''Shri Krishna,'' also known as ''Krishna'' is a 1993–1999 Indian

Hindi Modern Standard Hindi (, ), commonly referred to as Hindi, is the Standard language, standardised variety of the Hindustani language written in the Devanagari script. It is an official language of India, official language of the Government ...

-language television series, created, written and directed by Ramanand Sagar. It is an adaptation of the stories of the life of

Krishna Krishna (; Sanskrit language, Sanskrit: कृष्ण, ) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the eighth avatar of Vishnu and also as the Supreme God (Hinduism), Supreme God in his own right. He is the god of protection, c ...

, based on the

Srimad Bhagavatam The ''Bhagavata Purana'' (; ), also known as the ''Srimad Bhagavatam (Śrīmad Bhāgavatam)'', ''Srimad Bhagavata Mahapurana'' () or simply ''Bhagavata (Bhāgavata)'', is one of Hinduism's eighteen major Puranas (''Mahapuranas'') and one o ...

Brahma Vaivarta Purana The ''Brahmavaivarta Purana'' (; ) is a voluminous Sanskrit text and one of the major Puranas (''Maha-purana'') of Hinduism. It is an important Vaishnava text. This Purana majorly centers around the Hindu deities Radha and Krishna. Although ...

, Harivamsa,

Vishnu Purana The Vishnu Purana () is one of the eighteen Mahapuranas, a genre of ancient and medieval texts of Hinduism. It is an important Pancharatra text in the Vaishnavism literature corpus. The manuscripts of ''Vishnu Purana'' have survived into ...

Padma Purana The ''Padma Purana'' (, or ) is one of the eighteen Puranas#Mahapuranas, Major Puranas, a genre of texts in Hinduism. It is an encyclopedic text, named after the lotus in which creator god Brahma appeared, and includes large sections dedic ...

, Garga Samhita,

Bhagavad Gita The Bhagavad Gita (; ), often referred to as the Gita (), is a Hindu texts, Hindu scripture, dated to the second or first century BCE, which forms part of the Hindu epic, epic poem Mahabharata. The Gita is a synthesis of various strands of Ind ...

and

Mahabharata The ''Mahābhārata'' ( ; , , ) is one of the two major Sanskrit Indian epic poetry, epics of ancient India revered as Smriti texts in Hinduism, the other being the ''Ramayana, Rāmāyaṇa''. It narrates the events and aftermath of the Kuru ...

. The series has a total of 221 episodes. ''Shri Krishna'' was first broadcast on

DD Metro DD Metro also known as DD 2 was an Indian free-to-air television channel. It was launched in 1984 as DD2 in Delhi as an alternative to DD National. Later, it increased its coverage area by expanding to Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai. In 1993, the ...

in 1993 and it continued on through 1996; it later continued on

DD National DD National (formerly DD1) is an Indian state-owned entertainment television channel, founded by the Government of India, owned by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (India), Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. It is the flagshi ...

(which was called DD1 at the time) in 1997, but as DD refused to stream Gita Sermon, Vajranabha, and Banasura's ''Ego-Breakin''g, it was completely re-telecasted on

Zee TV ZEE TV also known as Z TV is an Indian Hindi language general entertainment pay television channel owned by Zee Entertainment Enterprises. It was launched on 1 October 1992 as the oldest privately owned television channel in India. History ...

in 1999, It also streamed on

Sony Entertainment Television Sony Entertainment Television (abbreviated as SET) is an Indian Hindi-language general entertainment pay television channel that was launched in 1995 and is owned by Culver Max Entertainment, a division of Sony Pictures. History This chann ...

in 2001, It was later re-telecasted on

in the lockdown after '' Ramayan'' and ''

Mahabharat The ''Mahābhārata'' ( ; , , ) is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India revered as Smriti texts in Hinduism, the other being the '' Rāmāyaṇa''. It narrates the events and aftermath of the Kurukshetra War, a war of succes ...

