Recently, Star Plus’s “Mahabharat” completed 10 years, and the occasion was celebrated with a reunion of the cast and crew at a Mumbai hotel.
Additionally, the pilot episode of Mahabharat was launched, offering a glimpse into the formative stage of this magnum opus. Speaking exclusively to IANS on the occasion, producer Siddhartha Kumar Tewary revealed how he conceived the idea and brought it to life. He also shared how people discouraged him from making the show. Siddhartha said, “When people found out I was making Mahabharat, they discouraged me from doing so.
They said, ‘Why are you making Mahabharat? It is jinxed.’” When asked if he was referring to Ekta Kapoor’s Mahabharat, which failed to succeed, Siddhartha replied, “Definitely. When someone tries to tell such a larger-than-life story and it doesn’t work, it creates apprehension in the minds of other makers. Moreover, I was very new as a producer at that time. I didn’t know how to make a show of this genre. Creating something as big as Mahabharat requires a lot of experience. But when experienced people fail, it affects others as well.” He added, “However, that’s just one aspect. During the process, we faced many challenges. Work was delayed several times due to various reasons. I cast the actors 2-3 years before the show even went into production. But what kept me going was my belief that this story needs to be told in today’s time. It’s highly relevant to society at every level.”
He continued, “Mahabharat is not just entertainment. There is a sensible message behind it, and that’s why I wanted to bring it to the screen.”
