Ashoka

Movie : Ashoka

Cast : ShahRukh Khan, Kareena Kapoor, Suraj Balaji, Ajit, Danny Denzongpa, Rahul Dev, Raghuvir Yadav, Johny Lever

Director : Santosh Sivan

Music : Anu Malik

t is a story about the life and times of the great Mauryan emperor Ashoka. Asoka was the grandson of Chandragupt Maurya, who ascended the throne of Magadha in 3rd century B.C. Asoka was a cruel and ruthless king who waged many wars to extend the boundaries of his kingdom until he Kalinga war that changed the king. He converted to Buddhism and thereafter established a reign of virtue and became one of the most exemplary rulers in world history.

The film explores the reason behind the famous Kalinga War that changed the king. Ashoka (ShahRukh Khan) loves Karubaki (Kareena Kapoor), who is the daughter of the Kalinga King. Karubaki does not love Asoka. Ashoka attacks Kalinga and wins the war. When Ashoka sees the countless dead bodies and the crulity of the war, it moves him deeply inside. He then adopts Buddhism and vows never to fight wars again.

Though Asoka is a historic drama but the costume, sets etc are portrayed to suit the current tastes. The costume and sets are very simple. The kings, queens, prince and princess are not adorned with heavy jewellery. the language, music and everything else has a present day feeling to it.

Santosh Sivan has done a good job with the direction. Kareena looks beautiful in the film, Shahrukh has done good job with his performance.

Asoka's eponymous hero has little resemblance either to the Asoka of history, insofar as he is known through his famous edicts, or to the Asoka of Buddhist legend, as he is revealed in such texts as the Asokavadhana. The story of his life has been reimagined, although this new narrative is injected with a few details taken from historical or hagiographic sources, such as his grandfather's conversion to Jainism and his own conflict with his brothers. The king's own conversion to Buddhism is not mentioned, although Buddhism is not entirely absent from the film.

Hrishitaa Bhatt, although she is not given much to do in the film, her screen debut, is stunningly beautiful as a young Buddhist woman the king marries. Both, in contrast to the male lead, have pleasant, likeable on screen personas. Many of the other actors are also enjoyable to watch, even if their performances are not truly memorable.

The film embroiders on several episodes in the life of the historical Ashoka, an early Indian ruler. In the film, prince Asoka falls in love with the beautiful princess Kaurwaki. When he believes her dead, he falls into despair and becomes a vicious, brutal conqueror. However, he has married a lovely Buddhist healer, and she plants the seed of his eventual conversion to Buddhism and righteous rule - however, her role in his conversion to Buddhism is not given the same prominence as the memory of Kaurwaki.

Songs

Anu Malik wrote the songs for this film, with Anand Bakshi and Sampooran Singh Gulzar contributing lyrics.

Songs are listed chronologically as they appear on the film's official soundtrack. The order of the songs in the film differs slightly. Additionally, the artists listed refer to the Hindi recordings of these songs, songs in the Tamil dub may be performed by different artists.

San Sanana recorded by Alka Yagnik, Hema Sardesai

Raat Ka Nasha recorded by Chitra

Roshni Se recorded by Abhijeet & Alka Yagnik

O Re Kanchi recorded by Shaan, Sunita Rao

Raat Ka Nasha recorded by Abhijeet & Chitra

Aa Tayar Hoja recorded by Sunidhi Chauha

I am your God recorded by Sunidhi Chauha