Mahabharat (2013 TV series)

• Saurabh Raj Jain as Krishna: Devaki and Vasudev's son; Yashoda and Nanda's foster son. He is an incarnation of Lord Mahavishnu, who came to earth to protect dharma. Karna and Pandava's cousin, Radha's love interest, Draupadi's friend, and the spouse of Rukmini as well as other 16,007 wives.
  • Jain also portrayed Lord Vishnu: Supreme being, God of Preservation and Protector of Dharma, Goddess Lakshmi's consort.
• Shaheer Sheikh as Arjuna: Third Pandava prince; a skilled archer; Draupadi, Ulupi, Chitrangada and Subhadra's husband and Abhimanyu and Srutakarma's father.
• Pooja Sharma as Draupadi: King Drupad's daughter, Shikhandini and Dhristadyumna's younger sister, Princess of Panchala, Pandavas's common wife and Mother of Upapandavas.
• Aham Sharma as Karna: Surya and Kunti's son; Pandavas's elder brother; Adhiratha and Radha's foster son; a skilled archer, Duryodhan's friend; Vrushali's husband; King of Anga. Killed by Arjuna on 17th Day.
• Arpit Ranka as Duryodhan: Eldest Kaurava, King Dhritarashtra and Queen Gandhari's first son, arrogant and hotheaded crown prince of Hastinapur, he is often manipulated by his maternal uncle Shakuni. Karna and Ashwatthama's friend. Bhanumati's husband and an excellent mace fighter. Killed by Bheema on the 18th day.
• Arav Chowdhary as Bhishma: King Shantanu and Goddess Ganga's son and Grandsire of Pandavas and Kauravas. He had taken a pledge of celibacy and was given a boon by his father to decide the timing of death.
• Praneet Bhat as Shakuni: King Subala and Queen Sudharma's son, Gandhari's elder brother. In beginning, he is a prince but later King of Gandhara. He is devious and strategized all plans of Duryodhan against Pandavas. He has grudge against Bhishma for marrying his sister Gandhari to Dhritarashtra. Killed by Sahadeva on the 18th day.
• Thakur Anoop Singh as Dhritarashtra: Blind King of Hastinapur. He is born from Vyasa and Ambika's niyoga, Gandhari's husband, Kauravas, and Dushala's father, Pandavas's paternal uncle. He is deeply insecure and intensely partial to his sons which often prevents him from making wise decisions.
• Riya Deepsi as Gandhari: King Subala and Queen Sudharma's daughter; Princess of Gandhara; Shakuni's younger sister; Dhritarashtra's wife. After knowing that her future husband is born blind she decided to blindfold herself to share the pain of her husband. After her husband's coronation, she became queen of Hastinapur. She is Kauravas and Dushala's mother. She is often unaware of her sons' plotting against Pandavas.
• Saurav Gurjar as Bhima: Second Pandava; Vayu and Kunti's son; a tremendous mace fighter, fighter; Hidibma and Draupadi's husband; father of Ghatothkacha and Sutasoma.
• Rohit Bhardwaj as Yudhishthira: First Pandava; Dharmraj (Yamaraj) and Kunti's son; Draupadi husband: Prativindhya father. A truthful King. He ruled Indraprastha and later Hastinapur.
• Shafaq Naaz as Kunti: Dowager Queen of Hastinapur, Late King Pandu's first wife. She has the power to have a child by invoking God. She is also Shurasena's daughter, Kuntibhoja's foster daughter. Karna, Yudhishthira, Bheema, and Arjuna's mother. Balarama, Krishna, and Subhadra's paternal aunt.
• Nissar Khan as Drona: Sage Bharadwaja's son, Royal teacher of Kuru princes, Kripi's husband, Ashwatthama father, killed by Dhrishtadhyumna on Day 15 of the Kurukshetra war.
• Vin Rana as Nakula: Fourth Pandava, Madri, and Ashwini Kumar's son. Draupadi and Karenumati's husband and Satanika, Nirmaitra, and Printha's father.
• Lavanya Bhardwaj as Sahadeva: Fifth Pandava, Madri and Ashwini Kumar's son, Draupadi and Vijaya's husband, and Srutasena and Suhotra's father.
• Nirbhay Wadhwa as Dushasana: Second Kaurava, King Dhritarashtra and Queen Gandhari's second son, Duryodhana's younger brother, 97 Kauravas and Dushala's elder brother

