- published: 08 Feb 2016
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Aŝoka (Devanagari: अशोक) 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. The Emperor explains that the sword is in fact a demon that, whenever unsheathed, craves blood without regard to friend or foe. He throws away the sword but the prince recovers and unsheathes it whereupon it (accidentally) slashes a couple of birds on a tree.
Ashoka (Devanāgarī: अशोक, IAST: Aśoka, IPA: [aˈɕoːkə], ca. 304–232 BC), also known as Ashoka the Great, was an Indian emperor of the Maurya Dynasty who ruled almost all of the Indian subcontinent from ca. 269 BC to 232 BC. One of India's greatest emperors, Ashoka reigned over most of present-day India after a number of military conquests. His empire stretched from present-day Pakistan and Afghanistan in the west, to the present-day Bangladesh and the Indian state of Assam in the east, and as far south as northern Kerala and Andhra Pradesh. He conquered the kingdom named Kalinga, which none of his ancestors had conquered starting from Chandragupta Maurya. His reign was headquartered in Magadha (present-day Bihar). He embraced Buddhism after witnessing the mass deaths of the Kalinga War, which he himself had waged out of a desire for conquest. He was later dedicated to the propagation of Buddhism across Asia and established monuments marking several significant sites in the life of Gautama Buddha. Ashoka was a devotee of ahimsa (nonviolence), love, truth, tolerance and vegetarianism. Ashoka is remembered in history as a philanthropic administrator. In the history of India, Ashoka is referred to as Samraat Chakravartin Ashoka – the "Emperor of Emperors Ashoka".
The year 2001 in film involved some significant events, including the first of the Harry Potter series and also the first of The Lord of the Rings trilogy. (For more about non-English films, check sources in those languages.)
These are the top grossing films that were first released in 2001. The top ten films of 2001, by worldwide gross in United States dollars, as well as the US and Canada, UK, and Australia grosses, are as follows:
These numbers are taken from Box Office Mojo, including their 2001 Yearly Box Office Results.
2001 produced forty-one films that have grossed more than $100 million. Seven films grossed more than $400 million.
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone has grossed $974.7 million; it was the highest-grossing film in the Harry Potter film franchise until Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 surpassed it in 2011.
Palme d'Or (Cannes Film Festival):
Golden Lion (Venice Film Festival):
Golden Bear (Berlin Film Festival):
USA unless stated
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