What if Mahabharata Character Roles Were Played by Bollywood Actors and Actresses

If you are an 80’s or 90’s Kid, you must be awaiting the Mahabharata tv show telecasted on Doordarshan in the early morning of every Sunday. And if you aren’t an 80s or 90s kid and have no clue what we are talking about, think Game of Thrones, but only a gazillion times more awesome and with a way better plot. Now imagine if Mahabharata was to be made into a Bollywood movie.

I Loved this part from Mahabharata:

The story is about Arjuna and Karna’s fight in Mahabharata.

While the battle of Kurukshetra was at its peak, Arjuna and Karna were fighting each other. It was a battle to witness, a flurry of arrows was being exchanged, and even Gods were witnessing this epic battle between the 2 warriors.

Arjuna would shoot his arrows and the impact of these arrows would be so much that Karna’s chariot would go back by 25-30 feet. People who witnessed this were amazed by the skills of Arjuna.

Karna was no less. When he shot arrows, Arjuna’s chariot would also shake and go back by 3-4 feet.

More than everyone, Krishna would applaud Karna every time his arrow hit Arjuna’s chariot. But not once did He applaud Arjuna’s skills.

At the end of the day, Arjuna asked Krishna: “Oh Lord, I have shot so many arrows at Karna’s chariot, it was being displaced like a feather in the wind, but not once did you appreciate me. Rather, you would appreciate his skill despite his arrows just displacing my chariot a little”.

Krishna smiled and replied, “Oh, Arjuna, remember, your chariot is protected by Hanuman at the top on your flag, Me as your charioteer in the front and by Sheshnag at its wheels, yet the whole chariot would still sway and displace whenever the valiant Karna hit us with his arrows”.

“But Karna’s chariot is not protected by any such force, he is on his own, yet he fights valiantly”.

It is said that after the battle of Kurushetra was over, Krishna refused to get off the chariot till Arjuna got down. Once Krishna alighted from the chariot, it caught fire and turned to dust.

Krishna said, “Oh Arjuna, your chariot was destroyed by Karna a long time ago, it is I who was still protecting it.”

“Never in your life have the arrogance to say that you have achieved big heights. If you have achieved something, it is the divine will, it is the divine intervention that has always protected you, cleared your path, and given you the right opportunities at the right time”.

An excerpt from Mahabharata and conveys a message to mankind. Though simple a strong reminder to mankind.

Anyway, let’s come back to the Bollywood star cast, who can perfectly fit for the Mahabharata roles.

Here’s the list of stars who should make the cut and be cast in the legendary saga.

Bhishma - Mega Star Big B (Amitabh Bachchan)

Amitabh Ji is a person who can perfectly suit the role of Bhishma.

Bhishma Pitamaha was the grand-uncle of Pandavas and the Kauravas, He was a mighty warrior blessed with wish-long life. He was also indisputably one of the best archers extraordinaire in the mythological epic. With his big voice and bigger personality, the senior Bachchan would be perfect as Bhishma.

Some interesting thing about Bhishma:

Bhishma played a very important part in the political affairs of the Kuru kingdom and participated in the Kurukshetra War from the side of Kauravas. On the eleventh day of the war, the Pandava prince Arjuna, with the help of Amba's reincarnation Shikhandi, pierced Bhishma with numerous arrows and paralyzed him on a bed of arrows. After spending fifty-one nights on the arrow bed, Bhishma left his body on the Uttarayana (winter solstice). Before his death, he handed down the Vishnu Sahasranama to the emperor Yudhishtira.

Yudhishthira - Arjun Rampal

Arjun can play a perfect role for Yudhishthira not only for his great looks and chiseled physique for this role. The model-turned-actor has earned a lot of following for his acting chops and he will do justice as the tall, strong, and humble Pandava king. Mahabharata describes the eldest Pandava as a righteous leader with sage-like qualities, and we feel Arjun will live up to the character with his quiet confidence and calm personality.

Some interesting thing about Yudhishthira:

Yudhishthira became the emperor and was invited to play Pachisi, a game of dice by his jealous cousin, Duryodhana, and his uncle, Shakuni. There Yudhishthira gambled his kingdom, fame, wealth, his brothers, Draupadi, and even himself. After the game and the Pandavas and Draupadi were sent in exile for thirteen years, with the last year being an incognito. During his exile, he was tested by his spiritual father and for incognito, Yudhishthira disguised himself as Kanka and served the king of Matsya Kingdom.

He was the leader of the successful Pandava side in the Kurukshetra War and defeated many warriors including Shalya. At the end of the epic, he was the only one among his brothers to ascend to heaven with his mortal body.

Karna - Hrithik Rosan

After reading the above short story you must get some idea about Karna's personality and his strong physique.

The Greek God of Bollywood with looks that can kill will be so right as Karna. With his fighter’s physique and brooding eyes, Hrithik will do a great job in bringing the misunderstood heroic warrior’s character to life. Karna was probably one of the greatest and most powerful warriors in the legend of Mahabharata, only defeated by deceit and not skill. And therefore, Hrithik’s battle scene fighting the Bollywood actor who plays Arjuna will be no short of epic. Wondering who plays Arjuna? No Problem, Read on!

Something interesting about Karna:

He is a tragic hero in the Mahabharata, in a manner similar to Aristotle's literary category of "flawed good man". He meets his biological mother late in the epic and then discovers that he is the older half-brother of those he is fighting against. Karna is a symbol of someone who is rejected by those who should love him but do not given the circumstances, yet becomes a man of exceptional abilities willing to give his love and life as a loyal friend. His character is developed in the epic to raise and discuss major emotional and dharma (duty, ethics, moral) dilemmas. His story has inspired many secondary works, poetry and dramatic plays in the Hindu arts tradition, both in India and in southeast Asia.

Lord Krishna - Aamir Khan

In Mahabharata, when the Kauravas and the Pandavas were fighting, Lord Krishna became the mediator. Amir with his pleasing personality and socially conscious image seem apt for this role. His playful smile and boyish charm, are reminiscent of how the legend of Mahabharata describes Lord Krishna. And since it is already rumored that he’s on-board SS Rajamouli’s movie adaptation of the saga, we are keeping our fingers crossed that he is cast in this role.

Something interesting about Lord Krishna:

Here is the reason why the war in Mahabharata took place in the Kurukshetra?

It is known to everyone that Shri Krishna had preached the Gita to Arjuna in Kurukshetra, where the war in Mahabharata took place. But even today there are many secrets related to Mahabharata, about which very few people are aware. Today we are going to tell you about a mystery. Do you know why the war of Mahabharata took place in Kurukshetra and why not at any other place?

The war took place between the Kauravas and the Pandavas, in which a lot of warriors were killed from both sides. This was the fiercest war that has ever been fought. Never before there has been such a war nor there is any possibility of such a war in the future.

The land of Kurukshetra was chosen by Lord Sri Krishna for the war, but why he opted for Kurukshetra for the war, there is a secret behind it. According to the scriptures, when the war of Mahabharata was decided, the search of the land began soon. Lord Krishna wanted to eradicate the rising sins on earth through this war and wanted to establish belie_f.

It is said that Lord Krishna was in fear that Kauravas and the Pandavas might make a pact on seeing each other dying in this war. So he decided to choose a land for war, where there is enough amount of anger and hatred. For this, Krishna sent his messengers in all directions and asked them to take stock of the events.

Messengers took stock of the events and elaborated the same to Lord Krishna one after another. One of the messengers told an incident in which an elder brother in Kurukshetra asked his younger brother to stop the rainwater flowing as it was entering the farm, but he refused to do so. In a fit of anger, the elder brother got furious and killed the younger brother with a knife and dragged his corpse to stop the water from where the water was coming out.

Hearing this true incident, Krishna decided that this land is suitable for the war. Sri Krishna was then quite convinced that the rites of this land will not allow the brothers to develop a love for each other in the war. After this, he announced the venue of war as Kurukshetra.

