Mahabharat (2013 TV series)

Mahabharat is a 2013 Indian epic mythological television series based on the Sanskrit epic Mahabharata.^[3] It aired from 16 September 2013 to 16 August 2014 on Star Plus.^[4][5] The series is available digitally on Disney+ Hotstar. Produced by Swastik Productions Pvt. Ltd, it starred Saurabh Raj Jain, Pooja Sharma, Shaheer Sheikh and Aham Sharma.^[6]

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 Shikhandi, the son 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. However, after accidentally killing a sage, Kindama, Pandu is cursed to die if he ever attempts to be intimate with his wife. Heartbroken, he renounces the throne and retreats to the forest with Kunti, 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) and Kunti also chants mantra to obtain the 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 pieces by Veda Vyasa, and these pieces eventually transform into children - the most of the Kauravas (led by Duryodhana) are born.

Years later, Pandavas return to Hastinapur with Kunti, after the death of Pandu. 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.

• 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.^[7][8] 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".^[9] Kunwar Vikram Soni portrays adolescent Krishna.
• 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".^[10] 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".^[11][12]
• 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.^[13] 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".^[14] Soumya Singh portrays young Arjuna.
• Ishita Ganguly as Ulupi: Arjuna's Second wife and Mother of Aaravan and Iravan.
• Vin Rana as Aaravan: Arjuna and Ulupi's son sacrificed before Kurukshetra war.
• Navi Bhangu as Iravan: Arjuna and Ulupi's son.
• Sujay Reu as Babruvahana: Arjuna and Chitrangada's son.
• Veebha Anand as Subhadra: an incarnation of goddess Yogamaya and the half-sister of Krishna. She marries Arjuna and gives birth to Abhimanyu.^[15]
• Paras Arora as Abhimanyu: The young son of Arjuna and Subhadra. Though he is killed during the Kurukshetra War, the Pandavas' lineage continued with his son, Parikshit.
• Richa Mukherjee as Uttarā: King Virata and Queen Sudeshna's daughter, Uttar's younger sister, Abhimanyu's wife, and Parikshit's mother.
• Meghan Jadhav as Parikshit: Madri's husband and Father of Janamejaya, Bhimasena, Shrutasena and Ugrasena
• Alice Kaushik as Madri: Parikshit's wife and Mother of Janamejaya, Bhimasena, Shrutasena and Ugrasena
• Kinshuk Vaidya as Janamejaya: Parikshit and Madravati's first son.
• 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."^[16] Alam Khan portrays young Duryodhana.
• Aham Sharma as Karna: the premarital son of the sun god Surya and Kunti, the mother of the Eklavya and 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.^[17] 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. Kanan Malhotra as Young Yudhishthira.^[18]
