Mahabharata set to make its UK premiere at London’s Barbican Theatre

The ancient Indian epic 'Mahabharata' is getting a new stage adaptation. And come fall, it is set to make its UK premiere at London’s Barbican Theatre, sources reported. The epic adapted by Canada's Why Not Theatre had its world premiere at The Shaw Festival Theatre in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Canada in March.

The ancient Indian text is a tale of a devastating family feud. The revered text is also a great source for lessons in philosophy and spirituality. The play will be presented in two parts. 'Karma' is part 1 the origin story of the rival Pandava and Kaurava clans and 'Dharma' part 2 is the great battle.

Starring in the play are performers from the South Asian diaspora. It includes Ajay Chhabra (“Rough Diamonds,” Netflix), Neil D’Souza (“How To Hold Your Breath,” Royal Court), Darren Kuppan (“Let The Right One In,” Manchester Royal Exchange), Goldy Notay (“Life of Pi,” U.K. tour) and Sakuntala Ramanee (“Life of Pi,” West End).

The director of the adaptation, which uses poetry from Carole Satyamurti’s 'Mahabharata: A Modern Retelling.' is Ravi Jain. The original concept was developed with Jenny Koons.

One of the most famous adaptations of the text in the West is a nine-hour play by Peter Brook, which was later turned into a five-hour film in 1989.

In India, the most famous adaptation remains in the form of a television series which starred Puneet Issar, Mukesh Khanna and Nitish Bharadwaj.