Mahabharat from Duryodhana's perspective has Jaipur intrigued

The intriguing tales of the epic Mahabharat came alive on Jaipur’s stage recently. Only this time, this was Mahabharat presented from Duryodhan’s point of view. Featuring actors, many of who were part of the iconic TV show, BR Chopra’s Mahabharat, this play focused on the friendship between Duryodhan and Karn.
Puneet Issar as Duryodhan, Urvashi Dholakia as Draupadi with other actors on stage
Presented in a poetic format, with rhythmic rendering of dialogues, the play witnessed a galaxy of actors from television with Puneet Issar playing Duryodhan, Rahul Bhuchar seen in the role of Karn while Urvashi Dholakia played Draupadi. TV actress Meghna Malik, essaying the role of Mother Earth, was the narrator of the play.
Puneet as Duryodhan and Gufi Paintal as Shakuni in the play
When we caught up with Puneet Issar, also the director of the play, before the show, he told us,“This is a new version of Mahabharat and I hope the audience likes it.” The play, in fact, met with a huge applause from the audience, many of who became nostalgic seeing some actors essaying the same characters on stage as in the ’90s TV show – like Gufi Paintal as Shakuni.

With a grand stage and opulent costumes, the play, which saw power-packed performances by veteran actors, wooed Jaipurites. Deepak Gera, a veteran theatre personality from Jaipur, who was in the audience, said, “It was an engaging tale, picked up from the famous epic, with the story being presented from a different point of view. The play clearly highlights that there are so many shades of grey in the characters, it’s all not black and white.” Deepak, however, felt that the play could have been shorter. “Three hours is a bit too long for the play. A bit of lighter moments would have made it an easier watch,” he added.
THE NARRATOR: Meghna Malik