• Gulki Joshi as Devika: Shivi Princess, King Govasena's daughter; Yudhishthira's first wife and Mother of Yaudheya.
• Kanan Malhotra as Yaudheya: Yudhishthira and Devika's son.
• 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.^[19] Gurjar also noted his background in combat sports.
• Pankhuri Awasthy Rode as Hidimba: Sister of Hidimb, Bhima's first wife and Mother of Ghatotkacha.
• Ketan Karande as Ghatotkacha: Bheema and Hidimba's son, Ahilawati's husband and Father of Barbarik, Anjanaparvana and Meghavarna who was killed by Karna during the war.
• Ruheen Ali Khan as Ahilawati: Ghatotkacha's wife and Mother of Barbarik, Anjanaparvana and Meghavarna.
• Ashish Sharma as Barbarik: Ghatotkacha and Ahilawati's first son.
• Akbar Ali as Anjanaparvana: Ghatotkacha and Ahilawati's second son.
• Lavanya Bhardwaj as Meghavarna: Ghatotkacha and Ahilawati's third son.
• Vashu Chauhan as Sarvaga: Bheem and Valandhara's son.
• 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.^[20]
• 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.^[21]
• Shafaq Naaz as Kunti: the mother to the Pandavas who possesses a divine boon allowing her to invoke gods to bear children. Before her marriage, she uses it to bear Karna and Eklavya and later, at the request of her husband Pandu, she invokes the gods to bear Yudhishthira, Bhima and Arjuna. After the death of Pandu, Kunti raises her 5 sons Yudhishthira, Bhima, Arjuna, Nakula, Sahadeva equally, ensuring their unity. Naaz found aspects of the role personally relatable, particularly in terms of emotional depth, patience, and understanding, considering herself as the modern version of the character.^[22] Despite being 20 years old at the time, her performance was noted for capturing the character’s maturity.^[23]
• Buneet Kapoor as Nakula: Ashwinikumars, Kunti and Pandu's son, fourth Pandava, Draupadi's husband, Shatanika's father
• Suchit V. Singh as Sahadeva: Ashwinikumars, Kunti and Pandu's son, fifth Pandava, Draupadi's husband, Shrutasena's father.
• Thakur Anoop Singh as Dhritarashtra: the blind king of Hastinapur, who is the husband of Gandhari and hundred one of concubines and father of the hundred Kauravas through his wife and concubines. Singh viewed Dhritarashtra as a multifaceted character torn between his duties as a king and his affections as a father. Understanding the complexities of playing a blind character, Singh dedicated himself to mastering the nuances required for the role, emphasising the importance of body language and expressions in conveying emotions without the use of sight.^[24]
• Riya Deepsi as Gandhari: King Subala and Queen Sudharma's daughter, sister of King Shakuni, King Dhritarashtra's wife and Mother of 100 Kauravas and step mother of Yuyutsu, Vikarna and Dushala.
• Nirbhay Wadhwa as Dushasana: the second of the Kauravas, who is son of King Dhritarashtra and who serves his brother, Crown Prince Duryodhana and his loyal follower and is infamous for his role in Draupadi’s humiliation.

