Chakravartin Ashoka Samrat | |
---|---|
Genre | Historical Fiction Drama |
Created by | Ashok Banker Abhimanyu Singh |
Written by | Ashok Banker |
Directed by | Prasad Gavandi |
Creative directors | Jitendra Srivastava, Nafees Khan |
Starring | |
Opening theme | Ashoka Hai, Ashoka Tha |
Country of origin | India |
Original language | Hindi |
No. of seasons | 1 |
No. of episodes | 442 [1] |
Production | |
Producers | Abhimanyu Singh Rupali Singh |
Production locations | Karjat, Raigad district, Maharashtra, India |
Cinematography | Deepak Pandey |
Running time | approx. 20 minutes |
Production company | Contiloe Entertainment |
Original release | |
Network | Colors TV |
Release | 2 February 2015 – 7 October 2016 |
Chakravartin Ashoka Samrat (English: The Great Emperor Ashoka) is a 2015 Indian historical drama TV series [2] that aired on Colors TV from 2 February 2015 to 7 October 2016. [3] The show was created and written by author and screenwriter Ashok Banker. [4] [5] It stars Mohit Raina as Ashoka [6] [7] with Siddharth Nigam portraying the young version of the character. [8] [9] [10]
Chakravartin Ashoka Samrat was based on the life of Emperor Ashoka (304–232 BCE), the third emperor of the Mauryan dynasty of India. The series tells the story of how he faced the problems outside and inside Magadha, eventually rising to become its ruler. [5] [11] [12] [13] [14] The historical drama was produced by Contiloe Entertainment and directed by Prasad Gavandi. The show premiered on 2 February 2015 with a 1-hour telecast duration for the first 20 episodes. [15] [16] [17] The serial ended on 7 October 2016. [18] It was awarded and being named as the best Historical drama ever made.
This series starts when Magadha is ruled by Emperor Bindusara Maurya. Bindusara's step-mother, Helena conspires against him. Bindusara is attacked but is saved by a Brahmin woman in Champa named Dharma. Bindusara is amazed at her and marries her. Dharma then conceives a child. She refuses to visit royal palace with Bindusara, who promised her to return. Bindusara's third queen, Noor and her father, Mir Khorasan, seek to assassinate Dharma. Mir attacks Dharma and kills her father. He then sets her hut on fire. Bindusara assumes Dharma to be dead, but Dharma survives and gives birth to a son, Ashoka.
Ashoka is now grown into a brave boy and lives with Dharma in a hamlet. Chanakya spots Ashoka and finds his truth, but promises Dharma to keep it a secret. Chanakya and his disciple, Radhagupta take them to Pataliputra disguising Dharma as a royal physician. Ashoka impresses Bindusara and they develop a bond, irritating Bindusara's eldest son, Sushim, his mother Charumitra, Mir Khorasan, Helena and her son, Justin. It is revealed that Justin and Noor are having a affair since years and siyamak is their child . Helena fixes justin marriage with aghnishika the princess of Ujjain and shushim falls in love with her sister ahenkara . Later it revealed that it was pre planned by helena and her father Seleucus to kill the Mauryan family. Ashok saves bindusara from the fire and ahenkara's father was killed. Justin is killed by helena for betrayal after he claims responsibility for Helena's crimes. Eventually, Ashoka finds about his father and reunites Bindusara and Dharma. Helena came to know about siyamak and accepts him to make him the king of maghdha. Shushim marriage gets fixed with ahnekara but due to their family rivalry he starts torturing her. Ashoka saves ahenkara and her brother from sushim being angradhoodht but it creates a rift between bindusara and ashoka .Noor tries to overthrow Bindusara but is killed by Ashoka. Chanakya is trapped and set in fire by Helena, Khallatak, Charumitra, Sushim and Siamak. Ashoka saves him from fire and Chanakya dies asking Ashoka to become the Emperor and realise his dream of Akhanda Bharat. Ashoka is shattered and vows to catch the murderers.
Later, Ashoka succeeds in saving Taxila from Kichak. He falls in love with Kaurvaki, the princess of Kalinga. Mir Khorasan and Helena's father, Emperor Seleucus conspire to overthrow Bindusara but fail and are killed. While both are in prison, Helena reveals Ashoka about the murder of Chanakya and fakes a suicide. Ashoka is enraged and attempts to kill Sushim for which he is banished by Bindusara. Dharma and her newborn son Vitashoka (Vit) accompany him to Ujjain and Ashoka vows to come back stronger and avenge Chanakya's death.
Ashoka, now known as Chand, has become a ruthless, angry man who just wants revenge. He lives with Dharma and Vit in the house of a merchant named Dhaniram. Dhaniram's daughter, Devi cares about them. Sushima has become stronger with the help of the black magic of Charumitra. Siamak has grown into a cool-headed man but thirsts for the death of Ashoka. Ashoka takes part in a wrestling contest with Sushim as Chand. Dharma and Vit come there and stop Ashoka. Bindusara recognises them, forgives Ashoka, and asks him to come back to Pataliputra.
