MAHABHARATA, THE {EPISODE 1} (TV)
Summary
The first of two programs on this tape. The first part of this six-part television adaptation of Peter Brook's critically acclaimed Brooklyn Academy of Music production of the epic Indian tale "The Mahabharata." The saga constitutes the Hindu history of mankind and examines the roots of India's mythology, religion, and history. The first part introduces the key characters of the epic and details the origins of the rivalry between the Pandavas and the Kauravas, two sides of the royal family who struggle for the throne. The program opens with the author/narrator of the "poetical history of mankind," Vyasa; the young prince who listens to the tale; and the scribe Ganesha. After recounting the story of his own conception (and thereby indicating his own place in the story), Vyasa focuses on the noble prince Bhisma -- who has himself refuted the throne, taking a lifelong vow of celibacy, and has been granted by the gods the ability to chose the time of his own death. Bhisma brings to his feeble half-brother, the then heir to the throne, three wives. When he finds out that one of the women, Amba, is in love with someone else, Bhisma releases her, but Amba's suitor refuses to take her back; Amba, rebuffed by her true love and later by Bhisma as well, pledges to wander the world and find someone to kill Bhisma. The feeble king marries the other two, but dies on his wedding night. However, Vyasa takes care of matters: one of the women bears a blind son, Dhritharashtra, the other an albino, Pandu. King Pandu takes two wives, Kunti and Madri, but when he accidentally kills a god who has taken the form of a gazelle to see his lover, he is cursed -- he will die if he makes love. Pandu makes Dhritharashtra king and goes into exile. Kunti, however, is able to invoke the gods with a mantra and have them give her children. Fearful of her secret, she puts the first child, Karna, into a basket and floats him down the river where he is discovered and raised by a chariot driver, but is unaware of his royal origins. Later, however, with the approval of Pandu, Kunti produces three additional sons -- Yudhishthira, who will be king; Bhima, the strongest man in the world; and Arjuna, the perfect warrior; she also allows Madri to use her mantra to produce two additional sons, the twins Sahadeva and Nakula. The five brothers are collectively known as the Pandavas. Meanwhile, Dhritharashtra marries Gandhari, a beautiful princess from the north, who upon hearing that her betrothed is blind, blindfolds herself so she will never reproach her husband. After a pregnancy of two years, Gandhari gives birth to a hard ball of flesh which eventually produces a hundred sons, collectively known as the Kauravas and lead by the firstborn Duryodhana. Pandu eventually succumbs to his desire for his wife Madri and dies; Madri decides to join him, leaving Kunti and the Pandavas. The Pandavas and the Kauravas are educated together by Drona, but jealousies emerge among the cousins when Arjuna is singled out as the best archer. The orphaned Karna arrives and shows up Arjuna, challenging him, but Karna is unable to tell them the names of his parents and is not allowed to fight. Duryodhana intervenes, consecrating Karna as a prince and gaining his allegiance, but the fight is postponed for another day. Continues with T91:0043.
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Details
- NETWORK: Channel 4 (United Kingdom)
- DATE: December 9, 1989 7:30 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 0:52:43
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: T91:0042
- GENRE: Drama
- SUBJECT HEADING: Drama; Hinduism; India - History; India - Religious life and customs; International Collection - United Kingdom; Theater Collection, The
- SERIES RUN: Channel 4 (United Kingdom) - TV, 1989
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Michael Birkett … Executive Producer
- Harvey Lichtenstein … Executive Producer
- Michael Kustow … Executive Producer
- Michel Propper … Producer
- Edward Myerson … Co-Producer
- Rachel Tabori … Co-Producer
- Micheline Rozan … Co-Producer
- William Wilkinson … Co-Producer
- Peter Brook … Director, Writer
- Marie-Helene Estienne … Writer
- Jean-Claude Carriere … Writer
- Toshi Tsuchitori … Music by
- Philippe Eidel … Music (Misc. Credits), Music Production
- Sarmila Roy … Singer, Songs interpreted by
- Erika Alexander … Cast, Madri/Hidimbi
- Maurice Benichou … Cast, Kitchaka
- Amba Bihler … Cast, Virata's daughter
- Lou Bihler … Cast, young Karna
- Urs Bihler … Cast, Dushassana
- Ryszard Cieslak … Cast, Dhritharashtra
- Georges Corraface … Cast, Duryodhana
- Jean-Paul Denizon … Cast, Nakula
- Mamadou Dioume … Cast, Bhima
- Miriam Goldschmidt … Cast, Kunti
- Hapsari Hardjito … Cast, Abhimanyu's wife
- Nolan Hemmings … Cast, Abhimanyu
- Ken Higelin … Cast, deathless boy
- Claran Hinds … Cast, Aswatthaman
- Gisele Hogard … Cast, 1st princess
- Corinne Jaber … Cast, Amba/Sikhandin
- Lutfi Jakfar … Cast, Uttara
- Akram Khan … Cast, Ekalavya
- Jeffrey Kissoon … Cast, Karna
- Sotigui Kouyate … Cast, Bhisma
- Joseph Kurian … Cast, Drishtadyumna
- Tuncel Kurtiz … Cast, Shakuni
- Robert Langdon Lloyd … Cast, Vyasa
- Clement Masdongar … Cast, Gazelle
- Leela Mayor … Cast, Satyavati
- Vittorio Mezzogiorno … Cast, Arjuna
- Bruce Myers … Cast, Ganesha/Krishna
- Yumi Nara … Cast, Virata's wife
- Tamsir Niane … Cast, Urvasi
- Yoshi Oida … Cast, Drona
- Helene Patarot … Cast, Gandhari
- Abbi Patrix … Cast, Salva
- Julie Romanus … Cast, 2nd princess
- Bakary Sangare … Cast, the Sun/Rakshasa/Ghatotkatcha
- Mallika Sarabhai … Cast, Draupadi
- Andrzej Seweryn … Cast, Yudhishthira
- Mas Soegeng … Cast, Virata
- Antonin Stahly-Vishwanadan … Cast, the boy
- Tapa Sudana … Cast, Pandu/Shiva/Salya
- Mahmoud Tabrizi-Zadeh … Cast, Sahadeva
- Myriam Tadesse … Cast, Gandhari's servant
- Velu Vishwanadan … Cast, the hermit