The Great Maratha is an Indian historical drama television series directed by Sanjay Khan and produced by Numero Uno International Limited.[1] The drama aired on DD National.[2] The series is based on the life of Mahadaji Shinde.[3] The show comprised 47 episodes.[4] The music was composed by Mohammed Zahur Khayyam.
| The Great Maratha | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Genre | Historical drama |
| Written by | Sanjay Khan Mohafiz Hyder Reoti Saran Sharma Manoher D. Malgonkar |
| Directed by | Sanjay Khan |
| Creative director | S.M.Sadiq |
| Starring | Shahbaz Khan Parikshit Sahni Farida Jalal Tom Alter Irrfan Khan Mrinal Kulkarni Kartika Rane Mukesh Khanna |
| Composer | Mohammed Zahur Khayyam |
| Country of origin | India |
| Original language | Hindi |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 47 |
| Production | |
| Executive producer | S. Mirza Khan |
| Producer | Sanjay Khan |
| Production location | Samod |
| Cinematography | Tony Rode |
| Editors | Sushil Deshpande Zahir Allauddin |
| Production company | Numero Uno International Limited |
| Original release | |
| Network | DD National |
| Release | 1 February – 20 December 1994 |
Plot
editThe series starts with the events of 1759 in Delhi, during the declining Mughal empire under emperor Shah Alam II. Weakness of the Mughal empire leads to the invasion of Ahmad Shah Durrani and his army faces the Maratha army on 14 January 1761. The cataclysmic defeat of the Marathas in this Third Battle of Panipat lead to the death of 50000 Marathas and many more. Witnessing this defeat, the Peshwa Balaji Baji Rao dies of mental depression. Then the show follows the life of Mahadji Shinde who was gravely wounded in the battle. But soon Maratha Empire, with his help, recovered Maratha power in North India, restoring Mughal emperor's moral authority as Mughal empire came under Maratha protection. He was awarded the title of grand visier by the Mughal emperor. There is a romance between Mahadji and princess Jumna, blossoming into marriage. Mahadji and Indore's queen Ahilya Bai Holkar develop attraction and have a sublime relationship where they help each other. The British are kept in check due to his efforts. The movie ends by depicting a fictional account of Mahadji being poisoned by jealous Maratha subordinates.[1]
Cast
edit- Prince Singh as Malhar Rao Holkar
- Arun Mathur as Maharaja Suraj Mal Jats
- Bal Dhuri as Balaji Baji Rao, Nana saheb peshwa
- Shahbaz Khan as Mahadji Scindia
- Farida Jalal as Chimna Bai
- Kartika Rane as Jamuna Bai/Yamunabai
- Deepraj Rana as Jankoji Rao Scindia
- Pankaj Dheer as Sadashivrao Bhau
- Sanjay Swaraj as Vishwasrao
- Mangal Dhillon as Dattaji Rao Scindia
- Firoz Ali as Tukoji Rao Scindia
- Mukesh Khanna as Ibrahim Khan Gardi
- Rajesh Joshi as Vithal Shivdev Vinchurkar
- Gaazi Shah as Rana Khan
- Shama Deshpande as Gopikabai
- Rahul Awasthee as Madhavrao I
- Madhura Deo as Ramabai Peshwa
- Rinku Dhawan as Gangabai Sathe
- Hariom Parashar as Nana Phadnavis
- Parikshat Sahni as Malhar Rao Holkar
- Mrinal Kulkarni as Ahilyabai Holkar
- Seema Kelkar/Anju Mahendru as Harku Bai Sahib Holkar
- Sanjay Mehendirata as Tukoji Rao Holkar
- Bhushan Jeevan as Raghunath Rao
- Utkarsha Naik as Anandibai
- Rishabh Shukla as Shah Alam II
- Jitendra Trehan as Imad-ul-Mulk
- Irrfan Khan as Najib ad-Dawlah also Ghulam Kadir
- Bob Christo as Ahmed Shah Abdali
- Maya Alagh as Begum Sadh-ruh-Nissa of Awadh
- Benjamin Gilani as Nawab Shuja-Ud-Daula
- Faqir Nabi as Barkhurdar Khan
- Tom Alter as Robert Clive
- Noshirwan Jehangir as Warren Hastings
- Arun Bali as Mansoor Shah Baba / Alamgir II
- Sunil Nagar as Benoit De Boigne
References
edit- ^ a b "Metro Plus Chennai / Telewatch : The return of the Sultan". The Hindu. 17 May 2006. Archived from the original on 5 January 2011. Retrieved 20 July 2012.
- ^ Chandra, Anupama (15 March 1994). "Khan brothers back with flamboyant projects for big and small screens". India Today.
- ^ "Sanjay Khan's 'The Great Warrior' on Ultra home video". Indiantelevision.com. 1 August 2009. Retrieved 20 July 2012.
- ^ "The Great Maratha DVD VCD TV Series - TV Serial Sanjay Khans". Shoppingonlineindia.com. Retrieved 2 August 2012.