Producers asked why I was making Shah Rukh Khan's Asoka where no one wins, recalls Santosh Sivan: ‘Kareena Kapoor wasn't available during war scenes'
'When I was gearing up to make Asoka, I was asked by the people producing it, 'Why do you want to make a film where no one wins the war? If I am watching a war film between the Germans and the English, I would want the English to win. Someone has to be winning.' You can't make a film where no one wins, it's a draw, or there's no outcome.' So, a lot of people did not want me to get into it (the film) because it wasn't very commercial. But I thought that the story was very interesting. I also wanted to take Asoka and split him into someone who's very romantic, especially when there's a monsoon and it's misty,' he said during a chat with a YouTube channel.
Speaking about filming the scenes depicting the Kalinga war, Santosh noted that it was particularly challenging, especially with big stars involved. 'Kareena was not available when we were shooting the war. So, I had to shoot most of it in Film City. All those things happened. You have to adjust and, of course, try to work it out,' he added. While Shah Rukh Khan depicted Asoka, the Emperor of Magadha and the third ruler of the Mauryan dynasty, who played a pivotal role in the spread of Buddhism across ancient Asia, Kareena Kapoor portrayed Karuvaki, the 'second Queen Consort' of Asoka.
The film also starred Danny Denzongpa, Rahul Dev, Hrishitaa Bhatt, Gerson Da Cunha, Subhashini Ali and Umesh Mehra in key roles, with a special appearance by Tamil star Ajith Kumar. Asoka featured cinematography by Santosh Sivan himself, editing by A Sreekar Prasad, music by Anu Malik and a background score by Sandeep Chowta.
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Grind into a fine paste. Add the ground paste to the sprouts with a little water. Stir and cook on low heat for a minute. Heat remaining coconut oil in a small tempering pan. Add mustard seeds, let them splutter, then add curry leaves and asafoetida. Pour this tempering over the sprouts, cover immediately, and cook for a minute. Uncover, mix well, cover again, and simmer for a minute. Serve hot, garnished with the remaining chopped coriander. Kadla curry recipe by chef Sanjeev Kapoor ⦿ Ingredients 1 cup brown Bengal gram (kadla), soaked overnight 2 tablespoons oil 1 tablespoon coriander seeds 4 dried red chillies 20-24 curry leaves 1 large onion, sliced 4-5 garlic cloves ½ cup scraped fresh coconut 1 large onion, chopped ½ teaspoon red chilli powder Salt to taste Fresh coriander sprig for garnish ⦿ Method 1. Put the brown Bengal gram in a pressure cooker, add 3 cups water, mix, cover and cook under pressure till 5-6 whistles are released. 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Creamy coconut prawn curry recipe by chef Sanjeev Kapoor ⦿ Ingredients 2 cups coconut milk 15-20 large prawns, cleaned, deveined and washed Salt to taste ½ tsp turmeric powder A pinch + ½ tsp red chilli powder 2½ tbsps oil 1 tsp mustard seeds 2-3 dried red chillies 1 large onion, finely chopped 2 medium tomatoes, finely chopped 10-15 curry leaves 2-3 green chillies, slit Crushed black peppercorns to taste 1 tbsp tamarind pulp Fried curry leaves for garnish Steamed rice to serve ⦿ Method 1. Take prawns in a bowl. Add salt, ¼ tsp turmeric powder and ¼ tsp red chilli powder and mix well. Set aside to marinate for 10-15 mins. 2. Heat oil in a kadai. Add mustard seeds and let them splutter. Add dried red chillies and sauté for a few seconds. 3. Add onion and mix well. Cook till it turns translucent. Add tomatoes and mix. 4. Add salt, mix, cover and cook till the tomatoes turn soft and pulpy. Add remaining red chilli powder and remaining turmeric powder and mix well. Add prawns and sauté on high heat for 2-3 minutes. Cover and cook on medium heat for 1-2 minutes. 