TV SERIES · 1988–1990 · INDIA
महाभारत
- Created by
- B.R. Chopra, Ravi Chopra
- Network
- DD National
- Seasons
- 1
- Episodes
- 94
38 archived facts 5 topics 1 source Last reviewed Nov 2026
A dynastic struggle occurs for the throne of Hastinapur, the kingdom ruled by the Kuru clan, between the Kauravas and Pandavas, collateral branches of the clan, which causes the Kurukshetra War.
38 Interesting Facts About महाभारत
Interesting Facts (15)
- #001
According to production team member Kishore Malhotra, the total cost of producing the series was 9 crore (1.2 million US dollars). Casting for the series began in 1986, and filming started in mid-1988. The show was mostly shot at Film City in Mumbai, and the great Kurukshetra war was filmed in Rajasthan with thousands of extras filling the screen.
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- #013
Gufi Paintal called Harish Bhimani to his office and asked him to read the lines without even explaining what 'Mai Samay Hu' meant. At first Gufi Paintal and the Mahabharat team did not find the voice suitable and asked him to change it. Harish Bhimani felt that with modulation the voice would sound childish. However, he then modulated it seriously and it worked.
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- #015
Production Story (4)
Behind the Scenes (2)
- #020
According to Kishore Malhotra from the production team, the series' total cost came to 9 crore (approximately 1.2 million dollars). Casting began in 1986 and filming started in mid-1988. The series was shot mainly at Film City in Mumbai, while the giant Kurukshetra battle scenes were filmed in Rajasthan, where thousands of extras were used to fill the screen.
- #021
The character of Samay was in fact meant to appear on screen, but it was later decided that he would remain only as a voice. Gufi Paintal called Harish Bhimani to his office and, without even explaining what it meant, asked him to read the line 'Mai Samay Hu'. At first Paintal and the team did not find the voice suitable and told him to change it; Bhimani, however, thought the voice would sound childish with that intonation. But when he tried again with a serious intonation, he convinced everyone.
Characters & Cast (16)
- #022
About six actresses were shortlisted for the role of Draupadi, among them Juhi Chawla, who left the series because she had taken the lead role in Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak alongside Aamir Khan. Ramya Krishnan and Roopa Ganguly were the final names, and Roopa Ganguly was ultimately chosen because her Hindi was good.
- #023
Nitish Bhardwaj, who played Krishna, was initially cast to play Vidur. However, because B. R. Chopra thought Bhardwaj was too young to play the role, Virendra Razdan was cast for it. Bhardwaj was later offered the roles of Nakul and Sahadev, but he refused and wanted to play Abhimanyu. Days later he was called and confirmed to play Krishna.
- #024
- #025
Although Puneet Issar had been acting for nearly a decade, the series is considered a turning point for him, since after the infamous incident on the sets of COOLIE (1983), in which a punch he threw at Amitabh Bachchan's stomach left Bachchan hospitalized for months, he was cast only in limited roles or B-films throughout the 80s.
- #026
Govinda was confirmed to play the character of Abhimanyu. However, because his uncle Anand Singh was shooting the film Tan Badan (1986) with him, his mother wanted to reject the offer. Disappointed, BR Chopra had to tell his staff to throw Govinda out of the office after the role was declined.
- #027
- #028
Six actresses, including Juhi Chawla, were shortlisted for the role of Draupadi. Juhi Chawla left the series because of her role in the film Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak, in which she starred opposite Aamir Khan. The final two candidates were Ramya Krishnan and Roopa Ganguly; Roopa Ganguly was chosen thanks to her better Hindi.
- #029
Sameer Chitre and Sanjeev Chitre, who played the characters Nakul and Sahadev, are brothers in real life. When Sameer Chitre was cast, the producers asked whether his brother Sanjeev was still in the industry. Upon learning that Sanjeev was in the industry, they gave Sameer the role of Nakul and Sanjeev the role of Sahdev.
- #030
- #031
Pankaj Dheer gained great popularity with the role of Karna. While his photographs are used as a Karna reference in textbooks, the actor stated that his statues are worshipped in temples in Karnal and Batar. Pankaj Dheer, who played Karna, underwent surgery after an arrow hit near his eye; he also had another accident in which his chariot broke and the horses ran off.
- #032
Nitish Bhardwaj, known for the role of Krishna, was initially cast for the character of Vidur. However, when B.R. Chopra found Bhardwaj too young for this role, Virendra Razdan was cast. Later, Bhardwaj was offered the roles of Nakul and Sahadev, but he refused and asked for Abhimanyu. Days later he was called in and the role of Krishna was finalized; yet Bhardwaj had several times avoided B.R. Chopra's auditions because he wanted to play Karna or Abhimanyu.
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- #035
Puneet Issar was offered the role of Bheem, but he wanted to play the villain Duryodhan. Punit Issar, who played Duryodhan in the series, also took on the role of Parshuram in the 2013 production Mahabharat. Although he had been acting for about ten years, this series was a turning point for Issar, who throughout the 80s had been limited to minor roles or B movies after the famous accident on the set of Coolie in 1983 that left Amitabh Bachchan hospitalized for months.
- #036
Surendra Pal heard about the Mahabharat auditions from Gufi Paintal. When he came, he learned that the lead role had been given to someone else and he was offered the character of Dronacharya. He refused, saying he had come for the lead role and did not want to play an old man. As soon as B.R. Chopra saw him, he said "I have found my Dronacharya"; although Surendra Pal was unhappy, he accepted the role after Chopra's efforts to persuade him.
- #037
Deeper Meaning (1)
Sources & editorial notes
Reference databases
- Wikipedia
- IMDb
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