Bheema - Prabhas Raju

If you've seen Baahubali, you will totally agree that Prabhas is going to be awesome as the fierce warrior with the towering strength of a thousand elephants. He has the body and the temper to make the powerful role come to life. We can totally imagine him giving Kauravas a run for their money as the mighty Bheema.

Some interesting fact about Bheema:

After the brothers founded the city of Indraprastha, Bhima went to Magadha and killed its mighty ruler, Jarasandha. Later Yudhishthira was invited by Duryodhana to play a game of dice, in which he lost. The Pandavas along with their wife, Draupadi, were sent into exile for thirteen years. During their exile, Bhima met his spiritual brother, Lord Hanuman. For incognito, the Pandavas chose the Matsya Kingdom to hide. There Bhima disguised himself as a cook named Vallabha. He also killed the general of the kingdom, Kichaka, as he tried to molest Draupadi. During the Kurukshetra War, Bhima alone killed a hundred Kaurava brothers in the Kurukshetra war. He was considered to have the physical strength of 10,000 elephants approximately.

Arjuna - Farhan Akhtar

Farhan’s physical transformation for Bhaag Milkha Bhaag. The man really trained like a beast for the movie and we think he will totally rock (on) as Arjuna, the unparalleled archer who was the bearer of the fabled Gandiva. Arjuna was more than just a warrior. He was also an accomplished performer with a charismatic personality, just like our multi-faceted Farhan.

Something interesting about Arjuna:

Arjuna was born when Indra, the god of rain, blessed Kunti and Pandu with a son. From childhood, Arjuna was a brilliant student and was favored by his beloved teacher, Drona. Arjuna is depicted as a skilled archer, winning the hands of Draupadi, who married the five brothers because of Kunti's misunderstanding. Arjuna is twice exiled, first for breaking a pact with his brothers; and secondly together with them when his oldest brother has tricked into gambling away the throne.

Some notable incidents during the first exile were Arjuna's marriages with princesses Ulupi, Chitrangada, and Subhadra. From his four wives, Arjuna had four sons, one from each wife — Shrutakarma, Iravan, Babhruvahana, and Abhimanyu. During his second exile, Arjuna gained many celestial weapons. Despite being a powerful warrior, Arjuna was also skilled in music and dance. At the end of the epic, Pandavas, accompanied by Draupadi, retired to the Himalayas. Arjuna was the fourth one to fall on the way.

Draupadi - Deepika Padukone

Some may think Draupadi was a damsel in distress, but if you read Mahabharata carefully (or at least watch the show as we did), then you would realize that she was actually pretty fierce. She was in fact one of the most important characters in Mahabharata and probably one of the strongest female personas in any mythological tale ever. And Deepika embodies fierce (remember her response to all the haters?). The dusky fearless beauty has everything it takes to play the brave character.

Something interesting about Draupadi:

In order to provoke the Pandavas further, Duryodhana bares and pats his thigh looking into Draupadi's eyes, implying that she should sit on his thigh. The enraged Bhima vows in front of the entire assembly that he would break Duryodhana's thighs, or else accept being Duryodhana's slave for seven lifetimes. At this time Vikarna, a brother of Duryodhana asks the kings assembled in the court to answer the question of Draupadi. He gives his opinion that Draupadi is not won rightfully as Yudhishthira lost himself first before staking her. Besides, no one has the right to put a woman on bet according to shastras; not a husband, father, or even the gods. Hearing these words, Karna gets angry and says that when Yudhishthira lost all his possession he also lost Draupadi, even specifically staking her. Karna calls Draupadi a "whore" for being the wedded wife of five men, adding that dragging her to court is not a surprising act whether she be attired or naked. He orders Dushasana to remove the garments of Draupadi. After her husbands fail to assist her, Draupadi prays to Krishna to protect her.

