Netflix is adapting the Mahabharata into a brand new animated series
The Mahabharata is one of those few epics in the world that has been told and retold so many times, yet there is always scope for something new. The entire book is stitched with the DNA of Indian storytelling, and that’s what makes it so interesting. The good news is, Netflix might be bringing it with a new angle this time.
Over the years, it has been adapted into several TV shows and films, heard in poems, and watched in the form of theatrics. But this October, Netflix is giving the ancient epic a brand new canvas. The streamer is rolling out Kurukshetra, an animated series that dives headfirst into the 18-day battle at the heart of the saga.
The announcement was made quite recently, and it looks promising. The show looks like it’s about to make mythology look and feel unlike anything we’ve seen before.
But then again, do not compare it with just another retelling of gods and warriors. Kurukshetra is designed like a character study on a battlefield. Each of the 18 episodes zeroes in on a different warrior, showing how they wrestle with loyalty, destiny, and moral wars while the actual war rages around them. For once, it isn’t about who wins or loses, but about the impossible choices people make when blood and family are on the line.
Behind the project is Anu Sikka, the creative force who conceptualised the series and is producing it alongside Alok Jain and Ajit Andhare under Netflix’s Tipping Point banner. The writing and direction come from Ujaan Ganguly. He is a young filmmaker who is bringing his contemporary lens to one of India’s oldest stories. And then there’s Gulzar. The Oscar-winning poet has penned lyrics for the series, which means the words will carry as much weight as the visuals.
Netflix India has already called this its “first mythological anime,” and that label says a lot. The show isn’t just meant for those who grew up with the Mahabharata. It is meant to travel worldwide. The animation is stylised, the characters layered, and the tone closer to prestige anime.
It looks like a big swing, and it makes sense that it does. The global appetite for mythology and epic storytelling is huge, but most Indian adaptations have never crossed over. Kurukshetra has the potential to change that. It can take an epic that has defined Indian culture for centuries and tell it in a form that’s familiar to fans of anime and fantasy everywhere. If it works, it won’t just be a win for Netflix India. It’ll be proof that mythology, when told with ambition, can travel just as far as any sci-fi universe or superhero saga.
The battle begins on October 10th, when the first nine episodes drop. The second half will follow soon after, continuing the 18-day war from a variety of perspectives. It’s still the story of Kurukshetra, but this time, it has the weight of a brand new medium and the reach of a global platform.
The Mahabharata has always been epic. But with Kurukshetra, it’s time to watch it all over again.