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Asoka
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'Asoka'

By N K Deoshi
Film critic, ApunKaChoice.Com

Bollywood’s proverbial Baadshah Shah Rukh Khan returns to the silver screen with his much-hyped home production Asoka.

The film, directed by Santosh Sivan (of “The Terrorist” fame) is about the transformation of a callow youth (Asoka) from an obsessive romantic prince to a callous plunderer who waged one of the bloodiest wars in history and embraced the path of Buddhism in the end.

The

film, starring Kareena Kapoor, Rahul Dev and Hrishitaa Bhatt, is the story of the great Mauryan king Asoka (Shah Rukh Khan), the grandson of Chandragupt Maurya and the son of Bindusara.

Asoka and his stepbrother Susima (Ajit Kumar), who is favored by his father, are the contenders to the throne of Magadha. But fearing for her son’s life Asoka’s mother (Subhashini Ali) asks him to give up the struggle for the throne. This leads to Asoka’s self-imposed exile from Magadha and his life in a simple village as the commoner Pawan.

Living in the village Asoka (in his new avatar Pawan) comes across the lissome skimpily clad village belle Kaurwaki (Kareena), her brother and their bodyguard Bheema (Rahul Dev). After a few titillating bathing sequences Pawan and Kaurwaki fall in love. Without revealing her his true identity Asoka marries Kaurwaki.

But Asoka has to soon leave for Magadha after he comes to know of his mother’s poor health. Little does he realize that it is a trap. Behind him Kaurwaki and her brother are attacked in the village. When he gets back it’s too late and he gets the news of her death.

Furious Asoka vows to avenge the killing of his beloved. But he is attacked and fatally injured in a dastardly ambush.

Wounded Asoka is nursed back into good health by Devi (Hrishitaa Bhatt) who also averts an attempt on Asoka’s life by his stepbrother Susima. Naturally Asoka marries Devi. But once the conspirators who want Magadha’s throne kill Asoka’s mother he loses his patience and goes about killing all his stepbrothers.

Luckily one of his stepbrothers flees and takes refuge in Kalinga (then ruled by Arya). What ensues is the bloody battle in which Asoka wreaks havoc on the neighboring kingdom of Kalinga leaving it ravaged and devastated.

Confronted by the aftermath of his conquest, in which thousands lost their lives, Asoka renounced the path of war and dedicated his life to spreading the light of Buddhism across the world.

As one of the most expensive films made in the recent times “Asoka” is brilliant in patches but not in its entirety. Santosh Sivan's direction and cinematography is sleek and polished (and gives a fairytale look to the film) but the screenplay and script could’ve been more cohesive.

For instance, what prompts Asoka to go on a killing spree should've been better explained. Agreed that his mother's murder was the reason behind his eliminating his stepbrothers, but no attempt has been made explain what was it that forced him to kill innocent civilians.

Similarly Asoka's transition from a ruthless plunderer to a messenger of peace has also not been depicted in detail.

The fact is that the film, although a historical flick does not authentically depict the life and times of the emperor in entirety, but just a fragment of it. Sivan seems to have taken a lot of cinematic liberty to intersperse the commercial ingredients in the otherwise average story.

Shah Rukh Khan slips deftly under the garb of a power-hungry emperor and plays his part with total enthusiasm. His character is not static but keeps growing throughout the story.

Kareena Kapoor, who is turning out as Bollywood’s latest sensation displays her emotive range playing Kaurwaki. Although the director could have comfortably done away with those skimpy and revealing dresses that look completely forced and are no doubt a (welcome) distraction for the viewers.

Danny Denzongpa is wasted in a marginal role although Rahul Dev leaves an impact more so because he gels into the role of Senapati.

As far as film’s music goes Anu Malik's tunes and orchestration are a mite too modern to match the film’s period theme. The good thing is that all the songs have been picturised quite well by Sivan who literally brings about a riot of colors on the screen.

Overall, “Asoka” is a film aimed at a niche audience and won’t really appeal to the masses.

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