A: The Blu-ray release (available on Amazon or Ebay) offers 1080p with DTS-HD audio. Next best is the 1080p rental on Apple TV.
Abstract:
This paper provides a structured index of the 2001 Bollywood film Asoka, directed by Santosh Sivan. Rather than a simple scene-by-scene summary, this index categorizes the film’s major narrative arcs, character developments, historical adaptations, musical sequences, and symbolic motifs. The goal is to serve as a reference tool for scholars analyzing the film’s representation of the Mauryan emperor Ashoka’s legendary transformation from a brutal conqueror to a Buddhist pacifist.
1. Introduction
Asoka (also titled Asoka the Great) stars Shah Rukh Khan in the title role, alongside Kareena Kapoor as Kaurwaki. While loosely based on historical events of the 3rd century BCE, the film prioritizes romantic and action-driven storytelling. This index organizes the film into nine primary indices: Narrative Chronology, Character Index, Musical Score Index, Historical Accuracy Index, Visual Motifs, Violence and Redemption Arc, Geographical Settings, Reception Index, and Comparative Mythological Index.
2. Narrative Chronology Index
| Segment | Time (approx.) | Events |
|---------|---------------|--------|
| Prologue | 0–10 min | Young Ashoka kills a tiger; exiled from court by his brothers. |
| Wanderings | 10–35 min | Ashoka travels incognito, meets Kaurwaki and her brother Arya. |
| Romance | 35–65 min | Songs “San Sanana” and “Raat Ka Nasha”; Ashoka and Kaurwaki fall in love. |
| Betrayal | 65–85 min | Kaurwaki’s brother is killed; Ashoka loses her in a mob attack. |
| Return to Power | 85–105 min | Ashoka kills his brothers, seizes the Mauryan throne. |
| Conquest of Kalinga | 105–125 min | The brutal war; Ashoka orders massacres. |
| Transformation | 125–150 min | Ashoka sees the river of blood, meets a Buddhist monk, converts. |
| Epilogue | 150–155 min | Ashoka becomes a dhamma-preaching emperor; reunion with Kaurwaki. |
3. Character Index
4. Musical Score Index (Composer: Anu Malik, Sandeep Chowta)
| Song | Context | Lyrical Theme |
|------|---------|----------------|
| “San Sanana” | Forest romance | Love and nature |
| “Raat Ka Nasha” | Palace seduction | Intoxication, passion |
| “O Re Kanchi” | Pre-war folk number | Kalingan cultural identity |
| “Aaye Hain Hum” | Ashoka’s coronation | Triumph and ego |
| Instrumental: “War Drums” | Kalinga battle sequence | Chaos, violence, doom | index of asoka movie
5. Historical Accuracy Index
| Event/Detail | Film Portrayal | Historical Reality |
|--------------|----------------|---------------------|
| Ashoka’s early exile | Motivated by fraternal rivalry | Not well-documented; likely political. |
| Kaurwaki romance | Central plot | No record of this queen; possibly fictional. |
| Kalinga War carnage | Vivid, gory river-of-blood scene | Historically attested (200,000+ deaths). |
| Conversion to Buddhism | Sudden, after seeing carnage | Gradual over 2–3 years per edicts. |
| Edicts of Ashoka | Not shown | Ignored in favor of personal redemption. |
6. Visual Motifs Index
7. Violence and Redemption Arc Index
8. Geographical Settings Index
9. Reception Index (Selected Reviews)
| Critic | Score (out of 5) | Key Comment |
|--------|----------------|--------------|
| Taran Adarsh (Bollywood Hungama) | 3.5 | “Visually stunning but emotionally uneven.” |
| BBC Movies | 2/5 | “History sacrificed for star power.” |
| Roger Ebert (Chicago Sun-Times) | N/A | “Not released widely in US; festival circuit response was mixed.” |
| IMDB user rating (2001–2024) | 6.5/10 | Praised for cinematography, criticized for historical liberties. | A: The Blu-ray release (available on Amazon or
10. Comparative Mythological Index
The film’s structure echoes:
11. Conclusion
The Asoka movie functions less as a historical biography and more as a romantic tragedy with a redemption arc. Its “index” reveals a tension between epic spectacle (war, violence) and intimate melodrama (love, loss). While scholars of South Asian history may fault its inaccuracies, the film remains a significant Bollywood attempt to engage with Buddhist pacifism through mainstream cinema. Future indexes could add production design credits and dialogue callbacks for deeper intertextual analysis.
References
Note to the reader: This paper treats “index” as a structured thematic and analytical catalog rather than a simple alphabetical list of terms.
Subject: Detailed Analysis and Index Report on the Film Ashoka (2001) violence) and intimate melodrama (love
Date: October 26, 2023 To: User From: AI Research Assistant Re: Comprehensive Index and Evaluation of the Motion Picture Ashoka the Great
A: Sometimes the film appears on ad-supported platforms like MX Player (in India) or Tubi (US) with ads. Also, check if your local public library has the DVD.
Sometimes Asoka is available on ad-supported platforms like Tubi or MX Player (depending on your region). Always check JustWatch.com (a search engine for legal streaming) before resorting to an index search.
If you manage to find a live directory listing from a search like intitle:"index of" "Asoka" 2001, you might be tempted to download. Here is why you should avoid it: