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An epic 18-day battle unfolds through the perspectives of 18 warriors, revealing their inner struggles and ethical challenges during a war between brothers.
Episodes
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E1: SanjayWhen diplomatic talks between the feuding Pandavas and Kauravas fall apart, the messenger Sanjay must deliver difficult news — war is near. -
E2: VishwaroopAs the battle begins, Lord Krishn reveals the wisdom of the Bhagavad Gita through divine radiance as he guides a torn Arjun towards fulfilling his duty.
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E3: BhishmIn the story of Bhishm, Krishn recalls the abduction of Princess Amba. But her transformation into Shikhandi will lead to death on the battlefield.
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E4: DronacharyaDronacharya rises to the role of commander of the Kauravas. But when his plan to stop Yudhishthir's coronation fails, he makes a deadly vow.
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E5: AbhimanyuAbhimanyu, the Pandava prince, steps onto the battlefield to combat Dronacharya's complex assault. But tragedy occurs at the hands of the Kauravas.
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E6: JayadrathThe grieving Pandavas cast blame for their loss. When Jayadrath is mentioned, Draupadi has disturbing memories. Enraged, Arjun prepares to fight.
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E7: ArjunWith Krishn's cosmic aid, Arjun seeks revenge from Jayadrath, while attempting to counter an age-old curse.
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E8: GhatotkachA nighttime battle rages, led by Ghatotkach, Bheem's half-demon son. For the Kauravas, one choice remains — a weapon reserved to fight Arjun.
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E9: YudhisthirAfter an injury sidelines him, honorable Yudhishthir returns to a fateful crossroads — must he uphold truth or surrender to falsehood?
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E10: KripacharyaKripacharya hosts a unique duel between Ashwatthama and Karn to determine the next commander, but rage and violence soon follow.
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E11: KuntiAs he prepares to take on leadership, Karn reflects on his relationship with his birth mother, Kunti, and his vow to defeat Arjun.
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E12: DushasanHaunted by Draupadi's humiliation, Bheem sets out to target Dushasan in a brutal attack for revenge.
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E13: KarnTo defeat Arjun, Karn requests the skilled rider Shalya to take him into battle. But he soon faces the charioteer's ridicule and an old curse.
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E14: DuryodhanDuryodhan flees the battlefield after Shalya's death, finding a hideout within Lake Dwaipayana as the Pandavas search for him.
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E15: BheemBheem and Duryodhan finally face each other in war, while Krishn and Lord Balaram argue over incidents of unlawful fighting on both sides.
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E16: AshwatthamaDriven by wrath, Ashwatthama leads a devastating massacre. But when his vengeance threatens the world, Krishn steps in to stop him.
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E17: Stree ParvA grief-stricken Gandhari meets Krishn — and leaves him with an ominous curse. The Pandava women mourn their losses in Kurukshetra.
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E18: KrishnAfter Yudhishthir's coronation, Krishn leaves for Dwarka, carrying reminders of Gandhari's words as one family collapses and another rises.
Kurukshetra Review: Star Rating:
Cast: Vinod Sharma, Sahil Vaid, Saumya Daan, Annamaya Verma, Manoj Pandey, Himanshu Rana, Neha Gargava, Neshma Chemburkar, Pawan Kalra, Krutarth Trivedi
Creator: Anu Sikka
Director: Kaushik Ganguly, Ujaan Ganguly
Streaming On: Netflix
Language: Hindi, English, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada
Runtime: 9 episodes of 30 minutes each
“Paanch paanch patiyon ki patraani, jise khel khel mein aapne daasi kar diya, use ab aur kya dena shesh hai Maharaj?” An angry Draupadi tells this to an already embarrassed Maharaj Yudishthir, in one of the scenes of Kurukshetra. Leading to one of the darkest revenge tales, Kurukshetra, is a new web series that arrived on Netflix.
This mega-project, is an animated series which aims to present the Antim Mahayudh – the Mahabharata in an altogether different perspective. While this superb concept could have been a war declaration on the established mythology genre in India, it falls short of its ambition, right in the middle.
Kurukshetra Review: What’s It About:
So, the premise of Kurukshetra is brilliant – based on the Mahabharata, the web series bravely attempts to tell the story of the 18-day battle through the eyes of 18 different warriors. However, does it serve justice to this brilliant premise, or does it simply fall flat on the battlefield? Well, the answer is not a single Yes or No. The web series works brilliantly in parts and apart from the minuscule flaws, which turn big over the entire nine episodes, it is a well-made web series!
Kurukshetra Review: What Works:
Mostly, Mahabharata and its retellings have three to four major plotlines – the major one being Draupadi’s perspective. One of the perspectives is Karna, the other one is Kunti, and finally, it is the family that has never lived together happily! Apart from these four perspectives, no one has offered anything new for a long time. But Netflix’s web series sets up a brilliant premise – moving beyond the traditional Pandava-Kaurava dichotomy and diving into the agonizing, moral conflicts of the supporting players of the Mahabharata. Part 1 of the web series consists of nine episodes, giving us the crucial details of the battle and the backstories of the warriors, taking us forward one day at a time into the Mahayudh!
The political manipulation and personal grief become a strong core of Kurukshetra, and their raw intensity makes this a story of revenge that would turn a hero for the kids to let them know about the story of the Mahabharata. While the animation is competent, the overall scale is massive, and it makes sure that one realizes that animation is not just for the kids!
Kurukshetra Review: Star Performance:
The undisputed star of the animated web series is undoubtedly the voice of Gulzar Sahab. He has narrated the entire tale, and this is the biggest star-power flex of this series. His narration single-handedly elevates the entire web series from the word go. When he speaks of the eternal nature of dharma and karma, the series finds its soul. However, the second winner for this web series is the conscious choice to view the epic through 18 different lenses. This is a writing triumph that works in favor of this web series.
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Kurukshetra Review: What Doesn’t Work:
Kurukshetra Part 1 treats the epic with respect and stories that capture the Mahayudh’s gravity. It truly looks like the biggest animated project to emerge from the country in years. However, the only mistake this series makes is the casting of the voices! Except for Gulzar Sahab, none of the voices hold you enough, probably because of the lack of star power! This turns a sin for this web series that should have brought some known voices to echo the sentiments of Lord Krishna, Arjuna, and Panchali, at least!
All the voices are generic, and in a character-driven epic, this is a major turn-off! The series holds back major warriors of the Mahabharata for the second part. However, it builds enough intrigue through the nine stories of Sanjay, Vishwaroop, Bhishm, Dronacharya, Abhimanyu, Jayadrath, Arjun, Ghatotkach, and Yudishthir.
Kurukshetra Review: Last Words:
Despite Lord Krishna’s life-altering Bhagavad Gita to Arjuna, and the devastating, heart-wrenching slaughter of Abhimanyu, Kurukshetra shows that none walked away from this war guilt-free! Apart from the flaws in the voice-casting department, Kurukshetra Part 1 works brilliantly because it finally dissects Mahabharata at its basic – a war that needs to dissect its warriors. Something that none aimed to date. Progressing through the 18 days of the war and picking a story of a warrior for that day is a total winner!
However, the strongest line of this web series was introduced in the trailer itself – Ant hi Antim Hai, Neeche Bhoomi, Upar Nakshatra Hai, Ye Kurukshetra Hai!
3.5 stars!
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