Main •
Sourabh Raaj Jain as
Krishna: a leader of the
Yadava clan and an incarnation of the god
Vishnu, born to restore
dharma on the Earth. He serves as both a mentor and a philosopher, shaping the course of the war and the events leading up to it through his counsel and divine interventions. Even before his direct participation in the central narrative, Krishna is depicted in a divine form in the concluding segments of each episode, where he interprets the events, relates them to daily life, and imparts moral teachings and philosophical insights. Other than few initial concern regarding his tall height and complexion, Jain stated that playing Krishna was not a challenge for him, as he remained focused on himself and welcomed the comparisons with past portrayals. Jain also expressed that he saw himself merely as a conduit for the audience, stating "I was just a medium, an actor who humbly folded his hands before every scene, seeking the purity it deserved. The experience was truly inspiring for me". Kunwar Vikram Soni portrays adolescent Krishna. •
Shaheer Sheikh as
Arjuna: the third of the five
Pandava brothers, who is a master archer and a warrior of great skill and integrity. His internal conflicts are often guided by Krishna to help him fulfil his duty and uphold dharma, particularly in the
Kurukshetra War, where Krishna imparts the
Bhagavad Gita. Sheikh underwent significant physical and mental preparation and emphasised the depth of his engagement with the character's internal struggles, which made the role "emotionally draining" and the pressure of playing the character was initially overwhelming and pushed him beyond his limits. He also described the experience as more than just acting, saying, "It wasn’t just about acting—it was about embodying the essence of a hero who represents strength, honor, and devotion". Soumya Singh portrays young Arjuna. •
Pooja B Sharma as
Draupadi: The princess of
Panchala, who becomes the common wife of the five Pandava brothers and later the empress of
Indraprastha, and subsequently, the
Kuru kingdom. Born from fire, she is prophesied to bring upheaval to the lands of
Aryavarta, and her life is marked by hardships, including the
cheer haran (disrobing episode) where she is humiliated in the court of Kuru Kingdom. The event becomes one of the catalysts for the great war. Sharma described the character as a "strong, just, dignified woman with a strong sense of self". She found the role physically and emotionally demanding, especially the
cheer harana episode. She also highlighted how this version deeply explored Draupadi’s bond with Krishna, a dynamic which was just merely established in previous adaptations. Despite the challenges, she found the experience enriching and transformative, stating, "Draupadi's character was powerful for me and it made me strong". •
Arpit Ranka as
Duryodhana: the eldest of the hundred
Kaurava brothers, and
Kuru kingdom’s crown prince, whose desire for power, pride and enmity with the Pandavas fuels the Kurukshetra War. Transitioning to television, Ranka was initially hesitant to accept the role of Duryodhana but was convinced by the show's creator,
Siddharth Kumar Tewary, after understanding the project's grandeur. He described Duryodhana as a powerful character with depth, stating, "I think Duryodhan is the most powerful character of Mahabharat, and I feel that I have certain qualities of Duryodhana. Whatever Duryodhan has done he has a reason for that. Maybe I would have reacted the same way like Duryodhan."
