Mahabharat is a 2013 Indian epic mythological television series based on the Sanskrit epic Mahabharata. It aired from 16 September 2013 to 16 August 2014 on Star Plus. The series is available digitally on Disney+ Hotstar. Produced by Swastik Productions Pvt. Ltd, it starred Saurabh Raj Jain, Pooja Sharma, Shaheer Sheikh, Arpit Ranka and Aham Sharma.
Premise The story begins with Bhishma, the son of King Shantanu and Ganga, who is crowned as the heir to the throne of Hastinapura. When Shantanu falls in love with Satyavati, a fisherwoman, she agrees to marry him only on the condition that her children will inherit the throne. To fulfill his father's wish, Bhishma takes a vow of lifelong celibacy and renounces his claim to the throne. Moved by his sacrifice, Shantanu grants Bhishma the boon of Ichchha Mrityu (death at will). Shantanu and Satyavati marry and have two sons, Chitrangada and Vichitravirya.
25 years later, Chitrangada dies, leaving Vichitravirya as the sole heir. On Satyavati’s command, Bhishma abducts the three princesses of Kashi Kingdom—Amba, Ambika, and Ambalika—for Vichitravirya. However, Amba, who was already in love with another, refuses to marry Vichitravirya. When her lover rejects her, she seeks vengeance against Bhishma. She pleads for help from Bhishma’s guru, Parashurama, but their battle is halted by Shiva. Determined to be the cause of Bhishma’s downfall, Amba immolates herself, vowing to be reborn for her revenge.
Vichitravirya dies without an heir. To continue the lineage, Satyavati calls upon her firstborn son, Veda Vyasa—born to her before her marriage—to impregnate the widowed queens using the niyoga practice. Ambika gives birth to Dhritarashtra, who is blind, Ambalika gives birth to Pandu, who is pale, and a maid, Parishrami, bears Vidura.
25 years later, Amba is reborn as Shikhandini, the daughter of Drupada, destined to bring about Bhishma’s death. Meanwhile, Bhishma secures a marriage alliance for Dhritarashtra by proposing to Gandhari, the daughter of Subala, King of Gandhara, due to her divine boon of bearing a hundred sons. When Gandhari learns that her husband-to-be is blind, she blinds herself with a cloth to share his fate. Her brother, Shakuni, enraged by this turn of events, swears revenge on Bhishma and injures his own leg as a mark of his vengeance. Initially, Dhritarashtra resents Gandhari for her decision but later accepts her as his wife.
Despite being the eldest, Dhritarashtra is denied the throne due to his blindness, and Pandu is crowned king instead. Pandu marries Kunti, the princess of the Kunti Kingdom, and Madri, the princess of the Madra Kingdom. However, after accidentally killing a sage, Kindama, Pandu is cursed to die if he ever attempts to be intimate with his wives. Heartbroken, he renounces the throne and retreats to the forest with Kunti and Madri, leaving Dhritarashtra to rule Hastinapura in his absence. 15 months later, Gandhari was pregnant for more than a year which angers Dhritarashta. Kunti uses her boon, given to her by Sage Durvasa, to invoke gods of her choice and obtain children from them. She begets Yudhishthira from Yama (the god of death and righteousness), Bhima from Vayu (the god of wind), Arjuna from Indra (the king of the gods). She also chants the boon for Madri, and Madri obtains twins - Nakula and Sahadeva - from the Ashwini Kumaras. Gandhari is upset as Dhritrashtra becomes impatient and gives birth to a lump of flesh. But this is cut into 101 pieces by Veda Vyasa, and these pieces eventually transform into children - the 100 Kauravas (led by Duryodhana) and a daughter, Dushala.
Years later, Pandu becomes captivated by the beauty of Madri and engages in sexual intercourse with her. Madri, despite her best efforts, is unable to fend him off from the act. As a result of the sage's curse, Pandu dies. Attributing her husband's death to herself, Madri dies out of grief. Pandavas return to Hastinapur with Kunti, after the death of Pandu and Madri. The Kauravas grow up to be evil, led by their eldest brother Duryodhana, who is highly influenced by his maternal uncle Shakuni, contrary to the Pandavas who are righteous. They conspired against the Pandavas. Shakuni tries to poison Bheema, but he is saved by his great-grandfather Naag Raj. Bhishma banishes Shakuni from Hastinapur, forcing him to return to Gandhar. All princes are sent to study under Guru Dronacharya where Dronacharya teaches everyone about warfare including his son Ashwatthama.
