Mahabharat Appreciation Thread

martin

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When people tell me they're obsessives because they own every Transmat release, I think, "Yeah, but did you spend two years of Sunday nights watching Mahabharat?"

One of the best things the BBC ever broadcast. I don't think the UK even got the full works - the BBC cut it after Arjuna's big battle but I'm pretty sure the Indian version ran longer.

Anyway, what a brilliant, psychedelic show. You've got Lord Kansa laughing like a maniac and splatting newborn babies against walls; gender-shifting Krishna going underwater and conquering five-headed cobras; monkey gods taking the piss out of royalty in the woods; and elephants getting brained during epic battles.

I've never forgotten the tune that kicks in when the bloke sing-summarises the events. I also liked how they'd do stuff to pad it out, like have a character reflect on something that just happened - and basically show him 'dreaming' the exact same footage again.

Any other fans?
 

martin

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It was def. BBC2 in the early '90s (though C4 might have licensed it later) - think it was part of the Beeb's old 'minority programming' package which seemed to consist of a current affairs programme called "Eastern Eye" (I think? or something similar) and "Kabaddi" (Pakistan's take on 'British Bulldog') on Saturday lunchtimes. But for some reason "Mahabharat" got shunted off to the pre-closedown slot...might have been repeated at 6am a few times...

Some of the FX and acting were really funny, but I think (fortunately) the whole thing was too slow-moving and plot-heavy to attract the "ha ha, isn't this wacky" types, so it languished in obscurity. Just happened to see the first one by chance and gradually became hooked. Might be perfect viewing in Lockdown 2.0...
 

john eden

male pale and stale
It was one of those ones where I'd catch bits of it periodically and be completely confused in a good way.
 

martin

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Cool! You're right though @WashYourHands , those ads are annoying as fuck.:mad:

BUT...through that link and digging around, found a cool clip...and it's on Youtube without ads :) Though you'll have to skip to 34.18 and enable subtitles...Krishna (aka Kahna) out-voguing the cobra god over Radiophonic-style rumbles, and then having a big song and dance routine on its head:

 

Woebot

Well-known member
When people tell me they're obsessives because they own every Transmat release, I think, "Yeah, but did you spend two years of Sunday nights watching Mahabharat?"

totally missed this. did you watch "Monkey" as a child? we LOVED that


"Tathagata Buddha says "With our thoughts we make the world."" Now I know where I got hooked on Buddhism!
 

martin

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Yeah, 'Monkey' was ace.

"You should live without fear - there's as much chance of good things as bad ones."

"It's a cheerful philosophy and I've heard it from people before; they're all dead now though."
 
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