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Original title:Asoka
Category:Movie / Action / Biography / Drama / History / Romance / War
Released:2001
Director:Santosh Sivan
Actors:Shah Rukh Khan,Kareena Kapoor,Danny Denzongpa
Writer:Saket Chaudhary,Santosh Sivan
Budget:INR 130,000,000
Duration:2h 56min
Video type:Movie

Rating 6.7: Votes 182

2001 Shah Rukh Khan Kareena Kapoor Danny Denzongpa Santosh Sivan

Short summary

The epic tale of King Asoka's life is recounted here.

Prince Ashoke (Shahrukh Khan), heir to the Magadha Kingdom, bowing to his mother's (Shilpa Mehta) demand forsakes his princely status and goes to live in the wild for awhile. There he meets and falls in love with Kaurwaki (Kareena Kapoor). He identifies himself as Pawan, not wanting to disclose his identity yet. Ashoke has to return to Magadha, but when he returns to find and wed Kaurwaki, he is told by Bheema (Rahul Dev) that Kaurwaki and her brother Arya have been killed. Devastated Ashoke returns home. On the way home he is attacked and Devi (Hrishitaa Bhatt), of the Buddhist faith rescues him and tends to him till he gets well. As a result, Devi's marriage to her groom is cancelled. Ashoke weds her and brings her to Magadha, only to be told by his father that since Devi is not of the same race as he, she cannot be welcomed. Ashoke leaves with Devi and lives in Ujjaini. Soon Devi gets pregnant, and this arouses jealously and hatred amongst Ashoke's step-brothers. As a result they ...

Trailers "Asoka (2001)"

Director O.P. Ralhan was first going to direct a film on Ashoka in 1979. The budget was very big and he was going to launch a newcomer in the title role.Thousands of people applied for the role. Jackie Shroff sent in his picture and gave an audition. The film was eventually shelved.

The first film of Shahrukh Khan to release globally for a international audience.

Shah Rukh Khan wanted Aishwarya Rai Bachchan to be cast in the role of Kaurwaki. However, the director, Santosh Sivan, wanted to cast an actress with whom he hadn't already been paired in a leading role. Shahrukh also recommended Sushmita Sen to play the singing dancer in the bar.

Shah Rukh Khan and Kareena Kapoor had to undergo training in sword fighting for their roles.

Shah Rukh Khan initially wanted Aishwarya Rai Bachchan to play the female lead. But then he and the director decided to offer the role to Karisma Kapoor. She rejected it and it eventually went to her sister Kareena Kapoor.

Shah Rukh Khan's only film to date to be based on a real character.

All the characters in the film (from the Maurya empire and Kalinga) speak modern Hindi opposed to the ancient Prakrit dialects spoken in the 3rd century BCE.

Anu explains "While researching for the film, we discovered that Body Art was a prominent part of that time. For the character of Kaurwaki, (Kareena) we used different designs of tattoos."

"I also tried to give the different parts of the film different looks: for example when the viewer is taken to Magadha (Bihar), the temples and houses have been made using black granite while when we are in Kalinga (Orissa) I have used brown sandstone and earth tones to generate a different feel. Also I worked with only six pillars in the film, it is hard to imagine that once you see the film", says Sabu Cyril.

The film leaves its many complex moments unexplored and disjointed, choosing to pitch it as a love story instead of an epic tale of war and peace," an Indian reviewer wrote.

A song picturised of Johnny Lever was deleted.

Kareena was paired opposite Shahrukh for the first time.

It is a dramatised version of the early life of emperor Asoka, of the Maurya dynasty, who ruled most of the Indian subcontinent in the 3rd century BCE.

Ajith Kumar's Hindi debut and remains the only Hindi movie he has worked.

It was produced by Shah Rukh Khan, Juhi Chawla and Radhika Sangoi.

It was originally released as Ashoka The Great in India.

Film's dialogue by Abbas Tyrewala.

The screenplay was written by Santosh Sivan and Saket Chaudhary.

Film was selected for screening at the Venice Film Festival and the Toronto International Film Festival, where it got positive response.

The Tamil release title is Samrat Ashoka.

However, while the film was critically acclaimed it performed moderately at the box office.

The film chronicles the early part of the life of Emperor Asoka.

The film was widely screened across the United Kingdom and North America.

"And yet, as far as historical accuracy is concerned, there's a surprising result: though the whole Pawan/Kaurwaki episode is fantasy, the film mostly avoids messing around with the known facts", wrote historian Alex von Tunzelmann.

The names of the historical figures in the film are changed in accordance with modern Hindi.

There is also no historical evidence of a queen ruling Kalinga at the time of Asoka's invasion.

The film does not depict Ashoka's love for Devi.

The film explicitly suggests Kalinga as a democracy.

The director, along with principal costume designer Anu Vardhan, started working on the project two years before they started the actual shooting of the film.

Though Anu agrees that there was no concept of wearing vests during that era, certain cinematic liberties have been taken because Shahrukh did not wanted to shoot shirtless throughout the film.

The armours and shields worn by the artistes also form an important part of the costume for the final war sequences.

During Shah Rukh's forest sequences, he wears square pieces of a blanket-like-material, folded into two and cut in between, to pass around the neck. Another piece of cloth was tried around his waist, acting as a belt. There was no stitching involved."

Metal jackets composed of special fibre glass were made for around 4000 members of the cast.

The elaborate final battle scene (the battle fought against the Kalingas) employed over six thousand extras and hundreds of elephants.

More than half the film was shot indoors on the studio floors of Film City and Filmistan.

The film is also known for using minimal special effects.

Sivan says he didn't want any special effects, and no digitally augmented crowds.

The song "Raat Ka Nasha" was picturised at Bhedaghat and Panchmarhi in Madhya Pradesh amidst the Narmada River.

The film was locations such as Panchmarhi (bulk of the romance between Asoka and the princess), Maheshwar (the palace intrigues of Pataliputra), Madhya Pradesh, Jaipur (battle scenes), Igatpuri and Bhubaneswar (the Kalinga portions).

