Other Titles • Asoka (2001) • Ashoka the Great • Samrat Ashoka
Synopses for Asoka (2001)
1.
The magnificent story of one man's journey from savage warrior to messenger of peace.
Asoka traces the life of Emperor Asoka, the grandson of Chandragupta Maurya who ascended the throne of Magadha in the 3rd century BC.
To extend the borders of his empire, Asoka waged one of the bloodiest wars in history with the neighboring kingdom of Kalinga, leaving it ravaged and devastated.
Confronted by the aftermath of his conquest in which hundreds of thousands lost their lives, Asoka is overcome with remorse and renounces the path of war to dedicate his life to spreading the teachings of Buddhism across the world.
This is a story based on legends. This film does not claim to be a complete historical account of Asoka's life but an attempt to follow his journey.
(45 votes)
2.
Both stylish and stylised, Santosh Sivan's Hindi epic Asoka tells the heavily fictionalised but nonetheless compelling story of India's greatest emperor. In the third century BC the Mauryan king Asoka built a vast empire by means of ruthless conquest; but after the great Kalinga war he became sickened by the terrible slaughter he had caused, converted to Buddhism and dedicated the rest of his life to spreading peace and prosperity.
The film, though, concerns itself only with Asoka's rise to power, his love for the princess Kaurwaki, and his subsequent descent into brutality. Shah Rukh Khan is a brooding and temperamental prince who woos the lovely princess Kaurwaki (Kareena Kapoor) incognito and with the aid of the obligatory song-and-dance numbers. After a promising start involving mythic swords, heroic combat and King Lear-like sibling rivalry, the film falls into a familiar Bollywood groove for a while until events overtake the unlucky lovers and Asoka turns mean when he thinks his princess is dead. She in turn searches vainly for her handsome hero, not knowing his real identity; and when the tyrannical Asoka attacks her kingdom she leads her people against his armies in a near-genocidal war. The finale, after a wonderfully staged battle that employs 6,000 extras, is genuinely touching.
Throughout, the film works best when striving for a realistic tone, though the fairy tale romance and song interludes are doubtless contrived to please the domestic Indian audience more than cynical Europeans. It's a shame that Asoka's true greatness is never realised on screen, as the story ends before his momentous conversion, but as a film that tackles big themes with real visual flair Asoka nonetheless deserves to find a worldwide audience.
On the DVD: Presented in sumptuous widescreen (2.35:1) anamorphic format and in Dolby 5.1, the film can be viewed with or without English subtitles. There are also two short documentaries, in English, featuring interviews with the star and director among others. The five big musical numbers can be accessed all in one go or individually, while a trailer and picture gallery complete a good package. --Mark Walker
(43 votes)
3.
An epic tale of one of the greatest rulers of India, ASOKA is a testament to the redemptive power of love. Asoka inherited India's throne in third century B.C. The Indian dynasty was poised to conquer the entire peninsula and the king began his reign by leading the charge. However, the emperor found greater meaning in the love of two women and was soon transformed, renouncing warfare and adopting the principles of the Buddha. His leadership was . This 2001 Indian biopic of the peaceful leader is a work of great political and dramatic significance.
(32 votes)
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