'' ended. It surpassed both the serials in terms of TRP, and was re-telecast on public demand during the lockdown in 2020 due to COVID-19 after the completion of '' Ramayan'', Shri Krishna aired on DD from 03 May to 16 December 2020, this serial was made in Hindi but has also been dubbed in languages like Telugu, Tamil etc. This serial enjoyed number 1 in terms of TRP till the 21st week of airing. This serial was also telecasted in Mauritius – Mauritius Broadcasting Corporation as early as 1991, Toronto- Channel 57, Nepal –Nepal TV, South Africa- M.Net, Indonesia- P.T. Cipta Television, Jakarta- Pendidikan, Italy- Fifth Remini Cinema International Film Festival, London- U.K.- T.V.Asia (Satellite). According to ''

The Hindustan Times ''Hindustan Times'' is an Indian English-language daily newspaper based in Delhi. It is the flagship publication of HT Media Limited, an entity controlled by the Birla family, and is owned by Shobhana Bhartia, the daughter of K. K. Birla. ...

'', "''Shri Krishna'' was one of the biggest grossers for Doordarshan during the seven years it was on air.”

Premise

This series covers various aspects of Krishna's life, including his birth, childhood antics, his role in the kingdom of Mathura, his teachings in the Bhagavad Gita, and his crucial role in the Kurukshetra War, a central event in the Mahabharata. It also delves into his relationships with characters like Radha, his childhood friend, and his interactions with other gods, demons, and mortals. In the first episode Ramanand Sagar talks about the beginning of the Kali Yuga period, and about king Parikshita being the last king and Kali Yuga starting. It also shows a glimpse of the Mahabharata War Then the series starts focusing on Shri Krishna's life like his childhood antics, and dives into his relationship with Radha, and Balrama's marriage with Revati, Nara-Narayana, Syamantaka incident, Satybhama, Jambavati's Marriage to Krishna, Rukmi's antics and Krishna's Marriage to Rukmini, Yudhishthira being declared as the crown price of Indraprastha, Lakshagriha incident, Meeting of Krishna-Sudama, Pradyumna's lifestory,

Paundraka Vasudeva Paundraka Vāsudēva was a king appearing in Mahabharata and Bhagavata Purana. According to it, he was the king of Pundra Kingdom. Some sources state he was an ally of both Jarasandha, the king of Magadha and Shakuni, the king of the Gandhara K ...

's torture on Veermani and Tara (Tarini), Draupadi's Disrobing, The

war, Vajranabha's life,

Aniruddha Aniruddha () is a character in Hindu mythology, the son of Pradyumna and Rukmavati, and the grandson of Krishna and Rukmini. He is said to have been very much like his grandfather, to the extent that he is considered by some to be a ''Jana ...

- Usha marriage,

Banasura Bana, also referred to as Banasura (), is an asura king in Hindu mythology, ruling from the city of Śoṇitapura. He is described to be the son of Mahabali. His tale of battling Krishna is described in the Bhagavata Purana. Legend A mighty asur ...

-ego breaking.

Cast

Main

* Sarvadaman D. Banerjee as

Vishnu Vishnu (; , , ), also known as Narayana and Hari, is one of the Hindu deities, principal deities of Hinduism. He is the supreme being within Vaishnavism, one of the major traditions within contemporary Hinduism, and the god of preservation ( ...

(1993 TV series) (1996) ** Swapnil Joshi as adolescent Krishna (1993) ** Ashok Kumar Balkrishnan as Child Krishna (1993) **Palak as Child Krishna (1993) * Deepak Deulkar as Balrama, Sheshanaga (1996) ** Sanjeev Sharma as Teenage Balrama (1993-1994) * Pinky Parikh as

Rukmini Rukmini (, ) is a Devi, Hindu goddess and the first queen of Krishna. She is described as the chief of Krishna's wives in Dvārakā. Rukmini is revered as the avatar of Lakshmi and is venerated primarily in Warkari, and Haridasa tradition, and ...

