How much can one lose in a game of dice? If the stakes are high enough a game can cost a king his kingdom and a dynasty its heirs. Mahabharata Part 1: The Game begins with the birth of Bhishma, the grand patriarch of the Kuru clan, and follows the destinies of the Pandavs and Kauravs, until it becomes clear that war between them is inevitable.

The Pandavs and Kauravs are pulled into the vortex of a war that divides a family, and pits ever nation against the other. Mahabharata Part 2: The War begins with the Pandavs’ council of war and traces the bloody conflict with its stories of bravery, loyalty and deceit, right up to the final battle. But can there trulu be a victor in a war where everuthinq is lost?

Soma Guha (1962-2006) was born and educated in Kolkata. After graduating from Jadavpur University, she worked as a journalist for almost fifteen years, initially with The Telegraph in Kolkata and then with The Pioneer in New Delhi. She was a prolific feature writer, who also wrote on films, television and the arts. She left behind unfinished, what had for long been her labour of love, a fictional narrative centred on the life of the Mughal prince Doro Shukoh.