Movies - Asoka

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	Movies - Asoka

Asoka is a 2001 Bollywood film, a historical drama. It is a largely fictional version of the life of an Indian king who ruled much of northern India from 273 BCE to 232 BCE. The film was directed by Santosh Sivan and stars Shah Rukh Khan as Ashoka and Kareena Kapoor as Kaurwaki, a princess of Kalinga. Tamil star Ajith made a special appearance as Susima, brother of Asoka. 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 indifferently received at the box office.

Plot synopsis

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.

In many ways this is a typical Bollywood tale, featuring song and dance numbers and comedic cameos. However, it is notable for its tragic conclusion rather than the expected happy ending. The movie was criticized for its derogatory portrayal of the emperor and the emphasis on Kaurwaki's role in bringing him to Buddhism (historically, Asoka's Buddhist queen, Devi, had a greater impact on him - Kaurwaki was in fact a fisherwoman). Although the movie was commercially successful, it did not fare well with critics.

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 Chauhan

Awards

Wins
*2002 International Indian Film Academy Awards
**Award for Technical Excellence: Best cinematography, Santosh Sivan
*2002 Filmfare Awards:
**Best cinematography Santosh Sivan

The film received a further four Filmfare nominations, including Best Film and Best Actress for Kareena Kapoor.

Trivia

The elaborate final battle scene employed over six thousand extras.
Some of the actors portraying warriors in the movie were masters of Kalari, who used their expertise. They were the only ones to use real weapons in the filming.
Shah Rukh Khan originally requested that Aishwarya Rai
be cast opposite him but Sivan picked Kareena Kapoor
because she had not previously been paired with Khan.

[ Visit the complete Wikipedia entry for Asoka (film) ]

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