Lakshmi Lakshmi (; , , sometimes spelled Laxmi, ), also known as Shri (, , ), is one of the principal goddesses in Hinduism, revered as the goddess of wealth, fortune, prosperity, beauty, fertility, sovereignty, and abundance. She along with Parvat ...

(1996) * Reshma Modi as

Radha Radha (, ), also called Radhika, is a Hindu goddess and the chief consort of the god Krishna. She is the goddess of love, tenderness, compassion, and devotion. In scriptures, Radha is mentioned as the avatar of Lakshmi and also as the Prak� ...

(1993) ** Shweta Rastogi as Teenage Radha,

(1993) *Sandeep Mohan as

Arjuna Arjuna (, , Help:IPA/Sanskrit, �ɾd͡ʒun̪ə is one of the central characters of the ancient Hindu epic ''Mahabharata''. He is the third of the five Pandava brothers, and is widely regarded as the most important and renowned among them. ...

Nara The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) is an independent agency of the United States government within the executive branch, charged with the preservation and documentation of government and historical records. It is also task ...

*Phalguni Parikh as

Draupadi Draupadi (), also referred to as Krishnā, Panchali and Yajnaseni, is the central heroine of the Indian epic poetry, ancient Indian epic ''Mahabharata''. In the epic, she is the princess of Panchala Kingdom, who later becomes the empress of K ...

*Govind Khatri as

Karna Karna (Sanskrit: कर्ण, IAST: ''Karṇa''), also known as Vasusena, Anga-Raja, Sutaputra and Radheya, is one of the major characters in the Hindu epic ''Mahābhārata''. He is the son of Surya (the Sun deity) and princess Kunti (later ...

*Kumar Hegde as

Duryodhana Duryodhana (, Help:IPA/Sanskrit, ̪ʊɾjoːd̪ʱən̪ᵊ ), also known as Suyodhana, is the primary antagonist in the Hindu epic ''Mahabharata.'' He is the eldest of the Kaurava, Kauravas, the hundred sons of King Dhritarashtra and Queen Gan ...

* Raman Khatri as Dharmarajā * Mahendra Ghule as

Bhima Bhima (, ), also known as Bhimasena (, ), is a hero and one of the most prominent characters in the Hindu epic ''Mahabharata''. As the second of the five Pandava brothers, Bhima was born to Kunti—the wife of King Pandu—fathered by Vayu, the ...

Hanuman Hanuman (; , ), also known as Maruti, Bajrangabali, and Anjaneya, is a deity in Hinduism, revered as a divine ''vanara'', and a devoted companion of the deity Rama. Central to the ''Ramayana'', Hanuman is celebrated for his unwavering devotio ...

* Mukul Nag as

Ashwatthama Ashvatthama (, , also spelt as Ashwatthama and Ashvatthaman) is a character in the ancient Hindu epic ''Mahabharata''. He is the son of Drona, the royal preceptor to the Kuru princes—the Pandavas and the Kauravas. Ashvatthama is a close ...

* Premchand Sharma as

Pandu Pandu () was the king of Kuru kingdom, with capital at Hastinapur in the epic '' Mahabharata''. He was the foster-father of the five Pandavas, who are the central characters of the epic. Pandu was born pale, to Vichitravirya's second wife ...

Nakula Nakula () is a major character in the ancient Indian epic, the ''Mahabharata.'' He is the elder twin brother of Sahadeva and the fourth of the five Pandava brothers. He is the son of Divine twins, twin physician gods, Ashvins, and Madri, the ...

* Dinesh Anand, Deepak Jethi as Dushasana

Recurring

* Mona Parekh as Jambavati * Shashi Sharma as

Satyabhama Satyabhama (IAST'': Satyabhāmā)'' , also known as Satrajiti, is a Hindu goddess and the third queen consort of the Hindu god Krishna. Satyabhama is described as an incarnation of Bhumi, an aspect of Lakshmi. She is the goddess and the per ...

