TV SERIES · 2013–2014 · INDIA
Mahabharat
- Created by
- Siddharth Kumar Tewary
- Network
- StarPlus
- Seasons
- 28
- Episodes
- 267
- Studio
- Swastik Productions
63 archived facts 5 topics 1 source Last reviewed Nov 2026
Mahabharat is a 2013 drama TV series on Star Plus based on Indian legendary epic of the same name. It has been produced by Swastik Pictures and features actors such as Saurabh Raj Jain as Lord Krishna, Shaheer Sheikh as Arjuna, Pooja Sharma as Draupadi, Aham Sharma as Karna and Arav Chowdhary as Bhishma Pitamah. The producers had creative associations with writer Salim Khan, author Devdutt Pattanaik, designer Bhanu…
63 Interesting Facts About Mahabharat
Interesting Facts (12)
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"Svayam Vichaar Keejiye" (You must think about this yourself) became a familiar phrase that Lord Krishna said at the end of every "Krishna Seekh." Sourabh, who portrayed Lord Krishna, was reluctant to use the phrase in every "Seekh," but did so anyway at the insistence of director/producer Siddhartha Tewary. In an interview with Pooja Sharma (Draupadi), Tewary explained that he wanted it to become a catchphrase of the series.
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Production Story (31)
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While Star spent 5.1 billion rupees ($64 million) on the project, it also allocated 410 million rupees ($5.1 million) to marketing, signing India's most expensive television series. As part of the marketing, a Mahabharat museum was set up in shopping malls in the cities; here, selected weapons, jewellery and lavish costumes were exhibited, while a 3D virtual tour of the Hastinapur sets was also offered. In the towns, the same concept was adapted with travelling caravans equipped with LED screens.
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Star Plus senior vice president Nikhil Madhok explained the decision to bring Mahabharat back to television as follows: "More than 20 years have passed since the Mahabharat series aired on Doordarshan; we thought the younger generation needed to be reintroduced to this epic. Also, unlike highly linear stories passed down from generation to generation such as Ramayan, the plot of this epic is open to interpretation and contains many subtleties."
- #020
Sourabh Raj Jain, who played Lord Krishna, insisted that the Bhagavad Gita episodes be shot in a studio when he read the script, even though they were originally planned to be filmed outdoors. He felt the depth of the dialogue had to be captured live, without risking a re-dub. He noted that outdoor shoots would hurt the dubbing performance; the producers gladly accepted the suggestion and the entire sequence was shot in the studio.
- #021
- #022
In an Instagram live stream, Sourabh Raj Jain revealed that he recorded Lord Krishna's monologue after the 'Cheerharan' scene on a different set close to the one where the actual scene was shot. On the last day of filming, when he visited the set where the court scene was shot, he found the actors in tears, and said some of them were deeply affected by the intensity of the scene.
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The series' sets in Umargam, Gujarat cost 100 crore rupees, and the daily production cost was between 13 and 15 lakh rupees. The set, spread over 10 acres in Valsad, was designed by art director Omung Kumar. The series' costume designer Nidhi Yasha and its consultant Bhanu Athaiya referenced 450 books on period fabrics, costumes and jewellery.
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- #026
In a social media live stream, Pooja Sharma admitted that she squeezed orange juice into her eyes to achieve the redness in them for the 'Cheerharan' scene. Producer Siddharth Tewary added that she continued filming despite the pain in her eyes, delivering her lines with great conviction despite the burning sensation, and that this dedication was admirable.
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Aham Sharma appeared in a supporting role opposite the popular Shaheer Sheikh, even though the weight of the characters in the story did not immediately make this distribution obvious. Although the roles in the series did not follow a clear hierarchy, the casting created an interesting balance.
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Star spent 5.1 billion rupees (64 million dollars) on the project and allocated 410 million rupees (5.1 million dollars) to marketing, making it India's most expensive television series. As part of the marketing, a Mahabharat museum was set up in shopping malls in cities; here, select weapons, jewellery and elaborate costumes were displayed, while a 3D virtual tour of the Hastinapur sets was also offered. In smaller towns, the same concept was adapted with travelling caravans equipped with LED screens.
