Philosopher King Asoka's Legacy

The 2001 Bollywood film Asoka is a rendition of King Asoka Maurya’s legacy. Bindusara Asoka’s father is about to renounce the throne to his successor. In this depiction, Asoka is seen to be very skillful and fierce in martial arts. He leads his troops in battle and even though he and his men were outnumbered. Asoka comes home a hero, which angers his half-brother Susima who wants Asoka dead and there is press to be seated at their father’s throne. Susima had ordered to make Asoka battle with only half an army, expecting Asoka to die. Susima attemted to kill his half-brother, again. Asoka kills the assassin. His mother expresses concern and tells Asoka to leave the city. At his mother’s request Asoka leaves his father’s empire because of the …show more content…
Although the movie was entertaining It did not give the proper hysteria for the “Philosopher King”, Asoka’s legacy. When portraying such stories there needed to be a bit more dramatizing in certain segments of the film. For example in the very beginning when Chandragupta catches Asoka with his sword , although the event was fictional the actor did not portray a sense of emotion to the sword that “Thirsted for blood” not much disgust was felt. When Asoka leaves into a wilderness it simply seems as if he just traveled to the neighboring villages and not actually out in the wild where man and nature become one, it may have been the directors’ goal to portray that as Asoka enters his conversion to Buddhism but it was done poorly. Through the entire movie “The Greatness” in Asoka isn’t felt. The audience too believed that Asoka was indeed just a Magadha soldier .Many of the events discredited the film. Meeting Princess Kurawaki and Prince Ayra made Asoka look weak; yes he may have been defending them and fighting off assassins it defeated the purpose of him leaving the kingdom and the emotion between him and the princess made Asoka look like he was always sweet. At one point Asoka was a tyrant. Princess Kurawki was no princess well not royal that is she was a fishers man daughter. If a love connection was to be made it would have been an Asoka fending for …show more content…
The best selection was at the bar scene. The tune is still stuck in my head. The dancing in the segment when “Pawan” returns was quite nice, unnatural, but amusing it gave the film a more Bollywood musical feel than a Historic Event. The relationship between Virat and Asoka actually moved me it reminded me that not everyone that’s family is loyal, and your nemesis can be your best friend , your only friend. The director did a good job in expressing the importance of Hindu and Buddhist customs. One of the most powerful scene was when Asokas mother was about to take the oath of silence, vowing never to speak again. The impact it had on not only the community but Asoka shows how tradition plays a large role in their