A. R. Rahman was signed in to composed the film's music. But for reasons unknown, he opted out.

Anu Malik stepped in to compose the songs.

Gulzar wrote the lyrics for five songs while one song was written by Anand Bakshi(San Sanana).

A. R. Rahman was signed in to composed the film's music.

This albumn featured eminent singers like K.S.Chithra, Alka Yagnik, Shaan, Sunidhi Chauhan, Abhijeet Bhattacharya, Suneeta Rao & Hema Sardesai.

Sandeep Chowta was brought on board to for the background score.

Sandeep Chowta was the guest composer for the instrumental piece "Asoka theme"; he also composed the background score of the film.

The films music was highly successful, especially both versions of "Raat Ka Nasha" sung by K.S.Chithra were huge chartbusters.

Asoka had only a moderate budget.

The soundtrack features six songs composed by Anu Malik.

According to the Indian trade website Box Office India, with around 15,00,000 units sold, this film's soundtrack album was the year's thirteenth highest-selling.

Asoka grossed 19.39 crore Rs. (USD2.7 million) in India and USD1.8 million (8.64 crore Rs.) in other countries, for a worldwide total of 28.03 crore Rs. (USD3.9 million), against its 12.50 crore Rs. (USD1.7 million) budget.

It is the 13th-highest-grossing film of 2001 in India.

It is the 13th-highest-grossing Bollywood film of 2001 worldwide.

The film earned a total of 11.54 crore Rs. (USD1.6 million) nett, and was declared "hit" by Box Office India.

Overseas, It is the 4th-highest-grossing film of 2001.

It had an opening weekend of USD800,000 (3.84 crore Rs.) and went on to gross USD1.07 million (5.13 crore Rs.) in its first week.

It had a worldwide opening weekend of 8.66 crore Rs. (USD1.2 million), and grossed 13.98 crore Rs. (USD1.9 million) in its first week.

It opened on 26 October 2001, across 235 screens, and earned 1 crore Rs. (USD140,000) nett on its opening day.

Asoka was critically acclaimed.

It grossed 2.87 crore Rs. (USD400,000) nett in its opening weekend, and had a first week of 5.26 crore Rs. (USD730,000) nett.

The film earned a total of USD1.8 million (8.64 crore Rs.) at the end of its theatrical run.

The portrayal of Asoka in the film proved controversial in India.

Critics generally praised the cinematography of Santosh Sivan.

The extended version of the film included scenes of Krishna Sharma playing Rani, a girl favoured by Asoka's mother to be his bride.

Film directed and co-written by Santosh Sivan.

"I was dancing in a train for a song in a movie (Chaiya Chaiya on the sets of Mani Ratnam's Dil Se..) that Santosh Sivan was lensing, and he came up to me between shots and told me about Asoka," says Shah Rukh Khan.

Some of the actors portraying warriors in the film were masters of Kalari, who used their expertise. They were the only ones to use real weapons in the filming.

Salman Khan was first offered the lead role but opted out

Asoka song Roshni Se Bhare interlude music was made in "Kab Mere Haal-e-Dil" from Ssshhh (2003)

The film was shown as a tv series on star plus.

After all, it is a mainstream commercial film.

On the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 100% based on 10 fresh reviews, with an average rating of 7.6/10.

It begins with his career as a General in Taxila (modern-day Pakistan) and ends with the bloody conquest of the Kalinga country (modern day Odisha State)

User reviews

Author: LONUDOG

While this engaging film wonderfully depicts the evolution of a young man into the ferocious killing machine emperor called ChandAshoka (Wild Ashoka) it pays little attention to the much more vital legacy as DharmAshoka (Faithful Ashoka). Cutting two songs, and adding another 10 minutes of exposition to show his evolution into the enlightened and compassionate meesenger of Buddhism would have made the film much more complete, and raised it to the level of highest achievement. Ashoka made Kalinga into a centre of Buddhism that endured more than a millennium, until the Shaivaite and Vaishnavite Hindu Renaissance of the 12th and 13th centuries. His legacy as a prophet of multiculturalism, peace and tolerance was insufficiently explored. It might have helped to have had an English translation of the beautiful and profound rock edicts that were shown only as a visual element in the opening and closing credits. It is a shame that Ashoka's Greek ancestry is not even acknowledged in the film. His grandfather Chandragupta, who is seen as convert to the ultra-pacifist Jain faith in the opening scenes, married the daughter of rht edfeated Greek general Seleucus Nicator, who led Alexander the Great's forces to defeat in the Punjab. Ashoka was born of one of Bindusara's Indian wives, which makes Ashoka at least one quarter Greek -- he was the very fusion of the Greco-Indian classical tradition, snd it was he who caused to be erected the collossal Buddhas at Bamiyan, destroyed earlier this year by the Taliban government in Afghanistan. Despite these minor failings it is a superb film, and even today you can wander the sand dunes of the River Daya (Compassion) in southeastern Orissa (formerly Kalinga) and experience the fullimagining of the Ashokan battlefield. Best regards Satya

Author: Malodor

This film is not intended to be derogatory towards Buddhists, but does indeed enact the historical beginnings of Buddhism. King Ashoka was a vicious warrior before he was shown the 8-fold path but his conversion did not occur until much blood was spilled in his land. It is unfortunate that other viewers have a skewed version of the conception of Buddhism and take this film to be negative. Nevertheless, I was impressed at the historical accuracy, the strength of the acting, and the vividness in the vision of the director. He chooses very unique positions to shoot the scenes and uses stop-time in very emotionally effective manners. I recommend this film not only for the story but for the visual elements and as an example of an Indian film that offers more than just song and dance.

Author: Bearus

Likeable, but long, quasi drama, quasi musical with a little comedy thrown in about intrigues of a family of an Indian Raj. This won't be everybody's cup, but if you stay with it, the story delivers a satisfying conclusion.