• Puneet Issar as Parshurama: The six avatar of Lord Vishnu and the teacher of Bhishma, Drona, and Karna
• Ankit Mohan as Ashwatthama: Dronacharaya and Kripi's son and Duryodhana's friend
• Naveen Jinger as Vidura: Prime minister of Hastinapur, Vyasa and a maid's son, Dhritarashtra and Pandu's younger brother
• Sameer Dharmadhikari as Shantanu: King of Hastinapur, Ganga and Satyavati's husband and Bhishma, Chitrangada and Vichtravirya's father.
• Vivana Singh as Devi Ganga: River goddess of Purity, King Shantanu's first wife, and Bhishma's mother.
• Sayantani Ghosh as Satyavati: A fisherwoman who married King Shantanu and became Queen. Ved Vyasa, Chitragada, and Vichitravirya's mother. Bhishma's step-mother.
• Atul Mishra as Ved Vyas: Satyavati and Maharishi Parashara's son and Dhritarashtra, Pandu and Vidura's surrogate father.
• Aryamann Seth as Vichitravirya: King Shantanu and Queen Satyavati's son, Chitrangad's younger brother, and Ambika and Ambalika's husband.
• Ratan Rajput as Amba: Kashya's daughter, Ambika and Ambalika's elder sister and the Princess of Kashi.
• Aparna Dixit as Ambika: Vichitravirya's first wife and Dhritarashtra's mother.
• Mansi Sharma as Ambalika: Vichitravirya's second wife and Pandu's mother.
• Arun Singh Rana as Pandu: Ambalika and Vyasa's son, Kunti and Madri's husband, Pandavas's father and the King of Hastinapur.
• Suhani Dhanki as Madri: Princess of Madra and Late Pandu's second wife and Nakul and Sahadev's mother.
• Rio Kapadia as Subala: King of Gandhar, Sudharma's husband and Shakuni and Gandhari's father.
• Shweta Gautam as Sudharma: Queen of Gandhar, Subala's wife and Shakuni and Gandhari's mother.
• Paras Arora as Abhimanyu: Arjun and Subhadra's son; Uttarā's husband and Parikshit's father.
• Ananya Agarwal as Malini: Draupadi's little friend.
• Anju Jadhav as Sukhada: Gandhari's maid and Yuyutsu's mother.
• Jayantika Sengupta as Arshi: Shakuni's wife.
• Kanishka Soni as Parashvi: Vidura's wife.
• Ketaki Kadam as Radha: Krishna's divine love.
• Kaushik Chakravorty as Shalya: King of Madra and Madri's elder brother.
• Hemant Choudhary as Kripa: Royal teacher of Kauravas and Pandavas.
• Chandani Sharma as Kripi: Drona's wife, Ashwathama's mother, and Kripa's twin sister.
• Ajay Mishra as Sanjaya: Dhritarashtra's advisor and charioteer.
• Garima Jain as Dushala: King Dhritarashtra and Queen Gandhari's daughter, Pandavas and Kauravas' sister, Jayadrath's wife and Suratha's mother.
• Ali Hassan as Jayadratha: King Brihanmanas's son and later King of Sindhu Kingdom, Dushyala's husband, and Suratha's father.
  • Hassan also portrayed Takshak: Nagraj and Ruler of Takshila who killed Arjuna's grandson Parikshit.
• Sandeep Arora as Vikarna: Third Kaurava prince, King Dhritarashtra and Queen Gandhari's third and Duryodhan and Dushasna's younger brother and Dushyala's elder brother.
• Nazea Hasan Sayed as Vrushali: Karna's first wife and Sudama and Vrishasena's mother.
• Vaishnavi Dhanraj as Hidimbā: Bheem's first wife and Ghatothkacha's mother.
• Ketan Karande as Ghatotkacha: Bheema and Himdimbā's son, who was killed by Karna.
• Preeti Puri as Devaki: Vasudev's wife, Kansa's sister, and Krishna's mother.
• Vandana Singh as Yashoda: Krishna's foster mother.
• Tarun Khanna as Balrama: Rohini and Vasudev's son, Subhadra's elder brother and Krishna's step elder brother.
  • Vedant Sawant as Adolescent Balarama
• Veebha Anand[7] as Subhadra: Vasudeva and Rohini's daughter, Balram and Krishna's younger sister, Arjun's fourth wife and Abhimanyu's mother.
• Pallavi Subhash[8] as Rukmini: Princess of Vidharbha, Rukmi's younger sister and Krishna's first wife.
• Gurpreet Singh ad Rukmi: Prince of Vidharbha and Rukmini's brother.
• Sudesh Berry as Drupada: King of Panchala and Shikhandini, Dhristadyumna