* Deepak Dave, Sagar Saini as

Narada Narada (, ), or Narada Muni, is a sage-divinity, famous in Hinduism, Hindu traditions as a travelling musician and storyteller, who carries news and enlightening wisdom. He is one of the Manasputra, mind-created children of Brahma, the creator ...

* Vijay Kavish as

Ugrasena Ugrasena () is a character mentioned in the Hindu epic, Mahabharata. He is the King of Mathura, a kingdom that was established by the Vrishni tribes from the Yadavamsha clan. His son Kamsa was a cousin of Krishna's mother, Devaki. King Ugrase ...

Shiva Shiva (; , ), also known as Mahadeva (; , , Help:IPA/Sanskrit, ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐh and Hara, is one of the Hindu deities, principal deities of Hinduism. He is the God in Hinduism, Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions w ...

(1993) **

Amit Pachori Amit Pachori is an Indian television and film actor. He is best known for playing Tatya Tope in '' Ek Veer Stree Ki Kahani... Jhansi Ki Rani'', Vishnu in '' Om Namah Shivay'' and Supercop Ranveer in '' SuperCops Vs Super Villains''. Care ...

(1996) * Lata Haya as

Kunti Kunti (, un̪t̪iː ), also known as Pritha (, ">r̩t̪ʰaː/nowiki>, ), is a prominent female character in the ancient Hindu epic '' Mahabharata''. She is chiefly recognised as the mother of the central characters—the five Pandavas—h ...

* Sunil Nagar as

Bhishma Bhishma (), also known as Pitamaha, Gangaputra, and Devavrata, is a central figure in the Hindu epic Mahabharata. He was a statesman and military commander of the ancient Kuru Kingdom. Renowned for his wisdom, valor, and unwavering principles, ...

* Jayprakash Sharma as

Shakuni Shakuni (, , ) is one of the antagonists of the Hindu epic ''Mahabharata''. He was the prince of the kingdom of Gandhara when introduced, later becoming its king after the death of his father, Subala. He was the brother of Gandhari (Mahabharata), ...

* Kanu Patel as Dronacharya, Suryadeva * Tarakesh Chauhan as

Dhritarashtra Dhritarashtra () was a ruler of the ancient Kuru kingdom, featured as a central character in the Hindu epic ''Mahabharata''. He is also attested in the ''Yajurveda'', where he is acknowledged as the son of King Vichitravirya. According to th ...

* Jyotin Dave as

Indra Indra (; ) is the Hindu god of weather, considered the king of the Deva (Hinduism), Devas and Svarga in Hinduism. He is associated with the sky, lightning, weather, thunder, storms, rains, river flows, and war. volumes Indra is the m ...

* Anuj Sharma as

Abhimanyu Abhimanyu (, ) is a character in the ancient Hindu epic ''Mahābhārata''. He was a young and valiant warrior of the Kuru lineage, born to Arjuna—the third Pandava brother—and Subhadra—a Yadava princess. He was also one of the few indivi ...

* N. Jitendra as Kripa * Vijay Sharma as

Vidura Vidura (), plays a key role in the Hindu epic ''Mahabharata''. He is described as the prime minister of the Kuru kingdom and is the paternal uncle of both the Pandavas and the Kauravas. Legend Mandavya's Curse The rishi Mandavya cursed Yam ...

* Aslam Khan as Various Roles * Suneel Mattoo as Kritavarma * Neela Patel as Gandhari

Episodic appearance

* Girish Pardeshi as

Surya Surya ( ; , ) is the Sun#Dalal, Dalal, p. 399 as well as the solar deity in Hinduism. He is traditionally one of the major five deities in the Smarta tradition, Smarta tradition, all of whom are considered as equivalent deities in the Panchaya ...

