Scholar Thuravoor Viswambharan objects to Mahabharata

Thiruvananthapuram: A 'Mahabharata' controversy is brewing over the reports that the proposed epic film adaptation of M.T. Vasudevan Nair’s novel ‘Randamoozham’ will be named as ‘Mahabharata.’  The row has been triggered by vedic scholar Prof. Thuravoor Viswambharan who said MT’s Randamoozham is not about Ved Vyasa’s epic. “A few chapters from the original Mahabharata have  been adapted  in MT’s version.  If I take MT’s novel Varanasi and re-name it as ‘Kanyakumari,’ will he or the literary lovers tolerate it,”  asked Prof. Viswambharan.

It may be recalled that Prof.  Viswambharan had contested from Thripunithura  in the 2016 Assembly elections as  BJP candidate and has been holding discourses on different Hindu epic, vedic and science topics in the Amrita TV programme, Bharatha Dharshanam. The Rs 1,000-crore, most expensive Indian  film is being produced by UAE-based entrepreneur B. R. Shetty and will be directed by ad film maker V. A. Shrikumar Menon with Mohanlal in the lead.  It is set to  go on the floors in September  next year.

MT has already written the script and the director has been negotiating with many Oscar winning talents to work for it.  Prof Viswambharan   added that the makers of the film should not distort the original work.  MT’s work retells Mahabharata from the perspective of Bhima, the second Pandava, and his association with Panchali along with his four siblings.  Mohanlal will enact the role of Bheema. “The new generation after watching the  film will jump to the conclusion that this is the real Mahabharata and will develop wrong notions about it.  Hence, the  film should not be titled as  Mahabharata, he added.