Th show features Siddharth Nigam, the child actor of Dhoom 3 fame in the lead role. With Indian TV’s big-ticket item Big Boss 8 ending last week, this show is set for a new leader to catch users’ attention. The show depicts the life of Emperor Ashoka, who ruled a vast portion of the Indian sub-continent in the third century BC.
NIgam is an award-winning gymnast, and has performed his own stunts. He has also been training in sword-fighting for battle scenes.Besides Nigam, the show has a cast including Manoj Joshi, playing Chanakya, one of India’s great strategists, who helped Ashoka’s grandfather build the Maruyan Empire. Pallavi Subhash plays Ashoka’s mother, Queen Dharma,and Sameer Dharmadhikari plays his father Bindusara.
The show takes a few artistic liberties and seems to have added a dash of fiction to history. For example, the show’s promo videos depict Ashoka as building the empire for the honor of his mother, a fact not confirmed historically. The show also includes Chanakya among its ensemble, though he is not historically known to have been part of Ashoka’s time. However, some of Chanakya’s quotes have been found in Mauryan-era ruins.
However, the show will probably feature various known events of Ashoka’s life, including his rise to prominence, battle with his brothers, the phae of empire expansion, and his conversion to Buddhism.
Cantiloe Productions, who have produced several other historical dramas such as Veer Shivaji, Bharat Ka Veer Putra – Maharana Pratap, and Jhansi Ki Rani, are at the helm of Ashoka. They have created massive sets in the town of Karjat, 60 kilometers from Mumbai,to give the show an authentic feel.