The actors are attractive and enjoyable, the battle scenes were enhanced by NOT using CGG. By keeping shots local, on real actors, as opposed to long distance pans of computer generated people, it simply looked better. CGG, as shown in the movie THE PATRIOT; looked phony and to a viewers intuition, felt phony. Kudos to the producers for keeping it real.

My only beef was the time length of the film, and just a few too many melodramatic moments of pathos. This kind of going for the heart-strings style of screenwriting can backfire, if one goes to the well too often.

The music and dance numbers were pretty terrific, albeit through my western eyes. Their tempos were sweetly romantic, or heartfelt in their display of sadness, depending on the case. All were artistic, interesting and entertaining.

ASOKA, the biography of an Indian Prince, is recommended.

Author: Opithris

It's really hard for me to evaluate Indian films. Although they appeal to me, I live in a world totally alien to theirs. What I see as a film being interrupted by unnecessary music videos, they might see as the marriage of two vibrant, vital aspects of their culture.

That said, Asoka is a film that I enjoyed very much. The story is epic, complex, and deeply layered, and it almost had me crying in the end (VERY few films can do this). The cast is fantastic, and they did an excellent job. The costumes and the sets were equally great. It's runtime is at 2 hours 45 minutes, but I was left hoping it was going to go a little bit longer. I wanted to know what happened to Davi, and I wanted to learn a few things from Asoka's latter days --when he embarked on his journey towards peace.

This film is great, and I'm looking forward to seeing it again.

Author: Kerdana

I have to say, that after thinking about it for awhile, I really enjoyed this movie. Its growing on me, even now.. It was visually stunning... really beautiful to look at. Of course, most Hindi films are really vivid, but this was exceptional, I think. Really well done by Santosh Sivan.

If you are not a veteran of Hindi films, then you may not fully appreciate this movie... You kinda have to be used to the subtitles, used to the music/dance sequences, and the basic formula that all Hindi films follow, in regards to romance. I mean, the story doesnt focus on Asoka's romantic life, but it does play an important role... Once you get past the first 15 minutes or so, the story really takes off. The story basically is how Prince Asoka rose to power to become King Asoka, and can happen when one is overcome with blind vengeance, despair and hatred...

Shahrukh Khan (Asoka) has got to be by far, the best male Indian actor Ive seen, besides maybe Om Puri. He has great chemistry with Kareena Kapoor and overall, the movie is well-acted.

Asoka is more reminiscent of Braveheart (excellent film), not Gladiator (terrible garbage), which the liner notes suggest. If there is a weak point, it might be the editing...alot of times, after a cut, I felt like there was too big a jump and a scene missing....

Overall an A. I recommend it, especially if you are interested in Indian culture...its based on real events around 3rd century BC.

Author: Katius

Asoka is a movie by acclaimed cinematographer and director Santosh Sivan, and it is clearly evident from his latest venture that he is about to change the celluloid world forever. The movie is an epic and the first example of International Indian cinema on a wide scale, bigger canvas and projected through the eye of a master filmmaker.

The film begins with the young Prince Asoka (Shah Rukh Khan) as a boy who watches his father accept Jainism, a peaceful religion that encourages him to toss aside his sword, which has caused much bloodshed. The young boy is intrigued by the weapon and picks up the new toy, masters it and soon learns that with the power of yielding this sword comes a great price. A warrior is born who fights many battles yet it is quickly established that this young man is very much fighting human wars, quenching a thirst for power and balancing this with his love for his family, particularly his mother. His mother renounces her son's violent ways and requests him to undergo the greatest education any person can: a journey.

On his journey as an ordinary traveller, the prince encounters friends and learns to eat peasant food with his trusty horse Pawan, who mirroring an opposite reflection to Asoka's seemingly black heart, is pure white with eyes that steal the heart of anyone who gazes into them. While exploring through a forest he meets the Princess Kaurwaki (Kareena Kapoor), whose eyes mesmerise one moment and warn off invaders in a blink. She is the embodiment of beauty and the prince introduces himself as Pawan to her, only to find there is a price on her head and she, accompanied by General Bheema (Rahul Dev) and young Prince Arya (Suraj Balaji), are on their own journey to make it alive to Kalinga where their destiny awaits them.

The journey of Asoka continues with trials and love, jealousy and betrayal, all making up cornerstones of what Prince Asoka experiences along the way. He falls flawlessly in love with Kaurwaki, and she becomes his soul and purpose of living, but destiny strikes a blow only to begin a mission born in rage and spread by blood. To reveal the rest of the movie would be taking too much from the audiences' viewing pleasure but the journey for Asoka is far from over.

A story of a traveller's travels, his education that is the journey, the loves and losses and wars and redemption all encompass this 173 minute epic that grips the viewer from the moment the camera pans down onto Asoka, as if indicating it is descending onto a mountain full of riches within, up until the deeply disturbing ending, which leaves the viewer with a ray of hope before the credits flash to announce not the end of the story but the beginning.

Santosh Sivan's camerawork and direction are par excellence, as his unique flash-technique and use of many shots to accentuate a minor detail in a scene all add together to create a cleverly woven story immortalised on film. In some sequences the camera cuts like a sword with flashes of residue left lingering both on screen and in the viewer's mind, yet in others following, he uses less shots and still manages to maintain rhythm. A film such as Asoka cannot be appreciated on a single viewing alone as upon initial contact one is simply bombarded with an onslaught of visual delights, spellbinding sounds and a story that emerges from our past but still reaches into the depths of every man's soul.

Performance wise Shah Rukh Khan is the life of the movie. His acting prowess is detailed to the fullest in emotional gut-wrenching scenes, that portray innocence, rage, peace and longing all through his demeanour and eye-language. Asoka's arrogance and clarity of his every action, coupled with the consistent river of flowing energy is evident through the actor's performance which to his credit leaves one finding the line which ends with the character and turns into actor. Asoka could not only be Shah Rukh's greatest screen incarnation, but also a clear message to international cinema of his screen presence, dedication and mastery of his art.

