epic, and he portrays that as though he is Shakuni. Special mention to scenes when he stays at Hastinapur for his sister to seek revenge and hurts himself.

Rohit Bhardwaj, who was Mohan, and Shaheer Sheikh, who was Anant in Navya... surprised me with their Yudhisthir and Arjun. I liked them both in the Modern age drama, Navya, and now they play quite different roles in Mahabharat. Special mention to the role of Brihannalla and Kanka, as well as Abhimanyu's death scenes.

Saurabh Raj Jain, who was a well-known face as Vishnu in both Jai Shree Krishna and Dev o Ka Dev, is Krishna here, and that was truly pleasing to the eyes. His half smile and witty eyes are indeed a resemblance to the Vishnu/Krishna of our imaginations. Special mentions to Gita moments, Draupadi's man Raksha, and Abhimanyu's Death.

Veebha Anand, who was Sugna in Balika Vadhu, plays Subhadra, which suited her really well. Her smile and her eyes were superb, describing the "Chanchal" Subhadra. Special mention to after Subhadra's marriage to Arjun, when they face Panchali and her scenes at Uttara's wedding.

Aham Sharma, whom I don't know why I never noticed anywhere, is dashing and calm as Karna. He took my attention away in those emotional scenes post the revelation of his true identity, and also in the scenes where he fights. His calm yet heavy voice and his lean figure make him an unconventional ( because we were all accustomed to the moustached middle-aged man image) yet gripping character. He is indeed more suitable than anybody else in this role. Special mention to the fight sequence with Abhimanyu. His expressions were superb.

Arav Chowdhary, who plays Bhishma pita maha and Devabrata, is the first impressive character in this epic who stays till the last and hence deserves mention. He is a total resemblance to B.R. Chopra's Bhishma, and his voice suits the great man's character. The scenes where he is cursed by Amba, Draupadi's Vastraharan time and his death scene deserve special mention.

Paras Arora, who was my favourite for his Veer Shivaji portrait on the Colours serial of that title, has improved more than ever. From Shivaji to Rajjo to Mahabharat, his acting has improved superbly. Abhimanyu is my personal favourite character in the epic, and he outshone everyone during the last three episodes, ending with his death. Special mention, Chakravuha (his introduction), Conversation with Uttara and death scenes. Aham Sharma is the one who steals the scene; he was nowhere near Paras in the last one. He proved his worth among people of extreme talent.

Richa Mukherjee does justice to my favourite character, Uttara. Her childish innocence turned into grown-up talk at that mere age, changed by circumstances, and has been portrayed superbly by the young talent. Special mention of Scenes with Abhimanyu and that Introduction dance.

The Crew...

Siddharth Kumar Tewary, the man who created this epic in such a beautiful way. He deserves all the credit. The writers Sharmin Joseph, Radhika Anand, Anand Vardhan, Mihir Bhuta and Siddharth Kumar Tewary were, in fact, the backbone of the storytelling. Special mention to how the Epic Story started with Vasudeva telling the viewers all we need to know... The directors who keep alive the scripts in our imaginations, namely, Siddharth Anand Kumar, Amarprith G, S Chawda, Kamal Monga and Loknath Pandey. The Graphic team and special effects team, who made it seem real, and also the trainers who trained the actors in weapons and horse riding, are the real stars of the epic.

It is truly the largest television show, with its Bengali, Malayalam, Telugu, Tamil and Marathi versions being aired on different channels and even an Indonesian version in Indonesia.

What caught my attention most was the Music from Atul-Ajay and Ismail Darbar. The lyrics are so meaningful with the mention of the Gita, Krishna, Vedas and Mahabharat being a historical event truly worth mentioning. Also worth mentioning are the background scores of Draupadi and Abhimanyu.

The best scenes...

My favourite Scenes from this epic serial are

1. Abhimanyu's Death and his last conversation with Uttara and Arjun

2. The fight between Bhishma and Parasurama

3. Arjuna comes home with Subhadra after marriage, and Draupadi's feelings

4. Pasha game and disrobing of Draupadi.

Parting words...

