Santosh Sivan's Asoka shows the great king leading a common man's life, in order to avoid a threat to his life.

On his travels, he meets Princess Kaurwaki and Prince Arya, who are on the run from their kingdom, Kalinga, after their parents were killed.

Asoka and Kaurwaki fall in love, and marry. However, neither of them reveal their real identities to each other.

One day, Asoka is told to return to his kingdom, as his mother falls ill. When he tries to find Kaurwaki, she goes missing.

Asoka meets a Buddhist maiden Devi and marries her.

Later, circumstances lead him to wage a war against Kalinga, which causes widespread destruction and devastation.

Fact: Emperor Ashoka had many wives; so many that their names don't even find a mention in history. Devi was his fourth wife, who gave him twins -- Prince Mahindra and Princess Sanghamitra -- who turned to Buddhism as well.

Kaurwaki was not a princess but a fisherwoman by birth. There isn't much evidence to suggest that she was Ashoka's wife.

And of course, one wonders if Ashoka the Great danced around trees, like it was shown in the film!

In the picture: Shah Rukh Khan and Kareena Kapoor in Asoka

Also read: Protest against Jodhaa Akbar

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