Facts about BR Chopra's 'Mahabharat' you never knew
Mahabharat is not just another TV serial. The brainchild of BR Chopra, which halted everything when it aired between 1988 and 1990, has stood the test of time. There have been multiple iterations of the Hindu mythological text, however, none have been as impactful as Chopra's Mahabharat. For the fans, here are some fascinating facts about the magnum opus.
Poles poles everywhere, where do we shoot?
Well, it might seem a bit hard to comprehend, but the one thing that troubled the "Gods and warriors" of Mahabharat the most were... electricity poles. Yes, Chopra initially wanted to shoot the epic war scene in Mumbai, but there wasn't even a single open field without any electricity poles. The shooting was then shifted to a village near Jaipur.
Locals offered to act as soldiers, without any charge!
Despite a huge star cast, there was always a need for more actors, considering the grand scale of the war scenes. Courtesy of the generosity of small-town Indians, the makers did not have to worry much. The locals happily offered to act as soldiers in the war sequences. And not just that, they did so without any charge.
What went into making the iconic 'cheer-haran' scene?
With modern-day visual effects, showcasing a scene with a seemingly endless supply of cloth like in the iconic Draupadi "cheer-haran" sequence would be a cakewalk. But things were different in the 1980s. Reportedly, Chopra contacted a cloth mill before shooting the said scene and ordered them to prepare hundreds of meters of cloth to be used for the heart-wrenching sequence.
Arjun in reel, Arjun in real
Firoz Khan—who played the role of Arjun in Mahabharat—was admittedly having a hard time bagging newer roles after the show's conclusion. It was then that he, upon the suggestion of Chopra, changed his real name to Arjun. "Chopra saab and Dr. Raza recommended that Arjun should be my new name. It went on to give me everything that I dreamed of," he said.
Roopa Ganguly was not the first choice for Draupadi
Roopa Ganguly put such a spot-on performance as Draupadi that it is hard to imagine any other actress playing her with such charm. But the fact is that Roopa was not the first choice for the role. Actually, Draupadi's role was first offered to Juhi Chawla, who left it to star in the movie Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak. The role then went to Roopa.
Krishna's smile sealed the deal!
Reportedly, a total of 55 screen tests were conducted for the role of Krishna. Actors including Gajendra Chauhan (who eventually played Yudhishthir) and Rishabh Shukla (who played Shantanu) were also considered for the role. But the role finally went to Nitish Bhardwaj as director Ravi Chopra thought that his smile was best suited for someone portraying Krishna. And boy, was he right!
