'Hail, peace. Peace.'
'That is the divine catch-phrase these days.'
'Society stands on the rim of a volcano..'
'..which will erupt at any moment.'
'This eruption will wake up society.'
'Which is why Lord Krishna told Dhristadyama..'
'..that there should be..'
'..no 'buts' to peace.'
'That is also why..'
'..Draupadi never uses words..'
'..which may open the doors to war.'
'She merely wants Dushasan's blood..'
'..to wash her unbraided hair.'
'So, when she heard that..'
'..Lord Krishna will go..'
'..as the peace messenger..'
'..she decided not to mince words.'
I do not want you to go as the peace messenger..
..and be insulted by Duryodhan and his friends.
You already know how our High Priest was insulted.
I know of everything.
I don't mind a insult if we can get peace..
..but not at the cost of Pandavas' self-respect.
I give you my word.
As long as my hair is unbraided..
..can there ever be peace?
Will not my unbraided hair..
..remind the Pandavas of their humiliation?
Are you sure this is peace and not surrender?
Those evil men deserve punishment, not peace.
Just recall, my lord.
The Draupadi of thirteen years ago..
..born of the ritual fire.
King Dhrupad's daughter, Dhristadyama's sister.
Wife of five warriors, and mother of five warriors.
Caught by her hair and dragged to the court..
..of the heir of the Bharat dynasty..
..King Dhritrashtra and our elder father.
The court was full of Kurus and their well wishers..
..but none, except you, protected the Kuru honour.
O Krishna! Neither will I be blessed by them.
Nor will I bless them.
Don't I know that, Draupadi?
Of course, I know it.
I can see your unbraided hair..
..and smell the odour of the Kuru court.
But Draupadi! Peace is still peace.
All I say is that while talking of peace..
..do not forget that..
..Dushasan's dirty hands had touched me.
Duryodhan stroked his thigh when he saw me..
..and that charioteer's son Karna called me..
..a whore in the Kuru court.
O Krishna, son of Devaki!
I do not want anyone of us..
..going to the same court as a peace messenger.
If either Yudhishthir or Bhim.. or even Arjun..
..Nakul and Sahadev want peace..
..at the cost of their self-respect then so be it.
My old father will bring me..
..Dushasan's blood for my unbraided hair.
My brother will cut out Karna's insulting tongue..
..and my five brave sons will break Duryodhan's thigh
Don't cry Draupadi!
It is the other Kuru women who are fated to cry
Crying thus does not befit you.
Your eyes will see the dawn of India's future.
"Cry not O Draupadi!"
"Life is a struggle."
"Calm yourself and have patience."
"All will end well."
"Truth, untruth is around us.."
"..whether you are powerful or not."
"The Lord stands behind her.."
"..when Draupadi cries."
"When Draupadi cries. "
Do we have the strength..
..to keep Hastinapur away from war?
War is coming near each day.
Years of penance now demands its fruit
Every hand holds a bow.
Some believe in their ego, others in their will power.
Whether it is Bhishma or Shikhandi.
Whether Sage Drona or Dhristadyama..
..whether Duryodhan or Bhim..
..whether Karna or my beloved Arjun.
None can sleep at nights.
The Virat war was something else, O Sage.
It was not between the Kauravas and Pandavas.
The war that is going to take place now..
..will be the ultimate war.
Can we suffer the wounds of this war?
Can our old age..
..protect Hastinapur from destruction?
Maybe not, O Bhishma.
But we can try to protect the nation with our corpses.
Till war is actually announced keep hoping..
..that Krishna will find a way to avoid it.
Tell Krishna that I am waiting at the door.
You may enter, Prince.
No! Today I will not enter without permission.
As you wish.
Hail O Krishna! Prince Shikhandi is here.
- Send him in. - As you wish.
You may enter, Prince.
My respects!
Welcome Prince! Please sit.
I won't take too much time.
None has excess time. So, how can it be given?
None controls time. So, speak!
No background is necessary.
I only wish to know..