and Draupadi's father.

• Karan Suchak as Dhrishtadyumna: King Drupad's fire born son, Shikhandini's younger brother and Draupadi's elder brother and Prince of Panchala Kshatradharman,

Kshatravarman, Kshatranjaya, and Dhrishtaketu's father.

• Shikha Singh as Shikhandini: King Drupad and Queen Kokila's daughter; Satyajit, Dhrishtadyumna and Draupadi's elder sister; Princess of Panchala and the Amba's reincarnation.
• Akhilendra Mishra as Kansa: Devaki's elder brother and Krishna's maternal uncle.
• Tinu Verma as Jarasandha: King of Magadha. He is defeated by Karna and is killed by Bheem.
• Joy Mathur as Shishupala: Krishna's cousin and Duryodhana's friend.
• Raj Premi as Kalayavan: A demon king who was fetched to death by Lord Krishna.
• Deepak Jethi as Virata: Matsya's king, Sudeshna's husband, and Uttar and Uttara's father.
• Mallika Nayak as Sudeshna: Matsya's Queen, Virata's wife, Uttara, and Uttar's Mother.
• Rumi Khan as Kichaka: Commander-in-chief of Matsya, Sudeshna's brother and Uttar and Uttara's maternal uncle.
• Richa Mukherjee as Uttarā: King Virata and Queen Sudeshna's daughter, Uttar's younger sister, Abhimanyu's wife, and Parikshit's mother.
• Pravisht Mishra as Uttar: Virata and Sudeshna's son and Uttara's brother.
• Niel Satpuda as Prativindhya: Yudhishthira and Draupadi's son and the Eldest Upapandava.
• Aman Sharma as Sutasoma: Bheema and Draupadi's son.
• Yash Joshi as Shrutakarma: Arjuna and Draupadi's son.
• Jay Joshi as Shatanika: Nakula and Draupadi's son.
• Akshay Batchua as Shrutasena: Sahadeva and Draupadi's son.
• Yagya Saxena as Eklavya: A devoted student of Drona who gives away his thumb as Guru Dakshina.
• Mohit Raina[9] / Amit Mehra as Lord Shiva: Known as the 'destroyer', a part of the Trinity
• Sachin Verma / Nikhil Arya as Lord Indra: God of rains, King of heaven and Bali and Arjuna's father.
• Sandeep Rajora as Lord Surya: Lord Sun and Sugriva and Karna's father.
• Kunal Bhatia as Lord Agni: God of fire.
• Vishal Kotian as Lord Hanuman: Rama's devotee, Vayu's son, and Bheema's elder spiritual brother.
• Manish Bishla as Chitrasena (Kaurava): A son of Dhritarashtra and Gandhari, a Kaurava, he was killed by Bhima
• Kunwar Vikram Soni as young Shri Krishna
• Rohit Shetty as young Yudhishthira
• Miraj Joshi as young Bhima
• Soumya Singh as young Arjuna
• Devish Ahuja as young Nakula
• Rudraksh Jaiswal as young Sahadeva
• Alam Khan as young Duryodhana
• Vidyut Xavier as young Karna
• Ashnoor Kaur as young Dushala
• Aayush Shah[10] as young Ashwatthama
• Raj Anadkat as Young Vikarna

