The Mahabharata

Director Peter Brook’s 1989 TV-miniseries THE MAHABHARATA, now gloriously restored in 4K HD Blu-ray format, is an adaptation of the 2000-year old Sanskrit epic of the same name and in turn is based on the French-language stage play. 

Initially staged in 1985 in a quarry in Avignon, France, as a whopping 9-hour play, the TV-adaptation has been compressed into 5-and-a-half hours. The screenplay was written by Marie-Héléne Estienne, Jean-Claude Carriére and Peter Brook, who also directed. Featuring a cast of multi-ethnic actors from around the globe, the complex narrative is divided into three acts and primarily revolves around two warring families and cousins: the Pandavas, which represent good, and the Kauravas, which present evil. A mighty power struggle ensues between these offsprings of various kings and gods though while this is the main premise, it’s also a tale on morality, jealousy, betrayal, war and ultimately, destiny. Suffice to say, there’s also a generous dose of magic and the supernatural thrown into the mix.

The frame story involves the Hindu god Ganesha and the sage Vyasa, whose exchange of dialogue about the story of the human race is told to a young Indian boy. In the first act - The Game of Dice - King Pandu gives up his throne to Dhritarashta, his blind brother. The offspring comes about when Pandu’s wife gives birth to five sons, the Pandavas, who consider themselves divine, while Dhritarashta ends up with a hundred sons, the Kauravas, when his wife, who has herself blindfolded in honour of her blind husband, delivers what looks like a huge ball - cut into a hundred pieces by Krisha and out of which a hundred sons emerge. Soon, the two factions (now adults) are at loggerheads while the mighty god Krishna urges the feuding cousins to abstain from violent deeds in their quest for power, as any fights between them will disturb the universal order. Krishna’s well meant and cautious advice falls onto deaf ears however and Duryyodhana, the eldest  Kaurava brother, begins with his intrigue in the form of a loaded game of dice, during which he challenges the righteous and noble Yudhishthira, who belongs to the Pandava clan, out of anxiety over the possibility of losing the throne. Unfortunately, Yudhishthira gambles away absolutely everything, including his wife Draupadi, whom he shares with his other brothers. As the Kaurava brothers proceed to humiliate Draupadi by stripping off her sari, a spell quietly mumbled by her causes the sari’s fabric to be seemingly endless and the Kauravas eventually give up on undressing her. 

Act 2 - Exile In The Forest - sees the Pandavas sentenced to twelve years in exile. Stripped of any power, they must remain in a forest, with another year added during which they must not reveal their true identity. When Yudhishthira, who caused the situation in the first place, tries to make atonements by serving the thirteen-year sentence together with his cousins and Draupadi, his brother Arjuna - much more temperamental and strong-willed - feels that war might be a better solution and off he heads deep into the mountains in order to acquire divine weapons from the gods. Perhaps this was not a bad idea (from his point of view) for when the Pandavas finally return from exile, Duryyodhana, the eldest  Kaurava brother, sees to it that the Pandavas, who now wish to rightfully reclaim their part of the kingdom, won’t get it.

Inevitably, this leads to Act 3, aptly titled War. Once again, Krisha tries to intervene and advises Arjuna, who begins to doubt his planned actions. Nonetheless, a bloody and unspeakably brutal war, lasting almost three weeks, unfolds - with a massive loss of life on both sides. This also goes for the winning Pandavas clan. The conclusion is set some decades later, when the remaining Pandavas members and Draupadi leave earth in order to seek spiritual fulfilment high up in the Himalayas. Despite some magical and supernatural goings-on, including shapeshifting and casting spells, the Mahabharata is a powerful morality tale with a timeless message and this ambitious TV-adaptation, despite budget restrictions, is nothing less than impressive! It’s almost Shakespearean in its human drama though it was written long before, further proof that its topics are timeless and above all, universal. It does not need sets or special effects on an epic scale. The story rests on the skills of the actors, who convincingly bring their characters to life, while the minimal sets emphasise but never distract from the drama.  

Bonus Material includes: My Father’s Legacy - Simon Brook on The Mahabharata (2026; 35 min) / Making The Mahabharata - director, screenwriter and some cast members comment (1989: 55 min) / Brook By Brook - an intimate portrait of the director by his son Simon (2002; 70 min) / Pageant Of The Sun-God - a travelogue of the extravagant celebration of the Maharana of Udaipur (1934; 9 min) / Trailer / Illustrated booklet (first pressing only).