Kareena Kapoor, as the warrior princess who acts as sister and mother figure to Arya, a cautious then enduring lover to Asoka and emerges as someone on her own personal journey, in search of her identity and sense of belonging while juggling her duties, heart and mind in a three ring circus, Kareena gives what is by far her finest performance to date. After her innocent and natural debut in Refugee, she is finally allowed to once more realise her potential and play a character that only she could do justice to. Her look sans make up, except a few lines accentuating her eyes as the window to her soul, is as pure as the princess herself and the image of her going to get milk, fully wrapped except for her eyes is of sheer cinematic delight. Kareena has mastered the art of acting with her whole body in a short span of time and her performance in Asoka proves this. One hopes her potential is continually unlocked and her future holds many more performances and films of this calibre.

It is ironical that a film inspired by history is destined to make history itself by being the first Indian masterpiece to be shown at so many festivals, in so many countries and shown nationwide breaking into mainstream British cinema. It is certainly one of Indian cinema's finest offerings and deserves the attention it is bound to receive, missing out on this homage to true cinematic form would be like missing history. Go see it.

Fuad Omar.

Author: Nidor

ASOKA is a simple tale of sibling rivalry at its most heinous in a battle for the throne, filial duty, plus boy-meets-girl/boy-loses-girl etc, and how a conqueror realizes he has gained nothing by his brutality, and thereafter embarks on a journey of self-realisation and redemption through peace and Buddhism.A simple tale, but made complex by mind-boggling logistics (600 horses, 50 elephants, 6,000 extras together on the battlefield), thought-provoking themes and lyrical cinematography loaded with symbolism and mystique. Moments of levity (`that's not a weapon.THIS is a weapon!' reminding me of `Crocodile Dundee') together with aweinspiring locations and captivating romance, provide a gentle contrast to the gruesome spectacle of war.

One of the highlights for me was the music. In spite of owning the CD and seeing video clips on MTV, I was unprepared for the lush, sumptuous sounds enveloping me like an embrace, combined with alluring picturization. I would have loved to have seen more of the underwater scene in ROSHNI SE - innovative and full of grace and playfulness.

The Baadshah (King) of Bollywood, SHAH RUKH KHAN, demonstrates his personal aura of majesty and magnetism- classy, gutsy, seductive and intense, he IS Asoka incarnate: imperious, vengeful or romantic, .every move and emotion delivering a message of Grace, Truth and Sincerity straight to the viewer's heart.

More famously known for his exuberant dancing, irrepressible energy and audacity, Shah Rukh's flawless portrayal is so internalized and contained, with moments of chilling stillness, that it's difficult to remember any of his previous persona. Shah Rukh in his prime is a formidable, unforgettable vision.

Another highlight was Shah Rukh's graceful Kallaripayattu (martial art) and one-on-one combat scenes (especially with the enthralling snake sword) almost balletic in execution (no pun intended) - giving added dimension to the phrase `Poetry In Motion'.

Shah Rukh's intensity reminds me of Martin Sheen who was 35 in Francis Ford Coppola's `Apocalypse Now', a highlight of Hollywood history in its time, the same age as Shah Rukh in Asoka.

The entire cast lends excellent support, with many outstanding scenes, and no disappointments. Karriena is bewitching, young Suraj beguiling, and Rahul Dev fiercely protective, to help flesh out Santosh Sivan's magnificent movie. Ajith Kumar impresses more every time I see this movie, and successfully evokes sympathy from an unsympathetic role.

Costume and set design forsake the typical lavish `royal' trimmings, giving a clean, timeless look of elegant simplicity to haunting visuals in soft muted colours (except for the rich, rich, red and stunning peacock blue fabrics) in subtle harmony with the luxurious foliage. God bless Santosh Sivan, a visionary in an industry of mediocrity! (I wonder if he's met Francis Ford Coppola?)

History of Asoka? .not necessarily!

History of Cinema? .but definitely!

The ending left me panting to know what happened next, much like young `Arya' wanting `Pavan' to continue his story-telling ~ is this a clever way to make us beg for a sequel: ASOKA Part II? Mr Sivan, Sir, are you listening?

FINAL NOTE: The exquisite Book on The Making of Asoka (Mushtaq Shiekh, writer, HarperCollins Publishers) completes and further enriches the magical, mythical experience of ASOKA.

*SANDI* SRK's AUSSIE FAN #1

Author: Doukasa

Granted, Asoka doesn't really bring anything new to Indian cinema but then when do many films? This film should be given its due in that its better than most Indian movies of the day - way better. Therefore immediate criticism is harsh.

The music first of all is...very cool. Yes, its not yr typical music of the Indian setting but if u listen, Anu Malik has done something very interesting with the classical instruments of the age. This music has an evolved feel to it, that actually serves the movie very well. Its was an ambitious move that the director pulled off. So many bollywood films have the same songs, the same formula, the same dreary uninventive sound - these songs were different sounding, even if they touched on the same typical subjects. And the lyrics are beautiful in a lot of them (granted not the 'tayar hoja').

the script wasn't amazing but far surpasses the embarrassing lines of some many other Indian movies but it served its purpose. the actions scenes were better crafted then most Indian cinema pieces - the use of cgi would have been tacky and poor - until we have an industry that can create a war scene on full scale its a bad idea.. Shah rukh khan did a good job, kareena kapoor was beautiful (and I'm not a big fan). no one acted cringingly as so many Indian actors do.

finally, yes, the movie may have achieved something more had it been historically correct, but u r warned as a viewer that the film isn't historically correct and some features are fictional. who cares? its still good cinema. not everything needs a wonderful sweeping message.

