asoka be a movie by acclaimed cinematographer and director santosh sivan and and it be clearly evident from his late venture that he be about to change the celluloid world forever . the movie be an epic and the first example of international indian cinema on a wide scale and big canvas and project through the eye of a master filmmaker . the film begin with the young prince asoka ( shah rukh khan ) a a boy who watch his father accept jainism and a peaceful religion that encourage him to toss aside his sword and which have cause much bloodshed . the young boy be intrigue by the weapon and pick up the new toy and master it and soon learns that with the power of yield this sword come a great price . a warrior be bear who fight many battle yet it be quickly establish that this young man be very much fight human war and quench a thirst for power and balance this with his love for his family and particularly his mother . his mother renounce her son violent way and request him to undergo the great education any person can represent a journey . on his journey a an ordinary traveller and the prince encounter friend and learns to eat peasant food with his trusty horse pawan and who mirror an opposite reflection to asoka seemingly black heart and be pure white with eye that steal the heart of anyone who gaze into them . while explore through a forest he meet the princess kaurwaki ( kareena kapoor ) and whose eye mesmerise one moment and warn off invader in a blink . she be the embodiment of beauty and the prince introduce himself a pawan to her and only to find there be a price on her head and she and accompany by general bheema ( rahul dev ) and young prince arya ( suraj balaji ) and be on their own journey to make it alive to kalinga where their destiny await them . the journey of asoka continue with trial and love and jealousy and betrayal and all make up cornerstone of what prince asoka experience along the way . he fall flawlessly in love with kaurwaki and and she become his soul and purpose of living and but destiny strike a blow only to begin a mission bear in rage and spread by blood . to reveal the rest of the movie would be take too much from the audience view pleasure but the journey for asoka be far from over . a story of a traveller travel and his education that be the journey and the love and loss and war and redemption all encompass this 173 minute epic that grip the viewer from the moment the camera pan down onto asoka and a if indicate it be descend onto a mountain full of rich within and up until the deeply disturb end and which leave the viewer with a ray of hope before the credit flash to announce not the end of the story but the beginning . santosh sivan camerawork and direction be par excellence and a his unique flash technique and use of many shot to accentuate a minor detail in a scene all add together to create a cleverly woven story immortalise on film . in some sequence the camera cut like a sword with flash of residue leave linger both on screen and in the viewer mind and yet in others follow and he use less shot and still manage to maintain rhythm . a film such a asoka can not be appreciate on a single view alone a upon initial contact one be simply bombard with an onslaught of visual delight and spellbind sound and a story that emerge from our past but still reach into the depth of every man soul . performance wise shah rukh khan be the life of the movie . his act prowess be detail to the full in emotional gut wrench scene and that portray innocence and rage and peace and long all through his demeanour and eye language . asoka arrogance and clarity of his every action and couple with the consistent river of flow energy be evident through the actor performance which to his credit leave one find the line which end with the character and turn into actor . asoka could not only be shah rukh great screen incarnation and but also a clear message to international cinema of his screen presence and dedication and mastery of his art . kareena kapoor and a the warrior princess who act a sister and mother figure to arya and a cautious then endure lover to asoka and emerge a someone on her own personal journey and in search of her identity and sense of belong while juggle her duty and heart and mind in a three ring circus and kareena give what be by far her fine performance to date . after her innocent and natural debut in refugee and she be finally allow to once more realise her potential and play a character that only she could do justice to . her look sans make up and except a few line accentuate her eye a the window to her soul and be as pure a the princess herself and the image of her go to get milk and fully wrap except for her eye be of sheer cinematic delight . kareena have master the art of act with her whole body in a short span of time and her performance in asoka prof this . one hop her potential be continually unlocked and her future hold many more performance and film of this calibre . it be ironical that a film inspire by history be destine to make history itself by be the first indian masterpiece to be show at so many festival and in so many country and show nationwide break into mainstream british cinema . it be certainly one of indian cinema fine offering and deserve the attention it be bind to receive and miss out on this homage to true cinematic form would be like miss history . go see it . fuad omar .