| Asoka | Santosh Sivan | Shahrukh Khan, Ajith Kumar, Kareena Kapoor, Hrishita Bhatt | History |
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Asoka (2001) | Hindi Movie Reviews - Bollywood MuVyz
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Aśoka
86% liked this film
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Santosh Sivan may just be the man who provide that elusive Indian crossover hit with this rip-roaring historical adventure. Full review
Ian Freer
Empire
Empire
Asoka is a Hindi movie released on 26 October, 2001. The movie is directed by Santosh Sivan and featured Shah Rukh Khan, Kareena Kapoor Khan and Danny Denzongpa as lead characters. Full review
Audience reviews
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awesome movie but ashok ko galat dikhaya hai.. ashok nirdayi nahi tha.. warna wo mahaan kaise hota.. aur ek kami ye rahi ...
Movie is Magnificent. But one reason I often watch this movie is Background Score composed by Sandeep Chowta and ...
amazing that was and it should be made again with more depth, because the Ashoka was greatest emperor of India ...
What do you think about this movie?
Aśoka (film) - Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aśoka_(film)
Aśoka is a 2001 Indian epic historical drama film directed and co-written by Santosh Sivan. 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. The film stars Shah Rukh Khan, Kareena Kapoor, Ajith Kumar (in his Hindi debut ...
Aśoka is a 2001 Indian epic historical drama film directed and co-written by Santosh Sivan. 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.
The film stars Shah Rukh Khan, Kareena Kapoor, Ajith Kumar (in his Hindi debut and remains the only Hindi movie he has worked), Danny Denzongpa and Hrishita Bhatt. It was produced by Shah Rukh Khan, Juhi Chawla and Radhika Sangoi. The screenplay was written by Santosh Sivan and Saket Chaudhary and the dialogue by Abbas Tyrewala. It was originally released as Ashoka The Great in India. The Tamil release title is Samrat Ashoka.
The film was widely screened across the United Kingdom and North America, and was also selected for screening at the Venice Film Festival and the Toronto International Film Festival, where it got positive response.[2] However, while the film was crtically acclaimed it performed moderately at the box office.
Emperor Chandragupta Maurya, grandfather of Asoka, of the Maurya empire, has decided to embrace Jainism and abdicate the throne of the empire in favour of his son Bindusara. But his grandson, Prince Asoka, claims his sword. The old emperor explains that this sword is evil and the sword demands blood and destruction.
A few years later, Prince Asoka Maurya (Shah Rukh Khan), now a brave youth, is battling the rebellious chief of Taxila for his Emperor and father. He figures that his elder half-brother Susima Maurya (Ajith Kumar), who also has an eye on the throne of the empire, has deliberately withheld reinforcements from arriving, but defeats the enemy nevertheless. Asoka returns to the capital victorious and confronts Susima. Later, Susima tries to assassinate Asoka while he is bathing. The fight among the princes makes the Emperor unhappy and he orders Empress Dharma (Subhashini Ali) to control her son Asoka. She compels Asoka to temporarily leave the capital to lead the life of a common man. The Prince is disappointed but leaves nonetheless.
Asoka, alone and disguised as an ordinary traveller, rides to the south. In his travels, he meets a lovely maiden, Kaurwaki (Kareena Kapoor) and falls in love with her. He also develops a good relationship with her little brother Arya. They are on the run from the Kingdom of Kalinga along with their faithful protector Bheema (Rahul Dev) and are being chased by soldiers of the Kingdom. After saving their lives, Asoka introduces himself as Pawan, hiding his true identity. Kaurwaki and Arya are the Princess and Prince of Kalinga, who fled from their kingdom when the Prime Minister assassinated their parents and took over power. Later, Asoka and Kaurwaki get secretly married.
Soon, Asoka is summoned by his mother who sent a messenger to tell him she has fallen ill and to come to capital. The Emperor dispatches Asoka to quell a rebellion in Ujjaini. Before marching to the west, Asoka travels to Kalinga to meet Kaurwaki and Arya. Unable to find them, and not knowing they have gone into hiding, he is informed by General Bheema that they were slaughtered. A heartbroken Asoka attempts suicide, but is saved by Virat (Danny Denzongpa), who later swears to protect him. Mad with grief and anger, Asoka leads a brutal crackdown in Ujjaini. The assassins sent by Susima injure Asoka in a battle and Virat saves him. He is taken to a Buddhist monastery at Vidisa to recover.