Author: MegaStar

the film revolves around a real life incident of India's ancient emperor Asoke the great.

the beginning of the film is simply marvelous, with the emperor Chandragupta Mauriya, renouncing the throne and advising the young prince Asoka not to use the sword.

the story moves quickly onwards projecting asoka as a competent, even brilliant general but ruthless and ambitious. he is embroiled in intrigues with his step brothers, and with his father who is under the power of his step mother who is hostile to his very presence. unable to tame the haughty prince his mother forces him to go into exile.

the plot meanders a little until he meets the princess kaurwaki. interesting sequences follow with a heartbreaking partition of the two lovers and the eventual betrayal of asoka by his brothers.

the emotional parts are fantastic with poetic cinematography. there is some thing for everyone in this film.

Shah rukh khan once again proves that when it comes to the Indian film industry, there are few who can equal him. his screen presence is immense, and once he is on, there is nothing else you can help notice.

Kareena kapoor is good, as the destitute yet haughty princess Kaurwaki.

Supporting castes are excellent, with a special mention of Danny denzongpa, who acts his part to perfection.

the conclusion of the film is in the massive battle of Kalinga. here the fight sequences are real (not animated), with real time filming. hence the effect is great. the stunts though look like expressive ballet at times.

the only thing lacking is an all too brief exposure to the spiritual side of the event,(of the emperor renouncing violence). since this was the turning point in his life a little more on this and a little less on the romance between Asoka and Kaurwaki would have made this a definite hit.

all in all, a marvelous piece of cinema. a must watch for ANYONE.

Author: Manris

This movie is underrated and deserves more then the 6.8 from the users' rating here in IMDb. Shahrukh Khan is totally hot and perfect as Asoka, but I don't understand why so many people are saying bad things about the actress Kareena Kapoor, that in my opinion, was also nice in the role of Kaurwaki. Well, Whatever:

''Asoka'' is a very beautiful film, with a great cinematography, scenarios and clothes. It is also a great epic from the Indian movies that deserves to be watched by people of all ages, and even not being 100% faithful about the real Asoka's life, it is a great adaptation of it. The only two things I need to complain are :

+ The songs, that are not a masterpiece like in ''Lagaan'' and also doesn't have anything to do with the story of the movie. In most of the Indian movies , the songs always have lyrics about what is happening to the characters. In ''Asoka'' they don't.

+ The end of the film. After the tension if Kaurwaki and Asoka are going to be together or not, the end should show at least a little bit about their lives as a noble couple. Another thing I missed, was to see the good things Asoka did for his people, like spreading the Buddhism and doing great constructions and monuments. It would help the end to be better, specially after seeing such a massive destruction and annihilation.

Finally, many things of ''Asoka'' remembers me another great epic movie called ''Atilla'', that is directed by Dick Lowry: the way Asoka stays angry and starts to be a monster ,killing everybody after the supposed death of Kaurwaki, is very similar of Atilla 's behavior when his wife N'Kara dies.

And Kauwarki being undercover and protected by General Bheema, remembers me a classic from Akira Kurosawa,''Kakushi-toride no san-akunin''', more well known as ''The Hidden fortress'', where the general Rokurota Makabe takes care of princess yuki in an identical situation of Kauwarki.

Prince Asoka,after leaving his kingdom by his mother's wishes (since he is being hunted by his own brothers), falls in love with the beautiful princess Kaurwaki. Kaurwaki doesn't know he is a prince, but eventually falls in love with him too, spite of the efforts of the general to let her safe from everybody, since she and her brother are being hunted by the Kallinga traitors.

But when Asoka returns his kingdom to talk with his mother, he doesn't find Kaurwaki , thinking that she was killed by the Kallinga traitors, he falls into despair and becomes a brutal emperor.

Author: Gholbimand

In India, about 260 BC in the Empire of Magadha, the Prince Asoka (Shah Rukh Khan) survives to many betrayals of his brothers, leaded by the evil Susima (Ajit Kumar), who wants to kill him to inherit the throne. Asoka's mother orders him to leave Magadha to save his life, and while traveling, he meets Princess Kaurwaki (Karriena Kapoor) and her brother, Prince Aryan (Sooraj Balaji) from Kalinga, who are undercover and protected by General Bheema (Rahul Dev). Asoka and Kaurwaki falls in love for each other, but the mother of Asoka calls him back to Magadha. When he returns to Kaurwaki, he does not find her, since she was attacked by traitors of Kalinga and was hidden in the house of a loyal vassal. When Asoka's mother is killed by a man of Susima, Asoka becomes mad, kills all his evil brothers but Sugatra, who escapes to Kalinga. Asoka decides to conquer Kalinga, but in the end, he concludes that he has not built an empire, but conquered only corpses and destroyed everything, and he decides to spread love and the Buddhism with his son and his daughter.

"Asoka" is a spectacular epic from Bolywood. In Brazil, there are very few Indian movies released on DVD, but all of them are excellent. "Asoka" is one of the best, with a beautiful romance, very dramatic situations and great actions scenes, and a touching conclusion. The actress Karriena Kapoor is extremely beautiful and sexy, and has a great chemistry with Shah Rukh Khan. The boy Sooraj Balaji has a great performance in the role of a prince. Unfortunately the lyrics of the songs have not been translated in the Brazilian DVD. From other Bolywood movies, I am sure that the songs are very important, since they always tell something about the feelings of the characters in that moment. By the way, the music score is excellent. My vote is ten.

Title (Brazil): "Asoka"

Author: Whilingudw

inane dialogue delivery.. most actors barely touch the surface of the characters they play.. song and dance (though some of the songs are very enjoyable and melodious).. nowhere close to the story of the greatest emperor to rule the largest area ever ruled by a subcontinental power - an empire larger than that of Aurangzeb, or the British, or present-day India.. a rather tame tribute this movie is, to the man honoured prolifically by the Republic of India, that chose his symbol as its national symbol after independence.. disappointing movie really.. still, there are some redeeming features - shahrukh khan isn't too bad.. the battle sequences aren't ridiculous.. and the music is probably Anu Malik's best work.. and of course we get gripped by the tale despite it sticking very loosely to the actual historical narrative.. maybe I was expecting too much

Author: post_name

2001, in spite of everything, might be remembered as the year Bollywood met Hollywood in the flesh. Years from now, film historians, critics, and fans will remember this film as a landmark, an unparalleled achievement. This incredible film really needs to be seen on the big screen to be appreciated fully.

