The Rise of Ashoka: Here’s when to expect the trailer of Sathish Ninasam’s next

The Rise of Ashoka, a period tale focusing on the fight to right to education, among others, has been censored U/A and hits theatres on February 27, 2026

Sathish Ninasam in The Rise of Ashoka

Sathish Ninasam’s The Rise of Ashoka, which went through a brief period of uncertainty following the demise of director Vinod Dondalay, was put back on track by the film’s editor Manu Shedgar and leading man Sathish Ninasam. The film set in 1970s Karnataka, follows Sathish’s character Ashoka, who hails from the barber community and is pushed into a fight for rights, is set for theatrical release on February 27, 2026. Sathish is taking the film to the Tamil and Telugu markets too, as he is confident that the subject is relatable for audiences there too.

When will the trailer of The Rise of Ashoka drop?

So far, only the songs from the film have made it to the public domain and the team is set to give audiences a sneak peek into what The Rise of Ashoka is about with the trailer. Sathish tells us that the trailer will be launched in Bengaluru on February 19, 2026, after which he will head to Hyderabad for the Telugu version’s launch and pre-release event, given that he’s yet to address the media and audiences there. The actor’s already done one round of promotions in Chennai and will return for one more, but that will be closer to the release, he says.

OTTplay had spoken to Sathish about the film in the context of the failure of the Duniya Vijay starrer Landlord, which was about oppression at the hands of wealthy, upper class landlords, in getting audiences to theatres. The impression, right now, is that The Rise of Ashoka is also about oppression and repression and the eventual uprising against it. While Sathish does not deny this, he is categoric that this is only a part of the film, which has been designed as a commercial entertainer, with romance, drama and action.

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

The film was initially planned as a two-part project. It remains unclear if the team has stuck to this given director Vinod’s passing. Also starring Kantara fame Saptami Gowda, Sampath Maitreya, Gopalkrishna Deshpande, B Suresha, P Ravishankar, Dragon Manju, among others, the film has music by Poornachandra Tejaswi.

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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