Hindi Web Series Pracchand Ashok

Pracchand Ashok, is inspired from the real-life of the Emperor Ashoka the great. The series showcasing a prominent leader in Indian history and is directed by Santram Verma and created under Balaji Telefilms production house. The producers of the series Ekta Kapoor and Shobha Kapoor have produced such a stunning series, featuring actors Adnan Khan and Mallika Singh. The historical story is penned down by R M Joshi and Neha Singh and the scenes are shot by cameraperson Ravi Naidu in Mumbai.

Plot

The web-series is made on being inspired from the life of Emperor Ashoka, who was the ruler of Kalinga Dynasty. In the beginning of the story it is seen that after the birth of Emperor Ashoka, he is separated from his father and lives an ordinary life away from the palace. He grows up facing struggles, hardships and a mindset of claiming his rightful place on the throne of Mauryan Dynasty. Princess Kaurwaki grew up to be a determined and compassionate lady. The story is based on the themes including, challenges and struggles faced by Emperor Ashoka in the early stages of his life, his love story with Princess Kaurwaki, political conspiracies against him, rightfully acquiring the throne of Mauryan dynasty, the Kalinga war and finally adapting Buddhist Dharma to lead the path of nonviolence. 

Star Performance

The outstanding performances of Adnan khan playing the role of Emperor Ashoka and Mallika Singh playing the part of princess Kaurwaki, significantly contributes to the success of the web-series. The multi level role played by Adnan Shah including, intensified and ambitious role during the struggling days, his romantic chemistry with princess Kaurwaki, ferocious and ruthless part during the war and finally the compassionate role while embracing the path of nonviolence, allows the viewers to connect with real-life Ashoka.

Analysis

The story of the series narrates the incredible tale of the Emperor Ashoka, an Indian historical figure who changed into a true devotee of Buddhism from a ruthless ruler. The Emperor Ashoka was born to the Mauryan king, Bindusara but due to some political conflicts he had to grow up bearing struggles in the early stages of his life. Later on, due to his determined aspiration, he rightfully inherited the throne of the Mauryan empire. Emperor Ashoka’s life drastically changed after the Kalinga war, he was affected by the devastation, bloody conflict and death of many people and chose the path of nonviolence and started promoting the teachings of Buddhism. The mind blowing visuals of the Kalinga war, the historical themed shooting sets, extravagant costumes of the characters, impressive action sequences and the philosophical teachings of Buddhism portrayed a real-life screenplay for the viewers to delve into the historical era of Emperor Ashoka.

What’s there?

• Real-life documentary of historical Emperor Ashoka the Great.
• Philosophical teaching and ethics of Buddhism.
• Details of the Kalinga War.

What’s not there?

• Less details are provided about Ashoka’s mother and mentor.

Verdict

The transformative role of Emperor Ashoka from childhood till becoming the ruler of Mauryan dynasty and later choosing the path of nonviolence after the Kalinga war is praiseworthy. This shows how a ruthless and ferocious ruler can also change with the influence of philosophical preachings.