Alam Khan portrays young Duryodhana. •
Aham Sharma as
Karna: the premarital son of the sun god
Surya and
Kunti, the mother of the Pandavas, who is abandoned at birth and raised by a charioteer couple. Despite his exceptional archery skills, he is denied opportunities due to his perceived low birth, but finds acceptance in Duryodhana, who crowns him king of
Anga. Karna becomes the rival of Arjuna, even after learning he is the Pandavas' elder half-brother. Cast later than others, Sharma deeply immersed himself in Karna’s struggles, finding emotionally intense scenes, like his final conversation with Kunti, particularly draining. Sharma saw Karna as a resilient figure who never wavered in his beliefs despite social rejection. Vidyut Xavier portrays adolescent Karna. •
Rohit Bhardwaj as
Yudhishthira: the eldest Pandava, born to Kunti through the god
Dharma, and a paragon of justice. He becomes the emperor of Indraprastha and later the Kuru kingdom. Bhardwaj appreciated portraying Yudhishthira as a ruler who maintains patience and composure, navigating complex emotions while asserting his rightful place as king, fully aware of his capabilities, and striving to validate them through his principles. •
Saurav Gurjar as
Bhima: the second Pandava, born to Kunti through the wind god
Vayu. He is known for his strength and fiery nature, who ultimately kills all the Kauravas in the war. Initially selected for the role due to his physique rather than acting experience, Gurjar participated in acting workshops to develop his skills and researched about his character. Gurjar also noted his background in combat sports facilitated the execution of intense fight sequences. Miraj Joshi portrays young Bhima. •
Vin Rana as
Nakula: the fourth Pandava, who is known for his beauty, healing abilities, housekeeping and skill in swordsmanship. Nakula is the twin brother of Sahadeva, born to Pandu's second wife Madri through
Ashvins. Devish Ahuja portrays young Nakula. •
Lavanya Bhardwaj as
Sahadeva: the twin brother of Nakula and the fifth Pandava, who is notable for his wisdom and healing abilities. Rudhraksh Jaiswal portrays young Sahadeva. •
Arav Chowdhary as
Bhishma: the son of King
Shantanu and the goddess
Ganga, who is the revered grandsire of the
Kuru dynasty, bound by a vow of celibacy and lifelong loyalty to Hastinapur. Despite his support for the Pandavas, his vow binds him to the Kaurava side, ultimately leading him to become the commander-in-chief of their forces in the Kurukshetra War. To bring originality, Chowdharry avoided watching past portrayals, focusing instead on Bhishma’s emotional conflicts, humility and transformation from a young prince to an aged, revered elder. As the character aged, Chowdharry refined his voice, posture, and expressions. •
Praneet Bhat as
Shakuni: the prince of
Gandhara, who acts as the cunning strategist behind the plans of his nephew, Duryodhana, driven by a deep-seated grudge against the Kuru kingdom for forcing his sister,
Gandhari, into marriage with a blind prince. Bhat’s portrayal was shaped by his distinctive interpretation of the character, including the characters appearance and mannerism. Rather than depicting Shakuni as a mere villain, Bhat saw him as a devoted brother seeking retribution for the injustices faced by his family. •
Shafaq Naaz as
Kunti: the mother to the Pandavas who possesses a divine boon allowing her to invoke gods to bear children. Before her marriage, she uses it to bear Karna, and later, at the request of her husband
Pandu, she invokes the gods to bear Yudhishthira, Bhima, and Arjuna. After the death of Pandu and her co-wife, Kunti raises her sons and step-sons equally, ensuring their unity. Naaz found aspects of the role personally relatable, particularly in terms of emotional depth, patience, and understanding, considering herself as the modern version of the character. Despite being 20 years old at the time, her performance was noted for capturing the character’s maturity. •
Thakur Anoop Singh as
Dhritarashtra: the blind king of Hastinapur, who is the husband of Gandhari and father of the hundred Kauravas. Singh viewed Dhritarashtra as a multifaceted character torn between his duties as a king and his affections as a father. Understanding the complexities of playing a blind character, Singh dedicated himself to mastering the nuances required for the role, emphasising the importance of body language and expressions in conveying emotions without the use of sight. •
Riya Deepsi as
Gandhari: the princess of Gandhara and the wife of Dhritarashtra, who blindfolds herself as a mark of wifely devotion. Despite her virtues, she is unable to guide her sons, the Kauravas. Initially offered the role of
Madri, 17-year-old Deepsi was ultimately cast as Gandhari, despite concerns about her age. Deepsi found the role challenging as it concealed what her family and friends considered her most beautiful feature. Relying on body language to convey emotions, she credited her four years of theatre experience for helping her adapt to the role’s complexities. •
Nirbhay Wadhwa as
Dushasana: the second of the Kauravas, who serves as Duryodhana’s brother and loyal follower, infamous for his role in Draupadi’s humiliation.