Santosh Sivan, the gifted cinematographer best known in the USA for the art-house hit "The Terrorist," and in India for his work with director Mani Ratnam, switches gears completely. While "The Terrorist" was a tiny, contemplative drama, "Asoka" is bigger than big, a total opposite. In fact, I read that the war sequence was the largest of its kind ever filmed in the history of Indian cinema.

Asoka, a little-known figure in the West, was a bloodthirsty maniac who became a bastion for peace and tolerance through Buddhism in the 3rd century, ce. The film is a journey, a character study, of Asoka's progression to the time when he first embraced the Buddha. Some have complained that there is nothing in the film about his conversion to Buddhism, but that is really not the film's point. The events that led up to this transformation are what the film is really about.

Particular attention needs to be made to the cinematography and editing--it is nothing short of extraordinary. Done with an uncanny sensitivity, Sivan brings third century India to breathing, bustling life in a way that, perhaps, no one else could deliver with such vitality and beauty. However, portions of the editing are a little too MTV for my taste, with white flashes and jump-cuts interrupting establishing shots. It functions well, though, during the fight scenes. It is a strange dichotomy between art and commercial cinema. You'll never see swordplay in the same way again.

Pay attention to the acting, too--it is excellent. Kareena Kapoor proves that she's a much finer actress than her older sister, Karisma, and Shahrukh Khan, currently India's biggest star, gives the performance of his life. Both show incredible nuances. Also, Suraj Balaje, who plays the young prince Arya, shows a surprising maturity, and even comedian Johnny Lever, in a cameo role as a soldier, is excellent. If you are not familiar with commercial Indian cinema, the acting may seem like it is a bit over the top, but here, the entire cast, especially the leads, shows tremendous restraint. Know, however, that the over-the-top acting style, a staple of commercial Indian cinema, has a direct connection to traditions that are hundreds and hundreds years old, in the classical styles of the Sanskrit and Parsee theater.

The inevitable comparisons between "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" and "Asoka" are warranted. This is the first commercial Indian film to receive nationwide distribution in the US, in this case through the independent First Look Pictures, and it is poised to bring an otherwise unknown filmmaking tradition in the American mainstream to a wide US audience. Both films are sumptuous recreations of history, although this film is based on an actual historical figure and CTHD is based on a novel. Both films have amazing fight choreography, "Asoka's" done without the aid of computers. Personally, I am biased toward commercial Indian cinema because it holds much more of a mystique. Sadly, because of the image that commercial Indian cinema holds in the USA, it may never see the wide audience that this film so deserves.

Whereas the Hong Kong action picture has heavy doses of martial arts, the commercial Indian film has songs, akin to musicals but, in this case, more like music videos. There are five songs in the film, and they may be a turn-off to those not familiar with mainstream Indian cinema. However, they are well-integrated into the story line, and they are among the best filmi (Indian film songs) I have ever heard, combining modern and ancient instruments with just a touch of electronica. The film really loses some of its impact if they are cut--they are that important. They are well-picturized (term for the filming of musical numbers in Indian cinema) and provide additional atmosphere. The influence of MTV is apparent in the editing style that takes over during the song sequences; this may interrupt the film's rhythm and impact, but they are part of the overall story. Unfortunately, I believe that the song sequences are being cut severely for international release, although I was lucky enough to see them in full DTS digital sound. Because of the need for Indian cinema to appeal to as wide an audience as possible (the all-India film), and because film-going in India is a family experience, films try to appeal to all members of the family. This means that violent scenes can turn into comedy, many genres are often combined, and there is neither sex nor nudity, not even kissing on the lips, because of a puritanical society. Overall, this may be seem cheesy to American audiences, but this is one of the pleasures of commercial Indian cinema. It is strange, though, with its lack of any nudity or sex, which are all suggested but never shown, that the film received an R rating. Yes, it is VERY violent, but the violence is quite stylized and often uses the power of suggestion rather than actual representation. I hope sincerely that, when First Look releases the DVD, the film is completely uncut and complete, with ALL the songs.

The film's last song, "Raat Ka Nasha," would be my Oscar pick for best song, an exemplar of superior filmi. The film itself definitely deserves an Oscar for Best Foreign-Language Film. It is a big bonus to see a film of such high production values devoid of any references to Western civilization or without any Western aesthetics. Incredibly entertaining, something for everyone (music, drama, romance, violence), with unparalleled high-quality production values and a moving story, "Asoka" is a dynamite cinematic experience. It is that good. Peace.

Author: Shazel

I'm so in love with this movie. I'm very glad i rented it. my husband even liked it,which was a welcome surprize.I love'd the imagery and powerful story. It pulled me along with it the entire time. I liked the love story between Asoka and his "warrior". I love that her character was so strong.The war scenes are very powerful but not so much in the overly gory way seen in most movies. This movie broke my heart several times during the watching of it-but in a very good way. I've been inspired to check out this genre more often.Asoka's a legend folktale brought to life the very way i'd want it to be if i were reading it.I plan to add this movie to my collection and reccomend it to others.

Author: Gri

I've never seen lots of Indian movies. Monsoon Wedding was my one and only, in fact. This was a great film to follow up with. It definately offers viewers a style of movie which isn't as familiar as typical Hollywood productions. While Monsoon Wedding was a great film, it was in a format I was comfortable with...while Asoka gave me something new. The muscial accompaniment had me, at first, shaking my head and thinking "what in the world"...but now I can't imagine the film without it. The score is compelling and I now own both the DVD and the soundtrack, lol.