(During the

Samudra Manthana The Samudra Manthana () is a major episode in Hinduism that is elaborated in the Vishnu Purana, a major text of Hinduism. The Samudra Manthana explains the origin of the elixir of eternal life, amrita. Nomenclature *Sāgara manthana (साग� ...

) * Manish Sharma as Pradyumna * Anupama Pardeshi as

Mohini Mohini (Sanskrit: मोहिनी, ') is the Hindu goddess of enchantment. She is the only female avatar of the Hindu god Vishnu. She is portrayed as a ''femme fatale'', an enchantress, who maddens lovers and demons, sometimes leading them ...

* Navneet Chaddha as

* Sonia Kapoor as

Subhadra Subhadra (, ) is a character in the ancient Hindu epic ''Mahabharata''. She is a princess from the Yadava clan and the sister of Krishna and Balarama. Subhadra married Arjuna, one of the Pandava brothers and had a son named Abhimanyu. Sub ...

* Basheer Khan as Bhasmasura, Dwivida, Mayasura (Shambara's son), Maya Danava * Sanjeev Siddharth as Bhaumasura * Arvind Singh Rausariya as Kālayavana, Sage Gargyata (also known as Gārgyat Muni, father of Kaal Yavana and Rājguru of Trigart kingdom), Shambara's Rājguru, Vajranābha * Shakti Singh and Unknown as

* Unknown as Maharani Vrinda (Wife of

and Mother of

Uṣā Usha (Sanskrit: उषा, International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration, IAST: Uṣā) is a character in Hindu mythology. She is the daughter of the asura king Banasura and the wife of Aniruddha, the grandson of Krishna. Her story of fa ...

) * Unknown as Maharani Sumati (Wife of Vajranabha and Mother of Prabhavati) * Pradeep Nishit as **

Drupada Drupada (), also known as Yajnasena (, ), is the king of the southern part of Panchala Kingdom, in the Hindu epic ''Mahabharata''. He is the father of Draupadi, the epic's lead female character. In the Kurukshetra War as the head of 1 akshauhi ...

(1995–1996) ** Parshurama (1999) **

Vyasa Vyasa (; , ) or Veda Vyasa (, ), also known as Krishna Dvaipayana Veda Vyasa (, ''Vedavyāsa''), is a ''rishi'' (sage) with a prominent role in most Hindu traditions. He is traditionally regarded as the author of the epic Mahabharata, Mah� ...

(1999) * Gautam Chaturvedi as

* Arun Mathur as Shambara * Niharika Bhatt as Shambara's wife, Vajranābha's Grandmother * Jharna Dave as Māyāvati, Hidimbi,

Durga Durga (, ) is a major Hindu goddess, worshipped as a principal aspect of the mother goddess Mahadevi. She is associated with protection, strength, motherhood, destruction, and wars. Durga's legend centres around combating evils and demonic ...

* Radhakrishna Dutta as Uttanka,

Vishwakarma Vishvakarma or Vishvakarman (, ) is a craftsman deity and the divine architect of the Deva (Hinduism), devas in contemporary Hinduism. In the early texts, the craftsman deity was known as Tvastar and the word "Vishvakarma" was originally used a ...

Jarasandha Jarasandha () is a king featured in the Hindu Mythology. He is the powerful monarch of Magadha, and a minor antagonist in Mahabharata. He is the son of the king Brihadratha, the founder of the Barhadratha dynasty of Magadha. According to popu ...

* Neel Kamal as Kumbhketu (Shambarasura's Son) * Damini Kanwal Shetty (Seema Kanwal) as

Yashoda Yashoda (, ) is the foster-mother of Krishna and the wife of Nanda. She is described in the Puranic texts of Hinduism as the wife of Nanda, the chieftain of Gokul, and the sister of Rohini. According to the Bhagavata Purana, Krishna was bo ...