Cast Main Sourabh Raaj Jain as Krishna: a leader of the Yadava clan and an incarnation of the god Vishnu, born to restore dharma on the Earth. He serves as both a mentor and a philosopher, shaping the course of the war and the events leading up to it through his counsel and divine interventions. Even before his direct participation in the central narrative, Krishna is depicted in a divine form in the concluding segments of each episode, where he interprets the events, relates them to daily life, and imparts moral teachings and philosophical insights. Other than few initial concern regarding his tall height and complexion, Jain stated that playing Krishna was not a challenge for him, as he remained focused on himself and welcomed the comparisons with past portrayals. Jain also expressed that he saw himself merely as a conduit for the audience, stating "I was just a medium, an actor who humbly folded his hands before every scene, seeking the purity it deserved. The experience was truly inspiring for me". Kunwar Vikram Soni portrays adolescent Krishna. Shaheer Sheikh as Arjuna: the third of the five Pandava brothers, who is a master archer and a warrior of great skill and integrity. His internal conflicts are often guided by Krishna to help him fulfil his duty and uphold dharma, particularly in the Kurukshetra War, where Krishna imparts the Bhagavad Gita. Sheikh underwent significant physical and mental preparation and emphasised the depth of his engagement with the character's internal struggles, which made the role "emotionally draining" and the pressure of playing the character was initially overwhelming and pushed him beyond his limits. He also described the experience as more than just acting, saying, "It wasn’t just about acting—it was about embodying the essence of a hero who represents strength, honor, and devotion". Soumya Singh portrays young Arjuna. Pooja B Sharma as Draupadi: The princess of Panchala, who becomes the common wife of the five Pandava brothers and later the empress of Indraprastha, and subsequently, the Kuru kingdom. Born from fire, she is prophesied to bring upheaval to the lands of Aryavarta, and her life is marked by hardships, including the cheer haran (disrobing episode) where she is humiliated in the court of Kuru Kingdom. The event becomes one of the catalysts for the great war. Sharma described the character as a "strong, just, dignified woman with a strong sense of self". She found the role physically and emotionally demanding, especially the cheer harana episode. She also highlighted how this version deeply explored Draupadi’s bond with Krishna, a dynamic which was just merely established in previous adaptations. Despite the challenges, she found the experience enriching and transformative, stating, "Draupadi's character was powerful for me and it made me strong". Arpit Ranka as Duryodhana: the eldest of the hundred Kaurava brothers, and Kuru kingdom’s crown prince, whose desire for power, pride and enmity with the Pandavas fuels the Kurukshetra War. Transitioning to television, Ranka was initially hesitant to accept the role of Duryodhana but was convinced by the show's creator, Siddharth Kumar Tewary, after understanding the project's grandeur. He described Duryodhana as a powerful character with depth, stating, "I think Duryodhan is the most powerful character of Mahabharat, and I feel that I have certain qualities of Duryodhana. Whatever Duryodhan has done he has a reason for that. Maybe I would have reacted the same way like Duryodhan." Alam Khan portrays young Duryodhana. Aham Sharma as Karna: the premarital son of the sun god Surya and Kunti, the mother of the Pandavas, who is abandoned at birth and raised by a charioteer couple. Despite his exceptional archery skills, he is denied opportunities due to his perceived low birth, but finds acceptance in Duryodhana, who crowns him king of Anga. Karna becomes the rival of Arjuna, even after learning he is the Pandavas' elder half-brother. Cast later than others, Sharma deeply immersed himself in Karna’s struggles, finding emotionally intense scenes, like his final conversation with Kunti, particularly draining. Sharma saw Karna as a resilient figure who never wavered in his beliefs despite social rejection. Vidyut Xavier portrays adolescent Karna. Rohit Bhardwaj as Yudhishthira: the eldest Pandava, born to Kunti through the god Dharma, and a paragon of justice. He becomes the emperor of Indraprastha and later the Kuru kingdom. Bhardwaj appreciated portraying Yudhishthira as a ruler who maintains patience and composure, navigating complex emotions while asserting his rightful place as king, fully aware of his capabilities, and striving to validate them through his principles. Saurav Gurjar as Bhima: the second Pandava, born to Kunti through the wind god Vayu. He is known for his strength and fiery nature, who ultimately kills all the Kauravas in the war. Initially selected for the role due to his physique rather than acting experience, Gurjar participated in acting workshops to develop his skills and researched about his character. Gurjar also noted his background in combat sports facilitated the execution of intense fight sequences. Miraj Joshi portrays young Bhima. Vin Rana as Nakula: the fourth Pandava, who is known for his beauty, healing abilities, housekeeping and skill in swordsmanship. Nakula is the twin brother of Sahadeva, born to Pandu's second wife Madri through Ashvins. Devish Ahuja portrays young Nakula. Lavanya Bhardwaj as Sahadeva: the twin brother of Nakula and the fifth Pandava, who is notable for his wisdom and healing abilities. Rudhraksh Jaiswal portrays young Sahadeva. Arav Chowdhary as Bhishma: the son of King Shantanu and the goddess Ganga, who is the revered grandsire of the Kuru dynasty, bound by a vow of celibacy and lifelong loyalty to Hastinapur. Despite his support for the Pandavas, his vow binds him to the Kaurava side, ultimately leading him to become the commander-in-chief of their forces in the Kurukshetra War. To bring originality, Chowdharry avoided watching past portrayals, focusing instead on Bhishma’s emotional conflicts, humility and transformation from a young prince to an aged, revered elder. As the character aged, Chowdharry refined his voice, posture, and expressions. Praneet Bhat as Shakuni: the prince of Gandhara, who acts as the cunning strategist behind the plans of his nephew, Duryodhana, driven by a deep-seated grudge against the Kuru kingdom for forcing his sister, Gandhari, into marriage with a blind prince. Bhat’s portrayal was shaped by his distinctive interpretation of the character, including the characters appearance and mannerism. Rather than depicting Shakuni as a mere villain, Bhat saw him as a devoted brother seeking retribution for the injustices faced by his family.