FemaleFirst.co.uk: DVD: Asoka [2001] [DVD]

Asoka [2001] [DVD]
enlarge	Director: Santosh Sivan Actors: Shahrukh Khan, Kareena Kapoor, Danny Denzongpa, Rahul Dev, Hrishitaa Bhatt Studio: Prism Leisure Category: DVD List Price: ~~£5.99~~ Buy New: £4.48 as of 22/11/2009 23:05 GMT details You Save: £1.51 (25%) New (10) Used (10) Collectible (1) from £1.47 Seller: rsdvd Rating: 17 reviews Sales Rank: 20866 Format: Anamorphic, PAL Languages: English (Subtitled), French (Subtitled), Hindi (Original Language) Rating: Suitable for 12 years and over Region: 2 Discs: 1 Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1 Number Of Discs: 1 Running Time: 150 Minutes Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2 Dimensions (in): 7.1 x 5.4 x 0.6 EAN: 5014293133555 ASIN: B00005UJAS Theatrical Release Date: 2001 Release Date: January 6, 2003 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days


Similar Items: Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna Kank [DVD] [2006] Devdas [DVD] [2002] [NTSC] Mohabbatein [DVD] [2000] Veer Zaara [DVD] [2004] Kuch Naa Kaho [DVD] [2003]


Editorial Reviews: Amazon.co.uk Review Both stylish and stylised, Santosh Sivan's Hindi epic IAsoka/I tells the heavily fictionalised but nonetheless compelling story of India's greatest emperor. In the third century BC the Mauryan king Asoka built a vast empire by means of ruthless conquest; but after the great Kalinga war he became sickened by the terrible slaughter he had caused, converted to Buddhism and dedicated the rest of his life to spreading peace and prosperity. p The film, though, concerns itself only with Asoka's rise to power, his love for the princess Kaurwaki, and his subsequent descent into brutality. Shah Rukh Khan is a brooding and temperamental prince who woos the lovely princess Kaurwaki (Kareena Kapoor) incognito and with the aid of the obligatory song-and-dance numbers. After a promising start involving mythic swords, heroic combat and IKing Lear/I-like sibling rivalry, the film falls into a familiar Bollywood groove for a while until events overtake the unlucky lovers and Asoka turns mean when he thinks his princess is dead. She in turn searches vainly for her handsome hero, not knowing his real identity; and when the tyrannical Asoka attacks her kingdom she leads her people against his armies in a near-genocidal war. The finale, after a wonderfully staged battle that employs 6,000 extras, is genuinely touching. pThroughout, the film works best when striving for a realistic tone, though the fairy tale romance and song interludes are doubtless contrived to please the domestic Indian audience more than cynical Europeans. It's a shame that Asoka's true greatness is never realised on screen, as the story ends before his momentous conversion, but as a film that tackles big themes with real visual flair IAsoka/I nonetheless deserves to find a worldwide audience. p BOn the DVD:/B Presented in sumptuous widescreen (2.35:1) anamorphic format and in Dolby 5.1, the film can be viewed with or without English subtitles. There are also two short documentaries, in English, featuring interviews with the star and director among others. The five big musical numbers can be accessed all in one go or individually, while a trailer and picture gallery complete a good package. --IMark Walker/I