In November 2005, a report from Variety stated Bobby Bedi's plan to make three feature films and 100 hours of television programming on Indian epic Mahabharat under Kaleidoscope Entertainment with the television version planned to be delivered by the end of 2007.[11] In 2006 it was revealed making for Star Plus which was to be directed by Chandraprakash Dwivedi.[12][13] It was a part of Bedi's 360 degree approach to the epic through TV, film, gaming and theme parks.[14] Planned for 100 episodes with new actors, it was planned to premiere in March 2008 but got postpone due to production to August 2008 and later January 2009.[13][15][16]

During this, Ekta Kapoor was simultaneously producing a series on Mahabharat since January 2008 titled Kahaani Hamaarey Mahaabhaarat Ki for a rival channel to premiere in mid 2008 which she earlier planned for Star but could not as the channel roped Bedi.[17][18] This led on to a pressure in the production as they wanted to rush their premiere before Kapoor due to which Dwivedi quit midway after association with them for two years after which three directors were working on it.[19][20] But, they were not able to rush up the series before Kapoor's. 50 episodes were shot at the sets created in Morna between Noida and Delhi for a year after paying ₹6 Crores.[16] However, as the channel was not satisfied with those episodes, they were asked to rework the entire series again pushing its premiere to 2009. But, Bedi reportedly started selling it in DVDs which created problems between them and the channel, and the production was stalled.[16] However, in December 2008, Star took Bedi to Bombay High Court filing an arbitration petition alleging that the production house took ₹6 Crore for the production of the series in advance but has not produced even a single episode while a senior executive from the production house stated, " This legal notice is Star's way of pulling out of the show. Maybe it doesn't want to go ahead with the Mahabharat project after all."[21] After these, the shooting was expected to restart from February 2009 but in mid 2009 the production was cancelled and the project was given over to Siddharth Kumar Tewary's Swastik Productions to start fresh.[22][16]

It took us four years of research and brainstorming sessions to conceive and execute the show.

— Siddharth Kumar Tewary [23]

More than 400 people were involved in production with 200 people working on graphics.[24] Renowned author Devdutt Pattanaik was roped as the chief consultant and guiding person for the series.[25] Also writer Salim Khan, music directors Ajay-Atul and Ismail Darbar and action director Ram Shetty were involved.[26]

Speaking about bringing Mahabharat to television again, Star Plus senior vice-president Nikhil Madhok said, "With over 20 years having passed since the telecast of Mahabharat serial on Doordarshan, we felt that the younger generation should be re-introduced to this epic. Also, the plot of this epic is open to interpretation and has many intricacies in it, unlike that of let's say Ramayan, which is fairly linear and is passed on from generation to generation."[27]

According to producer Siddharth Kumar Tewary, the Draupadi cheer haran (disrobing) sequence, which Tewary himself directed, took 20 days to shoot.[28]

Even in the last fight between Bheema and Duryodhana, the actors shared that the scene took 3 days to shoot.[29]

Originally planned for 129 episodes, its growing popularity gave an extension for about 100 more episodes as Tewary wanted to explore the story further in January 2014.[30][31] However, it ended with 267 episodes.

The set covering 10 acres of land in Umargam, Valsad, Gujarat was designed by the art director Omung Kumar.[32]

The costume designer of the series Nidhi Yasha along with her consultant Bhanu Athaiya, had referred 450 books related to period textiles, costume and jewelry.[33][34]

Different ancient techniques have been used to achieve the various looks. A lot of bright coloured silks, handlooms, gold and jewellery structured embroidery patterns have been used.

