The Mahabharata

The Mahabharata is at the very heart of Indian culture – in religion, myth and legend. One of the oldest stories in the world, with the first known written versions dating back to the fifth century BC, it is also the longest poem ever written – at more than one hundred thousand stanzas long it is fifteen times the length of the Bible.

Long-time collaborators director Peter Brook and screenwriter Jean-Claude Carrière created the three separate plays that comprise this version of the epic, producing a globally successful nine-hour stage production, a three-hour TV version and this DVD release, at just over five hours.

The central story is of the lifelong feud between the Pandavas and the Kauravas, two closely related regal families, but the many subplots, diversions, fables and legends turn this mythological epic into a story of and for all mankind.

• 24-page illustrated booklet with introductory and explanatory text written by Brook and Carrire.
• Synopses of the three stories.
• Details of the characters.
• Biographies and full production credits.