Customer Reviews: Showing reviews 1-5 of 17 1 2 3 4 Next » "Why a sword in such beautiful hands?" February 9, 2006 kiwi-fille (Ireland) 11 out of 11 found this review helpful I have a very poor opinion of Bollywood movies (most of which consist of half-naked women gyrating on screen, the set-location moving impossibly from Egypt in one moment to Switzerland in the next. Weak plots combine with goofy all-dancing/all-singing numbers, normally). brI watched this movie with much trepidation (I am of Indian origin, and am totally clueless of India#x27;s rich culture/history). This film just swept me away, words cannot describe the sheer euphoria that rushed through me when watching this masterpiece unfold. Lush locations, beauteous women clad in the simplest of garments, an intriguing plot with no end of twists and turns, interesting-looking weapons and fight-scenes, subtle humour, a blossoming romance. This is a sparkling gem of a film that rivals such others like #x27;Braveheart#x27; and #x27;Gladiator#x27;. Based on actual fact and history (along with a few legends), it tells the story of a mighty prince - Asoka (played with utter conviction by the infamous Shahrukh Khan), and his love for a woman in exile, his "Warrior" - fiesty Princess Kaurwaki (played by the charming Kariena Kapoor); believing that his love is lost, and angered by the murder of his beloved mother, Asoka slowly sinks into a consuming despair and dementia, and starts to "destroy everything", slaughtering innocents and conquering lands, in his wish to be "the greatest emperor on earth". This culminates in the great war he wages against his neighbouring kingdom of Kalinga (this movie, is in fact, dedicated to the people of Kalinga, who were hopelessly outnumbered and so brave in the face of adversity). Asoka, at the end of this bloody war, sees jarringly for the first time all the death, despair and hatred he has caused, and finally turns to a life of non-violence and peace, spreading Buddhism across the world. This is but the bare skeleton of the plot, there is so much more to this enchanting and beautifully tragic tale. This film takes its time to unfold (about 3 hours long), but one cannot help but enjoy every moment of it. brI am so in love with this movie; it is one of those rare ones that really capture your heart and enthrall you. This August, I turn eighteen, and, in possession of my own credit-card, will purchase several copies of this film from Amazon; one for me, the others for friends. I would give this movie more stars if I could; EVERYONE should watch this. Believe me, you won#x27;t regret it. One of Shah Rukh's best February 21, 2007 Boo (UK) 6 out of 6 found this review helpful I think that this film is alot better than many critics made out when the film was first released. I would definately say that it comes after Kuch Kuch Hota Hai and Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge in terms of Shah Rukh Khan's best films, and loved every bit of it, the songs, action sequences and love stories. Shah Rukh shows in this film that he has a great ability to perform the roles of 'goodies' and 'baddies', in the space of one film, and he makes you as a viewer hate him and love him at the same time. And this is coming from someone who isnt an obsessive SRK fan. br /Definately a must see, even if you are not Asian, as I am not, and I still loved it. br /The special features are also great value, as there are interviews with Santosh Sivan, SRK himself, and producer and film star Juhi Chawla, with clips of behind the scenes footage. br /A great buy, I would recommend it to anyone. Asoka January 20, 2004 Aidy Shaw (Lincoln, England.) 10 out of 11 found this review helpful The first thing you notice about this film is the stunning cinematography, the richness of colour and the beauty of its setting. The story itself is an old fashioned, if gory historical romp. Based loosely on the tale of the historical tyrant turned monk of third century B.C., Asoka, this is a film that truly has everything. Although the songs went somewhat over my head, they work well within the film, and the choreography is quite mesmerising. It was also helped for me that Osaka married not just one, but two stunning women. I guess that goes with the job of Emporer. Having not seen a Hindi film in full before, i am determined not to make this my last. A wonderful, wonderful film, with a heart rending ending. A must for any open minded fans of cinema! A Masterpiece June 17, 2004 Alezhi (United Kingdom) 9 out of 10 found this review helpful This is the first Bollywood film I have ever watched - and I must say I am very impressed. Completely different in style to any film I have seen before, this added a new flavour to the genre for me. The graphics are beautiful, the actors are brilliant and the women are stunning and the songs were truly amazing.brA brilliant semi-fictional work, this is a film easily right up there with Gladiator and Braveheart, and, in my opinion, perhaps even better. The love story is both convincing and quite gut-wrenching too. All in all, I would say this is a must-buy, even if only to watch something different for a change, that is not dominated by the hollywood-style.brBuy this film - it rules:) Asoka The Epic September 17, 2005 Mr. Suchet Budon 4 out of 4 found this review helpful This is a classic - It started off like an arty Indian movie with stagey character acting (which can be off putting!) but when the story moves to Asoka's adventure as a normal everyman - the movie takes on elements of classic Bollywood with some nice songs and romantic storyline.pThe martial arts sequences are stylised and surprisingly quite dramatic - Particularly Danny Denzongpa's final battle - and the war scene at the climax.pI was extremely surprised at how good this film was and at the time of its release critics compared it to Braveheart and Gladiator - Although this movie surpasses both those films in terms of its cinematic direction, sheer scale and storyline. I would rate this film on a par with classics such as 'Dances With Wolves'.pThis is more than worth the asking price (Its a steal!). pA movie no one should miss. Showing reviews 1-5 of 17 1 2 3 4 Next »

CERTAIN CONTENT THAT APPEARS ON THIS SITE COMES FROM AMAZON EU S.à.r.l. THIS CONTENT IS PROVIDED ‘AS IS’ AND IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE OR REMOVAL AT ANY TIME.