Aŝoka is a 2001 Bollywood epic film and historical drama. It is a largely fictional version of the life of the Indian emperor Ashoka the Great, of the Maurya dynasty, who ruled most of Southern Asia from 273 BCE to 232 BCE. The film was directed by Santosh Sivan and stars Shahrukh Khan as Ashoka and Kareena Kapoor as Kaurwaki, a princess of Kalinga. Ajith Kumar made a special appearance as Susima, brother of Asoka. The screenplay was written by Santosh Sivan and Saket Chaudhary, the music was created by Anu Malik and the dialogue by Abbas Tyrewala. It was originally released as Ashoka... The Great in India. The Tamil release title is Samrat Ashoka. Asoka is the maiden venture of Arclight & Films, established by Shah Rukh Khan and Juhi Chawla. The film was widely screened across the United Kingdom and North America, and was also selected for screening at the Venice Film Festival and the Toronto International Film Festival, where it got positive response. The film opens with Emperor Chandragupta Maurya giving away all his material possessions and taking a sanyas. His grandson, prince Asoka, claims his grandfather's sword.
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| Release date: | October 26, 2001 |
| Directed by: | Santosh Sivan |
| Rated: |  |
| Runtime: | 155 Minutes |
| Producer: | Shahrukh Khan, Juhi Chawla, Mark Burton |
| Editor: | A. Sreekar Prasad |
| Music by: | Anu Malik, Sandeep Chowta |
| Cinematography: | Santosh Sivan |
| Screenplay by: | Santosh Sivan, Saket Chaudhary |
| Genre: | Action, Musical |