The Great Maratha
Starring : Shahbaz Khan, Pariksheet Sahani, Farida Jalal, Tom Alter, Irfan Khan,
Mrinal, Kritika Rane, Mukesh Khanna & Others
The third battle of Panipat has gone down in the minds of people of India as the
synonym for defeat. This battle of Panipat was fought in 1761 between the invading
forces of the fierce Afgan King Ahmed Shah Abdali and the Maratha armies which were
invited by the Moghul Emperor of Delhi to safeguard the frontiers of India against
the invading hordes.
Director Sanjay Khan, a master craftsman, depicts this fierce battle, the resulting,
intrigues and treachery, and the adventures of those times in all its glory making
it a high voltage drama and a grand audiovisual treat. The principal character of
the serial is Mahadji Scindia, The Great Maratha warrior, who, after the defeat
of the Marathas at panipat, rose from the ashes like a Phoenix and reconstructed
the military might of the Marathas, on one hand and on the other, restored the moral
authority of the Moghuls.
Mahadji Scindia's romance with the beautiful Indian princess Fumna bloomed into
a matrimonial alliance and she proved to be a source of strength and inspiration
to him till she breathed her last in his arms. The Queen of Indore, Ahaliya Bai
Holkar, reputed for her beauty and charm was attracted by Mahadji Scindia. She admired
him for his noble effort to unite the Northern princes to strengthen the Central
power in Delhi. A sublime relationship exited between the two.
He single handedly thwarted the British attmept to enslave India for more than a
decade, only to be sabotaged by the betraying elements among his own countrymen.
Jealous of his ever rising power and influence, he was poisoned by the Marathas
themselves in a treacherous manner at Pune.
This TV serial is still unparalleled in its production values. It has established
a criterion for all historicals ever to come. It is a milestone which made a niche
for itself among the historicals made anywhere.