5. Add coconut milk, curry leaves, slit green chillies, crushed black peppercorns and tamarind pulp and mix well. Cook for 1-2 minutes. 6. Switch the heat off, transfer the mixture into a serving bowl, garnish with fried curry leaves. Serve hot with steamed rice. Chicken Chettinad recipe by chef Sanjeev Kapoor ⦿ Ingredients 750 chicken, skinned and cut into 12 pieces on the bone 5 tablespoons oil 5-6 dried red chillies ½ cup scraped fresh coconut 1½ teaspoons poppy seeds (khas khas) ¾ teaspoon coriander seeds ½ teaspoon cumin seeds 3 green cardamoms 2 cloves 1 inch cinnamon 1 star anise ¾ teaspoon fennel seeds (saunf) ¾ inch ginger, chopped 8 garlic cloves, chopped 1 medium onion, chopped 8-9 curry leaves 2 medium tomatoes, chopped 1 teaspoon red chilli powder ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder Salt to taste 1½ tablespoons chopped fresh coriander leaves 1 tablespoon lemon juice Fresh coriander sprigs for garnish ⦿ Method 1. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a non-stick pan, add dried red chillies, coconut, poppy seeds, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, green cardamoms, cloves, cinnamon, star anise and fennel seeds and sauté till fragrant. Take the pan off the heat and allow to cool slightly. Transfer this in a mixer jar, add 1 cup water, ginger, garlic and grind to a fine paste. 2. Heat remaining oil in a thick bottom pan, add onion and sauté till golden. Add curry leaves and ground paste and sauté for 3-4 minutes. 3. Add tomatoes, red chilli powder, turmeric powder, salt and sauté for further 2-3 minutes. 4. Add chicken, mix well and sauté for 5 minutes on high heat. Add 2 cups of water, mix, cook till the mixture comes to a boil. Cover and cook for 12-15 minutes. 5. Add coriander leaves and mix well. Switch the heat off and add lemon juice and mix. Transfer in a serving bowl, serve hot with coriander sprigs. Chingri malai curry recipe by chef Sanjeev Kapoor ⦿ Ingredients 8-10 large prawns, peeled with head intact, deveined, and cleaned ¾ tsp turmeric powder Salt to taste 4-5 tbsps mustard oil 1-2 tbsps ghee 2 bay leaves 3-4 cloves 1 inch cinnamon stick 3-4 green cardamoms 1 tsp cumin seeds 1 cup ground paste (1 large onion, 1 large tomato, 1 inch ginger) ½ tsp red chilli powder 2 green chillies + for garnish ½ tsp cumin powder 1 cup coconut milk + for garnish Salt to taste ½ tsp sugar Melted ghee for drizzling Bengali garam masala for sprinkling + for garnish Fried cashew nuts for sprinkling + for garnish Fried raisins for sprinkling + for garnish Steamed rice to serve Lemon wedges to serve ⦿ Method 1. Take prawns in a large bowl, add ½ turmeric powder, salt and mix well. Set aside for 5 minutes. 2. Heat 2 tbsps mustard oil in a non-stick shallow pan, let it smoke. Add the prawns and sauté on high heat for 1-2 minutes. 3. Heat remaining mustard oil and ghee in a kadai. 4. Add bay leaf, cloves, cinnamon stick, green cardamoms, cumin seeds, and sauté for a few seconds. Add ground paste, mix and cook till the oil separates. Add remaining turmeric powder, red chilli powder, break the ends of the green chillies, and add into the mixture, add cumin powder, and mix well. 5. Add coconut milk, mix and cook till the fat separates. Add salt and sugar and mix well. Add ½ cup water, mix and bring it to a boil. 6. Stir in the prawns, cook till the mixture comes to a boil. Switch the heat off, drizzle melted ghee, sprinkle Bengali garam masala, fried cashew nuts, fried raisins and drizzle some coconut milk. Cover and let it rest for 5 minutes. 7. Transfer the gravy into a serving bowl, garnish with fried cashew nuts, fried raisins, sprinkle Bengali garam masala, drizzle coconut milk, and garnish with green chilli. Serve hot with steamed rice and lemon wedges. Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions about a medical condition.
