The teaser for Prashant Varma's film Mahakali was released on August 24, and the film itself will be released in theaters on January 8, 2027. The teaser caused a great stir. In this movie, actor Akshay Khanna plays the role of Guru Shukracharya. The teaser demonstrates the conflict between the gods and the asuras, showing how Guru Shukracharya will fight against the gods for the rights of the asuras.
In the teaser, Akshay Khanna (Guru Shukracharya) speaks about how Vishnu gave amrita only to the gods after the joint labor during the churning of the ocean (Manthan). He questions whether this is a duty or a disgrace. He asserts that Indra's right to the throne was taken from him, and that all asuras were cast into Patala, closing the gates of the 14 lokas. Guru Shukracharya declares that in 14 days, the victorious cry of the asuras will reach their ears, and the asuras will be free forever. He then utters the phrase: 'Raktbija will destroy humanity.'
This raises the question: who is the asura Raktbija? In mythological tales, we often hear about the struggle between asuras and gods. Among these asuras, Raktbija was the most dangerous and powerful. In Sanskrit, his name means 'born of blood.' He received this name due to his special power: it was believed that every drop of his blood that fell to the ground would spawn another such asura, making his defeat extremely difficult.
The mention of Raktbija is found in the eighth chapter of Durga Saptashati from the Markandeya Purana. According to the legend, Raktbija was not just an asura; he was very strong and cunning. His goal was to overthrow the gods and establish his dominance in the heavens. He possessed a unique power that made him almost invincible. Gradually, his power and army grew, and the gods could not figure out how to stop him. Any weapon used against him only complicated the situation. Soon, the gods began to fear that if Raktbija was not stopped, he would conquer the heavens. When all attempts proved unsuccessful, the gods invoked Mother Durga, who is considered the embodiment of strength, protection, and the destruction of evil.
According to Durga Saptashati, after the battle began, Mother Durga confronted Chandha and Munda and defeated them. After this, she proceeded to Raktbija with all her weapons. She struck Raktbija, but as soon as his blood fell to the ground, new Raktbijas were born from that blood. With each blow, their number increased, and soon a huge army of Raktbijas formed. Seeing this, Mother Durga became enraged and assumed her fierce form—Mother Kali.
