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Sathish Ninasam's 'The Rise of Ashoka' Shot in 138 Days with 1000 Actors

Kannada actor Sathish Ninasam has detailed the immense scale of the upcoming period social drama 'The Rise of Ashoka'. The film, inspired by a true 1970s border incident, required a challenging recreation of the era's villages and aesthetics. It features a staggering 1000 actors and was shot over 138 days, with 1400 CGI shots used subtly to enhance the setting. The film is now complete and targeting a February release.

Key Points: The Rise of Ashoka: 138-Day Shoot, 1000 Actors, Revealed

  • Film inspired by a true 1970s incident
  • Recreating the era was a major challenge
  • Features 1400 seamless CGI shots
  • Scheduled for release in February
2 min read

Sathish Ninasam: 'The Rise of Ashoka' features about a 1000 people and was shot in 138 days!

Kannada star Sathish Ninasam reveals the massive scale of 'The Rise of Ashoka', a period drama shot in 138 days with 1000 actors and 1400 CG shots.

"We shot for 138 days in all. - Sathish Ninasam"

Chennai, Jan 22

Kannada star Sathish Ninasam, who plays the lead in director Vinod V Dhondale's upcoming Kannada period social drama 'The Rise of Ashoka', says that the film has at least a 1000 actors who have been a part of it and that it took them a whopping 138 days to shoot the film.

Participating in a press meet in Chennai, the actor, while giving details of the film, said, "This film is inspired by a true incident that happened in the seventies in an area that is in Karnataka's border with Tamil Nadu. It is about a boy, who wants to enter government service and break free from the shackles that force him and others like him from his community to stick to their family profession."

Stating that it was challenging to recreate the seventies era because there are huge buildings that have now appeared in all villages, Sathish Ninasam said, "We wanted simple thatched houses, with pathways without roads. The appearances and dressing were different then. So, we had to recreate all of that."

The actor went on to say,"There are a 1000 people who have worked in this film and we had to ensure that we got even the small details pertaining to each of their characters right. We shot for 138 days in all."

Stating that they had used CG judiciously to aid in the process of recreating that era, the actor said, "We have a whopping 1400 shots in CG in this film. The beauty of it is that the CG is so realistic that you will not notice it at all. For instance, what you see on screen is shot with real people at real places. We used CG to expand the size of a field filled with flowers. We also used CG to erase certain elements like power lines in a scene, which were not present in that era. The CG work alone went on for six months. Now, it has been completed and we are looking at releasing the film in February this year."

The film features actress Sapthami Gowda, who played the female lead in Kantara, as Sathish Ninasam's pair in the film. Apart from the lead pair, the film will also feature B.Suresh, Sampath Maithreya, Gopal Krishna Deshapande, Yashh Shetty, Jagappa, Ravishankar (Armugha), Dragon Manju and Devanuru Chandru.

Cinematography for the film is by Lavith and music is by Poornachandra Tejaswi.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

R
Rohit P
Interesting that it's based on a true incident from the Karnataka-TN border region. These inter-state cultural stories are so important but rarely told in mainstream cinema. Hope they handle the subject with sensitivity and don't stir up any unnecessary regional sentiments. The scale looks impressive though.
D
David E
As someone who loves period dramas, the technical details are fascinating. 1400 CG shots that you supposedly won't even notice? That's the mark of great VFX work – when it serves the story invisibly. Using it to remove anachronisms like power lines shows real dedication to authenticity.
A
Ananya R
The theme of breaking free from family profession to enter government service is so relatable even today for many in India. My own grandfather had a similar struggle. Hoping the film does justice to this emotional and social journey. Sathish Ninasam is a good choice for such a role.
S
Suresh O
While I appreciate the scale, I do hope the story and characters aren't lost in all these numbers – 1000 actors, 138 days, 1400 VFX shots. Sometimes simpler films with a strong narrative have more impact. But wishing the team all the best. Kannada cinema is on a roll post-Kantara!
S
Sapthami G
Great to see Sapthami Gowda getting another major role after her fantastic performance in Kantara! She brings such authenticity. The crew seems stellar too – Lavith's cinematography and Poornachandra Tejaswi's music. This could be a very special film. Fingers crossed! 🤞

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