Chakravartin Ashoka Samrat TV review: Looks promising but has scope for improvement

By Letty Mariam Abraham
Published: February 4, 2015 8:11 PM IST

The historic show, Chakravartin Ashoka Samrat definitely spikes an interest, but it's the wonder boy Siddharth Nigam that drew us to the historical drama

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The show delves into the life of the greatest ruler of India and the Maurya dynasty. It concentrates on the life of Samrat Ashoka (Siddharth Nigam) from childhood to when he became king, his wars and finally when he decides to take up Buddhism. For now, the story has just begun with the introduction of Samrat Bindusar - Chandragupt Maurya’s son, who is a good ruler. Also Read - Jannat Zubair, Anushka Sen, Ashnoor Kaur and more: Here's what TV industry's child actors are doing now

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The show stars with Chanakya’s (Manoj Joshi) dream about the future of Maurya dynasty. Well the actor has been playing for over 14 years, and till date no one has been able to pick any faults with his acting. Ankita Sharma who's playing Samrat Bindusar’s third wife Noor Khorasan does a good job, especially when she switches from good and evil facial expressions. The sets of the show give the royal feel. From the palace to throne everything looks rather authentic and beautiful. The visual effects used in the show give off a very rich feel and the production value definitely looks high. Ashoka has just made an appearance in the show, but the child prodigy Siddharth Nigam is undoubtedly a brilliant actor. His agile body makes him the perfect actor for the role. Sumit Kaul who plays Justin, gives all the right vibes an antihero should.

What’s Not

Sameer Dharamadhikari is back to being king (Samrat Bindusar) again. This is probably his third or fourth show as a king. Well frankly I don’t see much of a difference in any of his portrayals, but the actor claims his roles and performances are very different. Dharma (Pallavi Subhash) is yet to prove herself in the role. However, there’s one scene where she is stuck in a burning house and is about to deliver Ashoka. Before the birth, she is shown struggling and in fear of the fire, but post the delivery Dharma seems a little too calm. Isn’t the smoke or the fear of living to see the day no longer affecting her? Bindusar’s mother Helena played by Suzanne Bernert is a big turn off in the show. It’s not her accent I have a problem with, it’s her terrible acting. I wish the show had a constant narration that helped me understand the characters and their motives better. With such a vast cast, it is sometimes difficult to remember who is who; the makers should have given a background to the story of Ashoka from Chandragupta Maurya’s time. History is always fun with a back story.

Verdict

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.

[movierate star="3"]

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ByLetty Mariam Abraham
Published: February 4, 2015 8:11 PM IST