- #041
- #042
Star Plus senior vice president Nikhil Madhok explained the decision to bring Mahabharat back to television as follows: "More than 20 years have passed since the Mahabharat series aired on Doordarshan; we thought the younger generation needed to be reintroduced to this epic. Moreover, unlike highly linear stories passed down from generation to generation such as Ramayan, the plot of this epic is open to interpretation and contains many subtleties."
- #043
The phrase "Svayam Vichaar Keejiye" (You must think for yourself) became a familiar line that Lord Krishna said at the end of every "Krishna Advice". Sourabh, who portrayed Lord Krishna, was reluctant to use this phrase in every piece of advice, but used it anyway upon the insistence of director/producer Siddhartha Tewary. In an interview with Pooja Sharma (Draupadi), Tewary explained that he wanted this phrase to become a memorable line from the series.
Behind the Scenes (9)
- #044
Sourabh Raj Jain, who played Lord Krishna, explained that the Bhagavad Gita episodes were supposed to be shot outdoors, but that once he read the script he insisted they be shot in the studio. He said the depth of the conversation had to be recorded as it was, without leaving room for re-dubbing. An outdoor shoot would have required proper dubbing, which would have affected the presentation of his performance. The producers gladly accepted this suggestion and the entire scene was shot in the studio.
- #045
In an Instagram live stream, Sourabh Raj Jain explained that he shot Lord Krishna's monologue after the Disrobing Sequence on a set close to the one where the actual sequence was filmed. He said that on the last day of shooting he casually walked onto the set where the disrobing scene was being filmed and saw the actors in tears. Some were stunned by the intensity of the scene.
- #046
Sourabh Raj Jain, who played Lord Krishna, insisted that the Bhagavad Gita episodes be shot in the studio after reading the script, even though they had originally been planned for outdoor filming. He felt the depth of the conversation needed to be captured on the spot, without risking a re-dub. He stated that dubbing in outdoor shoots would negatively affect the performance; the producers gladly accepted this suggestion, and the entire scene was shot in the studio.
- #047
- #048
In an Instagram live stream, Sourabh Raj Jain revealed that he recorded Lord Krishna's monologue after the 'Cheerharan Scene' on a different set close to the one where the actual scene was shot. On the last day of filming, when he stopped by the set where the assembly scene was being shot, he found the actors in tears, and he recounted that some were deeply affected by the intensity of the scene.
- #049
- #050
The series' sets in Umargam, Gujarat cost 100 crore rupees, and the daily production cost was between 13-15 lakh rupees. The set, spread over 10 acres in Valsad, was designed by art director Omung Kumar. The series' costume designer Nidhi Yasha and its consultant Bhanu Athaiya referenced 450 books on period fabrics, costumes and jewellery.
- #051
- #052
In a social media live stream, Pooja Sharma admitted that she squeezed orange juice into her eyes to achieve the redness in them for the 'Cheerharan Scene'. Producer Siddharth Tewary added that she continued filming despite the pain in her eyes, delivering her lines with great conviction despite the burning sensation, and that this dedication was admirable.
Characters & Cast (10)
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Aham Sharma appeared in a supporting role opposite the popular Shaheer Sheikh, even though the weight of their characters in the story did not immediately make this distribution obvious. Although the roles in the series did not follow a clear hierarchy, the casting created an interesting balance.
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Deeper Meaning (1)
- #063
"Svayam Vichaar Keejiye" (You must think for yourself) became a familiar phrase that Lord Krishna says at the end of every "Krishna Advice." Sourabh, who portrayed Lord Krishna, was reluctant to use this phrase in every piece of advice, but he used it anyway at the insistence of director/producer Siddhartha Tewary. In an interview with Pooja Sharma (Draupadi), Tewary explained that he wanted this phrase to become a memorable line from the series.
Sources & editorial notes
Reference databases
- Wikipedia
- IMDb
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