John Abraham To Play Duryodhana in Modern Mahabharata Project? Actor Reveals

Bollywood star John Abraham is all set to portray Duryodhana in an upcoming modern adaptation of the Mahabharata. The actor recently shared insights about taking on this iconic role and what fans can expect from the project.

Bollywood superstar John Abraham plays Duryodhana in an upcoming movie by Arun Gopalan. Gopalan is popularly known for his work on Tehran. The idea behind the movie is to give a modern take to the ancient epic Mahabharata to bring its character close to modern audiences.

John Abraham To Play Duryodhana in Modern Mahabharata Project

Tentatively titled Duryodhana, the film is scheduled to start rolling by mid-2026, though pre-production will reportedly begin in early 2026. Besides acting, Abraham has taken on a co-production role with Sandeep Leyzell, thus indicating his commitment to the project. Apparently, Abraham got really interested in the screenplay because of the high-concept action aspects and a new way of looking at an old epic.

Re-imagining Duryodhana

This adaptation will examine Duryodhana more closely, as he is normally seen as the bad guy in the eyes of many. This modern context shall set the stage for some themes: ambition, power, envy, and morality. In doing this, the film would create the opportunity to present audiences with a new way of looking at Duryodhana, putting pressures on audiences to examine him more in the gray areas of human character.

John Abraham's Contribution

Wherever good films with hard-hitting narratives are seen, John Abraham's co-production indicates an ever-greater involvement in the film's storytelling and vision." Duryodhana will witness John Abraham blend some of that dramatic intensity with a modern approach that would appeal to epic purists as well as today's contemporary audience.

Expectations and Fan Buzz

Fans are now waiting for announcements on the entire cast, the storyline, and the scene setup for the modern Mahabharata adaptation. Per Arun Gopalan's direction with John Abraham as one of the chief characters, a lot is expected from a contemporary ride that respects the epic while divergently rethinking its core characters.