Bharat ek khoj videorecording Doordarshan Archives presents ; by Shyam Benegal ; executive producer, Raj Pius ; script, Shama Zaidi, Sunil Shanbag, Sandeep Pendse ; script in Hindi, Vasant Dev, Ashok Mishra ; produced & directed by Shyam Benegal.

Historical program; television series.

Title also appears in Urdu.

Cast and credits from opening credit sequence on Episode 1; closing credits on individual episodes will vary.

"Based on Jawaharlal Nehru's Discovery of India."

Fifty-three episodes, originally shot on film, produced in 1986, and telecast every Sunday on Doordarshan, according to the container and accompanying booklet.

The bilingual accompanying booklet (Hindi and English) includes the preface to Nehru's The discovery of India (Dec. 29, 1945), an essay of the book's continued relevance by Pavan K. Varma, episode synopses with cast credits and durations, a translation from the Sanskrit of Nasadiya Sukta by Prof. Raimundo Panikkar, an overview of the series, lyrics from the closing song, and biographical summaries for the major credits.

Each episode menu includes links to "Songs & theatre arts" segments, mixes of factual footage and dramatizations, with music.

The 5,000-year political, social, and cultural history of India, from its beginnings through the coming of independence in 1947. v. 1 (discs 1-3). Episode 1, Bharat Mata ki jai -- Episode 2, The beginnings -- Episode 3, The Vedic people and the Rigveda -- Episode 4, Caste formation -- Episode 5, Mahabharata, part 1 -- Episode 6, Mahabharata, part 2 -- Episode 7, Ramayana, Part 1 -- Episode 8, Ramayana, part 2 -- Episode 9, Republics & kingdoms -- v. 2 (discs 4-6). Episode 10, Acceptance and negation of life -- Episode 11, Chanakya and Chandragupt [Chandragupta], part 1 -- Episode 12, Chanakya and Chandragupt [Chandragupta], part 2 -- Episode 13, Ashoka, part 1 -- Episode 14, Ashoka, part 2 -- Episode 15, The Sangam period and Silappadikaram, part 1 -- Episode 16, The Sangam period and Silappadikaram, part 2 -- Episode 17, The classical age -- Episode 18, Kalidasa, part 1 -- v. 3 (discs 7-9). Episode 19, Kalidasa, part 2 -- Episode 20, Harshavardhana -- Episode 21, Bhakti -- Episode 22, The Chola Empire, part 1 -- Episode 23, The Chola Empire, part 2 -- Episode 24, Delhi sultanate, part 1, The arrival of Turk-Afghans & Prithviraj Raso I -- Episode 25, Delhi sultanate, part 2, Prithviraj Raso II & Alauddin Khilji -- Episode 26, Delhi sultanate, part 3, Padmavat & the Tughlak Dynasty -- Episode 27, Synthesis -- v. 4 (discs 10-12). Episode 28, The Vijayanagar Empire -- Episode 29, Feudalism in India -- Episode 30, The fall of Vijayanagar -- Episode 31, Rana Sanga, Ibrahim Lodi and Babur -- Episode 32, Akbar, part 1 -- Episode 33, Akbar, part 2 -- Episode 34, Golden Hind -- Episode 35, Aurangzeb, part 1 -- Episode 36, Aurangzeb, part 2 -- v. 5 (discs 13-15). Episode 37, Shivaji, part 1 -- Episode 38, Shivaji, part 2 -- Episode 39, Company Bahadur -- Episode 40, Tipu Sultan -- Episode 41, The Bengal Renaissance and Raja Rammohun Roy -- Episode 42, 1857, part 1 -- Episode 43, 1857, part 2 -- Episode 44, Indigo revolt -- Episode 45, Mahatma Phule -- v. 6 (discs 16-18). Episode 46, Sir Syed Ahmed Khan -- Episode 47, Vivekananda -- Episode 48, Extremists and moderates -- Episode 49, And Gandhi came, part 1 -- Episode 50, And Gandhi came, part 2 -- Episode 51, Separatism -- Episode 52, Do or die -- Episode 53, Epilogue.

Chief assistant director, Mandeep Kakkar; translation from Sanskrit and lyrics, Vasant Dev; editing, Sutanu Gupta, Deepak Segal; music, Vanraj Bhatia; art direction, Nitish Roy; sound, Ashwyn Balsaver; costumes, Salim Arif; photography, V.K. Murthy.

With Roshan Seth as Jawaharlal Nehru. Narration by Om Puri.

DVD; NTSC.

In Hindi with English subtitles.