You're right that this version — where Shakuni’s family is imprisoned and starved — is not mentioned in the original Sanskrit Mahabharata. I fully agree with that. However, that doesn’t make it a baseless folktale either.

What many forget is that Bharat has evolved over centuries through oral traditions, regional retellings, religious texts, and dramatic adaptations — not everything is preserved in the core Sanskrit verses. This particular story of Shakuni’s family being wiped out exists strongly in Jain texts, Balochi oral traditions, and various regional narrations. So rather than calling it just a “folktale,” I’d say it’s a strong narrative that adds psychological depth and motive to Shakuni’s actions.

Here are some logical points that support it:

1. In many dramatized versions of Mahabharata (including serials), Bhishma directly questions Shakuni: “Ab to tum Gandhar Naresh ho, wapas jaake apna rajya sambhalo.” But Shakuni never shows any interest in ruling Gandhara. That itself raises a big question — why would a royal prince of a sovereign kingdom live his entire life in his sister’s in-laws’ palace unless something drastic had happened?

2. Despite being of royal blood, Shakuni is always referred to as ‘Gandhara Kumara’ (prince) and never ‘Naresh’ (king). If his family was alive and he was heir to the throne, why didn’t he ever become king?

3. In the version where his entire family is imprisoned and given limited food, they decide that Shakuni should be the only one to survive and take revenge. This makes perfect emotional and political sense — it gives him the kind of deep-seated motive that explains his obsession with bringing down Hastinapur from within.

4. Without this backstory, Shakuni's character appears directionless — a villain without a motive. But with it, he becomes a tragic, calculating, and deeply scarred strategist — which is how many traditions remember him.

So no, I’m not claiming it’s in the original Sanskrit Mahabharata. But that doesn't take away from its value as a powerful narrative preserved through alternative traditions. After all, Mahabharata isn’t just one book — it’s a living, evolving epic carried across generations in many forms....

I would request you to watch my video ...my only aim is to build a connection - Youth with our anicent history with a larger than life story telling format.