• Tarun Khanna as Balrama : Big Brother of Shree Krishna and Subhadra; Son of Vasudev and Rohini.
• Sayantani Ghosh as Satyavati: A Fisherwoman later Queen of Hastinapur; King Shantanu's second wife; Chitrangada and Vichitravirya's mother; Ved Vyas's mother from Maharishi Parashara before marriage; Great grandmother of Kauravas and Pandavas.
• Sameer Dharmadhikari as Shantanu: King of Hastinapur; King Pratipa and Queen Sunanda's son; Goddess Ganga and Satyavati's husband; Bhishma, Chitrangada and Vichitravirya's father; Great grandfather of Kauravas and Pandavas.
• Atul Mishra as Ved Vyas: Satyavati and Maharishi Parashara's son; Dhritarashtra, Pandu and Vidura's surrogate father.
• Arun Singh Rana as Chitrangad: King Shantanu and Queen Satyavati's son, Vichtrivirya's elder brother.
• 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: The eldest of the three princesses of Kashi, who were abducted by Bhishma for Vichitravirya. Rejected by her lover, Shalva, and Vichitravirya, she vows revenge against Bhishma for her misfortune, and is reborn as Shikhandi to ensure his downfall.^[25]
• Aparna Dixit as Ambika: Vichitravirya's first wife and Dhritarashtra's mother.
• Mansi Sharma as Ambalika: Vichitravirya's second wife and Pandu's mother.
• Pallavi Subhash as Madri: Second Wife of King Pandu and Mother of Nakula and Sahadeva.
• Naveen Jinger as Vidura: the wise prime minister of Hastinapur and the half-brother of Dhritarashtra and Pandu.
• Nissar Khan as Drona: a warrior sage and the royal preceptor of the Pandavas and Kauravas. He is devoted to his role as mentor of the Kuru Kingdom, eventually becoming the second commander-in-chief of the Kaurava side during Kurukshetra War.
• Ankit Mohan as Ashwatthama: the son of Drona and Kripi who is cursed by Bhagwan Shri Krishna because he tried to kill a unborn who is in his mother's womb.
• Garima Jain as Kalindi: Daughter of Surya and Kunti and sister of Karna, Eklavya and Pandavas and Shree Krishn's fourth wife.
• Anju Jadhav as Sugadha: Gandhari's maid and Mother of Yuyutsu.
• Sudesh Berry as Drupada: The King of Panchala, and the father of Shikhandini, Dhristadyumna, and Draupadi. He is involved in a longstanding feud with Drona.
• Karan Suchak as Dhrishtadyumna: the twin brother of Draupadi, who is born from the fire to bring the end of Drona. Dhrishtadyumna serves as the commander of the Pandava forces during the Kurukshetra War.
• Hemant Choudhary as Kripa: Royal teacher of Kauravas and Pandavas.
• Ajay Mishra as Sanjaya: Dhritarashtra's advisor and charioteer.
• Sandeep Arora as Vikarna: a Kaurava prince who is son of King Dhritarashtra who is a notable for opposing Duryodhana during the cheer haran. Raj Anadkat played young Vikarna
• Shikha Singh as Shanta: King Dasharatha and Queen Kaikeyi's daughter.
• Vaishnavi Dhanraj as Mandavi: Bharat's wife.
• Suhani Dhanki as Rukmini: Shri Krishna's Third wife. She is previous Mother Sita and Mother of Luv and Foster mother of Kush.
• Ali Hassan as Jayadratha: the King of Sindhu Kingdom and the brother-in-law of the Kauravas.
  • Hassan also portrayed Takshak: Nagraj and Ruler of Takshila who killed Arjuna's grandson Parikshit.
• Rio Kapadia as Subala: King of Gandhara and the father of Shakuni and Gandhari
• Shweta Gautam as Sudharma: Queen of Gandhar, Subala's wife and Shakuni and Gandhari's mother.
• Nazea Hasan Sayed as Vrushali: Karna's wife
• Yagya Saxena / Kunal Jaisingh as Eklavya: Kunti's premarital second son with Surya and Karna and Pandavas's brother. A devoted student of Drona who gives away his thumb as Guru Dakshina
• Jayantika Sengupta as Sugadha: Gandhari's maid like maid
• Preeti Puri as Prapti: Jarasandh's younger daughter, Asti's sister and co wife, Kamsa's first wife
• Bhakti Chauhan as Priyamvada: Kunti's friend like maid and Mother of Vikarna.
• Kanishka Soni as Parashrami: Vidura's mother.
• Deepak Jethi as Virata: the King of Matsya Kingdom, at whose court the Pandavas spent their last year of exile
• Mallika Nayak as Sudeshna: Virata's wife and the mother of Uttara and Uttar.
• Rumi Khan as Kichaka: Commander-in-chief of Matsya and Sudeshna's brother
• 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.
• Tinu Verma as Jarasandha: King of Magadha, 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 Krishna.
• Gurpreet Singh as Rukmi: Prince of Vidharbha and Rukmini's brother.
• Akhilendra Mishra as Kansa: Devaki's elder brother and Krishna's maternal uncle.
• Mohit Raina^[26] / Amit Mehra as Lord Shiva: Known as the 'destroyer', a part of the Trinity;Supreme Being
• Sandeep Rajora as Adhiratha: Karna's adopted father.
• Sachin Verma / Nikhil Arya as Hiranyadhanus: Eklavya's adopted father.
• Vishal Kotian as Lord Hanuman: Rama's devotee, Vayu's son, and Bheema's elder spiritual brother.
• Aayush Shah^[27] as young Ashwatthama