There, he meets a Buddhist maiden, Devi (Hrishita Bhatt), who cares for him. Asoka also survives another assassination attempt at Vidisa, this time with the help of Devi. Asoka marries Devi and returns in splendour to Pataliputra. Susima and his brothers are wild with anger from their futile attempts to eliminate Asoka. Emperor Bindusara, who favoured Susima over Asoka, becomes ill and dies. In another vigilante attack, Queen Dharma is stabbed to death by assassins sent by Susima. Angered, Asoka wants to kill Susima but has second thoughts and Susima is killed by Virat when he tries to kill Asoka behind his back and is appointed emperor.
A few months later, princess Kaurwaki and prince Arya return to Kalinga with Bheema and have the Prime Minister executed for treason. Asoka declares war on Kalinga, not knowing that Kaurwaki is alive. Kaurwaki still does not know that Asoka is Pawan, and both sides prepare for war.
A terrible war is fought in Kalinga. The Maurya army inflicts a crushing defeat on Kalinga. Not content with mere victory, Maurya soldiers butcher everyone in sight. General Bheema is killed after failing to assassinate Asoka realizing that he is Pawan and Kaurwaki is wounded. Asoka later visits the battlefield, where he discovers his horse, who was supposed to be in Kaurwaki's possession. With a surge of hope, he frantically searches for Kaurwaki and finds her. They have a heart-to-heart talk and he apologises deeply for his actions. He is interrupted by Arya, who is dying after being pierced with arrows. With Arya dying in his arms, Asoka suddenly realises that his enemies, his family, and even Arya, are all dead because of him. His grandfather's warning about the sword had been correct.
The film ends with Asoka throwing the sword into the water at the same spot as his grandfather, and embracing Buddhism. The final narrative describes how Asoka not only built a large empire but spread Buddhism and the winds of peace throughout the empire.
"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.[3][4] There is also no historical evidence of a queen ruling Kalinga at the time of Asoka's invasion. The film also does not depict Ashoka's love for Devi.[3] The film also explicitly suggests Kalinga as a democracy.[3]
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. "After all, it is a mainstream commercial film. 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." 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." The armours and shields worn by the artistes also form an important part of the costume for the final war sequences. Metal jackets composed of special fibre glass were made for around 4000 members of the cast. "These metal jackets are extremely light and comfortable and were made in Madras by more than 50 workers," she explains.[7]
"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.[8]
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). More than half the film was shot indoors on the studio floors of Film City and Filmistan[4][9] The elaborate final battle scene (the battle fought against the Kalingas) employed over six thousand extras and hundreds of elephants. 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. The song "Raat Ka Nasha" was picturised at Bhedaghat and Panchmarhi in Madhya Pradesh amidst the Narmada River.[2][8][10]
The film is also known for using minimal special effects.[4] While Lagaan was made at considerable expense, Asoka had only a moderate budget. Sivan says he didn't want any special effects, and no digitally augmented crowds.[5]
A. R. Rahman was signed in to composed the film's music.[11] But for reasons unknown, he opted out. Anu Malik stepped in to compose the songs, while Sandeep Chowta was brought on board to for the background score. The soundtrack features six songs composed by Anu Malik. Gulzar wrote the lyrics for five songs while one song was written by Anand Bakshi(San Sanana). 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. This albumn featured eminent singers like K.S.Chithra, Alka Yagnik, Shaan, Sunidhi Chauhan, Abhijeet Bhattacharya, Suneeta Rao & Hema Sardesai. 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.[12]