..whether there will be a war or not.
How can I say that? Now I am the peace messenger
Your father, too, asked me the same question.
So did Dhristadyama.
Is it that the Dhrupad family does not want peace?
Can peace be a balm for humiliation?
What humiliation are you talking of?
Draupadi's insult is not yours?
It is for the Pandavas to avenge.
Why do you want them to avenge your insults?
Fight your own battles or wait!
That is what I am doing.
That is what I am doing, son of Devaki.
Since you are going to Hastinapur..
..give my regards to Bhishma and the throne.
I keep remembering them day and night.
"Who waits for the other.."
"..who can tell?"
"Waiting silently and patiently.."
"..for time to pass."
"For time to pass."
My respects!
May you like long!
Don't stand before an open window in autumn.
Don't you know that I have death in control?
What will the weather do to me?
I was all alone..
..thinking of my mother.
My oath is at war with my mind.
I am the battlefield.
I can see the war being waged..
..but cannot interfere.
My oath pulls me towards Duryodhan..
..but my mind questions my actions.
I am an ill-fated person..
..who is compelled to go on living.
Tell me, Vidhur.
What does your ethics say about me?
This is not a matter of ethics.
Now close the window.
Your soul is like your clothes.
White and pure!
Do not be unhappy!
You are so great that..
..no dishonour can touch you.
India will always be proud that..
..a man like you was born on its soil.
In case, the future belongs to pygmies..
..then your life will always..
..guide the common man.
Your name will be enough to protect this nation.
Hey Grandsire, on behalf of this nation..
..I salute you.
If I had to bear..
..even half of your moral burden..
..it would have broken the back of my ethics.
That's the truth!
What's this?
- No, Grandsire - Sit here!
It is my fortune..
..to sit at your feet when I want to.
Do not deny me my fortune.
I have too many duties..
..and few rights. Very few!
I know you cannot be happy in this situation..
..or else I would have blessed you with happiness.
No! Give that blessing to Hastinapur..
..which will stay on even after we die.
What news have you brought?
I have heard that Lord Krishna..
..has still not given up hopes of peace.
He is coming here as a peace messenger.
Krishna is beyond hope and despair.
It is impossible that he does not get what he wants.
He is coming here to tell us..
..Sages Drona and Kripa, you and I..
..that war is not to be pursued.
He is coming here to tell us.. us that..
..Pandavas still desire peace.
He is coming here to ask for our permission to fight.
Because you just wait and watch..
..Duryodhan will scuttle the talks.
Make the king understand.
The king is beyond understanding.
His ambition has negated..
..Hastinapur's benefits.
I know!
But at least try explaining it to him.
He does not listen to me any longer.
Tell him that..
..he is responsible for Hastinapur's protection.
History will not blame Duryodhan.
History will blame him.
If he cannot do justice to Hastinapur..
..at least let him take pity on it.
Tell him to accept the peace proposal..
..Krishna is coming with.
Because he has himself closed every door..
..to Hastinapur's protection.
He has himself closed every door.
You are bound by your oath.. ..to protect Hastinapur
You are bound by your oath.
Krishna's coming here is not an ordinary event.
He is not Kampilya's high priest.
He is divine! He is religion itself!
So, don't reveal your ambitions to him.
He is the scale!
If you do not pass the test of truth..
..you will have neither a present nor a future.
Also remember, he is not coming to meet either..
..Duryodhan's father or the Pandavas' elder father.
But the King of Hastinapur.
The heir of King Kuru and King Bharat.
The future of Hastinapur will depend on..
..what you say after listening to his proposal.
I have received your love after so long.
I was hungering for it.
You did not give me an occasion, my child.
You isolated yourself in your tower of ambition.
My voice did not reach you.
It was stilled by your ambition.
You have showered enough love on Duryodhan.
Now, give a little love to Hastinapur.
Forgive me, Grandsire.
Please organise Krishna's welcome.
No! Vidhur and Duryodhan should do that.
Duryodhan! Listen to me with care.
