The Rise of Ashoka: Sathish Ninasam’s tale of oppression fixes theatrical release date
The Rise of Ashoka, called Ashoka Blade earlier, will release in Kannada, Telugu and Tamil. The film stars Kantara fame Saptami Gowda in the lead along with Sathish.
Last Updated: 09.28 PM, Feb 06, 2026
Kannada actor Sathish Ninasam’s The Rise of Ashoka, earlier called Ashoka Blade, was nearly complete when tragedy struck and the film’s director Vinod Dondale passed away. At the time, it was speculated that the project would be shelved, but it was then revived when editor Manu Shedgar took on the director’s mantle to complete it. The film is set to be released in Kannada, Tamil and Telugu, given that Sathish firmly believes that the subject is relatable for audiences in those markets too.
When will The Rise of Ashoka hit theatres?
At a recent interaction with the media in Chennai, Sathish had hinted at a possible February 2026 release for the film, and then there was radio silence from the team. Until today, February 6, when Sathish took to social media to announce that The Rise of Ashoka would be in theatres on February 27. The only other Kannada film to have booked that date so far is Dhanveerraah’s Hayagriva.
The Rise of Ashoka is Sathish’s attempt at telling a tale of oppression set in an earlier time period. The timing of the film’s release, though comes at a time when Kannada audiences have shunned Duniya Vijay’s attempt at a similar theme. If the comments on social media are anything to go by, Kannada audiences are not keen on exploring films with subjects of oppression. It remains to be seen whether Sathish is able to catch their fancy.
The film, meanwhile, pairs Sathish with Saptami Gowda, while the ensemble cast also includes the likes of Gopalkrishna Deshpande, Dragon Manju, B Suresha, Sampath Maithreya, Yash Shetty, P Ravishankar, among others.
The Rise of Ashoka FAQs
Q. Why did it take 3 years to make The Rise of Ashoka?
A. The Rise of Ashoka was under production when director Vinod Dondale passed away. Vinod had committed suicide following massive financial issues. The film was stalled for a while, and then, the editor, Manu Shedgar, helped the team complete the film.
Q. When will The Rise of Ashoka release in theatres?
A. The Rise of Ashoka has been announced as a February 27, 2026 release.