Neil Smith described the film; "with elements of both Gandhi and Braveheart, Asoka is a big, sprawling epic that looks every rupee it took to bring it to the screen."[18] However, BBC's Santosh Sinha noted, "It is at this point in the film [when the prince go into hiding as per the request of the mother Queen] that Asoka is temporarily lost and Shahrukh Khan the actor takes over. He meets Princess Kaurwaki in the forest and then chases her around in a typically Bollywood way. He [Khan] is also less convincing when, grieved by the loss of life in Kalinga, he renounces violence and vows to spread the message of peace far and wide. This comes across as melodramatic. Bollywood style, Asoka finds Kaurwaki and the young Prince Arya of Kalinga on the battlefield. Prince Arya manages a dying speech before he keels over and that breaks Asoka completely."[19] Taran Adarsh the famous Indian Film critic, journalist, editor and film trade analyst wrote that "Director Santosh Sivan has chosen a historical subject, but added his spice and come up with a fairytale kind of a flick." As a cinematographer, Santosh Sivan's work is flawless.[20]
The portrayal of Asoka in the film proved controversial in India.[21] "Shahrukh's Asoka is all bluster and mannerism, with no depth. Except for the nosebleeds and the mudbaths, he is the same Shahrukh of every other movie that he has acted in. 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.[22]
Variety's David Rooney states, "a sprawling widescreen historical epic laced with Bollywood musical numbers, melodramatic romance, spectacular locations and violent battle scenes. Coming on the heels of Ashutosh Gowariker's Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India, "Asoka" provides further evidence that Bollywood is poised for wider commercial impact beyond its already substantial established niche. And while the ambling, uneconomical nature of popular Indian storytelling makes major crossover business unlikely in this case, some degree of general art-house attention appears indicated. Khan cuts a dashing figure as a soulful hunk in the traditional Bollywood mould, while Kapoor plays ornately tattooed Kaurwaki as a lively mix of flirtatious coquette and feisty warrior woman, kind of like Jennifer Lopez meets Michelle Yeoh."[23] Empire praised the movie gave it 4 out of 5 stars. It states,"Santosh Sivan may just be the man who provide that elusive Indian crossover hit with this rip-roaring historical adventure. The fact that Asoka was such a bloody warrior is no more ably demonstrated than when the battle scenes kick in near the end, it's like Akira Kurosawa goes Bollywood."[24] 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.[22]
Critics generally praised the cinematography of Santosh Sivan.[21]
| Aśoka | |
|---|---|
.jpg) |
|
| Hindi | अशोक |
| Directed by | Santosh Sivan |
| Produced by | Gauri Khan Juhi Chawla |
| Screenplay by | Santosh Sivan Saket Chaudhary |
| Starring | Shah Rukh Khan Kareena Kapoor Ajith Kumar Hrishita Bhatt |
| Narrated by | Suresh Oberoi |
| Music by | Sandeep Chowta Anu Malik |
| Cinematography | Santosh Sivan |
| Edited by | A. Sreekar Prasad |
| Distributed by | Dreamz Unlimited |
|
Release date
|
26 October 2001 |
|
Running time
|
171 mins |
| Country | India |
| Language | Hindi |
| Budget | ₹12.50 crore (US$1.9 million)[1] |
The film stars Shah Rukh Khan, Kareena Kapoor, Ajith Kumar (in his Hindi debut and remains the only Hindi movie he has worked), Danny Denzongpa and Hrishita Bhatt. It was produced by Shah Rukh Khan, Juhi Chawla and Radhika Sangoi. The screenplay was written by Santosh Sivan and Saket Chaudhary and the dialogue by Abbas Tyrewala. It was originally released as Ashoka The Great in India. The Tamil release title is Samrat Ashoka.
The film was widely screened across the United Kingdom and North America, and was also selected for screening at the Venice Film Festival and the Toronto International Film Festival, where it got positive response.[2] However, while the film was crtically acclaimed it performed moderately at the box office.
Contents
Plot
The film chronicles the early part of the life of Emperor Asoka. It begins with his career as a General in Takshashila (modern-day Punjab) and ends with the bloody conquest of the Kalinga country (modern day Odisha State)Emperor Chandragupta Maurya, grandfather of Asoka, of the Maurya empire, has decided to embrace Jainism and abdicate the throne of the empire in favour of his son Bindusara. But his grandson, Prince Asoka, claims his sword. The old emperor explains that this sword is evil and the sword demands blood and destruction.