Dushasana attempts to disrobe her, but she is miraculously protected by Krishna, and Dushasana finds that as he continues to unwrap the layers of her sari, the amount of fabric covering her never lessens. Dushasana is eventually reduced to exhaustion, as the awed court observes that Draupadi is still chastely dressed. At this point, a furious Bhima vows to drink blood from Dushasana's chest, at the pain of not seeing his ancestors/entering heaven. This vow unsettles the entire court.

Duryodhana - Ajay Devgan

Ajay might be best remembered as the good cop in Singham, but he has plenty of experience playing a man on the wrong side of the law (remember Company?). And that’s why he will be awesome as Yudhishthira’s nemesis. Duryodhana, if you would recall, was the perfect anti-hero with a penchant for mace fighting. Our very own Ajay will do a great job as the despicable eldest Kaurava.

Something interesting about Duryodhana:

Duryodhana is also known as Suyodhana, is a major antagonist in the Hindu epic Mahabharata and was the eldest of the Kauravas, the hundred sons of a blind king Dhritarashtra and Queen Gandhari. Being the firstborn son of the blind king, he was the crown prince of Kuru Kingdom and its capital Hastinapura along with his cousin Yudhishtra who was older than him. Karna was Duryodhana's closest friend. Notably, Duryodhana, with significant assistance from Karna, performs Vaishnava Yagna when the Pandavas are in exile. Duryodhana used his greater skill in wielding the mace to defeat opponents. He was also an extremely courageous warrior and he was said to be a good ruler. Duryodhana's greed and arrogance were the two qualities said to lead to his downfall in the Mahabharata.

Dronacharya - Rajnikanth Ji

Because he is the ultimate Thalaiva. He will be perfect to play the ultimate mentor – Guru

Dronacharya. Drona was a master of some gravity-defying weapons, just like Rajnikanth in his movies. Besides, who can play the complex character of a Guru torn between his love for his favorite pupils and the call of duty!

Some interesting things about Dronacharya:

He was a master of advanced military arts, including the divine weapons or Astras. He was also the second commander-in-chief of kaurava army from 11th day to 15th day. He failed 4 times in capturing Yudhisthira (11th, 12th day, 14th day when Arjuna was busy fighting to kill Jaydratha and 14th night. He was beheaded by Dhrishtadyumna when he was meditating to release his soul on the battlefield.

Sahdev - Ranveer Singh

How can our cast of the most epic Mahabharata ever be complete without the reigning prince of Bollywood himself – Ranveer Singh?

Rambo will ace as the youngest Pandava – Sahdev. He may have been young and might even seem insignificant compared to other more popular characters in the monumental epic, but in reality, he was an ace swordsman who defeated 40 Kauravas all at once (whoa!) and truly an integral personality in the saga.

Some interesting thing about Sahadev:

Sahadeva was the youngest of the Pandava brothers, the five protagonists of the epic Mahabharata. He and his twin brother, Nakula, were blessed to King Pandu and Queen Madri by the gods Ashvins. Sahadeva is described to be skilled in swordsmanship and astrology. During the Kurukshetra War, he killed many warriors including Shakuni.

Nakul - Vidyut Jamwal

He seems to be the right candidate to play the most handsome man in the Kuru lineage known for his sword-fighting skills and diplomacy.

Some interesting things about Nakul:

Skilled in Ayurveda, sword fighting, and horse keeping, Nakula is regarded as the most handsome man in the Mahabharata. He had two wives — Draupadi, the common wife of the five brothers, and Karenumati, daughter of Chedi king Shishupala. For Yudhishthira's Rajasuya, he conquered the Sivis, the Rohitakas, and other dynasties. After the game of dice, the Pandavas and Draupadi were sent into exile for 13 years with the last year being incognito. During the incognito, Nakula disguised himself as a horse trainer named Granthik. In the Kurukshetra War, Nakula killed many warriors including Uluka, Shakuni's son.

