Dhritarashtra's characterisation

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visrom

@visrom

Stunner

+ 4

Posted: 12 years ago

Till now in all the Mahabharats I have seen or read or heard, Dhritarashtra has been mentioned as a weak character - one who can be easily manipulated, one who always seems helpless, dependent on others. Even in B R Mahabharat, he could be easily bent by Duryodhan and Shakuni. In the hall where the game of dice was played, he was a silent spectator. Only when Gandhari stepped in, he stood up and granted Draupadi freedom for the Pandavas.

The present Dhritarashtra is being shown as a strong character. (Not physical, you know what I mean) He's aggressive, doesn't ever seem helpless or weak.

I appreciate the actor, but I wonder how will this Dhritarastra be shown subdued in the later episodes? Will this Dhritarashtra be shown as someone who will listen to Duryodhan and send his nephews off to the palace of lac? will this Dhritarashtra be shown as s silent spectator in the Draupadi disrobing episode? I am not sure...what do you all think?

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Anusha-B

@Anusha-B

Inactive

Posted: 12 years ago

I agree what I loved most in this characterization of Dritarashtra is his strength in look and portrayal and the actor is doing a tremendous job well supported by Gandhari and Shakuni.
Also good to see new faces and good bunch of actors in this MB.
Young blood infuses great energy to any show and new talent is always a pleasure to watch.

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Shivpriya

@shivpriya

Explorer

Posted: 12 years ago

Originally posted by: visrom
Till now in all the Mahabharats I have seen or read or heard, Dhritarashtra has been mentioned as a weak character - one who can be easily manipulated, one who always seems helpless, dependent on others. Even in B R Mahabharat, he could be easily bent by Duryodhan and Shakuni. In the hall where the game of dice was played, he was a silent spectator. Only when Gandhari stepped in, he stood up and granted Draupadi freedom for the Pandavas.

The present Dhritarashtra is being shown as a strong character. (Not physical, you know what I mean) He's aggressive, doesn't ever seem helpless or weak.

I appreciate the actor, but I wonder how will this Dhritarastra be shown subdued in the later episodes? Will this Dhritarashtra be shown as someone who will listen to Duryodhan and send his nephews off to the palace of lac? will this Dhritarashtra be shown as s silent spectator in the Draupadi disrobing episode? I am not sure...what do you all think?

I hope the makers do turn him like that as the show progresses, or else the whole story will be changed. But yes Dhritrashtra was physically strong and somewhat ambitious too in his young days. This is what Duryodhan inherited frm him. But I guess later in life he fell weak and helpless in front of Shakuni's crafty ways and Duryodhan's love and stubborn behaviour. And so he lost his voice to speak up against the wrong even if he didn't favour it internally.

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Manoj

@Manojie

Voyager

Posted: 12 years ago

Stop comparing this Dhiritashtra to B.R.Chopra's Dhiritashtra.

B.R.Chopra failed to show Dhiritashtra's ambitions. He didn't disagree with the war because he was confident his sons would win and kill the Pandavas, thus removing them from Dhuryodhan's path to the throne.

He wasn't weak, he was cunning and motivated by the throne. If he had known he will lose all his sons in the war, he would have stopped the battle. He just didn't want to as he was greedy for the throne.

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visrom

@visrom

Stunner

+ 4

Posted: 12 years ago

Originally posted by: Manojie
Stop comparing this Dhiritashtra to B.R.Chopra's Dhiritashtra.

Well this is not a comparision between B R Mahabharat and this one. This is a discussion on the character of Dhritarashtra alone.

If this were a regular soap, we wouldn't have anything to compare and we would just accept what is shown. But here, it is a well known story of which there are many versions. Comparisions between versions are inevitable. Just as you may compare one written book to what is shown on TV, it is natural that the other version shown on TV maybe brought into the context. We are not comparing the actors or who acted better or who is more handsome. We are talking about the character named Dhritarashtra - whether he's a strong character or not. Here are some other versions impying that he was a weak character.

"As for poor Dhritarashtra, he was a wise
man no doubt and he also loved his
brother's sons, but he was weak of will
and dotingly attached to his own children.
For his children's sake the worse became
the better reason, and he would sometimes
even knowingly follow the wrong path."

This is from Rajagopalachari's version.

