(Santosh Sivan, India 2001, 180 min., 35mm, Hindi with English subtitles)
Based on the life of the ancient warrior king, Shah Rukh Khan teams with Kareena Kapoor for the first time in this historical action epic. When Mauryan emperor Chandragupta decides to pursue a path of nonviolence, his sword is claimed by his grandson, Asoka (Khan), who is warned that the sword is cursed and will demand blood and destruction. After another military victory, Asoka fights off an assassination attempt by his half-brother Susima (Ajith Kumar) and is sent by his mother into hiding. Asoka disguises himself and in his travels meets Kalingan princess Kaurwaki (Kapoor), also in disguise. As a relationship develops between the two, they are separated when Asoka’s mother falls ill, perhaps never to be reunited.
35mm print from the George Eastman Museum collection.