Recurring •
Sayantani Ghosh as
Satyavati: a fisherwoman who marries King
Shantanu after securing a promise that her future son will inherit the throne. Satyavati rises to become the matriarch of the Kuru dynasty and is the great-grandmother of the Pandavas and Kauravas. Discussing the prominence of Satyavati’s character in the series, Ghosh stated that while many associate the Mahabharata solely with the Pandavas and Kauravas, it also encompasses deeper narratives, such as Satyavati’s, which are crucial to the epic yet often overlooked. •
Sameer Dharmadhikari as
Shantanu: King of Hastinapur, Ganga and
Satyavati's husband and
Bhishma, Chitrangada and Vichtravirya's father. •
Vivana Singh as Devi
Ganga: A river goddess who marries Shantanu, and the mother of Bhishma. •
Aparna Dixit as
Ambika: Vichitravirya's first wife and Dhritarashtra's mother. •
Mansi Sharma as
Ambalika: Vichitravirya's second wife and Pandu's mother. •
Puneet Issar as
Parshurama: The sixth avatar of Lord Vishnu and the teacher of Bhishma, Drona, and Karna •
Arun Singh Rana as
Pandu: The younger brother of Dhritarashtra, who became the king of Hastinapura due to former's blindness, until his renouncement of the throne. Pandu's inability to have children led him to seek the intervention of the gods, who granted him sons through his wives Kunti and Madri, making him the acknowledged father of the Pandavas. •
Suhani Dhanki as
Madri: the princess of
Madra and the second wife of Pandu. She is the mother of Nakula and Sahadeva and entrusted them to Kunti’s care before her death alongside Pandu. • Naveen Jinger as
Vidura: the wise prime minister of Hastinapur and the half-brother of Dhritarashtra and Pandu. • Nissar Khan as
Drona: a warrior sage and the royal preceptor of the Pandavas and Kauravas. He is devoted to his role as mentor of the Kuru Kingdom, eventually becoming the second commander-in-chief of the Kaurava side during Kurukshetra War. •
Ankit Mohan as
Ashwatthama: a fierce warrior and son of Drona. He is loyal to Duryodhana, and takes his vengeance after the Kurukshetra War. •
Sudesh Berry as
Drupada: The King of Panchala, and the father of Shikhandini, Dhristadyumna, and Draupadi. He is involved in a longstanding feud with Drona. •
Karan Suchak as
Dhrishtadyumna: the twin brother of Draupadi, who is born from the fire to bring the end of Drona. Dhrishtadyumna serves as the commander of the Pandava forces during the Kurukshetra War. •
Shikha Singh as
Shikhandini: the daughter of Drupada and the reincarnation of Amba. Raised as a male warrior with the mission of bringing about Bhishma's downfall, she ultimately exchanges her sex with a Yaksha to fully participate in battle. •
Tarun Khanna as
Balrama: Krishna's elder brother and a teacher of Bhima and Duryodhana. Vedant Sawant as Adolescent Balarama •
Veebha Anand as
Subhadra: an incarnation of goddess
Yogamaya and the half-sister of Krishna. She marries Arjuna and gives birth to Abhimanyu. •
Paras Arora as
Abhimanyu: The young son of Arjuna and Subhadra. Though he is killed during the Kurukshetra War, the Pandavas' lineage continued with his son, Parikshit. • Kaushik Chakravorty as
Shalya: King of
Madra and Madri's elder brother. •
Hemant Choudhary as
Kripa: Royal teacher of Kauravas and Pandavas. • Ajay Mishra as
Sanjaya: Dhritarashtra's advisor and charioteer. • Sandeep Arora as
Vikarna: a Kaurava prince, notable for opposing Duryodhana during the
cheer haran. Raj Anadkat played young Vikarna •
Ali Hassan as
Jayadratha: the King of Sindhu Kingdom and the brother-in-law of the Kauravas. • Hassan also portrayed
Takshak: Nagraj and Ruler of Takshila who killed Arjuna's grandson Parikshit. •
Nazea Hasan Sayed as
Vrushali: the wife of Karna •
Vaishnavi Dhanraj as
Hidimbā: A
Rakshasi and the first wife of Bheema. •
Ketan Karande as
Ghatotkacha: Bheema and Himdimbā's son, who was killed by Karna during the war. • Rio Kapadia as Subala: King of Gandhara and the father of Shakuni and Gandhari •
Shweta Gautam as Sudharma: Queen of Gandhar, Subala's wife and Shakuni and Gandhari's mother. •
Garima Jain as
Dushala: the princess of Kuru Kingdom and the only sister of the Kauravas, who married Jayadrath.
