Buddha (TV series)

• Himanshu Soni as Gautama Buddha{{cite web|url=http://www.mid-day.com/entertainment/2013/oct/111013-actor-who-was-finally-zeroed-in-to-play-buddha-on-tv.htm |title=Actor who was finally zeroed in to play Buddha on TV |publisher=Mid-day.com |date=11 October 2013 |accessdate=31 January 2014}} (Known For Shakyamuni.)
• Vishesh Bansal as 10-year-old Prince Siddharth{{cite news|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/tv/news/Vishesh-Bansal-bags-Buddha/articleshow/20985530.cms |title=Vishesh Bansal bags Buddha! – Times Of India |newspaper=The Times of India |publisher=Timesofindia.indiatimes.com |date= |accessdate=31 January 2014|last1=Bhopatkar |first1=Tejashree }}
• Sameer Dharmadhikari as Śuddhodana, Buddha and Nanda's father
• Deepika Upadhyay as Maya, Buddha's biological mother
• Gungun Uprari as Prajapati, Buddha's step mother and second wife of Suddhodana
• Kabir Bedi as Asita Muni
• Dinesh Mehta as King Pasenadi, an avid follower of Buddha
• Kajal Jain as Yaśodharā, Prince Siddharth's wife{{cite web|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/tv/news/hindi/Miss-India-2008-finalist-Kajal-Jain-Yashodhara-TV-Buddha/etarticleshow/24280837.cms |archive-url=https://archive.today/20131020154840/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2013-10-17/news/43142892_1_miss-india-tv-show-finalist |url-status=live |archive-date=20 October 2013 |title=Miss India finalist makes her TV debut |date=17 October 2013 |work=The Times of India |access-date=31 January 2014}}
• Ananya Agarwal as Young Yaśodharā
• Meghan Jadhav as Prince Nanda, Buddha's half-brother.
• Jagat Singh as Devadatta, Yasodhara's brother who is Buddha's enemy.
• Pravisht Mishra as Teenage Devadatta
• Devyansh Tapuriah as Child Devadatta
• Mayank Arora as Ānanda, Buddha's cousin and the primary attendant.
• Sanket Choukse as Channa, Buddha's best friend and charioteer.
• Siddharth Vasudev as Dronadhan, Śuddhodana's second brother
• Nigaar Khan / Reshmi Ghosh as Mangala, Buddha's aunt and Dronadhan's wife{{cite web|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/tv/news-interviews/Resshmi-Ghosh-replaces-Nigaar-Khan-in-Budhha/articleshow/28287800.cms |title=Resshmi Ghosh replaces Nigaar Khan in 'Budhha' – The Times of India |publisher=Timesofindia.indiatimes.com |date=1 January 2014 |accessdate=31 January 2014}}{{cite web|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/tv/Nigaar-Khan-opposite-Siddharth-Vasudev-in-Buddha/articleshow/20740249.cms |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130627180648/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2013-06-24/tv/40165245_1_nigaar-khan-buddha-gungun-uprari |url-status=live |archive-date=27 June 2013 |title=Nigaar Khan opposite Siddharth Vasudev in Buddha! |date= |work=The Times of India |access-date=31 January 2014}}{{cite web|url=http://ibnlive.in.com/news/nigaar-khan-in-awe-of-her-character-in-buddha/419507-44-124.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130909084152/http://ibnlive.in.com/news/nigaar-khan-in-awe-of-her-character-in-buddha/419507-44-124.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=9 September 2013 |title=Nigaar Khan in awe of her character in 'Buddha' |publisher=Ibnlive.in.com |date=4 September 2013 |accessdate=31 January 2014}}
• Abhiram / Yashdeep Nain as Ajatashatru
• Hemant Choudhary as Mahamantri Udyan
• Sarika Dhillon as Maanvika{{cite news|work=TellyTRP.in|title=Sareeka to enter Maharana Pratap and Buddha|url=http://www.tellytrp.in/2014/06/sareeka-to-enter-maharana-pratap-and-buddha.html|accessdate=11 June 2014|date=11 June 2014|archive-date=15 June 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140615152525/http://www.tellytrp.in/2014/06/sareeka-to-enter-maharana-pratap-and-buddha.html|url-status=usurped}}
• Ghanshyam srivastva Brahman Magadh Rajguru
• Amit Behl as Guru Vachaspati
• Surbhi Shukla as Loshika, Dasi of Prajapati{{cite web|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/tv/news/hindi/Amit-Behl-Surbhi-Shukla-bags-Buddha/etarticleshow/20443486.cms |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131006162146/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2013-06-05/tv/39762980_1_buddha-small-screen-kabir-bedi |url-status=live |archive-date=6 October 2013 |title=Amit Behl & Surbhi Shukla bags Buddha |date=5 June 2013 |work=The Times of India |access-date=31 January 2014}}
• Vandana Lalwani as Amita, Suddhodana's sister.
• Neha Uppal as Amrapali

Born as Prince Siddhartha in the 6th century BC, after years of waiting and yearning, on a full moon night, to his parents King Shuddhodana and Queen Mahamaya, he was a unique child, even at birth. Carrying the 32 signs of greatness and predicted to be the savior of humankind by some, and a mighty king of kings by others, Siddhartha proved both the prophecies to be true.

In his growing years, he was the ideal warrior prince, the pride of his father’s eyes and later to his lovely wife Yashodhara, he was the devoted and sensitive husband that all women dream of, but few are blessed with. Despite his father’s extreme protection of him from seeing suffering of any kind, lest he move towards fulfilling the latter prophecy of him being a thinker and philosopher, even as a child, Siddhartha, by his very nature, ever-questioned and pondered about all phenomena around him.