Krishna is the ultimate truth.
Do not even touch it with your ego.
Truth cannot be insulted..
..but attempting to do so can be disastrous.
My sons, except Duryodhan, will welcome Krishna..
..ten miles from the city gates.
Innumerable dancers will..
..dance all the way to the palace..
..where Duryodhan will welcome him.
Water the roads so that the dust does not rise.
Dushasan's palace is larger than Duryodhan's.
Krishna can be put up there.
I will personally welcome him with..
..sixteen decorated gold chariots..
..a thousand virgins and slaves..
..18000 blankets of soft wool..
..innumerable deer skins..
..and a chariot which
will shine.. ..even at night.
What is the point in giving this bribe, my lord?
Are you calling the king a bribe-giver, Vidhur?
As a minister, it is my duty..
..to speak the truth to my king..
..or else I have no right to be a minister.
When a minister begins to lie to his own king..
..the end of the county is very near.
I want to prevent that!
That is why I speak the truth.
The king's gifts are not really gifts.
It is a bride!
But remember, my lord..
..no bride can separate Krishna from Arjun.
Arjun is not his friend but his very breath.
Don't make the mistake of giving him this gift.
He is coming here because he wants peace.
No one else there wants peace.
His coming here is to our benefit..
..Hastinapur's benefit.
Hence, my lord..
..try to accept what he says.
For the first time I agree with uncle Vidhur.
This is not the time to give a gift.
He may think we are afraid of him.
Grandsire! Please him as much as you want..
..but this war is inevitable.
Whether you welcome him or not..
..Krishna will do what he has decided.
Do not think he will be insulted..
..if you don't welcome him or gift him..
..he cannot be insulted.
He is beyond honour and insult.
He is not on Arjun's side because of friendship.
He will only side with the truth.
Does it mean I'll never become the Emperor?
In that case I'll arrest Krishna.
Don't say that, my son.
Even if you forget who he is..
..at least remember he is a peace messenger.
Besides, he has not harmed us at all.
How can you even think of arresting him?
Your warped thinking will invite disaster.
Change your thoughts!
I can no longer listen to your warped son, my lord.
Before I leave let me warn you.
If Krishna is insulted in court..
..you will run out of tears.. to cry over your son.
Karna! You?
My respects!
May you live long!
Please sit!
What is it?
I am sure you are surprised to see me here..
..but I am more surprised than you are.
I am not surprised, Karna.
In my long life..
..I have seen too much to be surprised of anything.
I would never have thought that an Indian prince..
..would cheat at dice.
Who would have thought that the king would tolerate..
..his daughter-in-law's disrobing in open court.
But all this has happened!
So, do not be surprised.
Tell me, how did you think of me?
I have not come to Grandsire Bhishma.
I have come to Sage Parshuram's disciple.
In that sense, we are brothers.
Of course, we are!
What is your problem?
My first problem is that..
..I do not look on myself as a charioteer's son.
You may be that by birth but you are a warrior by actions.
Actually you are both!
You have no control over your parentage.
So, keep faith in your actions.
How can I do that, Grandsire?
I am an ace archer, a disciple of Sage Parshuram.
Like you, I am a great warrior.
This is not my arrogance speaking.
I have defeated many kings and warriors..
..but I have always lost to Arjun.
Why is that so? Answer me!
That is because you do not follow the warrior code.
You should side with truth and not falsehood.
Duryodhan is a symbol of evil.
Leave him or you will always face defeat.
Did you not see that even Sage Drona..
..and I lost against Arjun in the Virat war?
Why? Because we were siding with evil.
Can you forsake Duryodhan?
That is my helplessness.
Though I know everything.. I cannot forsake him.
I have got my answer.
I, too, cannot forsake Duryodhan.
He is dearer to me than every victory.
My respects!
Victory to Lord Krishna!
Son of Devaki, Vasudev Krishna is coming.
Welcome to Hastinapur!
Please, come.
O Messenger of peace!
Accept this humble gift of mine!
