Ashoka the Great (2001)

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 o

Fmovies: 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"

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.

Ashoka the Great fmovies. 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*

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.

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 emotion