A few years later, Prince Asoka Maurya (Shah Rukh Khan), now a brave youth, is battling the rebellious chief of Taxila for his Emperor and father. He figures that his elder half-brother Susima Maurya (Ajith Kumar), who also has an eye on the throne of the empire, has deliberately withheld reinforcements from arriving, but defeats the enemy nevertheless. Asoka returns to the capital victorious and confronts Susima. Later, Susima tries to assassinate Asoka while he is bathing. The fight among the princes makes the Emperor unhappy and he orders Empress Dharma (Subhashini Ali) to control her son Asoka. She compels Asoka to temporarily leave the capital to lead the life of a common man. The Prince is disappointed but leaves nonetheless.
Asoka, alone and disguised as an ordinary traveller, rides to the south. In his travels, he meets a lovely maiden, Kaurwaki (Kareena Kapoor) and falls in love with her. He also develops a good relationship with her little brother Arya. They are on the run from the Kingdom of Kalinga along with their faithful protector Bheema (Rahul Dev) and are being chased by soldiers of the Kingdom. After saving their lives, Asoka introduces himself as Pawan, hiding his true identity. Kaurwaki and Arya are the Princess and Prince of Kalinga, who fled from their kingdom when the Prime Minister assassinated their parents and took over power. Later, Asoka and Kaurwaki get secretly married.
Soon, Asoka is summoned by his mother who sent a messenger to tell him she has fallen ill and to come to capital. The Emperor dispatches Asoka to quell a rebellion in Ujjaini. Before marching to the west, Asoka travels to Kalinga to meet Kaurwaki and Arya. Unable to find them, and not knowing they have gone into hiding, he is informed by General Bheema that they were slaughtered. A heartbroken Asoka attempts suicide, but is saved by Virat (Danny Denzongpa), who later swears to protect him. Mad with grief and anger, Asoka leads a brutal crackdown in Ujjaini. The assassins sent by Susima injure Asoka in a battle and Virat saves him. He is taken to a Buddhist monastery at Vidisa to recover.
There, he meets a Buddhist maiden, Devi (Hrishita Bhatt), who cares for him. Asoka also survives another assassination attempt at Vidisa, this time with the help of Devi. Asoka marries Devi and returns in splendour to Pataliputra. Susima and his brothers are wild with anger from their futile attempts to eliminate Asoka. Emperor Bindusara, who favoured Susima over Asoka, becomes ill and dies. In another vigilante attack, Queen Dharma is stabbed to death by assassins sent by Susima. Angered, Asoka wants to kill Susima but has second thoughts and Susima is killed by Virat when he tries to kill Asoka behind his back and is appointed emperor.
A few months later, princess Kaurwaki and prince Arya return to Kalinga with Bheema and have the Prime Minister executed for treason. Asoka declares war on Kalinga, not knowing that Kaurwaki is alive. Kaurwaki still does not know that Asoka is Pawan, and both sides prepare for war.
A terrible war is fought in Kalinga. The Maurya army inflicts a crushing defeat on Kalinga. Not content with mere victory, Maurya soldiers butcher everyone in sight. General Bheema is killed after failing to assassinate Asoka realizing that he is Pawan and Kaurwaki is wounded. Asoka later visits the battlefield, where he discovers his horse, who was supposed to be in Kaurwaki's possession. With a surge of hope, he frantically searches for Kaurwaki and finds her. They have a heart-to-heart talk and he apologises deeply for his actions. He is interrupted by Arya, who is dying after being pierced with arrows. With Arya dying in his arms, Asoka suddenly realises that his enemies, his family, and even Arya, are all dead because of him. His grandfather's warning about the sword had been correct.
The film ends with Asoka throwing the sword into the water at the same spot as his grandfather, and embracing Buddhism. The final narrative describes how Asoka not only built a large empire but spread Buddhism and the winds of peace throughout the empire.