If you want something off the beaten track. Something purely ethnic and not just a Hollywood production with minority players: give Asoka a chance. No, it may not be historically correct, but that wasn't the purpose of this movie. It's for pure entertainment and enjoyment and it succeeds very well in bringing both to the screen.

Author: Rare

It was the video cover of ASOKA that attracted me to the film . It claims to be as spectacular as GLADIATOR , a really good epic film I'd seen a couple of days previously. The video cover tells us it's about the Emperor Asoka of the 3rd Century BC though it doesn't claim to be historically accurate. Well BRAVEHEART was farcical in it's accuracy but the battle scenes were good , so that didn't put me off , or the fact that it was subtitled. After all DAS BOOT had subtitles and that's one of the finest antiwar films ever made, so I stuck ASOKA into the VCR expecting GLADIATOR meets BRAVEHEART. I got a disappointing surprise , ASOKA is a Bollywood movie.

I've nothing against Bollywood, films are made as a form of mass entertainment and outside the American industry Bollywood stands heads and shoulders above all the other countries of the World put together which is evidence of its success , it's just that I find them unfocused when it comes to genres. Can you imagine a James Bond film suddenly turning into a musical ?

As for the " Epic " merits of ASOKA itself I was very disappointed. Within the first ten minutes we have a line stolen from CROCODILE DUNDEE and a battle scene stolen from SPARTACUS which isn't as exciting as it sounds. Indeed some the fight scenes are laughable with the camera locked onto the actors faces in a completely unconvincing attempt to hide the fact that there are about a dozen or so actors comprising an army. Having said that the final battle is relatively well done with a cast of hundreds , though it's not all that impressive if you've seen GLADIATOR a couple of days previously.

*****POSSIBLE MILD SPOILERS***** My major complaint is the bitter sweet ending which preaches the message that evil begets evil , violence begets violence. It's a poignant and serious message so why did we have 5 song and dance routines in the first half of the film ? And the fact that the musical numbers disappear half way through gives the film in general and the ending in particular an extremely uneven feel. If the producers wanted to make a musical then they should have done so, if they wanted to make a serious epic they should have done so , as it is ASOKA might have appealed to some people but not to me

Author: NiceOne

Asoka is tender story of a great emperor. what i love about it is beautiful, mystifying music. combination of good looking and professional actors is a good advantage of the movie. this movie is not like the rest of the hindi movies. usually, hindi movies target India and neighboring countries and gulf (arab) countries as well. since this one is VERY well done, I think this time the audience will include Europe (it was a great success in England) and USA (Shahrukh Khan himself came to NY). Shahrukh Khan was voted as the sexiest man in Asia and his partner is considered as the sexiest babe in India, a grandaughter of a dynasty of actors in India. if u like professionally made quality movies, if u like some chemistry, romance, love combined with action in battlefield, excellent music and hot actors in a meaningful movie, ASOKA is definitely yours. u gotta watch it for sure then. trust on my word.

Author: Zahisan

This film, combining familiar elements of epics such as Gladiator and Braveheart, is directed by the internationally renowned Indian director Santosh Sivan. Sivan is primarily known for his low-budget arthouse hit, The Terrorist. "Asoka" is quite different from The Terrorist in both scale and starpower. Shah Rukh Khan, India's biggest star, plays the Mauryan Emperor Asoka, who wages bloody wars across the country only to renounce violence when he witnesses the aftermath of the destruction he causes. Drawn from legends and folk tales about the emperor, much of the film is not historical fact. However, the narrative provides true entertainment. Some criticism: "Asoka" seems to be using the same "Bollywood" love story formula, and augmenting the story of Asoka onto that formula. If it had been the other way around, this film would have been far more intriguing and relevent. Most of the movie revolves around his romance with his one true love, princess Kaurwaki, played by Kareena Kapoor. We are left not knowing much about Asoka's message of peace, only his trials with love. On top of that, the poor song and dance numbers in the film disrupt the narrative flow. On the other hand, while Anu Malik does a bad job with the composition of the songs, the composers Sandeep Chowta and Ranjit Barot weave a superb musical score seamlessly into the film. Even with its faults, "Asoka" is gripping through and through with spectacular battle scenes, fine acting by Khan and also, notably, Ajit Kumar, who plays Asoka's duplicitous brother Susima. Techincally, the film is unbeatable by any other Indian film to date. The editing is fast paced and spectacularly done by Sreekar Prasad, the premier film editor of India. The direction is magnificent, and above all else, the cinematography, done by Sivan himself, is indescribably gorgeous. It is sumptuous, and spectacularly vivid. Sivan is regarded as one of the world's premiere cinematogaphers, and this film is proof positive of that. This film should, like Aamir Khan's "Lagaan", be able to break through to western audiences. All in all, a great acheivement.

Author: Simple

A trashy movie that is not only boring, but extremely misleading. This is a film that is supposed to be happening in 2-3rd century BC, and at least be sketching the life of king Ashoka, The Great. The film fails miserably to do any justification to its title, which unfortunately has been used shamelessly as a gimmick to sell this trash mainly to Indian cosmopolitan and western audience. The film in the beginning claims not to be accurate, but it is no excuse for abandoning the truth altogether. The film is boring, and has copied some of the ideas from GLADIATOR, and BRAVEHEART. The war scenes are ridiculous. From the typical Bollywood formula movie angle, it is an average movie. Cinematography and songs are good.

Author: Marilace

I understand that movies are made for the sake of entertainment, but I am ashamed that the only type of entertainment that is appreciated by Indian viewers is romance, which this movie is really about. I read the comments section of this movie and I see a lot of people make excuses to why so much romance was involved in what should have been a serious dramatization of Asoka the tyrant and Asoka the saint. They say that without romance the movie would not have been entertaining. The ones that say this likely have never seen the real good stuff such as Lawrence in Arabia.

Seriously, imagine Lawrence of Arabia movie, not imagine if several scenes portraying his multilayered character were replaced with some romantic scenes with a scantily clad beauty in the desert. That movie would have been laughed at globally. A similar form of adulteration was done in the plot of Asoka. I am startled by the kind of praise this movie has received despite the utter dilution and corruption of topic at hand.

