Watch King Ashoka on TV

The producer of the Mahabharata series is now working on a new show based on the life of Asoka. Santosh Sivan directed the SRK-starrer film (2001), but the makers of the TV show are confident that the audience will enjoy their version of the emperor’s life too.

Mythological and historical TV shows seem to be the flavour of the season, with four such serials currently on air.

HT Image

The latest we’ve heard is that there’s another one that’s coming up soon. Producer Siddharth Kumar Tewary, who has to his credit the popular ongoing series based on the Mahabharata, is currently working on a show on the life of King Ashoka.

A source informs, "Since his current show on the epic is coming to an end, he has started work on this new one. The story will cover Ashoka’s life journey from his childhood onwards. Siddharth’s research team has been working hard on the pre-production work, and if everything goes according to plan, the shoot might start in a few months. Like his previous show, this one will also be a finite series."

"Auditions for the roles are going on currently and the makers will soon lock actors. So far, no one has been shortlisted,” adds the source.

This is not the first time that King Ashoka’s life has been chronicled on screen.

In 2001, Santosh Sivan directed the Shah Rukh Khan-starrer Asoka, which was based on the emperor’s life. But the makers of the TV show are confident that the audience will enjoy their version of the emperor’s life too. "They feel that a historical show is better told on TV, than in a three-hour film," says the source.

When contacted, Siddharth refused to comment on the show.