Cast
- Shahrukh Khan as Asoka Maurya/Pawan
- Karan Dewani as young Asoka
- Kareena Kapoor as princess Kaurwaki
- Ajith Kumar as Susima Maurya
- Danny Denzongpa as Virat
- Rahul Dev as Bheem
- Hrishita Bhatt as empress Devi (Ashoka's wife)
- Gerson Da Cunha as emperor Bindusara
- Subhashini Ali as empress Dharma
- Umesh Mehra as emperor Chandragupta Maurya
- Sooraj Balaji as prince Arya
- Johnny Lever as Maurya soldier
- Raghuvir Yadav as Maurya soldier
- Suresh Menon as Maurya soldier
- Shilpa Mehta as Susima's mother
- Vineet Sharma as Sugatra
- Vivek Sharma as Sugidha
- C. L. Gurnani as the Pandit
- Madhu Varshitt as Vitashoka
- Mithilesh Chaturvedi as Kalinga prime minister
- Shweta Menon as Nandaneshwari, the flower seller
- Rajlaxmi Khanvilkar as bar dancer
- Gayatri Jayaraman in an item numbe
Differences from history
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. The names of the historical figures in the film are also changed in accordance with modern Hindi."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.[3][4] There is also no historical evidence of a queen ruling Kalinga at the time of Asoka's invasion. The film also does not depict Ashoka's love for Devi.[3] The film also explicitly suggests Kalinga as a democracy.[3]
Production
"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. "I could only understand half of what he said but I could see the determination in his eyes, and that, somehow or other, he would make it with or without me. That's 80% of the battle won. I was hooked."[5][6]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. "After all, it is a mainstream commercial film. 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." 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." The armours and shields worn by the artistes also form an important part of the costume for the final war sequences. Metal jackets composed of special fibre glass were made for around 4000 members of the cast. "These metal jackets are extremely light and comfortable and were made in Madras by more than 50 workers," she explains.[7]
"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.[8]
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). More than half the film was shot indoors on the studio floors of Film City and Filmistan[4][9] The elaborate final battle scene (the battle fought against the Kalingas) employed over six thousand extras and hundreds of elephants. 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. The song "Raat Ka Nasha" was picturised at Bhedaghat and Panchmarhi in Madhya Pradesh amidst the Narmada River.[2][8][10]
The film is also known for using minimal special effects.[4] While Lagaan was made at considerable expense, Asoka had only a moderate budget. Sivan says he didn't want any special effects, and no digitally augmented crowds.[5]
Soundtrack
| Asoka: The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack |
|
|---|---|
| Studio album by Anu Malik | |
| Released | 2001 |
| Genre | World Music |
| Length | 38:23 |
| Label | Sony Music |
| Producer | Anu Malik |
Track listing
| Track Listing | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Singer(s) | Length |
| 1. | "San Sanana" | Alka Yagnik, Hema Sardesai | 5:54 |
| 2. | "Raat Ka Nasha" | K.S.Chithra & Chorus | 5:12 |
| 3. | "Roshini Se" | Alka Yagnik, Abhijeet Bhattacharya | 6:40 |
| 4. | "O Re Kaanchi" | Shaan, Suneeta Rao, Alka Yagnik | 5:47 |
| 5. | "Raat Ka Nasha (Duet)" | K.S.Chithra, Abhijeeth Bhattacharya & Chorus | 5:14 |
| 6. | "Aa Tyaar Hoja" | Sunidhi Chauhan | 6:09 |
| 7. | "Asoka Theme" | Instrumental | 4:01 |
Location
Madhya Pradesh.
Madhya Pradesh is a central state of India.- Madhya Pradesh
- Jabalpur
- Pachmarhi
- Handi Khoh
- Rajat Prapat
- Apsara Vihaar
- Bhedahgaat
- Panchwati Ghaat
- Saraswati Ghaat
- Lamheta Ghaat
- Bandar Kudni
- Ben Ganga
Reception
Box office
AÅ›oka grossed ₹19.39 crore (US$3.0 million) in India and $1.8 million (₹8.64 crore) in other countries, for a worldwide total of ₹28.03 crore (US$4.4 million), against its ₹12.50 crore (US$1.9 million) budget. It had a worldwide opening weekend of ₹8.66 crore (US$1.4 million), and grossed ₹13.98 crore (US$2.2 million) in its first week. It is the 13th-highest-grossing bollywood film of 2001 worldwide.India