Ashoka exposes Helena, who is still alive as Kondana. Siamak is tricked and kills Helena. Ashoka and Sushim are supposed to marry Kaurvaki and Chanda. Kaurvaki's father, Jagannath insults Bindusara and Dharma and asks the throne of Magadha. Ashoka is enraged and marries Devi, calling off his marriage with Kaurvaki. Dharma is killed by Sushim and Bindusara also dies due a cardiac arrest caused by Charumitra's blackmagic, leaving Ashoka broken. He suspects Siamak to be Dharma's murderer and kills him. Sushim stabs Charumitra to death, mistaking her to be Kaurvaki. Khallatak teams up with Ashok. Sushim confesses his crimes. After a fierce war, Sushim falls into a lava pit and dies. Later Chanda Curses Ashok as she was Pregnant. Ashoka is crowned as the third emperor of Magadha. Devi was about to leave but stays learning that she is pregnant. Devi Informs Ashok about her pregnancy and stays with kaurvaki.
Months later, Devi gives birth to their son, Mahindra and later their daughter, Sanghamitta. Ashoka captures Kalinga and draws a massive amount of bloodshed, killing millions of people. An injuried Kaurvaki tells ashok that this is not the Akhandbharat that chanakya and chandragupta wanted. This incident leaves him traumatised at the waste of human lives. He later on, decides to give up violence and embraces Buddhism. With the help of his children and ministers, he propagates the principles of Buddhism around the world for the welfare of mankind and earns the title of "Ashoka the Great", also fulfilling Chanakya's dream of Akhanda Bharath (Greater India).
The set was erected in Karjat. [19] The show was produced by Contiloe Entertainment. [20] A team of at least 500 people worked on the series. Episodes were shot across Jaisalmer, Kerala, Mumbai's Film City and Karjat. A lightman died on the set in April 2015. [21]
Chakravartin Ashoka Samrat was promoted on the comedy show Comedy Nights with Kapil on the occasion of Maha Shivaratri in February 2015 [22] A game app "Ashoka:The Game" was launched by Colors TV in April 2015. [23] [24]
Year | Award show | Category | Result |
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2015 | Indian Telly Award | Best Child Actor (Siddhart Nigam) | Won [25] |
Best Historical Series | Nominated [26] | ||
Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Drama) (Sameer Dharmadhikari) | Nominated [26] | ||
Best Actress in a Supporting Role (Drama) (Pallavi Subhash) | Nominated [26] | ||
Gold Awards | Best Historical show | Won [27] | |
Best Actor (Debut) (Siddhart Nigam) | Won | ||
BIG Star Entertainment Awards | Most Entertaining Television Actor (Female) (Pallavi Subhash Shirke) | Nominated | |
Most Entertaining Television Actor (Male) (Siddhart Nigam) | Nominated | ||
Most Entertaining Television Fiction Show | Nominated | ||
2016 | Gold Awards | Best Supporting Actor (Male) (Sameer Dharmadhikari) | Nominated [28] |
Best Supporting Actor (Female) (Pallavi Subhash) | Won | ||
Best Actor in a Negative Role (Female) (Prinal Oberoi) | Nominated |
The Times of India praised Ashok Banker's reconstruction filled historical gaps and stated that they provide "interesting fictional turns" for the show. [29]
Bollywood Life reviewer, Letty Mariam Abraham, gave the show 3 out of 5 stars; praising the sets, visual effects and production value of the show. She further heaped praise on child prodigy Siddharth Nigam as "undoubtedly a brilliant actor"; stating that "his agile body makes him the perfect actor for the role." Abraham gave her final verdict as "the show looks promising but has a lot of scope for improvement. I'd recommend that people watch this historical drama for Siddharth Nigam and the special effects of the show." [30]
India.com reviewer, Prathamesh Jadhav, stated "going by the opening episode we must confess that this elaborate drama looks rather promising with its interesting tale." He further stated, "What we liked though is the visuals and the diligence that has been put in by the special effects and VFX team. The work is seriously commendable." He gave his final verdict as "going by what we have seen [in] it one must admit that the show looks promising with its actors, its sets and the details that have gone into making a tele-series of this nature." [31]
Additionally it has been known to imitate its style and fictional characters from Game of Thrones.
Ashoka, also known as Asoka or Aśoka, and popularly known as Ashoka the Great, was Emperor of Magadha from c. 268 BCE until his death in c. 232 BCE, and the third ruler from the Mauryan dynasty. His empire covered a large part of the Indian subcontinent, stretching from present-day Afghanistan in the west to present-day Bangladesh in the east, with its capital at Pataliputra. A patron of Buddhism, he is credited with playing an important role in the spread of Buddhism across ancient Asia.
Chandragupta Maurya was the founder of the Maurya Empire, which ruled over a geographically-extensive empire based in Magadha. He reigned from 320 BCE to 298 BCE. The Magadha kingdom expanded to become an empire that reached its peak under the reign of his grandson, Ashoka the Great, from 268 BCE to 231 BCE. The nature of the political formation that existed in Chandragupta's time is not certain. The Mauryan empire was a loose-knit one with large autonomous regions within its limits.