O King! You have honoured me with this gift.
But I can give you nothing in return but peace.
Rest a while O Krishna! The journey must have tired you.
As you say, grandsire.
- Dushasan! - Yes, father.
- Take Krishna with you. - Yes, father.
No, father! First I'll take him with me.
After lunch he can go to Dushasan's palace.
No, Prince!
Food can be partaken at two places.
At the host's house or at a friend's place.
You are neither my host, nor my friend.
I'll go to Vidhur's house.
Aunt Kunti is also there.
I'll leave now.
- Let's go, Vidhur. - Come, Krishna.
O son, Krishna.
Aunt!
Krishna.
Aunt.
Krishna, these tears..
..had not flown for years.
Let them flow. Exhaust all your old tears..
..for now we enter the land of tears.
What do you mean?
Don't worry, aunt.
Your five sons are safe.
Five!
Everyone on this side is also my son.
Have you forgiven Duryodhan.. and his colleagues..
..for their conspiracies against the Pandavas?
The point is not who is a son and who is not.
It is a matter of truth and evil.
I am not on Pandavas's side because they are your sons.
I side with them because truth is on their side.
I am protecting truth. That is my only loyalty.
So, tell me Aunt Kunti..
..what is your message for your sons?
Tell Yudhishthir that the day..
..for which he was born is at hand.
Won't you return with me?
No! I must stay on in Hastinapur.
I cannot leave Grandsire, Gandhari or Dhritrashtra.
Every time they see me they are reminded of..
..the injustice done to my sons.
I am not only the daughter-in-law.
I am also the conscience of this family.
O messenger of peace tell me..
..will there be a war or not?
I am only a messenger of peace.
So, I cannot decide about war.
Only the king of Hastinapur can decide.
If he metes out justice there won't be a war.
Never!
If he continues to dole out injustice..
..war is inevitable.
In fact, the decision is not in his hands.
Duryodhan will decide.
In that case, this war will take place.
Be patient! Let us first find out..
..what proposal Krishna has brought.
He can do nothing, to us.
Come Krishna! Come!
My respects! Please sit!
I will always be unhappy that..
..you did not choose to have lunch with us.
Always!
Always' implies eternity.
After all, I am a messenger of peace.
How can I accept favours before a truce?
So, come Duryodhan! At least let us agree.
O Krishna! I do not understand this outlook.
What do the outcome of the talks have to do..
..with being a good host?
Besides, there is no ill-will between us.
How can you, the perfect man, insult your host?
O Karna! Whatever happens I cannot give up truth.
A person lunches with another..
..if the other is a friend or if he is hungry.
I am neither hungry nor Duryodhan's friend.
How can you say that you are not dear to me?
Because if that is so..
..you would have fought with Arjun in Dwarka..
..that you wanted me and not my divine army.
That doesn't not prove anything O Krishna.
Arjun had already asked for you and so..
..you had already become his by right.
In that case, if I have already become Arjun's..
..how can I accept Duryodhan's favours?
An enemy of the Pandavas cannot be my friend.
Because truth is on Pandavas's side..
..and where truth is, I am!
In a sense, I am also a messenger of truth.
If I partake the lunch you offer..
..it will violate the limits of truth.
Do not be angry, Duryodhan.
Anger cannot negate humility.
That is what I want to tell you.
There is no quarrel between us so, listen to me!
The path of peace is the path of progress and growth.
The path of war leads to the cemetery.
It is time for lunch!
Once again I request you.
If you lunch with me, I'll be obliged.
If you really wanted me to lunch with you..
..you would have accepted my peace proposal by now.
I will have lunch at Vidhur's house.
- No! - Duryodhan.
Who does he think he is?
I was only trying to honour him.
It is right that a milkman should eat with a maid's son.
Uncle! I give you my word.
If he tries to be too smart in court..
..I'll have him arrested immediately.
"When the mind becomes warped."
"The era of destruction is at hand."
"It is now obvious that.."
"..the destruction of the Kurus is near."