It opened on 26 October 2001, across 235 screens, and earned ₹1 crore (US$160,000) nett on its opening day. It grossed ₹2.87 crore (US$450,000) nett in its opening weekend, and had a first week of ₹5.26 crore (US$820,000) nett. The film earned a total of ₹11.54 crore (US$1.8 million) nett, and was declared "hit" by Box Office India.[13] It is the 13th-highest-grossing film of 2001 in India.[14]Overseas
It had an opening weekend of $800,000 (₹3.84 crore) and went on to gross $1.07 million (₹5.13 crore) in its first week. The film earned a total of $1.8 million (₹8.64 crore) at the end of its theatrical run.[13] Overseas, It is the 4th-highest-grossing film of 2001.[15]| Territory | Territory wise Collections break-up |
|---|---|
| India | Nett Gross: ₹11.54 crore (US$1.8 million) |
| Distributor share: ₹5.94 crore (US$930,000) |
|
| Total Gross: ₹19.39 crore (US$3.0 million) |
|
| International (Outside India) |
$1.8 million (₹8.64 crore) |
| Worldwide | ₹28.03 crore (US$4.4 million) |
Critical reception
Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian called the film "a big, brash and deeply enjoyable Bollywood epic". He stated "This movie's narrative gusto, its intricate, indirect eroticism – no sex, or even kissing – its lavish musical numbers and its sheer self-belief are a treat."[16] Christopher Tookey, the film critic of the Daily Mail, wrote "here at last is a Bollywood movie that deserves to be seen by everyone." He called Asoka "a majestic epic on the scale of Gladiator. The battle scenes are as impressive as anything in Braveheart, and were achieved for a tiny fraction of the budget."[17] The Sunday Times said "it is sexy without one kiss and savage without indulging in gore and deserves to be this year's Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon".Neil Smith described the film; "with elements of both Gandhi and Braveheart, Asoka is a big, sprawling epic that looks every rupee it took to bring it to the screen."[18] However, BBC's Santosh Sinha noted, "It is at this point in the film [when the prince go into hiding as per the request of the mother Queen] that Asoka is temporarily lost and Shahrukh Khan the actor takes over. He meets Princess Kaurwaki in the forest and then chases her around in a typically Bollywood way. He [Khan] is also less convincing when, grieved by the loss of life in Kalinga, he renounces violence and vows to spread the message of peace far and wide. This comes across as melodramatic. Bollywood style, Asoka finds Kaurwaki and the young Prince Arya of Kalinga on the battlefield. Prince Arya manages a dying speech before he keels over and that breaks Asoka completely."[19] Taran Adarsh the famous Indian Film critic, journalist, editor and film trade analyst wrote that "Director Santosh Sivan has chosen a historical subject, but added his spice and come up with a fairytale kind of a flick." As a cinematographer, Santosh Sivan's work is flawless.[20]
The portrayal of Asoka in the film proved controversial in India.[21] "Shahrukh's Asoka is all bluster and mannerism, with no depth. Except for the nosebleeds and the mudbaths, he is the same Shahrukh of every other movie that he has acted in. 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.[22]
Variety's David Rooney states, "a sprawling widescreen historical epic laced with Bollywood musical numbers, melodramatic romance, spectacular locations and violent battle scenes. Coming on the heels of Ashutosh Gowariker's Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India, "Asoka" provides further evidence that Bollywood is poised for wider commercial impact beyond its already substantial established niche. And while the ambling, uneconomical nature of popular Indian storytelling makes major crossover business unlikely in this case, some degree of general art-house attention appears indicated. Khan cuts a dashing figure as a soulful hunk in the traditional Bollywood mould, while Kapoor plays ornately tattooed Kaurwaki as a lively mix of flirtatious coquette and feisty warrior woman, kind of like Jennifer Lopez meets Michelle Yeoh."[23] Empire praised the movie gave it 4 out of 5 stars. It states,"Santosh Sivan may just be the man who provide that elusive Indian crossover hit with this rip-roaring historical adventure. The fact that Asoka was such a bloody warrior is no more ably demonstrated than when the battle scenes kick in near the end, it's like Akira Kurosawa goes Bollywood."[24] 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.[22]
Critics generally praised the cinematography of Santosh Sivan.[21]
Extended version
