Asoka the great, has been one of the greatest figures in the annals of Indian History. Noted historian H G Wells says in his ’’ Outline of History’’: ’amidst the tens of thousands of names of monarchs that crowd the columns of history, their majesties and graciousnesses and serenities and the royal highnesses and the like, the name of Ashoka shines, and shines almost alone, a star. From the Volga to Japan his name is still honoured. China, Tibet, and even in India, though it has left his doctrine, preserve the tradition of his greatness. More living men cherish his memory today than have ever heard the names of Constantine or Charlemagne’’.
Ashoka an Icon for Indians, a symbol of greatness whose engravings on various stupas and monuments still inspire the mankind, Ashoka Chakra is part of our National Flag, The four lion( 3 visible) symbol on ASHOKA Pillar is our National emblem. Even though many of our present day Indian citizens may not know much or remember much about Ashoka, nevertheless Ashoka is an important part of our national pride, legacy and heritage.
Such an important personality cannot and should not be treated in such a cavalier and casual way. This is what this movie has done. It hurts to see Ashoka singing disco-type songs, dancing and prancing around with skimpily clad bevies. I for one, felt hurt.
Had someone been really serious, a great magnum opus could have been made which not only could have been a great success, but also a milestone in film history just as ’’ Ten Commandments’’ and ’’Ben-hur’’ etc. in Hollywood, and ’’ Mughal-e;Azam’’ in bollywood.
A period film needs lot of reasearch and serious study. You cannot take liberties and licence under the garb of ’artistic freedom’ and commercial adaptation etc. Rarely anything in the film looks authentic or convincing: dialogues, language, vocabulary, terminology, costumes, atmospherics, sets….nothing. Music and dances are the biggest liabilities and eyesores. So out of place! Music, tunes, orchestration, instruments used, rhythm, beats, lyrics, metre are all so modern. Dance steps are more akin to the genre of Janette Jackson and Noami Campbell than anything remotely resembling 5 th Century BC, 2500 years ago!
Pace is very slow, narrative is listless, script is weak, dialogues are pedantic, story has no substance. Santosh Sivan’s cinematography is superb, but then form cannot replace content, style is no substitute for substance.
Sharukh hams and overacts all the way though he has tried to restrain himself. He hasn’t been able to exude or project the aura and majesty of Ashoka, SRK is no Dilip Kumar. Less said of Kareena the better. Except for looking ravishingly sexy with designer bindis and tattoos and skimpy, figure hugging costumes, she hasn’t done anything.
There are no ornate, opulent or grand sets, no scenes of palaces, durbars or great performances, most of the film has been shot outdoors, sets are spartan and minimal, I wonder why did it cost Rs.15 crores? If it did, it’s a criminal wastage of resources.
I feel sorry for SRK, the producer. He picked up (?) such a difficult and challenging subject, maybe with all good intentions of making a magnum opus , creating history and catapulting himself to join ranks of K Asif, Bimal Roy, Mehboob Khan, V Shantaram, and Gurudutt….the bollywood hall of fame. Buckling under commercial and other pressures, he has made a mess of the subject. No doubt the movie is a flop, it richly deserved to flop.
My request to Indian filmmakers: please don’t take liberties with history, don’t mess around with Icons, if you don’t have the guts or the ability to make a serious film, please steer clear of such topics. If money making is the only objective, stick to the time tested formulae. Don’t test our patience.
Thank God, the film did not create any controversy. Nobody took the film seriously anyway.
SRK, please be clear in your objectives as a film maker, you aren’t doing street corner Ram Lilas, Nautankis, or folk-theatre.
Those who haven’t seen the film, please see it, just to understand how to make a mess of a golden opportunity!