
Bharat Ek Khoj is a 53-episode Indian historical drama based on the book The Discovery of India by Jawaharlal Nehru, that dramatically unfolds the 5000 year history of India from its beginnings to the coming of independence in 1947. The drama was directed, written and produced by Shyam Benegal with cinematographer V. K. Murthy in 1988 for state-owned Doordarshan. Benegal's regular script collaborator Shama Zaidi also co-wrote the script.

Jawaharlal Nehru

Narrator (voice), Allauddin Khilji, Patel Range Gowda, Ashoka, Nigam (Ballia DM), Narrator, Soldier-1, Raj Raja Chola, Nabakrishna Banerjee, Duryodhan / Narrator, Duryodhan, Raavan, Alauddin Khilji, Agulimal, Aurangzeb, Krishnadevaraya

Prithviraj Chouhan, Suteja, Villager #1, Laxman, Prithviraj, Rana Sanga, Chandragupta, Balram, Mir Sadiq, Superintendent of Police, Kalidasa / Dushyanta, Soldier-2

Heggaditi, Sarma, Passion, Jodhabai, Kaikeyi, Gandhari, Asandhimitra, Sheelwati, Gangamma

Vidur, Azimullah Khan, Majid Ali, Virudhaka, Shahabuddin Ghori, Priyamedha, Devarishi Narad, Materialist (Charvaka), Radhagupta

Nana Saheb, Appar, Vajashravasa, Ram Mohan Roy, Vikrambhatta, Ibrahim Lodi, Chandraprabha, Effandi Aslam Beg, Gautam Buddha, Sumantra, Dadoji Konddeo, Vajrabandhu

Shakatara, Mahendravarman, Villager #2, Chand Bardai, Purnaiyya, Shakuni, Harish Mukherjee / Mukhopadhyay, Chenna

Announcer, Shulgi, Vilom, Babur, Arjun, Rakshasa, Arjuna, Ajivika

Rama, Lord Rama, Krishna, Sri Krishna, Tipu Sultan, Ramaraya

Ab'ul Fazal, Ramanand, Lorik, Ibrahim Qutub Shah, Towncrier, Ashwathhama, Harshavardhan, Bharat
Colonel Outram, British Officer I, Simon, Mr. Shakespeare / Lord Canning, Verelst, Bentinck, Journalist, Thomas Roe, Wellesly

Yama, Wajid Ali Shah, Dhanananda, Dhrutarashtra, Appaji, Sansthanaka

Kannaki, Seeta, Mallige, Mallika / Shakuntala, Ratna, Bade Khan
Dashrath, Chitto Pandey, Ashwalayan, Baba Lals Shah, Ishanashiva, Ajjaji, Acharya Vararuchi

Rachanna, Mahanaman, Matul, Madhav, Birbal

Daroga, Govindrao, Prof. Jinsivale, Shahaji, Sarangdev Makwana, Sukhvihara
Shantidas, Selappa, Sarat Chandra, Bhatt, Bal Gangadhar Tilak

deRozio, Henry Lawrence / Collector of Kanpur, Colonel Smyth, Sykes, Dubuc, Larmour, Chairman
Yuvak, Messenger, Eklavya, Unmattak, Tantya Tope, Dilawar Khan
Ruqqaya, Nadira, Devi, Vasantsena, Khursheed, Maina

Street Singer, Radheyshyam Sharma, Messenger, Shah Alam, Street Singer (Saint Poet Basavanna), Anand
Abdu' Rahim, Dr. Gehraula, Qasid (Khalifa-e-Abbasid's ambassador), Shahbaz Khan, Quli
Bereaved Woman, Maid, Brahmin Mother, Lingamma

Tissa, Manaswamin, Paras

Draha, Todarmal, Nai, Lala Makhanlal, Buddhist Monk
Yudhishthir, Hussain Nizam Shah, Nawab Mehmood, Aqil Khan

Janki Devi, Nafisa, Madanika, Roshan Ara
Dronacharya, Vasakara, Dwarakanath

Asaf Khan, Miyan Bhuva, General, Mahadev
A Shudra, Chandal, Alissa, Raghav Chetan
Bantha, Makkali Gosala, Uma Shankar, Darbari

Councillor, Soothsayer, Divakar (Larmour's Diwan), Narayana
Man Singh, Dara Shikoh
Aqil Khan, Dr. Ahsan, Mahmud Ghazni
Bajur, Qawali Singer, Soldier-3

Maharaja Mangal Singh, Prithviraj, Ramoshi-1, Kishorichandra Mitra
Vishnu Pant Thatte, Vishnu Pant, Gopal Krishna Gokhale
Brahmin Father, Jain Muni

Devasoma, Suvasini
Bindusara, Ambarish, Bahadur Shah Zafar

1989 • TV Show

2020 • TV Show

2020 • TV Show

2026 • TV Show

2005 • TV Show

2024 • TV Show

2010 • TV Show

1988 • TV Show

2009 • TV Show

2018 • TV Show