A huge fan of this serial, I, as a fan, hoped it to continue, especially the characters of Abhimanyu and Uttara, who are my favourites, but are regarded as a minor part of the epic. Yet those parts have been given importance in this series like no other. I am very moved by the dialogues of Krishna, which are facts and Universal truths applied to life and times even now.

||WITHIN INFINITE MYTHS LIES ETERNAL TRUTHS||

Maharana Pratap: The Evolution of an Icon

On the occasion of Maharana Pratap's 486th Birth Anniversary, here is an article I have been meaning to write for a long time. While some of it is personal, other parts are researched. Some parts of this article (art subsection) are reproduced from another article written by me for UPAJ India's magazine Manthan in 2022. Ideally, this was supposed to be two parts, but I did not wish to make it so. Cenotaph at Chawand Veer Shiromoni Hinduja Suraj Maharana Pratap Singh Sisodiya, as he is officially called, the thirteenth Custodian of the royal house of Mewar, a land that now lies in the south-western fringes of the Aravallis of Rajasthan, has been, for the longest time in Indian History, regarded as the first freedom fighter. Resisting invasion into his state, holding his post as king, his life and career had been scrutinised time and again, narratives changed according to popularity rather than evidence. His idea of independence inspired many; his strategy of guerrilla warfare wa...

Chawand: The Maharana's Capital

The road from Udaipur quickly fades into quiet countryside as you head toward Jaisamand Lake and Chavand, a journey that few package tours offer, but one that is forever imprinted on my memory. Just shy of an hour and 59km from the city bustle, you reach Jaisamand (Dhebar Lake), the “Ocean of Victory,” sprawling as Asia’s once-largest man-made lake . Built in 1685 by Maharana Jai Singh, who followed his father’s legendary tradition of dam-building, this vast sheet of water shimmers in the sunlight. I watched local ferries pass, and marble stairs dip into blue shallows, imagining bygone queens slipping into cooling water beneath the massive embankment. Even today, friendly boatmen linger, eager to usher you onto the lake for a breezy ride. They tell you stories of how once a Maharana roamed these dense forests in search of freedom. Do pause here and soak in the peaceful air before venturing further southwest, toward the forgotten echoes of Mewar’s pride. The drive to Chavand, ...

The Timurid Empress

Ruqaiya Sultana Begum was born to Babur's second surviving son, Hindal Mirza, and his wife, Sultanam Begum, in 1542 C.E., merely a few months after Hamida Banu gave birth to the heir Jalaluddin Mohammad Akbar. She was well-versed in Persian, Urdu and Arabic and was attracted to poetry and music. Being a proud descendant of the Timurid clan, most of Rukaiya's childhood was spent in Kabul, near the Bagh E Babur, built by Babur himself. From early childhood, she had seen the struggle of her family to regain their lost power in Hind. Miniature of Rukaiya Begum as Empress In 1551 C.E., just after her father died young at a battle for Humayun, leaving her and her mother in the harem of the emperor, it was Hamida Banu who wanted the marriage of Rukaiya to her first cousin, Akbar. Theirs was the first in-house marriage of the Mughals, soon to be followed by many more in the generations to come. At the mere age of nine, she had married the crown prince, and when Humayun won back Lahore...

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Bijolia: Her Home

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Maharana Pratap: The Sun of Mewar

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The Suta Putra

He was born as the eldest son of the Princess of Kuntibhoj. She was unmarried and had a bright future ahead of her. She did not want to sabotage her life and future for the unwanted child. She wrapped him in a blanket and decided to float him on the River, hoping the Mother Goddess would safely deliver him to someone. His father, the Sun God himself, was sympathetic to her plight and, for the safety of his son, provided him with a set of golden Kavach and Kundal (A set of earrings and a locket/beads/armour) to protect him. These were powerful enough to save him from any weapon. The currents took the baby far away to the land of Hastinapur. The royal charioteer Adhirath and his wife Radha were bathing there and praying to the Sun God for a child. A basket floated past them with a baby in it. They picked the baby up and decided to call him their son. Growing up, he wanted to learn archery and train as a Kshatriya, much to the objection of his parents. He went to Parasurama, the teacher o...

Soul and Afterlife

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Dharma, Adharma and Other Opinions

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The Festival of Bengal: Days and Rituals

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