Mahabharata (literally means the great tale of Bharat) is one of India’s epic tales that beautifully revolves around war, revenge, power, family, and duty. It reflects and works around two premises: “Who decides what’s justice” and “Will the cycle of revenge ever end if both the sides think they are right”.
The story revolves around two clans of cousins, Kauravas (100 brothers), and Pandavas (5 brothers), fighting for power to the royal throne of Hastinapur. Once living happily during childhood, the two swell with jealousy and greed that lead to the bloody war at Kurushetra. The key characters for Pandavas were Yudhishthira, Bhima, Arjuna, Nakul and Sehdav with Draupadi as their wife and Kunti as their mother. For Kauravas clan, the important people included Duryodhan, his uncle Shakuni and Karna.
Despite the war being the central piece of the Mahabharat, story in its essence focuses on teaching the importance of moral conduct in life. This is wonderfully narrated by the famous Hindu God, Krishna, who acts as Arjuna’s friend, mentor, and charioteer to constantly guide him (and everyone watching the show or reading the book) through ethical dilemmas like Dharma (your duty) and Karma (you action) amid mass bloodshed. Ultimately, we see Arjuna doing the right thing despite his familial bond with the enemy on the battlefield. And ever since, Krishna’s teachings have been the moral compass for Hindus worldwide.
The show has incredible storytelling, fantastic music and details that will stay with you for days after you leave the theatre. It’s a must-watch show for people of every culture, religion, and ethnicity as it practically gives life lessons of choosing right over wrong regardless of the situation. You cannot and should not this one. Highly highly recommend it!
Written by Utkarshaa Varshney