Below is the translation of the original Mahabharat.

https://www.holybooks.com/wp-content/uploads/Mahabharata-VOL-2.pdf

Page 122 says

" Vaisampayana continued, "Having said this, the weak-minded
Dhritarashtra regarded fate as supreme and unavoidable. And the king deprived of reason by Fate, and obedient to the counsels of his son, commanded his men in loud voice, saying 'Carefully construct, with-SABHA PABVA 123 out loss of time, an assembly house of the most beautiful description, to be called the crystal- arched palace with a thousand columns, decked with gold and lapis lazuli, furnished with a hundred gates, and full two miles in length and in breadth the same.' Hearing those words of his, thousands of artificers endued with intelligence and skill soon
erected the palace with the greatest alacrity, and having erected it brought thither every kind of article. And soon after they cheerfully represented unto the king that the palace had been finished, and that it was delightful and handsome and furnished with every kind of gems and covered with many-coloured carpets inlaid with gold. Then king Dhritarashtra, possessed of learning, summoning Vidura the chief of his ministers, said, 'Repairing (to Khandavaprastha), bring prince
Yudhishthira here without loss of time. Let him come hither with his brothers, and behold his handsome assembly house of mine, furnished with countless jewels and gems, and costly beds and carpets, and let a friendly match at dice commence here.'

Hence there is evidence of Dhritarashtra being a weak minded person. The one shown in the present version doesn't seem to be 'weak'. My post was just to know members' views on how they think the transition will take place in future.

Edited by visrom - 12 years ago

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shruti

@-Nymphadora-

Stunner

+ 5

Posted: 12 years ago

you have a point

but i feel somehow so far-specially in yerterdays episode,there was a focus on Dritrashtra passing on his ambitions of being Samrath of Hastinapur to his son-seeming almost desperate to see that happen

so perhaps when the time arrises-for the sake of making his son Samrat Hastinapaur Dritrashtra may stay silent-and litterally turn a blind eye to his sons doings

his own ambitions for his sons may come in way of doing Dharma

this ^ was a guestimation😆

looking forward to what they will show..

but i love this characterization of Dritrashtra-its a welcome break from the weak Dritrashtra shown so far..

fingers crossed

i hope he isnt butchered last min-cos he is the best character so far

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visrom

@visrom

Stunner

+ 4

Posted: 12 years ago

This Dhritarashtra gives us a feeling that he's right from his POV. Whenever I saw/read about Dhritarashtra I would always get a 'what's this guy doing? Is he aware that he's the king? Who made him the king in the first place' kind of feeling. 😆 This Mahabharat version has changed that at least for now.

Edited by visrom - 12 years ago

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Mahadevan Venkitaraman

@maha2us

Voyager

Posted: 12 years ago

This is more based on original Mahabharata. Whether Dhrit is strong or weak depends on what he had to face and how he was to react to whatever happened. What really pained him through the whole of the epic has not yet happened. And so based on what we see him now, everything could not be concluded. All that I can hope is the directors handle his character skillfully.

Dhrit definitely wanted his son Dury to be the king. Things would be alright, if Dury was the most powerful and most capable and most skillful heir. This was something which didn't happen. Yudi showed to be more well-versed in kingly qualities like giving justice, Bhim showed be extremely strong, Arjun was an inimitable archer and Sahadev had immense knowledge. Further the Pandavas were popular among masses also. And we know Arjun defeated Drupada while Duri could not. Based on these happenings, the elders wanted him to make Yudi Yuvaraja. But could he now firmly tell, he wanted to make Dury as Yuvaraja? Could he antagonize elders? If he didn't antagonize elders, Dury would feel totally pained which again pained Dhrit. This quandary makes him weak.

Further Dury was burning within himself with envy towards his cousins, who were growing powerful day by day. The deepest feelings of Dury was he was not feeling safe or comfortable as Pandavas become powerful. The first thing Dhrit would have to do if he were really strong was, tell Dury to accept the will of the elders. This would pain Dury which in turn pained Dhrit. What was the solution Dhrit had in finding relief from his and his son's pain? A strong character would have found a solution. As another point, the solution is not necessarily what the elders told. But one point remains. No father could be comfortable or strong, when he is forced to be helpless so that he is unable to find a solution to his son's pain and be in a position in which he could not take any positive action for his son.

Very unfortunately he had to face the fact that Shakuni was the only person who was understanding Dury and taking loving actions on behalf of Dury. In that case, what else can we expect of Dhrit?

Edited by maha2us - 12 years ago

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Dhritarashtra's characterisation

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