Dharmakshetra

Dharma Kshetra, in Hindi (with English subtitles) is a brilliant adapatation of the Mahabharat. The events take place after the war after all the protagonists (except /Ashvattama) had died. It is set in the court of the divine arbiter Chitragupta.

One by one, the charcters of the epic; Bhishma, Drona, Vidura, Dhritarashtra, Sakuni, Dharmaraj, Bhim, Arjun, Nakul, Sahadev, Draupadi, Kunti, Gandhari, Duryodhan, Karn, Dushasan, Ashvattama and even Vedavyas are put in the dock to answer accusations levelled against them. The twenty-six episode serial ends with Bhagwan Shri Krishna himself explaining his actions, which some times looked dowright unethical.

No character in Mahabharat was perfect. Each one was a fallible being combating his or her personal demons and was a complex amalgam of nobility and meanness, forgiveness and vengefulness, love and rancor and sacrifice and greed.

The epic is a macrocosm of our own lives- layered with contradictions and conflicts. The writing and acting were uniformly good, occassionally even brilliant- Duryodhan and Karn were outstanding.

Dharma Kshetra is a tour-de-force, a really great small screen production.

It reinforced my belief that Mahabharat in sheer sweep and grandeur eclipses Homer's Iliad and Odysseus. I was also exposed to nuances in the epic, which I had not been aware off earlier.

Growing up in India, it was hard not to watch and get influenced by the original Mahabharat series. While it was great, it never got too deep into explaining why certain actions were taken by the main characters and their backgrounds. This series fills the gap. It breathes a new life into the epic and takes it to the next level. I don't know anyone who has not liked this series. It's brilliance is in it's theme and writing. The actors are mostly good, Suyodhana/Duryodhana is the best of the lot and makes you think twice about the preconceived notions about his evil nature, and instead makes you feel bad for him. I can't think of another mythology being dissected and explained in a manner like this. This is a binge watch. Wish there was another season. The writers deserve an award.

For all those who love analysing things from different perspectives , this series is a must. Kudos to the creators for doing such indepth research showcasing the critical thinking aspect of the Indian epics and culture..

What a brilliant show, watch it and you will understand entire Mahabharat saga.

Brilliant show. A completely new and different take on Mahabharata, from the perspective of different characters. I love the actors, casting and everything is so right.