The extended version of the film included scenes of Krishna Sharma playing Rani, a girl favoured by Asoka's mother to be his bride.Awards and nominations
Awards of the International Indian Film Academy 2002
| WonAward for Technical Excellence | Best Cinematography
Santosh Sivan |
Filmfare Awards 2002
| WonFilmfare Award | Best Cinematography
Santosh Sivan |
| NominatedFilmfare Award | Best Film
Santosh Sivan |
| Best Director
Santosh Sivan |
|
| Best Actress
Kareena Kapoor |
|
| Best Playback Singer – Female
Alka Yagnik For the song "San Sanana". |
Screen Weekly Awards 2002
| NominatedScreen | Best Background Score
Sandeep Chowta |
| Best Playback Singer – Female
Alka Yagnik For the song "Sansanana". |
|
| Best Lyrics
Anand Bakshi For the song "Sansanana". |
|
| Best Cinematography
Santosh Sivan |
|
| Best Action
Shyam Kaushal |
|
| Most Promising Female Newcomer
Hrishitaa Bhatt |
Zee Cine Awards 2002
| NominatedPopular Award | Best Film
Shah Rukh Khan Juhi Chawla |
| Best Debut – Female
Hrishitaa Bhatt |
|
| Best Villain
Ajith Kumar |
|
| Best Music Director
Anu Malik |
|
| Best Lyricist
Gulzar For the song "Roshni Se". |
|
| Best Playback Singer Male
Abhijeet For the song "Roshni Se". |
|
| Best Playback Singer Female
K.S. Chitra For the song "Raat Ka Nasha". |
See also
- List of historical drama films
- List of historical drama films of Asia
- List of films based on military books (pre-1775)
Watch Asoka 2001 Full HD Movie Online | Free Streaming of Hindi ...
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Ashoka the Great (2001) - IMDb
www.imdb.com/title/tt0249371/
Rating: 6.7/10 - 11,702 votes
Action · The epic tale of King Asoka's life is recounted here.
The epic tale of King Asoka's life is recounted here.
Director:
Santosh SivanCast
| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
 |
Shah Rukh Khan | ... | |
 |
Kareena Kapoor Khan | ... |
Kaurwaki
(as Karriena Kapoor)
|
 |
Danny Denzongpa | ... | |
 |
Rahul Dev | ... | |
 |
Hrishitaa Bhatt | ... | |
 |
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 | ... | |
|
|
Shilpa Mehta | ... |
Queen - Susima's Mother
(as Shilpa A. Mehta)
|
 |
Rajlaxmi R. Roy | ... |
Bar Girl (Aa Tayar Ho Ja)
|
Edit
Storyline
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 ... Written by
rAjOo (gunwanti@hotmail.com)
Plot Summary
|
Plot Synopsis
Taglines:
Only the dead have seen the end of war.Parents Guide:
Add content advisory for parents »
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Edit
See more on IMDbPro »
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Details
Country:
IndiaLanguage:
HindiRelease Date:
26 October 2001 (India) See more »Also Known As:
Ashoka the Great See more »Edit
Box Office
Budget:
INR 130,000,000 (estimated)Opening Weekend USA:
$337,464, 28 October 2001, Limited ReleaseGross USA:
$702,777, 11 November 2001Company Credits
Show more on
IMDbPro »
Technical Specs
Runtime:
(International) | (uncut) | (director's cut)Sound Mix:
Dolby DigitalColor:
ColorAspect Ratio:
2.35 : 1
Edit
Written by Gulzar
Composed by Anu Malik
Performed by Shaan, Suneeta Rao (as Sunita Rao) and Alka Yagnik
Courtesy of Sony Music India
See more »
Did You Know?
Trivia
A song picturised of Johnny Lever was deleted. See more »Soundtracks
O Re KanchiWritten by Gulzar
Composed by Anu Malik
Performed by Shaan, Suneeta Rao (as Sunita Rao) and Alka Yagnik
Courtesy of Sony Music India
See more »
Frequently Asked Questions
This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.User Reviews
Likeable Drama/Musical
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.
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.
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In this biopic set before his rise to power, young Prince Asoka (Shahrukh Khan) works to perfect his skills in ...Asoka (2001) | Sinhala Dubbed Movie - Video Dailymotion
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Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (2001) | Sinhala Dubbed Movie. by Roo Sara. 5,748 views · 01:31:54 ...Making of Asoka | Kareena Kapoor, Shah Rukh Khan | A Santosh ...
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Asoka, the 2001 Indian film directed and co-written by Santosh Sivan, is a dramatised version of the early ...
During his exile, Asoka falls in love with Kaurwaki, but their love is short-lived. Later, Emperor Asoka declares a war in which
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