Ashnoor Kaur plays as young Dushala •
Ananya Agarwal as Malini: Draupadi's little friend. •
Anju Jadhav as Sukhada: Gandhari's maid and Yuyutsu's mother. • Jayantika Sengupta as Arshi: Shakuni's wife. • Chandani Sharma as
Kripi: Drona's wife, Ashwathama's mother, and Kripa's twin sister. • Bhakti Chauhan as
Priyamvada: Kunti's friend like maid •
Kanishka Soni as Parashvi: Vidura's wife. •
Ketaki Kadam as
Radha: Krishna's divine consort. •
Preeti Puri as
Devaki: Vasudev's wife, Kansa's sister, and Krishna's mother. • Vandana Singh as
Yashoda: Krishna's foster mother. •
Pallavi Subhash as
Rukmini: Princess of Vidharbha, and the chief queen-consort of Krishna •
Gurpreet Singh as
Rukmi: Prince of Vidharbha and Rukmini's brother. •
Akhilendra Mishra as
Kansa: Devaki's elder brother and Krishna's maternal uncle. •
Tinu Verma as
Jarasandha: King of
Magadha, killed by Bheem. • Joy Mathur as
Shishupala: Krishna's cousin and Duryodhana's friend. • Raj Premi as
Kalayavan: A demon king who was fetched to death by Krishna. •
Deepak Jethi as
Virata: the King of Matsya Kingdom, at whose court the Pandavas spent their last year of exile • Mallika Nayak as
Sudeshna: Virata's wife and the mother of Uttara and Uttar. • Rumi Khan as
Kichaka: Commander-in-chief of Matsya and Sudeshna's brother •
Richa Mukherjee as
Uttarā: King Virata and Queen Sudeshna's daughter, Uttar's younger sister, Abhimanyu's wife, and Parikshit's mother. • Pravisht Mishra as
Uttar: Virata and Sudeshna's son and Uttara's brother. • Niel Satpuda as
Prativindhya: Yudhishthira and Draupadi's son and the Eldest Upapandava. • Aman Sharma as
Sutasoma: Bheema and Draupadi's son. • Yash Joshi as
Shrutakarma: Arjuna and Draupadi's son. • Jay Joshi as
Shatanika: Nakula and Draupadi's son. • Akshay Batchua as
Shrutasena: Sahadeva and Draupadi's son. • Yagya Saxena as
Eklavya: A devoted student of Drona who gives away his thumb as Guru Dakshina. •
Mohit Raina / Amit Mehra as
Lord Shiva: Known as the 'destroyer', a part of the Trinity;Supreme Being • Sachin Verma / Nikhil Arya as
Lord Indra: God of rains, King of heaven and Bali and Arjuna's father. •
Sandeep Rajora as
Lord Surya: Lord Sun and Sugriva and Karna's father. •
Kunal Bhatia as
Lord Agni: God of fire. •
Vishal Kotian as
Lord Hanuman: Rama's devotee, Vayu's son, and Bheema's elder spiritual brother. • Manish Bishla as Chitrasena (Kaurava): A son of Dhritarashtra and Gandhari, a Kaurava, he was killed by Bhima • • Aayush Shah as young
Ashwatthama ==Production==