Asoka

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 realized 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. --Mark Walker

On first sight, some viewers may be offended by the costumes worn by Kaurwaki (as it is a bit scant) but the actress carries it off well and with dignity making her fit in well with the historical setting of the piece.

The beauty and cinematic grandeur of the film was also fantastic to watch. I wish they would have put it in wide-screen however, as it cuts off a lot of the beauty of the landscape. The whole set is kept simple yet beautiful and mesmerizing, making it believable that such an emperor lived and existed at that particular time. The battle scenes were fantastic and one of the finest ever seen. It lacked the goriness of the Gladiator but it conveyed the devastation of war just as strongly.

I can go on forever with praises for the film, but I won't. Just buy it or rent it, it's worth it. The complexity of the story, the characters, and the richness of the set and cinematography puts this film on my A list. To top it off the music is beautiful and haunting, wonderfully choreographed, even if you're not into "musicals." The movie isn't a musical but it has the typical Indian film music numbers. The whole movie is pretty serious and conveys a strong message of love and peace, but subtlely so it's not so cliche.

Highly recommend it.


My Warrior   December 14, 2002
Rebecca Johnson (Washington State)
39 out of 45 found this review helpful

Asoka inspires mixed emotions. On the one hand, there are elements of pure beauty and love and then you have a contrast in the horrors of war. The cinematography is rich and awe-inspiring. I was literally mesmerized.

This is not a romance in the sense of peace and love, this is a tragic tale of two hearts looking for one another amidst a world of betrayal and deceit. Not to mention a lust for power. The plot is complex and there are elements of revenge, cruelty and battles on a large scale.

The intensity in the contrast is at times overwhelming. The action never seems to subside into a moment of peace. Either passion dances across the screen or horror and suspense surround the characters. The musical numbers give some relief from the intensity, yet they are also equally vibrant.

This legendary story is recorded in a second century book called the "Asokavadana." The movie is based loosely on the story and at the end there is the implication of the renunciation of war.

"Love wounds in a way that does not let you live or die."

It is emotional from the start and is dark in its lust for power and beautiful in its exotic swirling dance sequences. An almost mythological atmosphere pervades the film in places.

The story begins when Asoka's grandfather tosses his sword into a waterfall because the sword hungers for blood. As his grandfather leaves, Asoka searches for the sword and finds it.

When he is older his life is in danger. His mother, Dharma (Subhashini Ali), asks him to save his life by fleeing. After changing his name to Pawan, he meets Kaurwaki who is following a similar fate and is hiding out in the lush green countryside with her much younger brother Prince Arya.

Prince Asoka/Pawan (Shah Rukh Khan) and the feisty and sensuous Princess Kaurwaki (Kareena Kapoor) imagine they have met before and Asoka calls her "my warrior." So romantic!

The story then dives into a crystal pool of the most primal instincts. A man fighting for a woman, a warrior woman fighting for her land. Splashes of color spread out against a pastel blue sky. Swords become a part of the characters as they fight for their lives. There is a reward for finding Kaurwaki as she is the daughter of the king of Kalinga.

When Asoka tells Kaurwaki:

"I couldn't put a price on you. The earth doesn't have enough gold for that."

We know he is going to pay some terrible price for his love. They marry and just as soon as you think this story is going to move in a good direction, Asoka's mother calls him back and he is then sent off on a mission.

"What is this surge of love?
Do I drown to experience it?
Can you tell what it is?
Where could it lead?"

On his return, he is told that his true love is dead. Once convinced, his aggressive nature emerges. He has no reason to live and desires only death. This loss of love seems to make him lust for power as he has lost the influence of Kaurwaki's love. He then ascends the throne of Magadha in the 3rd century BC. When he decides to extend the borders of his empire, he wages a bloody war on Kalinga, a neighboring kingdom.

This review refers to a Widescreen edition. My only complaint was the extent of the violence in places and the subtitles were white and difficult to read at times. If you loved Lagaan, this movie is much more tragic.

The story of Asoka's journey from war to peace. A mingling of intense sensuality with the bitterness of war.

