Chandra Nandini

''Chandra Nandini'' is an Indian Hindi-language historical fictional drama television series which aired on StarPlus from 10 October 2016 until 10 November 2017. It was produced by Ekta Kapoor under her banner Balaji Telefilms and directed by Ranjan Kumar Singh. Starring Rajat Tokas as Chandragupta Maurya and Shweta Basu Prasad as a princess Nandni, the story is loosely based on the life of Chandragupta Maurya.

Synopsis

The show starts with a voice-over of mother India saying about Chandragupta Maurya and Nandini. A local king, Suryagupta Maurya rules the country with his pregnant wife, Moora. An invitation comes from Magadha for a festival. When they go there, the Queen of Magadha, Avantika is cheating her husband with a barber named Nanda. When Suryagupta finds it, Nanda kills the King of Magadha. Then, Nanda kills Suryagupta and becomes Mahapadma Nanda, the Emperor of Magadha. Moora escapes and delivers a boy. She hides her son in a cattle pound and is arrested by Nanda. A woman named Kanika finds Moora's son and adopts him as Chandra, unaware of his truth.

8 years later

Chandra lives with his adopted parents. Moora is still in Nanda's prison and waits for her son. Nanda and Avantika had a daughter, Nandini after nine sons. Meanwhile, Chandra leaves home as Kanika suffers from her husband because of him. He reaches Magadha and meets Chanakya, who tries to save Magadh from Nanda. Chanakya sees Chandra's talents and realizes that Chandra is the future king. He keeps Chandra in his presence and teaches him.

9 years later

Now, Chandra is grown up and becomes talented. He tries to attack Magadha and eventually succeeds with the help of small kings. Nandini marries Chandra to save her mother and kingdom. Eventually, love blossoms between them. Nandini's twin sister, Roopa tries to kill Nandini. Nanda stabs Nandini mistaking her to be Roopa, post which Nandini realizes about Nanda's reality. Nanda and Seleucus plan to attack Chandra. Chandra convinces Seleucus not to fight against him and decides to make Nicator's daughter, Helena as the chief queen of Magadha. Chandra's second wife, Durdhara, who is pregnant, becomes sick. Helena poisons Durdhara and kills her. Durdhara's son, Bindusara was taken out by surgery. Helena makes Chandra into believing that Nandini killed Durdhara. Believing her, Chandra banishes Nandini out of Magadha.

1 year later

Chandra now lives with Helena and Bindusara. Nandini is teaching other royal kids at a Gurukul. Chandra brings Nandini back to Magadh and as Bindusara's nanny. Nanda and his minister, Amatya Rakshas send a Vishkanya (poisonous seductress) to Magadha to kill Chandra. She arrives in the Magadha as a princess Vishaka. Vishaka tries to seduce Chandra, and he pretends to fall in love with her to irritate Nandini.

Chandra decides to marry Vishaka, and he prepares for the grand wedding. Vishaka's plans to kill Chandra all go in vain every time because Nandini intervenes and saves him. Nandini exposes Vishaka, and the Vishkanya is imprisoned. Helena's mother, Apama slow poisons Nandini. Nandini is pushed into a very critical state and finally saved by Vishaka's poison. Chandra exposes Apama as Durdhara's murderer and apologises to Nandini for his mistakes.

8 years later

Chandra and Nandini are leading a happy life with Bindusara. Nandini is pregnant with Chandra's child. Helena feels jealous and manipulates Bindusara into believing that Nandini had killed Durdhara in past. Blindly believing Helena, Bindusara starts to hate Nandini and decides to take revenge. In a hunting trip, Bindusara pushes Nandini from a cliff. He lies to everyone that Nandini had slipped from the cliff accidentally. Chandra grieves for Nandini's death and forgets his royal duties.

10 years later

Chandra is living like an ascetic after Nandini's unexpected death. Magadha is now under Helena's rule. Bindusara, Malayketu and Chaaya's son, Bhadraketu, Helena's children, Alice and Adonis, are all grown up. Helena is still keeping Bindusara as her puppet and poisons his mind. On the other hand, Nandini is alive and is saved by an older man. She has lost her memory and lives as Prabha now. She shares a motherly bond with the older man's granddaughter, Dharma. Prabha and Dharma visit Magadh as servants in the royal palace. Dharma started to hold a grudge against Bindusara. Chandra also finds Prabha, and he makes her his queen again. However, Helena provokes Bindusara against Chandra, which results in a great misunderstanding. Bindusara marries a princess Charumati, who ill-treats Dharma. Alice falls in love with Prince Karthikey of Champanagar and wishes to marry him. She also informs her mother, Helena. Helena decides to make Chitralekha, Karthikey's sister to marry Bindusara so that Alice can marry Karthikeyan. She prepares for the wedding ceremony. On the wedding day, Chithraleka, who is already in love with Bhadraketu, runs away and asks Dharma to replace her in the marriage. Dharma unwillingly marries Bindusara. Later he thanks her for saving his dignity and promises that he will soon break the marriage. A new problem arises when Bhimdev claims Nandini to be his wife, Savitri, who enters the palace. Chandra and Nandini's relationship is put to the test.

It is then revealed that this man is a sorcerer, and he, along with his wife Mohini, put black magic on Chandra to separate him and Nandini. They are ordered by a mysterious person named Swanand to kill Chandra. But, Chanakya finds out about the secret of Bhimdev and Mohini. Both Chanakya and Nandini save Chandra from the effects of black magic. Nandini regains her memory and realizes her true identity.

Finally, the mysterious man, Swanand, attacks Magadh and tries to kill Chandra and takeover Magadh. But, Chandra and Bindusara overpower his army, and they kill him. Chandra and Nandini are reunited. Chandra forgives Helena on Nandini's request and sends her back to Greece with her children. Bindusara apologises to Nandini for his past mistakes. He starts to like Dharma, and they all live happily.

Cast

Main cast

* Rajat Tokas as Chandragupta Maurya aka Chandra – Emperor of Magadha; Suryagupta and Moora's son; Chhaya's brother; Chanakya's student; Durdhara’s widower; Helena and Nandini's husband; Bindusara, Alice and Adonis's father (2016-2017)
** Jineet Rath as Child Chandragupta. (2016)
* Shweta Basu Prasad as Chief Empress Nandini Maurya – Nanda and Avantika's daughter; Roopa's twin sister; Chandragupta's third wife; Bindusara and Dharma's adoptive mother. (2016–17) / Roopa - Nandini's evil twin (2016)
** Angel Roopchandani as Child Princess Nandini. (2016)
* Saanvi Talwar as Empress Durdhara Maurya – Chandragupta's first wife; Bindusara's mother. (2016–17)
*Tanu Khan as Former Chief Empress Helena Maurya – Seleucus and Apama's daughter; Chandragupta's second wife; Alice and Adonis's mother, Bindusara's step-mother. (2016–17)

Recurring cast

* Siddharth Nigam as Crown Prince Bindusara Maurya – Chandragupta and Durdhara's son; Nandini's adopted son; Alice and Adonis's half-brother; Charumitra and Dharma's husband. (2017)
** Ayaan Zubair Rahmani as Child Prince Bindusara (2017)
*Avneet Kaur as Princess Charumitra/Charumati Maurya – Bindusara's first wife. (2017)
* Prerna Sharma as Dharma Maurya – Nandini's adopted daughter; Bindusara's second wife. (2017)
* Arpit Ranka as Samrat Mahapadma Nanda – Former Emperor of Magadha; Avantika's husband; Nandini and her nine brother's father (2016–17)Arpit Ranka