Ekta Kapoor has caused quite a few eyebrows to be raised for her rather different take on the Mahabharata, but the television tsarina defends her interpretation saying no one has a copyright on the Indian epic.

"Thank god nobody has a copyright on the original story. I bow to Ved Vyas for the way he has written the Mahabharata but he is no more in the world to object to my show, " Ekta told reporters.

Ekta has interpreted the epic in her own way. Going against the original storyline, she depicted the dramatic "Draupadi Cheerharan" scene in the very first episode of her show that airs on 9x entertainment channel.

"The Mahabharata has a huge background to it and we just decided to start from the high point in the story - the humiliation of a woman, " the producer said.

Ekta, who has made several TV serials like "Kyunkii Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thii" and "Hum Paanch", says her show is her own perception of the epic.

"I read various versions of the epic, Oriya, Tamil and others along with three of my researchers. Every version has taken a different view of the story and so have I.

"The epic is full of moments and one can beautifully play with them and still bring out the same beauty. I'm sure Ved Vyas was a better writer than me and he had a strong sense of creativity."

Although there is no copyright issue involved in the Mahabharata, B.R. Chopra, the first one to make a TV series on the epic, has got a copyright on the title Mahabharat, which he finalised after consulting a numerologist.

Since Ekta is also a keen follower of numerology and astrology, she thought it was wise to consult her specialist, Sanjay B. Jumaani, before finalising the title "Kahaani Humaaray Mahaabhaarat Ki".

The show has been digitally enhanced using a variety of special effects. The sets are lavish and the characters have been given a fresh look.

The cast includes leading TV actors like Ronit Roy, Sakshi Tanwar, Chetan Hansraj, Jaya Bhattacharya and Kiran Karmakar.