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.^[28] In 2006 it was revealed making for Star Plus which was to be directed by Chandraprakash Dwivedi.^[29][30] It was a part of Bedi's 360 degree approach to the epic through TV, film, gaming and theme parks.^[31] 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.^[30][32][33]

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.^[34][35] This led 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.^[36][37] 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.^[33] 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.^[33] 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."^[38] 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.^[39][33]

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

More than 400 people were involved in production with 200 people working on graphics.^[41] Renowned author Devdutt Pattanaik was roped as the chief consultant and guiding person for the series.^[42] Also writer Salim Khan, music directors Ajay-Atul and Ismail Darbar and action director Ram Shetty were involved.^[43]

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."^[44]

According to producer Siddharth Kumar Tewary, the Draupadi cheer haran (disrobing) sequence, which Tewary himself directed, took 20 days to shoot.^[45]

Even in the last fight between Bheema and Duryodhana, the actors shared that the scene took 3 days to shoot.^[46]

Originally planned for 128 episodes, its growing popularity gave an extension for about 100 more episodes as Tewary wanted to explore the story further in January 2014.^[47][48] 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.^[49]

The costume designer of the series Nidhi Yasha along with her consultant Bhanu Athaiya, had referred 450 books related to period textiles, costume and jewellery.^[50][51]

Star spent ₹5.1 billion (US$60 million) on the project and spent another ₹410 million (US$4.8 million) on marketing the show, making it India's most expensive TV series.^[52] 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.^[53] In towns the same concept was adapted with wheels-canter vans along with LED.^[53]

The sets of the series at Umargam in Gujarat cost ₹100 crores and production costs of ₹13-15 Lakhs per day.^[54][55]

The series was mainly shot in the sets at Umargam, Valsad in Gujarat.^[56][49] Shooting also took place in various exotic locations such as Jaisalmer, Amber Palace in Jaipur, Kashmir, Ahmedabad, Jabalpur in Madhya Pradesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka.^{[57][58][59][41]}

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.^[60][61][62] Rajit Kapur trained the actors by conducting acting workshops.^{[63][62][64][65][66]}

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".^[67] DNA India praised the costumes, scenery, Krishna's flute theme which was given by Raj Mohan Sinha,^[68] and most of the CGI special effects, but said the serial's pace was too fast.^[69]

Hindustan Times criticised, "Everything is so exaggerated that you feel you are watching a series of unreal events rather than following a deeply emotional story. Even relatively less important moments are treated with such overblown drama that when you really need the drama at crucial junctures — such as Bheeshma’s brahmacharya pledge — the impact is lost." The background music was also criticised for being loud all the time.^[70]

Its premiere had a viewership of approximately 8.4 million impressions (8.445 TVTs - Television Viewership in Thousands) and 4.09 TVR.^[71][72] That week it averaged 6.356 TVTs.^[73] The show has become the highest rated weekday epic show in the last three years on Indian television.^[74] 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.^[75] Overall, it became the tenth most watched Hindi GEC of 2013 with an average viewership of 5.6 million and a peak viewership of 7.2 million.^[76]

In week 29 of 2014, it was at fifth position with 7.1 TVTs while the following week it jumped to second position with 9.2 TVTs.^[77]

The show was listed in the list of top 20 TV series of all time in 2016.^[78]

During the COVID-19 outbreak and lockdown in India, it started re-airing on Star Plus from 30 March 2020 to 25 July 2020.^[79] It soon became one of the most-watched Hindi GEC series featuring in the top five programs even during the re-run.^[80][81]

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.^[82][83][84]

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.^[85][86][87] The main casts of Mahabharat, performed on "Mahabharat Show: Fan Meeting Tour" in the year 2014 .^{[88][89][90][91][92]}

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 and also stated that just like every Mahabharata.^[93]

It won the trophy for the Best Drama in Star Guild Awards 2013 as well as number of accolades in other award shows.^[94] Show won Best Historical/Mythological serial award in Indian Television Academy Awards. It won the Indian Telly Awards for Actor in a Supporting Role (Drama), given to Aham Sharma for his portrayal as Karna, and Actor in a Negative Role to Praneet Bhat in 2014. The crew members also won the awards for Best Costumes for a TV Programme, Best Make – Up Artist, and Best Stylist.^[95]

• List of programs broadcast by StarPlus

• Mahabharat at IMDb
• Official Website Archived 13 November 2017 at the Wayback Machine on Hotstar