* Sulakshana Khatri as

Rohini Rohini may refer to: People * Rohini (given name), including a list of persons and characters with the name * Rohini (actress) (born 1969), Indian actress, screenwriter, and director * Rohini (Buddha's disciple), female disciple * Rohini (goddes ...

* Shahnawaz Pradhan as

Nanda Baba Nanda or Nandagopa (, ) is a cow-herd chief, and the foster-father of Krishna, featured in the Harivamsha and the Puranas. Nanda is the son of Parjanya, a ruler of the Vraja region, who is a son of Devamidha. He is the chief of Gokulam, which ...

, Shurasena, Chanura, Maha Bali * Pinky Parikh as

Yamuna The Yamuna (; ) is the second-largest tributary river of the Ganges by discharge and the longest tributary in India. Originating from the Yamunotri Glacier at a height of about on the southwestern slopes of Bandarpunch peaks of the Low ...

* Vilas Raj as

Kamsa Kamsa (, ) was the tyrant ruler of the Vrishni kingdom, with its capital at Mathura, Uttar Pradesh, Mathura. He is variously described in Hindu texts, Hindu literature as either a human or an asura; The Puranas describe him as an asura, while ...

* Jyotin Dave as King Shalya, Sage Garga * Mukul Nag as

Sudama Sudama (), also known as Kuchela (), is a childhood friend of the Hindu deity Krishna. The story of his visit to Dvaraka to meet his friend is featured in the Bhagavata Purana. In their legend, Sudama and Krishna study together as children ...

* Bhakti Narula as Tarini * Raj Premi as

Shishupala Shishupala (, ; sometimes spelt Sisupala) was the king of the Chedi kingdom, and an antagonist in the Mahabharata. He was the son of King Damaghosha and Srutashrava, the sister of Kunti, as well as the cousin of Nanda (Hinduism), Nanda. He was s ...

, Hiranyakashyap, Jaya * Paulomi Mukherjee as

Devaki Devaki (Sanskrit: देवकी, International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration, IAST: ''Devakī'') is a character in Hindu texts, Hindu literature, most noted for being the mother of the god Krishna. She is one of the seven daughters of ...

(1993) * Sunil Pandey as

Vasudeva Vasudeva (; Sanskrit: वसुदेव ), also called Anakadundubhi (''anakas'' and ''dundubhis'' both refer to ''drums'', after the musicians who played these instruments at the time of his birth), is the father of the Hindu deities Krishna ( ...

(1993) * Deepali Thosar as

Rati Rati (, ) is the Hinduism, Hindu Devi, goddess of List of love and lust deities, love, carnal desire, lust, passion, and sexual pleasure. Usually described as the daughter of ''Prajapati'' Daksha, Rati is the female counterpart, the chief consor ...

(1996) * Prairna Agrawal as Vasundhara * Papiya Sengupta as Lalita * Shyam Sunder Kalani as Chanura (Episode - 3) * Swati Anand as ** Second wife of Maharaja Brihadratha of

Magadha Magadha was a region and kingdom in ancient India, based in the eastern Ganges Plain. It was one of the sixteen Mahajanapadas during the Second Urbanization period. The region was ruled by several dynasties, which overshadowed, conquered, and ...

and

's mother (1994) ** Revati (1996) ** Shikhandini ( Amba),

Shikhandi Shikhandi () is a character in the Hindu epic Mahabharata. Born as the daughter of Drupada, the King of Panchala, Shikhandi becomes male after agreeing to a sex exchange with a yaksha. He is the brother of Draupadi, the female protagonist of th ...

(1999) ** Chitralekha (1999) * Sunil Chauhan as

Uddhava Uddhava () is a character from the Puranic texts of Hinduism, described to be the friend and counsellor of Krishna. He plays a significant role in the Bhagavata Purana, being taught the processes of yoga and bhakti directly by Krishna. The principl ...

