One of the two major Indian epics ‘Mahabharata’ is once again getting a small-screen series adaptation as Walt Disney’s Disney+ Hotstar OTT platform has just announced that the big-budget project is currently under development. The exciting announcement was made by Disney+ Hotstar during the D23 annual fan event.
Considering the gripping and epic source material, the ‘Mahabharata’ series adaptation has some serious potential to be a game-changer not just for Disney+ Hotstar but for the entire OTT industry in India. And if the ‘Mahabharata’ series adaptation gets the scale and vision right, then it has the capacity to even compete with internationally acclaimed ongoing shows like ‘House of the Dragon’ and ‘Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power’.
The ambitious ‘Mahabharata’ project will be developed in association with film producer Madhu Mantena, whose filmography as a producer includes projects such as ‘Ghajini’, ‘Queen’, ‘Udta Punjab’, and ‘Super 30’, amongst others. The cast for the Disney+ Hotstar ‘Mahabharata’ series is yet to be finalized. The project will kick-off in the year 2024.
This is not the first time the mythological Indian epic ‘Mahabharata’, which revolves around the fierce enmity between the Kaurava and the Pandava princes and the devastating Kurukshetra war, is being adapted for the screen. B.R. Chopra had made the epic 1980s television series named ‘Mahabharata’ which was directed by his son Ravi Chopra and aired on Doordarshan. The show has a cult following even today.
Besides the TV series, Mahabharata has also been adapted in modern-day set feature film format in Shyam Benegal’s corporate rivalry drama ‘Kalyug’ and Prakash Jha’s political thriller ‘Rajneeti’. Even eminent Indian actor Aamir Khan had expressed his interest multiple times for a ‘Mahabharata’ adaptation. There have also been talks about S.S. Rajamouli directing a film series based on the Mahabharata epic and he called it his dream project. But these two projects are yet to see the light of the day.
Other than the ‘Mahabharata’ series adaptation, Disney+ Hotstar has also announced two more projects at the D23 expo. One project features Emraan Hashmi and is set in the film industry backdrop. It is backed by Karan Johar and is set to stream next year. The other one is Season-8 of Karan Johar’s popular talk show ‘Koffee with Karan’.