Kunti - Rekha

Kunti, along with the fierce Draupadi, is considered the female protagonist of Mahabharata. She is described as a beautiful yet assertive woman who in a way shaped the entire course of dynastic destiny in the Mahabharata. After mothering Karna, she chooses the scion of Hastinapura, Pandu, to wed, and becomes the mother of the epic’s heroes: the Pandavas. The reclusive beauty Rekha, who was once known to be the boldest actress of her time and is living her life on her own terms, will be the perfect pick to play this complicated role.

Some interesting things about Kunti:

Along with the Pandavas, Kunti survived the Lakshagriha and during their hiding, she ordered Bhima to marry Hidimbi, a Rakshasi. Because of Kunti's misunderstanding, Draupadi, princess of Panchala, was married to the five Pandavas. After Indraprastha was established, Kunti stayed in Hastinapura and had an affectionate relationship with her sister-in-law, Gandhari. Before the Kurukshetra War, Kunti met Karna and asked him to join the Pandava side, but upon his refusal, she convinced him to spare five out of her six children. After Yudhishthira became the emperor of the Kuru, she retired to the forest and died.

In Hinduism, she is extolled as one of the Pancha Kanya ("five virgins"), archetypes of female chastity whose names are believed to dispel sin when recited. While many praise her as a mature, foresighted, and affectionate lady, others believe her to be calculative and shrewd.

Satyavati - Vidya Balan

Vidya will be perfect in the small but significant role of Satyavati, the queen of the Kuru king

Shantanu of Hastinapur and the great-grandmother of the Pandavas and Kauravas. Satyavati was known to be wise, honest, trustworthy, and faithful with the kingdom’s best interest at heart, just like Vidya who through the Clean India campaign is trying to make India better.

Some interesting things about Satyavati:

Satyavati is the adopted daughter of a fisherman chieftain, Dashraj, and was brought up as a commoner on the banks of the river Yamuna. She is the biological daughter of the Chedi king Uparichara Vasu (Vasu) and a cursed apsara (celestial nymph) who was turned into a fish called Adrika. Due to the smell emanating from her body, she was known as Matsyagandha ("She who smells like fish"), and helped her father, Dashraj, in his job as a ferryman and a fisherwoman.

Shakuni - Gulshan Grover

Who can play Mahabharata’s bad man better than Bollywood’s bad man himself – Gulshan Grover? He will be menacingly awesome as the conniving mama who was the lead conspirator of Mahabharata and the mastermind behind the devastating war.

The interesting thing about Shakuni:

Shakuni received a boon from his father that he will be a great politician and will defeat other people with his political genius. Shakuni planned the game of dice, which was one of the turning points. During the war, Shakuni was killed by Pandava Sahadeva.

Dussasana - Abhishek Bachchan

Dussasana has to be among the most hated character in Mahabharata, dragging Draupadi by her hair into the assembly at the behest of his equally evil elder brother, and outraging her modesty. Junior Bachchan who has proven his mettle playing the antagonist (remember his epic performance in Raavan Movie?) will be the right fit for this vile role.

Some interesting things about Dushasan:

Dushasana was the warrior who shot the first arrow in the Mahabharata war. On the first day of the war, Dushasana had fought with Nakula. On the tenth day, Dushasana was appointed on the frontlines to defend Bhishma from the Pandava army. Dushasana exhibited his valor on that day by resisting all the Pandavas single-handedly. But later, Arjuna managed to defeat him.

Aishwarya as Ganga and Kamal Haasan as Shantanu

Aishwarya as the mysterious and drop-dead gorgeous Ganga and Kamal Haasan as the king enamored with her beauty will make the perfect pair according to us. Together, they will be awesome at weaving the ill-fated love story which ended with the birth of Bhishma.

Conclusion

These all are the perfect characters who can play roles in Mahabharata's upcoming movies/ TV Shows. What do you feel about this article? Please write your thoughts below in the comment section.

Credits and References :

Images source: ScrollDroll Pinterest, Wikipedia, Artistic images from scrolldroll

Research about interesting facts: Wikipedia

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© Originally published at "What if Mahabharata Charater Roles were played by Bollywood star cast?"