Mandala

The telenovela's central plot is a free adaptation of Sophocles' Greek tragedy Oedipus Rex, transposing the myth of Oedipus to 20th-century Rio de Janeiro.

Mandala was written by Dias Gomes only up to chapter 35; he was then replaced by Marcílio Moraes, who wrote the rest with the uncredited collaboration of Lauro César Muniz for the final chapters.

During its original run, the show faced problems with Brazil's Federal Censorship, which initially tried to veto the synopsis for dealing with themes like incest, drug use and bisexuality deemed inappropriate for the prime-time slot; Globo negotiated changes to get it approved.

Even after airing began, censors tried to block a kiss scene between Jocasta and Édipo, deeming it too shocking, but Globo negotiated to keep the essential scene, arguing the characters were unaware of their mother-son relationship, while ensuring no sexual content or insinuation between them was planned.

Gianfrancesco Guarnieri's character Túlio Silveira, a communist facing trouble with police and government, was inspired by Mário Lago, a close friend of writer Dias Gomes, though it also bore resemblance to the actor's own life.

Dias Gomes originally wrote the role of Jocasta with actress Dina Sfat in mind, but she turned it down; Vera Fischer ended up playing the character instead.

Scenes were shot in Brasília, and special effects were used for Jocasta and Édipo's visions as well as for Argemiro's scenes, in which the paranormal guru sat under an illuminated pyramid to recharge his energy.

To depict the passage of time along Botafogo's waterfront in Rio, the production used a five-square-meter scale model filmed almost frame by frame, progressively adding small cardboard building reproductions to show the area transforming over the decades.

Actor Nuno Leal Maia, who played bookmaker Tony Carrado, gave input to the costume team about his character's colorful suits, having previously played a similar role in the 1985 film O Rei do Rio; the look became so popular that costume designer Sônia Soares received calls from real bookmakers and wealthy people asking where to buy similar suits.

Vera Fischer and Felipe Camargo, who played Jocasta and Édipo, had an off-screen romance during filming and later married, a fact the telenovela is often remembered for.

The soundtrack featured 'O Amor e o Poder,' a Portuguese-language version of Jennifer Rush's 'Power of Love' performed by singer Rosana, which became a huge hit at the time.

Another soundtrack highlight was 'Pra Sempre Vou Te Amar,' a version of 'Forever by Your Side' performed by singer Adriana, which became a massive hit in Brazil and was associated with Nuno Leal Maia's character Tony Carrado, leading to the release of a themed compilation album called As Preferidas de Tony Carrado.

Mandala averaged around 56 rating points on IBOPE and was extended by 12 extra chapters, ending on a Friday the 13th, with the final episode repeated the following Saturday.

In Portugal, Mandala aired only in 1994 on RTP's Canal 1 and became the first prime-time telenovela on RTP not to lead the ratings, as it competed with Mulheres de Areia airing on the rival channel SIC, which Globo had also begun supplying with more recent telenovelas.