Siddhartha wondered about all things- from social to physical and natural to man-made, and he was hugely compassionate and uncompetitive by nature. Siddhartha’s questions were not born out of the natural curiosity of a young boy about the world around, but of a deeply rational yet philosophical concern for the state of the world that he saw around him, and his devastation was compounded in his youth when the wall of protection from seeing suffering that his father had built around him, crumbled.

Samadhi was an enlightenment, that shone not only his path on earth, but also showed the way forward for all mankind, that would illuminate the world with his teachings for thousands of years to come, as it gave birth to the Buddha-a word that today symbolizes truth, peace, love, compassion and righteousness that he stood for, like no other. It is no wonder then that there is a revival of the relevance of Buddha’s teachings and beliefs in the modern world.

Most of the early episodes in the series center around the plotting of Dronadhan, Mangala, and Devadatta – the uncle, aunt, and cousin (brother) of Siddhartha – to undermine King Shuddhodana and kill Siddhartha. Their plots always fail, and the goodness of Siddhartha always wins and grows. Much of this drama as shown in the series is not actually part of the Buddha historical writings. Though Devadatta did have a rivalry with Siddhartha, it wasn't to the extent as shown in the series, where Devadatta and his parents abuse and kill numerous people. The series also shows an extreme rivalry between Siddhartha and Devadatta for the hand in marriage of Yashodhara, even to the point of a fighting contest to determine the best warrior. However, in genuine history, Yashodhara was actually Devadatta's sister. Still, the character of Siddhartha is dramatic and moving in many ways, and shows his deep respect for all life, whether it be a person, cheetah, duck, ant or scorpion, to whom he always shows forgiveness and mercy.

Nidhi Yasha (costume & jewellery) and Varsha Jain (set designer) are main crew behind the sets and costumes on the show.{{cite web|url=http://zeenews.india.com/entertainment/iifa-2013/buddha-a-glityz-costume-drama_143354.html |title='Buddha': A glitzy costume drama |publisher=Zeenews.india.com |date= 24 September 2013|accessdate=31 January 2014}}{{cite web|url=http://zeenews.india.com/entertainment/gallery/buddha-a-glitzy-costume-drama_2146.htm |title=Buddha- A glitzy costume drama |publisher=Zeenews.india.com |date= 24 September 2013|accessdate=31 January 2014}} The first shot of Buddha was taken at the magnanimous set created at the Film City in Mumbai on the auspicious occasion of Buddha Purnima on 27 May 2013.{{Cite news |last=Srivastava |first=Priya|title=Discovering the myriad faces of Buddha on the occasion of Buddha Purnima |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/travel/destinations/discovering-the-myriad-faces-of-buddha-on-the-occasion-of-buddha-purnima/articleshow/63975410.cms |access-date=2024-06-18 |work=The Times of India |issn=0971-8257}}

The cable operators of Nepal banned the series' telecast as it had announced in promotional materials that the Buddha was born in India (the actual location of Kapilavastu is uncertain, with sites in both India and Nepal suggested).{{cite web|url=http://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/Nepal/Maoists-block-Indian-channels-over-Buddha-row/Article1-1121556.aspx |title=Maoists block Indian channels over Buddha row |publisher=Hindustan Times |date=13 September 2013 |accessdate=31 January 2014 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20131024002924/http://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/Nepal/Maoists-block-Indian-channels-over-Buddha-row/Article1-1121556.aspx |archivedate=24 October 2013 |df=dmy }} Following outrage on Nepalese social media, Zee TV and Kabir Bedi later apologized for the mistake.{{cite web|author=Chaya Unnikrishnan |url=http://www.dnaindia.com/entertainment/report-biggest-tv-shockers-1942666 |title=Biggest TV shockers | Latest News & Updates at |publisher=Dnaindia.com |date=30 December 2013 |accessdate=31 January 2014}}

Daily News and Analysis praised the performances of all the actors in Buddha, says Sameer Dharmadhikari aka Suddhodana Acting is first rated.{{cite web|author=Chaya Unnikrishnan |url=http://www.dnaindia.com/lifestyle/1895043/report-show-review-buddha |title=Show review: 'Buddha' | Latest News & Updates at |publisher=Dnaindia.com |date=28 September 2013 |accessdate=31 January 2014}}

• Buddhacarita
• Amrapali
• Aamrapali, television series
• Chanakya
• Chanakya, television series
• List of Chanakya episodes
• Little Buddha
• Depictions of Gautama Buddha in film

{{reflist|colwidth=30em}}

• [https://www.niemphat.vn/cuoc-doi-duc-phat-thich-ca/6/ Buddha — The King of Kings (all 55 episodes (Vietnamese version with English subtitles. Duration/episode: 42/45 minutes)]
• [https://twitter.com/TheLifeOfBuddha Official Twitter]

{{Gautama Buddha|state=collapsed}}

Category:Indian period television series

Category:Indian historical television series

Category:Zee TV original programming

Category:2013 Indian television series debuts

Category:Television series set in Ancient India

Category:Cultural depictions of Gautama Buddha

Category:DD National original programming

Category:Television series about Buddhism

Category:Television controversies in India

Category:Religious controversies in television

Category:Religious controversies in India

Category:Buddhism-related controversies

Category:Television series set in the 5th century BC