~The Rebecca Review


Underrated and Brilliant   April 14, 2002
Sam
13 out of 14 found this review helpful

This is the best hindi movie i have seen for some time.Yes, even better than lagaan.The whole movie is beautifully made and you can see the effort the team has made to make this movie.Those who say that the movie is not historically correct are missing the whole point.if you want history you better watch the discovery channel.
The movie starts with the young prince, Asoka when he escapes from his own kingdom to please his mother who fears for his life from his evil brothers.He wanders around and meets a girl with whom he falls in love.The rest of the film is about his journey on the way to become one of the greatest known emperor of all times.
The movie is basically a love story and is very sensitively handled by the director.Especially the last scene where he gets transformed is enough to bring tears to the eyes.
Santosh Sivan has done tremendous work and he should be proud of it.Kareena Kapoor also has done a great job and by far the best thing she has done uptill now.But the star of the whole show is Shahrukh khan.Those who have earlier criticised his acting will now beat the dust.Along with Dil Se, this film should be a landmark in his career, which shows his growing up as an actor.The way in which he brings Asoka to life should make any actor feel proud.
At the end of the movie,the scene which will remain in my memory is Asoka standing,staring in the sky, rain washing away his tears.


Breathtaking   July 14, 2003
13 out of 14 found this review helpful

I saw this one on a whim, since at the time I knew nothing about Asoka and very little about Indian movies (Monsoon Wedding being the only exception). And I was blown away by this gorgeous and grim movie, so much so that I had to get my own copy.
It's not like anything else I've seen before. It managed to seamlessly blend a period epic (with battle scenes with an astounding number of extras), a sophisticated political intrigue, an utterly beautiful love story, a spiritual journey, and lush musical numbers.
Yes, musical numbers. If someone told me that an epic, and such a heart-breaking one, would also be a musical, I might have left it on the shelf. Glad I didn't, since the music actually fits wonderfully and doesn't detract but add to the emotion and beauty of the movie.
Overall, this movie has an utterly beautiful look: many, if not most of the frames, would make beautiful stills. But the thing that made me really sit up and take notice were the well-developed characters.
The actors are all good. I was especially enthralled by Shahrukh Khan's performance as Asoka. He can be both charming and utterly ruthless, equally convincing while telling a child a fairy tale, and participating in the slaughter of thousands. And the best are the final moments of the movie, when remorse kicks in. As a past reviewer said: just look at his anguished face. Apparently he is a big star in Bollywood, and if this movie is any indication, I can see why.
Everyone else is also very good, but I must single out Kareena Kappor. Her princess is certainly no damsel in distress, but is both utterly tough and utterly vulnerable at the same time. And very, very beautiful.
So, no doubt about Asoka's 5-star rating for me.
To end this review on a very random note: Never have I thought that teaching someone how to use a sword could ever be sexy. This movie manages.....


Asoka   November 22, 2001
roza (NY)
11 out of 12 found this review helpful

A must watch for anyone who enjoys cinema in its richest sense!

Satosh Sivan(director): "I want audience to forget in the first 10 minutes that they are watching a period film. So we took elements from history and legends and wove a dramatic story that is PART fact, PART fiction. And rather than sticking to recital of dates and events , I have taken parallels from different lives and put flesh on the skeleton provided by the history of ASOKA.
All we know about Asoka is from the edicts that depict his administrative policies as Dhammasoka. So there is VERY LITTLE HISTORICAL KNOWLEDGE of the life of Asoka as a ruler and a warrior or even his personal life. So we had to develop the character from legends.
Actually, my story ends where historical evidence of Asoka starts to appear. My story ends on the Kalinga battlefield where Chandasoka transforms into Dhammasoka"

A blend of old-world atavism and crystal clear imagery, compounded with lush art direction and stirring music, Asoka is a haunting journey into the life of India's greatest emperor. The film is extremely stylish in its mix of Indian aesthetic and contemporary simplicity which reflects in the art direction by Sabu Cyril and pleasing costume design. The performances throughout the film are spot on with Shah Rukh Khan ruling the roost once again with his stupendous and sincere portrayal of Asoka, his myriad emotions and thoughts shining like a mirror in every frame. Kareena Kapoor as Kaurwaki makes a beautiful and sensuous princess, commanding the screen with a presence, that few of her contemporaries can rival. The highlight of the movie is of course the surreal envisioning of the Great War of Kalinga, which is breathtakingly choreographed with a scale that could stand in good stead with some Hollywood films. Technically, Asoka has few rivals. The cinematography is A-class and the editing crisp. Sivan's script is tightly woven with moments of passion and intrigue erupting at regular intervals keeping the viewer gripped. For all practical purposes Asoka is a winner, and comes through in style mesmerizing the audience with its spectacular visuals and searing their souls with its haunting portrayal of truth.