— Bhanu Athaiya [35]

It took a study of over 450 books related to period textiles, costume, and jewelry and four years of hard work to arrive at the current look and feel of the show. An extensive study on jewelry structures according to ethnicity, fabrics, drapes, and costume was undertaken.

— Nidhi Yasha[36]

Star spent ₹5.1 billion (US$72 million) on the project and spent another ₹410 million (US$5.7 million) on marketing the show, making it India's most expensive TV series.[37] As a part of marketing, Star constructed Mahabharat museum across malls in cities consisting selective weapons, jewellery and finery of Mahabharat along with 3D virtual tour of the sets of Hastinapur.[38] In towns the same concept was adapted with wheels-canter vans along with LED.[38]

The sets of the series at Umargam in Gujarat cost ₹100 crores and production costs of ₹13-15 Lakhs per day.[39][40]

The series was mainly shot in the sets at Umargam, Valsad in Gujarat.[41][32] Shooting also took place in various exotic locations such as Jaisalmer, Amber Palace in Jaipur, Kashmir, Ahmedabad, Jabalpur in Madya Pradesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka.[42][43][44][24]

The actors shared that they had to go through acting workshops and various trainings for about a year where they were explained in detail what to do and how.[45][46][47] Rajit Kapur trained the actors by conducting acting workshops.[48][47][49][50][51]

Writing for Rediff, Nishi Tiwari wrote that "If it maintains the quality of writing and able actors who portray key characters, we may have another winner among us".[52] DNA praised the costumes, scenery, Krishna's flute theme which was given by Raj Mohan Sinha,[53] and most of the CGI special effects, but said the serial's pace was too fast.[54] However, received negative criticism from Deepanjana Pal of Firstpost for CGI effects, acting, dialogues, cinematography and background. They also stated the storytelling as disappointing.[55]

Hindustan Times criticized, " The scale of the Mahabharat is grand and overwhelming. The characters are larger than life. Highly dramatic events take place in the epic. But at the same time, it is a nuanced look at human beings and their frailties. Everything is so exaggerated. Even relatively less important moments are treated with such overblown drama," They also criticized the background music being sound.[56]

Its premiere had a viewership of approximately 8.4 million people (8445 TVTs) (4.09 TVR).[57][58] That week it averaged 6356 TVTs.[59] The viewership ratings of the week of 1 December 2013 reached 9,801 TVTs. The game of dice leading to Draupadi's 'cheer haran' took Mahabharat at its peak viewership (10 TVMs) and helped the broadcasting channel Star Plus clock one of the highest GTVMs.[60] Overall, it became the tenth most watched Hindi GEC with an average viewership of 5.6 million and a peak viewership of 7.2 million.[61] Mahabharat was soon declared to be the most-watched Indian TV show in the last 3 years, in 2013.

The show was listed in the list of top 20 TV series of all time in 2016.[62]

During the Covid-19 outbreak and lockdown in India, it started re-airing on Star Plus from 30 March 2020 till 25 July 2020. It was then again launched from the first episode on a different time slot from 27 July 2020.[63] It soon became one of the most-watched Hindi GEC series featuring in the top five programs even during the re-run.[64][65]It topped the TRP charts multiple times in its re-run.

This series is regarded as the costliest show ever launched by StarPlus and one of the costliest Indian television series, being the first Indian television show to be made on a budget more than ₹100 crores.[66][67][64]

In 2014, the cast of Mahabharat were invited to hold a fan meeting tour at Jakarta and Bali. The Times of India reported that the show has a huge fan following abroad and as result, the prominent characters from the show had been called to Indonesia for a special event.[68] The main casts of Mahabharat, performed on "Mahabharat Show: Fan Meeting Tour" in the year 2014 .[69][70][71][72][73][74][75]

In June 2020, Karnataka Chief Minister Yediyurappa then, on watching the Kannada dubbed version appreciated the series and stated that the character Krishna played by Saurabh Raj Jain impressed him.[76]