Sapthami Gowda on The Rise of Ashoka: I’m not a theatre-trained actor; every film is learning ground

Kantara fame actress Sapthami Gowda on being a part of Sathish Ninasam’s ambitious The Rise of Ashoka, that he spent a few years on. The film hits theatres on February 27, 2026

Sapthami Gowda in The Rise of Ashoka

Sapthami Gowda made her Kannada debut a few years ago with Popcorn Monkey Tiger, but her breakthrough role came in 2022 with Kantara. Naturally, all eyes have been on the actress about her choice of films since then. She’s since been a part of Yuva, The Vaccine War (Hindi) and Thammudu (Telugu) and returns to Kannada cinema with this week’s The Rise of Ashoka, in which she is paired with Sathish Ninasam. The film releases in theatres on February 27, 2026 in Kannada, Tamil and Telugu.

Sapthami Gowda: My film choices have been about...

How has she gone about her script selection since Kantara, though? “Kantara’s success is not down to one person, but belongs to the entire team and I do not want to feel any pressure on account of it. My choices, thereafter, have been about what excites me in the moment. It’s not about whether it is a sure-shot hit or if audiences are going to like the character. When I go on the set, I need to be excited about playing that role,” Sapthami told Kadakk Cinema.

The actress says that she was very happy about all the work she has done since Kantara, because each enabled her to learn something new. For instance, she had to learn horse riding for Thammudu. “With The Rise of Ashoka’s Ambika, the variations in her character graph are what hooked me. I got to do something new in the climax,” she adds. By and large, Sapthami reckons that the prospect of learning something new with each film is what drives her career.

Also read: Sathish Ninasam on The Rise of Ashoka: It would be unfair to dub the film as a tale of oppression | Exclusive

“Sathish has a vast theatre experience prior to coming to cinema. I’m not a theatre-trained actor and have not had that opportunity. Whatever I do in cinema, right or wrong, is what I have picked up along the way in doing films. As long as I get to learn something, that’s all that matters and not whether I am fresh off a massive hit film,” she says.

The Rise of Ashoka FAQs

Q. What was The Rise of Ashoka called initially?

A. The Rise of Ashoka was initially titled Ashoka Blade, which, leading man Sathish Ninasam thought did not suit the narrative and then changed it.

Q. Why was The Rise of Ashoka delayed in the making?

A. The Rise of Ashoka's director Vinod passed away during the making, leading to production being stalled for a while. Much later, the film's editor stepped in and wrapped up the filming.

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