The Story Of...Asoka. Review on Asoka

::The Stars::

Shah Rukh Khan as Raj Kumar Ashok

Kareena Kapoor as Kaurwaki

Ajit as Sushim

Rahul Dev as Bheem

Hrishita Bhatt as Devi

Suraj Balaje as Prince Arya

Danny as Viraat

Gerson Da Cunha as King Bindusara's

Directed by Santosh Sivan, Asoka is a film based on the life of the Indian Emperor Asoka played by Shahrukh Khan who lived approximately 2,300 years ago. Son of King Bindusara, Ashok lives a life where he is hated by both his half mother and half brother Sushim, who contanstly poison the mind of the King against Ashok.

Sushim eyes on taking the throne of their homeland Magadha and begins to consider Ashok a major threat to him, hence making several attempts to kill his brother which end up in vain. Sushim seeing that he has to get Ashok out of his way, forces the king to tell his wife, Ashok?s mother that it would be safe for Ashok to leave the kingdom. Upon Ashok refusing to, his mother vows silence if he does not obey her commands, which pushes him to leave the kingdom. His mother tell him no one must know that he is Raj Kumar Ashok and should live as a simple man.

Upon entering the new village, Ashok sees a lady dancing and singing as she washes. Her voice attracts him as he follows her. She is angry that a man who is a stranger is observing her and threatens him that he doesn?t know who she is. Ashok is quite amused as he mistakes her for the tribal lass but slowly they begin to fall in love. The lass introduces herself as a Princess Kaurwaki played by Kareena Kapoor. Ashok tells her his name is that of his horse?Pawan. Her child brother Arya has flashbacks of his parent?s death, which reveals that Bheem is a loyal soldier protecting Kaurwaki and Arya from their parent?s killers who are trying to take over their land Kaling. Kaurwaki and Arya both carry jewellery that instantly reveal they are the surviving children of the King of Kaling. Bheem doesn?t like Kaurwaki getting to close to Pawan as he tries to touch her and in an argument with the Princess he reveals that Kaurwati isn?t the blood child of the King, she was adopted. Hurt and in despair, Kaurwaki is reeling she doesn?t know her identity she has no past, when Pawan decides it is time she was made a Raj Kumari, his Raj Kumari, hence they marry.

A few days later, a messenger (correct me of I?m wrong) enters the village to tell Ashok his mother wants to meet him. Ashok refuses he had told his mother that even now if she called him back he wouldn?t go. Then he is told she is ill. Lost in thought Pawan doesn?t know what to do, until his wife Kaurwaki guides him, you must go Pawan she is your mother. Leaving the newly wed bride alone with her brother and Bheem, Pawan promises he will return but they must stay in the place he has left them.

Ashok arrives home, only to find his mother is safe and sound. He asks to leave but his mother wants him to stay. Then he opens up to his mother that he has married, married a princess. His mother asks him why he didn?t bring her with him. He replies that because his mother was ill. Meanwhile, Kaurwaki?s parents enemies attack resulting them to taking hostage in a family. Bheem asks Kaurwaki and Arya to take off their jewellery and hand them over to the house owners for safekeeping. Its night and fires are set, poor Kaurwaki and Arya are hiding under the floor when the lady of the house takes her brother and their jewellery to the attackers and says I am Kaurwaki and this is Arya as the elder of the house is held on sword point. The attackers there and then kill the lady and the little boy.

Pawan manages to return back to Kaurwaki?s place only to find Bheem tell him Kaurwaki and her brother have been killed. Pawan breaks down at the ashes having lost his love. Only, Bheem has locked up Kaurwaki and Arya away from Pawan. Viraat is still challenging Pawan for battles only this time he realises that Pawan is none other than Raj Kumar Ashok and begs him for forgiveness. Ashoks soldiers are about to behead Viraat when Ashok stops them from doing so. Their friendship begins as Viraat becomes like his bodyguard.

Ashok returns home, where he is nursed by a Devi (Hrishita) under Buddhist rituials until he feels well. However, still in pain over the loss of his love he sets out to destroy anything that reminds him of his love Kaurwaki. However, Devi stands in the way as he is about to kill a peacock yet still Ashok fires his bow, just missing her by a few inches. On the day of her wedding Devi remembers that she hasn?t given Ashok some medicine that he needed and rushes out of the Mandir (holy temple). She arrives to find a man in disguise of a woman is giving Ashok medicine that could kill him and right on time she manages to save Ashok only to end up having blood on her hands of killing the enemy. Ashok and Viraat take Devi to the mandir where she is rejected, leaving Ashok to marry again and make her his wife.

On the wedding night, Ashok opens up saying he cannot give her love as he has and will only love Kaurwaki but as he breaks down into her arms he realises that Devi is now his wife. On the otherhand, the song, ?Raat Ka Nasha? is being played as Kaurwaki is crossing the sea having ran away from Bheem with her brother, in search of her ?Pawan.? Everyone she asks does not know of any Pawan, leading her to being fed by Ashok?s new wife Devi. After a few scenes Devi asks Ashok to touch her tummy to signal that she is expecting their child. Ashok is overjoyed as he thinks, ?Mera Putthar.? His wife asks what if it is a girl; he refuses to listen and says it WILL be a boy.

Devi is lying down with Sushim?s men have been sent out to their house. The pandit ends up killing Ashok?s mother as she asks him what he is doing. Asokh finds out about the news and is heartbroken and in rage goes over to his stepbrothers place. Sushim tells him that he wants the throne but always Ashok too wants the same thing. Sushim asks and tries to force Ashok to kill him and when Ashok refuses to do so, he is about to attack him when Viraat kills him dropping him onto the throne. Ashok decides he is going to kill each and every one of his brothers and does so only one of them escapes.

Bheem takes Arya to his fathers enemies and says he is alive and that they have lost, Arya will be the Prince of Kaling. Ashok?s father King Bindusara dies and Ashok is living only to expand his empire. His second wife leaves him and says he cannot touch their children, as his hands are filthy of murder. The rest of the film is the war between Ashok and Kaling, only Ashok doesn?t know that his first wife and love Kaurwaki is the leader of Kaling. Kaurwaki is also at the battlefield and sees Pawan and realises that he is non other than Ashok. I?ll leave you to watch the ending of the film?Will they meet? Or will one of them die?

Check the comments for my verdict