Chakravartin Ashoka Samrat: Story so far...

Swanky designs taking us to our glorious past, sensational cast, gripping storyline and intricate high-end visual effects! The historical drama ‘Chakravartin Ashoka Samrat’ that airs on Colors TV channel has got everything to entertain and educate. The show depicts the rise of one of India’s greatest emperors, Ashoka. Interestingly, the show also confers a whole lot of information about the people who were a part of Ashoka’s rise to power.

'Chakravartin Ashoka Samrat' completed a century of episodes on June 19, 2015.

Started in February, over the course of the past few months, the show has become a favourite among viewers as the journey of the boy has taken him to Magadh where he lives his life under the watchful eye of King Bindusar’s counsellor, Chanakya.

“’Chakravartin Ashoka Samrat’, for me, has been an experience of a lifetime. It feels like just yesterday when we started filming the show, and now we are already pushing the 100-episode mark. Playing a character as strong and confident as Ashoka has taught me so much about the Emperor and his personality – something that I had never thought I would learn first-hand,” Siddharth Nigam, who plays the title role in the show, said in a statement.

In Picture: From L-R: Justin (Sumit Kaul), Ashoka (Siddharth Nigam) and Siyamak (Md. Faizan).

Cast and crew of 'Chakravartin Ashoka Samrat' celebrating the completion of 100 episodes on the sets.

With the mammoth set put together at Karjat, and being shot extensively across India, including in the deserts of Rajasthan, the show effectively showcases some of the vibrant background that perfectly attracts the viewers’ attention.

In the ongoing track, Justin (Sumit Kaul) looks for an escape route out of the palace for the love of his life Noor (Ankita Sharma) and their illegitimate son Siamak (M.D. Faizan).

Ever since Ashoka has come to know that his father is alive and is in the capital, ‘Magadh,’ he is struggling hard to get clues about him. On the other hand, his mother Shubhadrangi is terrified and doesn’t want the father-son to know anything about their relations. Samrat Bindusara, who used to believe that Dharma is no more alive, gets a glimpse of her one night while she is lighting the lamp in his room. Next day, he calls all the dasis in his room to look out for Dharma. While Dharma is in the queue and doesn’t want to be seen, Bindu recalls how Mir Khurasan went to Dharma’s house and burned it. He leaves to meet Khurasan before noticing Dharma.

Samrat Bindusar declares a contest among the children studying in the Rajkiya Vidyalaya (royal school) for the title of Maha Yodha. Maha Yodha will also win the great sword of Samrat Chandragupta Maurya. Chanakya announces the three levels of the competition, in which the participants will be tested on different skills. For the past two years, Sushim has been winning the title, but this year Ashoka hopes to bag the title and prove his worth to everyone. After going through all the levels, Ashoka and Sushim are the last two contestants left in the battle. While Ashoka is moving forward in the race, beating all odds, Sushim is trying every trick to get Ashoka out of the race but always fails. So close to finish the last line, Ashoka gets his hands on the coveted sword and is about to reach the finish line when Sushim falls in a danger with a tiger. Ashoka, doing the humane thing to do in this situation, takes a u-turn and jumps in to save Sushim’s life. In the process, he drops the sword and Sushim takes advantage of the opportunity, grabs the sword and climbs up a tree.

Chanakya has come to know about the secret underground passage being constructed in the new castle being made for Justin and his fiancé, Agnishikha. The passage is being made on the order of Queen Helena and her Greek father Seleucus Nicator who want to steal the royal wealth and destroy the Mauryan Empire. Overhearing Chanakya’s conversation with his scholars, Helena instructs her soldiers to attack Chanakya and capture him under that secret dungeon.

Bindusara is about to make Sushim the General Of Magadh and award him with the honorable sword. But, Chanakya advices Bindusara that he should wait until his sons mould themselves and are completely ready to take up a big responsibility like this. Hearing this, Sushim loses his cool and attacks Chanakya by placing the sword in front of him. Ashoka immediately steps forward to protect Chanakya. Seeing this inappropriate behavior, Bindusara asks Sushim to leave the court room and also asks him to return the sword to the Royal Academy. Bindusara then thanks Chanakya for giving him the advice before taking any decision and chooses Ashoka to be the General Of Magadh but, Ashoka replies saying he needs time to think as it’s a very big responsibility for him.

14 Years Ago: Queen Helena plots to kill Bindusara during his hunting trip, but fortunately, he is saved by a young Brahmin girl called Shubhadrangi. Impressed with her beauty and devotion, Bindu marries Shubhadrangi and names her Dharma. While Bindu is staying with Dharma and is recovering the attack, Magadh is on the verge of falling apart with no ruler to rule it. As per her plan, Helena is about to announce her son Justin as the new ruler, but Chankya intervenes. He understands Helena's plan to bring Magadh under her rule and takes Khurasan's help to search Bindu's whereabouts. Khurasan finds Bindu with Dharma. For Magadh's future, Dharma sacrifices her love and send back Bindu, who promises to return soon and honor her as his queen. In Bindu’s absence, Khurasan comes back to Dharma’s place and burns it to make sure that she has died. But she survives and gives birth to son Ashoka.

After the death of great Emperor Chandragupta Maurya, who united the most of India under one rule, his son Bindusara becomes the new ruler. Being Chandragupta Maurya's wife, Helena wants to take over the throne from her step son, Bindusara and make her own son, Justin the king of Magadh.