Sathish Ninasam's next, The Rise of Ashoka, has officially completed its shoot and is now in post-production. The film also stars Kantara-fame Sapthami Gowda. Directed by the late Vinod Dhondale, the film is set in the 1970s and follows a young revolutionary who fights against injustice. Sathish takes on a rugged new avatar, seen in posters wielding a machete. According to the makers, The Rise of Ashoka was shot across Srirangapatna, Nanjangud, Gundlupet, and Bengaluru. The project is said to have the biggest budget in Sathish’s career. Apart from Kannada, it will also be released in Tamil and Telugu.
Joining Satish and Sapthami on screen is an ensemble cast which includes B Suresh, Ravishankar, Gopalakrishna Deshpande, Sampath Maitreya, Yash Shetty, Dragon Manju, and Harish Peradi of Vikram Vedha-fame. Interestingly, this project was earlier known as Ashoka Blade but was paused after director Vinod Dhondale's untimely passing. Actor Satish Ninasam later revived it under the new title, The Rise of Ashoka. Produced by Vruddhi Creations and Satish Pictures House, the film is backed by Vardhan Narahari, Jaishnavi, and Satish Neenasam himself. The story is penned by Dayanand TK, with music by Poornachandra Tejaswi, cinematography by Lavith, and editing by Manu Shedgar. Ravi Varma and Vikram Mor have handled the stunts while dance choreography is done by Santosh Shekar.