Shahrukh Khan takes a huge risk in producing a film as difficult as this one in which there is fact but also much fiction. Historically, this cannot be said to be a true documentation of the times of Asoka although it does attempt to catch some of the essence of what his life was like.

Asoka (Shahrukh Khan) leaves conniving brothers and his Kingdom on the advice of his mother wandering off into the country where he comes across Kaurvaki(Kareena). Love blooms at first sight and he tells her that he is Pavan, an ordinary man. Kaurvaki turns out to be the Rajkumari of Kaling and is on the run with her brother Arya after the brutal slaying of their parents before they are able to return to Kaling. They in turn are being protected by Bheem (Rahul Dev) who is disapproving of Pavan. Love blossoms and Kauravaki and Pavan tie the knot Pavan is summoned back home on the pretext that his mother is ill which was simply a ruse by his mother to get to see him. He returns to Kaurvaki only to find that Kaurvaki and Arya have apparently been massacred.

Broken, Asoka begin his ascent as a warrior much to the concern of his step brothers especially Sushim (Ajit Kumar) who plans to kill him. Injured, he is taken to a monastery where he is tended to, amongst others, Devi (Hrishitaa Bahl). Due to circumstances, he marries Devi who soon falls pregnant. On hearing this, his step brothers send a priest to murder Asoka's wife and child but instead murder his mother. This sends Asoka on a murderous path, when he avenges his mother's death by murdering not only his brothers but all those who cross his path. Asoka's quest is to be the greatest king that there ever was and his last battle is with Kaling where one of his step brothers has taken refuge. Unknown to him, Kaurvaki is very much alive and plans to take up cudgels against the evil maraunding Asoka. It is this battle which proves to be the turning point in his life.

Asoka throws up a dilemma of sorts…whether one is content to see fact and fiction merged to conjure up a story which probably has no historical base but taken as a whole, is engaging enough…or whether this deviation or fictionalisation is allowing too much artistic freedom and thus making a mockery of the subject itself. I have heard the argument that Titanic did the same, based a fictional love story during a factual period of time. But here it is different. Here we have a character whom we know quite a bit about but we seem to introduce into his life, a whole new element which appears to be complete fantasy. What then becomes of the "facts " of his life, for instance his wife? Perhaps I am wrong and there was very much a girl called Kaurvaki that asoka met, and loved and never told that he was infact who he was…somehow, I find that a little hard to digest.

The director concentrates in the first half of the film on the love story, which really is not much different than many seen on screen these days. The introduction of Kareena Kapoor certainly does not go with the feel of her character, neither with a film set in the period that it is. Scantily clad, gyrating to the strains of Anu malik's rather disappointing musical score, you wonder whether this is the director's way of making it a contemporary subject, one that will be seen and understood by the common man today. It jars completely and the whole of the approach is that of a modern love story. The unstitched look that Kareena has supposedly been given after much research appears not to apply to others in the film as is apparent in the risible scene of "aa tayyar ho ja", lady swinging from rope with men dancing in unison behind her. What is the need for all of this but to "commercialise" the subject but by doing this, you are cheapening your own product. This can also be seen in the appalling inclusion of three guards cracking their inane jokes for light relief. All the songs are like MTV rehearsals with the "roshni se" song, as a flashback being so completely out of place, its not even funny!

The film also has holes in it which go unanswered but to address these would be giving too much of the film away. In essence, the film lacks the depth that one expected and comes across as a candyfloss Gladiator spin off although there is no suggestion that Asoka borrows from that film.

The problem as I said, lies in the director not actually knowing which path he should tread. The path that he chooses is that of taking facts and infusing a fictional yarn around it, clever for a story but executed in a fairly pedestrian way. Asoka's sudden descent into murdering avenger and greedy for power is done in a very matter of fact manner and is not very credible. Neither is the fact that Bheem does not tell Pavan that Kaurvaki is still alive. Neither actually is any of the first half, that our mighty Asoka wanders the villages in love with this Rajkumari refusing to tell her who he really is. Oh yes, take it as your average hindi film and it spells a good yarn but this film aspires for more and promises much more than it ever delivers.

Having said all of this, let me tell you that this is certainly a notch above the average hindi film that is churned out week after week. It is magnificently shot and although it does have a somewhat languid pace, it is sustain at least a modicum of interest.

Shahrukh Khan as Asoka is very much Shahrukh Khan in this film. No, there is no variation in his performance and it did not either involve me or move me in any way, even in its climax scenes. Kareena is chosen well but the depiction of her character simply does not gell. Out of the other performances, Ajit Kumar stands out as does Rahul Dev.

Anu Malik's music is a let down with none of the songs really gelling with the subject matter of the film. Perhaps this was a further attempt by the director to "contemporise" the subject matter but it doesn't work in my book…it doesn't work at all. This is on the whole, a big disappointment!