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AI-powered entertainment: Mahabharat: Ek Dharmayudh series announced
India’s legendary epic Mahabharata has been retold many times on stage and screen, but its latest avatar promises to be radically different. The series “Mahabharat: Ek Dharmayudh” has been announced by JioStar in collaboration with Collective Media Network as “India’s first AI-powered premium entertainment series”.
According to announcements, the show will stream on JioHotstar from 25 October 2025, and air on Star Plus on 26 October 2025 at 7:30 pm IST. The first instalment is reported to comprise 100 episodes, and the re-imagining uses advanced artificial intelligence tools to recreate characters, battlefields, and emotional arcs with a “cinematic scale”.
Why this matters: tradition meets technology
The appeal of Mahabharat lies in its timeless narrative: dynastic war, moral dilemmas, heroism, fate and duty. Retelling the Pandavas vs Kauravas saga again invites comparison to every major prior version — including the cult 1980s serial. What sets this project apart is its heavy reliance on AI and visual-tech innovations to deliver a fresh experience.
As one feature article notes, “When a timeless epic meets groundbreaking technology, the outcome can be pure magic.” The production houses frame this as a bridge between heritage and future-thinking storytelling: “a fusion of a timeless epic and machine intelligence that mirrors the spirit of a new India.”
In a media landscape increasingly digital, this is significant. It signals that mythological/cultural content — long the domain of traditional TV — is being re-imagined for OTT, advanced VFX, AI workflows, and immersive storytelling. It might well set a benchmark for large-scale Indian productions combining myth and tech.
What to expect: features & release strategy
Story and scale: The series chronicles the epic war between the Pandavas and Kauravas, re-visualised using AI to render sweeping landscapes, large-scale battle sequences, layered emotional moments and iconic characters with improved realism.
Technology at play: While full technical details are scant, promotional material emphasises “AI-powered”, meaning likely a mix of AI-driven VFX, potentially AI assistance in scripting/visuals/character creation, and advanced post-production workflows. The goal: “immersive visual experience” blending tradition with tech.
Release schedule:
- OTT premiere: 25 October 2025 on JioHotstar (and other platforms such as WAVES OTT in some reports).
- TV premiere: 26 October 2025 on Star Plus at 7:30 pm.
- Additional broadcast: Reports mention Sunday morning telecast on Doordarshan from 2 November.
Episode count: First instalment of 100 episodes, suggesting a large-scale commitment and multi-episodic narrative.
Voices behind the project & the pitched vision
Key figures have shared their rationale and aspirations:
- Vijay Subramaniam, Founder & Group CEO of Collective Artists Network, stated: “For many of us, the Mahabharat is more than just a story… With AI Mahabharat, we get to experience those same timeless stories in a completely new way, brought to life through the power of modern AI technology.”
- Kevin Vaz, CEO Entertainment of JioStar, noted: “The entertainment we offer our viewers … is as much about leveraging the power of technology to enhance the viewing experience. ‘Mahabharat: Ek Dharmayudh’ is a celebration of that belief – a fusion of a timeless epic and machine intelligence that mirrors the spirit of a new India.”
These quotes highlight the dual ambition: to honour the epic’s cultural legacy and to innovate with production technology, and reach younger, tech-native viewers.
The opportunities and risks
Pros:
- Fresh appeal to younger audiences accustomed to high-end visuals and digital platforms.
- May set new benchmarks in Indian mythological-epic production.
- Could boost OTT growth, inspire similar projects merging culture & tech.
- Gives revival to a story many still hold dear, now in a new form.
Cons/Challenges:
- The risk of overselling the “AI-powered” tag and under-delivering in execution: viewers may be critical if visuals or storytelling fall short.
- Balancing spectacle with substance: Mahabharat’s strength is its emotional, moral and philosophical core. If technology shadows the heart, critics may respond.
- Audience segmentation: Traditional TV viewers may prefer older versions; OTT viewers may expect global-class VFX. Meeting both is a tall order.
- Job/industry implications: Some viewers already express concern that heavy AI use may reduce human creative involvement or jobs
Broader significance for the Indian entertainment industry
This project comes at a key moment for Indian content-creation: competition from global streaming, demand for bigger scale, and a push for “Make in India” and “Digital India” storytelling. The series has been described as embodying “heritage and innovation moving forward together”.
If successful, Mahabharat: Ek Dharmayudh could pave the way for:
- More large-budget mythological/epic series with tech-heavy production.
- Greater integration of AI in VFX, post-production workflows in Indian media.
- Increased OTT+TV hybrid release strategies for big spectacles.
- A renewed interest in Indian cultural narratives told with global production quality.
Final thoughts
Mahabharat: Ek Dharmayudh is much more than “another remake” of a classic. It stands at the intersection of culture, storytelling and technology. Its success will depend on how deeply it respects the core of the Mahabharata – its characters, emotions, philosophies – even as it uses new tools to amplify the spectacle.
For viewers, the appeal is immediate: the familiar story of duty, war, honor, regret, redemption — now dressed in immersive new visuals, possibly reinvented for a generation accustomed to cinematic scale and AI-enhanced storytelling.
But for creatives and the industry, it’s a test case: can mythological epics be meaningfully re-imagined for the digital era? Can Indian media merge heritage and tech without diluting either?
As the series launches later this month (25/26 October), all eyes will be on how audiences react — whether they embrace the new avatar, resist it, or somewhere in between. Either way, Mahabharat: Ek Dharmayudh promises to be a landmark moment in Indian entertainment history.
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