Chanakya was an ancient Indian polymath who was active as a teacher, author, strategist, philosopher, economist, jurist, and politician. He is traditionally identified as Kauṭilya or Viṣṇugupta, who authored the ancient Indian political treatise, the Arthashastra, a text dated to roughly between the fourth century BCE and the third century CE. As such, he is considered the pioneer of the field of political science and economics in India, and his work is thought of as an important precursor to classical economics. His works were lost near the end of the Gupta Empire in the sixth century CE and not rediscovered until the early 20th century. Around 321 BCE, Chanakya assisted the first Mauryan emperor Chandragupta in his rise to power and is widely credited for having played an important role in the establishment of the Maurya Empire. Chanakya served as the chief advisor and Prime Minister of the both emperors Chandragupta Maurya and his son Bindusara.
Bindusara was the second Mauryan emperor of Magadha in Ancient India. The ancient Greco-Roman writers called him Amitrochates, a name likely derived from his Sanskrit title Amitraghāta.
The Maurya Empire was a geographically extensive Iron Age historical power in South Asia based in Magadha. It was the fourth ruling dynasty of Magadha. Founded by Chandragupta Maurya in 322 BCE, it existed in loose-knit fashion until 185 BCE. The empire was centralized by the conquest of the Indo-Gangetic Plain; its capital city was located at Pataliputra. Outside this imperial centre, the empire's geographical extent was dependent on the loyalty of military commanders who controlled the armed cities scattered within it. During Ashoka's rule, the empire briefly controlled the major urban hubs and arteries of the Indian subcontinent excepting the deep south. It declined for about 50 years after Ashoka's rule, and dissolved in 185 BCE with the assassination of Brihadratha by Pushyamitra Shunga and foundation of the Shunga dynasty in Magadha.
Kaurvaki was the "Second Queen Consort" of the third Mauryan Emperor, Ashoka The Great. She was Ashoka's fourth wife and 2nd queen consort. She was the mother of Ashoka's fourth son, Prince Tivala.
The Kalinga War was fought in ancient India between the Maurya Empire under Ashoka the Great and Kalinga, an independent feudal kingdom located on the east coast, in the present-day state of Odisha and northern parts of Andhra Pradesh. It is presumed that the battle was fought on Dhauli hills in Dhauli which is situated on the banks of Daya River. The Kalinga War was one of the largest and deadliest battles in Indian history.
Susima was the crown prince of the Maurya Empire of ancient India and the eldest son and heir-apparent of the second Mauryan emperor Bindusara. He was next in line for his father's throne, but was defeated in a succession conflict by his younger half-brother, Ashoka, who eventually succeeded Bindusara as the third Mauryan emperor.
Chandragupta is a board wargame designed by Stephen R. Welch and released in 2008 by GMT Games as part of the Great Battles of History (GBoH) series of games on ancient warfare. Chandragupta simulates battles fought by the Mauryan Dynasty in ancient India, and in so doing, attempts to illuminate the features, challenges, and unique attributes of the Indian military system and culture during this period.
Maharani Devi was, according to the Sri Lankan chronicles, the first wife of the third Mauryan Emperor Ashoka. She was also the mother of Ashoka's first two children—his son, Mahendra, and daughter, Sanghamitra—both of whom played important roles in the spread of Buddhism to other countries. She is also remembered for the Sanchi Stupa.
Yashashri Masurkar is an Indian actress and voice artist known for her work in Hindi television productions. She is best known for her aplaying the role of Kanak in Star One's drama series Rang Badalti Odhani which was her acting debut. Yashashri has also been part of various other shows, including Sanskaar – Dharohar Apnon Ki, Chakravartin Ashoka Samrat, and Krishnadasi. Additionally, she participated in Bigg Boss Marathi 4.
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Siddharth Nigam is an Indian actor who works in Indian television and films. He is known for his roles as young Sahir and Samar in Dhoom 3, young Mauryan prince Ashoka in Chakravartin Ashoka Samrat, Prince Bindusara in StarPlus's Chandra Nandini, and Aladdin in Aladdin – Naam Toh Suna Hoga.
The information about the mother of Ashoka, the 3rd Mauryan emperor of ancient India, varies between different sources. Ashoka's own inscriptions and the main texts that provide information about his life do not name his mother. The Asokavadanamala names her Subhadrangi, while Vamsatthapakasini calls her Dharma. Different texts variously describe her as a Brahmin or a Kshatriya.
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Rakshasa is a character in the ancient Indian Sanskrit-language play Mudrarakshasa. In the play, he holds the post of Amatya in the Nanda and Maurya courts of Magadha. Originally a minister of the Nanda king, he escapes during Chandragupta Maurya's conquest of the Nanda empire. He then makes several attempts to overthrow Chandragupta, but each time, he is outsmarted by Chandragupta's advisor Chanakya. Finally, he agrees to give up the resistance, and accepts the post of amatya in the Maurya court.
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