The problem with general Indian audience is they do not even know what makes a good movie. If someone made the movie Asoka without romance and mostly focusing on conquests and spiritual messages, the same fans who are praising this movie would have loved it and probably called their all time favorite. Problem with Indian movie making industry is you very rarely get movies that have been flawlessly directed and focused on a certain topic. This has made the fanbase laud mediocrity.

I am terribly disappointed in Santosh Sivan who went this route, possibly at the behest of producers. I do not doubt Sivan's credentials, but someone like Gowariker would have probably made a far superior flick by condensing the romance to about 10% of what we saw. Sivan and SRK probably took this route to earn profits, but this movie was a huge disappointment at the box office. I believe that if this movie got a Gowariker treatment where he would not give two f***s about catering to the masses, the movie would have done much better.

Author: Goktilar

I think some of the commenters misunderstand a few points

1) It's not only about love and war, but rivals within the family. He didn't kill his brother because he was so vicious but because of how he was treated. No one even talks about the pain that Asoka had to go through. And I haven't seen Braveheart or Gladiator but American films don't often show that.

2) As it coping it's ideas, what bullshit. Americans copied from Japanese ideas and they copied from us. And I think that they're on the verge of making it bigger here, just like Japanese movies and that they will eventually have their own way of directing. You give too little credit when you have no right to judge so hard.

3) In the beginning of the movie they tell you that there is fiction in it so your expected that it's not exactly how it went but made to be more interesting for the viewers. Now how often does that happen? (Rhetorical) unless in the version you watched they didn't say that. But if they did you should have acknowledged that it wasn't all about the truth but about the movie.

Author: Longitude Temporary

If I was a Buddhist, I would be totally offended by this movie. Asucka, is a story of one man's journey into Budh-dhoo-ism (Hindi word for stupidity, not to be confused by Buddhism). If Buddha, a great man of peace, saw this movie, he may be tempted to beat up the director. If real Asoka saw this movie, he would have to struggle a lot harder with his decision to give up violence.

Shahrukh Khan, who is a great actor, should understand he does not possess talent to produce movies. Somehow he managed to turn the life-story of a great Indian prince, into a plot of a 'B' Indian movie. Only Shahrukh can accomplish that! All Indians should write a personal thank-you note to Shahrukh, that he did not choose his subject as Nehru or Gandhi!

The sad part is that for some un-explained reason, this movie is available at all Blockbuster stores. That's where I got it! Too bad 'Lagaan', an Oscar nominated movie is not, and this crap is. It would be a true tragedy if world forms its opinion on Indian movies, and great prince Asoka, based on this travesty.

Author: Akisame

Was this a movie? I have seen a lot if Indian movies (natural being an Indian) but I have rarely come across something as bad as this. Truly speaking, Shahrukh Khan simply didn't have the funds to make this sort of a movie. Asoka, the greatest among the Indian kings is reduced to a dacoit, never he does come across as the Empreror whose kingdom spanned across India, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Myanmur. The acting was average to say the least. Don't get me wrong, Shahrukh Khan is a great actor and he may be the king of bollywood but he can not potray some one like Asoka on the screen. His best roles have been in movies like Dil to Pagal hai, Dilwale..... and he should stick to that! This was a mockery!

Author: Kezan

Absolutely loved all that I saw. I haven't seen the first bit, but the last hour and a half is definitely awesome. I don't know if this historically accurate or not, but it is historic enough to give you an idea of Asoka's story, the rise to power, Battle of Kalinga, change to Buddhism, all these are addressed. Everything had the hall mark of a great movie. The grandeur of the Mauryan empire was palpable. Asoka's evil in his rise to power, his ruinous campaigns for the empire were not just seen and heard, but felt. Absolutely awesome was the battle- the scale of the battle, the destruction, the disaster, the hatred and then the repentance, the scenes say it all absolutely wordlessly (Mark the scene where Asoka offers the dying soldier water, and he refuses to take it from the hated Asoka). Karuwaki's "you're Asok" deserves a place amongst the best scenes ever. I could feel the hatred she felt in my throat.

The movie is probably somewhere in between Gladiator and The Hero, but absolutely has its own mark, the distinct Indian flavour. Wonder why it isn't more celebrated. Did this really flop in India??? Why??? Its probably one of the best movies to have been made!!!

Author: Siramath

This was the first bollywood movie i ever saw, and it's still one of the tops on my list. If you are rating the film based on its historical accuracy, its a complete flop. and, honestly, i was a little disappointed in the ending...or lack of....but either way i love the music, cinematography, and everything else. Shahrukh Khan and Kareena Kapoor have great chemistry together...Kareena is really a great actress when she isn't playing a dumb ditz (such as in K3G....). And Rahul Dev is pretty good too.

If this movie weren't "based on the life of Asoka", I think it would have been a lot better. But It it is still totally worth watching.

Cast overview, first billed only:
	Shah Rukh Khan	-	Asoka
	Kareena Kapoor	-	Kaurwaki (as Karriena Kapoor)
	Danny Denzongpa	-	Virat
	Rahul Dev	-	Bheema
	Hrishitaa Bhatt	-	Devi
	Gerson Da Cunha	-	King Bindusara (as Gerson da' Cunha)
	Subhashini Ali	-	Dharma (as Subhashini)
	Umesh Mehra	-	Emperor Chadragupta
	Sooraj Balaji	-	Prince Aryan
	Johnny Lever	-	Magadha Soldier
	Raghuvir Yadav	-	Magadha Soldier
	Suresh Menon	-	Magadha Soldier
	Ajith Kumar	-	Susima
	Shilpa Mehta	-	Queen - Susima's Mother (as Shilpa A. Mehta)
	Rajlaxmi R. Roy	-	Bar Girl (Aa Tayar Ho Ja)

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