(1993) * Pramod Kapoor as

Kali Kali (; , ), also called Kalika, is a major goddess in Hinduism, primarily associated with time, death and destruction. Kali is also connected with transcendental knowledge and is the first of the ten Mahavidyas, a group of goddesses who p ...

Akrura Akrura () is a Yadava prince in Hinduism, best known for being the uncle of the deity Krishna. The son of Śvaphalka and Gandini, a daughter of the king of Kashi,Garg, pp. 305-306. he is instructed by Kamsa to drive his nephews, Krishna and Balar ...

, Jayadratha * Girish Pardeshi as

Kama ''Kama'' (Sanskrit: काम, ) is the concept of pleasure, enjoyment and desire in Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism. It can also refer to "desire, wish, longing" in Hindu, Buddhist, Jain, and Sikh literature.Monier Williamsका� ...

Production

Shri Krishna was produced by Ramanand Sagar, Subhash Sagar, and Prem Sagar under the banner "Sagar Enterprises" and directed by Ramanand Sagar, Anand Sagar, and Moti Sagar. The role of young Krishna was played by Swapnil Joshi and adult Krishna was played by Sarvadaman D. Banerjee. Govind Khatri was initially roped in to play the role of Dushasan, however later ended with the role of

. Filming took place in

Gujarat Gujarat () is a States of India, state along the Western India, western coast of India. Its coastline of about is the longest in the country, most of which lies on the Kathiawar peninsula. Gujarat is the List of states and union territories ...

, in particular in Umbergaon and

Vadodara Vadodara (), also known as Baroda, is a city situated on the banks of the Vishwamitri River in the Indian state of Gujarat. It serves as the administrative headquarters of the Vadodara district. The city is named for its abundance of banyan ...

, where "huge sets" had been installed. Ramanand Sagar's television serial "Shri Krishna" made history in advertisement revenue for DD by earning the highest ever advertisement revenue by a single serial for DD by crossing the Rs. 70 Crore mark It was the no.1 TRP (Television Rating Points) while on the metro channel, It earned a record of Rs.14.31 Crores as advertisement revenue for DD Metro in the first year run on the network ”The national broadcaster had a limit on the number of episodes it could air in the ’80s, but the ’90s brought about a change in these rules. A producer could now make a show for a longer duration.”, commented Kavita Awasthi in '' The Hindustan’Times''.

Direction

Shri Krishna was produced by Ramanand Sagar and Prem Sagar under the banner of “Sagar Enterprises” and directed by Ramanand Sagar. The series was shot at Vrindavan studio, Umargaon studio and then later at the Sagar Film City, Vadodara. It was a massive family effort especially the entire Mahabharata war sequences were shot by multiple camera using multiple creative direction from Sagar Family members. "The visual depiction of the Bhagwat Geeta by late Dr. Ramanand Sagar is a treat to watch for film-makers, on how an abstract and philosophical subject like the Geeta can be re-told in for a mass media communication."- quote from the directors The role of young Krishna was played by Swapnil Joshi and adult Krishna was played by Sarvadaman D. Banerjee. Both the actors became hugely popular after the telecast. Swapnil Joshi is still an actor in the Marathi film industry, and Banerjee quit acting and now teaches meditation in Rishikesh. He supports the NGO "Pankh", which provides free education to slum children and livelihood skills to underprivileged women of Uttarakhand. The salary for one episode was ₹3500, and every month, this salary increased by ₹1000

Home media

In 2014, Reliance Home Video & Games and Moser Baer released it on DVDs.

Reception

The series was a popular success to the point that, according to Kavita Awaasthi in ''

'', "Swapnil had a huge fan following because of the show. People thought he was Krishna."

References

External links

* {{Works based on the Mahabharata , state=collapsed Indian drama television series Krishna in popular culture DD Metro original programming 1993 Indian television series debuts 1997 Indian television series endings 1999 Indian television series endings 2001 Indian television series debuts Television series based on the Mahabharata