Ashoka Blade—once a dream project close to Sathish Ninasam’s heart—was left in limbo after the tragic passing of its director, Vinod Dondale. While questions loomed over the film’s future, it has now been revived as Sathish, along with the producers, has stepped forward to ensure that the ambitious project sees the light of day. The film has undergone a title change from Ashoka Blade to The Rise of Ashoka.
Editor Manu Shedgar, known for films like Kshetrapati and Avatara Purusha has taken over the directorial responsibilities for the film. Having worked closely with Vinod Dondale from the start, Manu is familiar with the vision and progress of the film. Now, he is set to bring the remaining portions of the film back to life.
With around 80 per cent of the film already in the cans, the team is ready to pick up where they left off. The first step in reigniting excitement for the film will be the release of its motion poster on January 9. The Rise of Ashoka will be a multilingual release, hitting theaters not only in Kannada but also in Tamil and Telugu languages. Produced by Vruddhi Creations and Sathish Picture House, the film boasts a stellar ensemble cast, including B Suresh, Achyuth Kumar, and Sampath Maitreya, among others.
For Sathish, who is also part of the upcoming Ayogya 2, this film represents something extraordinary. He enthusiastically said, “The film has turned out really well. It was Vinod’s dream too, and we felt it was important to honor that vision. It’s a project with a unique subject, and we couldn’t let it fade away.
This role is unlike anything I’ve done in my career so far. We’re ready to roll again. Our target is to release the film by July this year. After the film comes out, I expect to embrace a whole new image as an actor.” On the technical crew, The Rise of Ashoka will have music by Poornachandra Tejaswi, stunts by Ravi Verma and Vikram Mor, and cinematography by Lavith.