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

‘Kannada audiences do not favour stories of oppression, repression, caste, socio-economic struggle’ – this has been a common refrain on social media, ever since Duniya Vijay’s Landlord came out and struggled at the box office. And yet Sathish Ninasam is set to bring one such tale to audiences shortly, or so it seems, based on the available information about his film, The Rise of Ashoka. The film is set in the 70s and follows his character Ashoka, fighting against injustice and oppression.

Is The Rise of Ashoka about the oppression of a particular community?

In the current scenario, is it prudent to tell a tale of oppression and the fight for rights? Speaking to OTTplay after a long session of overseeing the audio mix of The Rise of Ashoka, Sathish explains that while the film’s protagonist belongs to a particular community, the issues he and his ilk face have been told within the parameters of a commercial entertainer.

“Yes, the film is about the fight for rights, but it cannot be compared to, say, Kaatera or Landlord. It would be unfair to dub the film as a tale of oppression. It is a sensible cinema, which audiences will realize once they see the film,” he adds.

Fair point, but therein lies the challenge of getting people to theatres, right? The impression right now is that it is another film like Landlord. “The Rise of Ashoka is not about one community; it is about one man who has been suppressed by society and finally decides to stand up and fight for what is rightfully his,” Sathish maintains.

The actor adds that this is interspersed with a beautiful love story, high-octane action blocks and much more to keep audiences entertained for the duration of the film. “Most importantly, there is a section of audience that firmly believes that my films will entertain them and leave them with a feeling of having watched a good movie. My promise is that in those 2 hours and 10 minutes of the film, they will not be tempted to look at their phones even for a moment,” he says.

Also read: Based on true incidents, Sathish Ninasam's next beckons the glorious '70s 

Sathish adds that ultimately, irrespective of what a film team has done or not, success will depend squarely on whether audiences have liked it. “Word-of-mouth publicity is all that matters. You maybe able to draw some crowd on Day 1 based on your own standing in the industry or with some gimmicks, but thereafter, the strength and relatability of the content is all that sustains it further,” he says.

The actor says that he is hopeful that the songs and the trailer will be the calling card for audiences to hit theatres on February 27, 2026. But was that a wise decision to release the film amid the ICC Cricket World Cup and exam season? “There’s no other way out; we’ve already been promoting the film for a while and if I let go of this window, I will lose that momentum and have to then wait until the end of May, at least. By then, the team of my next, Ayogya 2 wants to line it up for an end of May, early June release. I can’t afford to have both films come out in quick succession,” he reasons.

*The Rise of Ashoka will release in theatres on February 27, 2026 in Kannada, Tamil and Telugu.*

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.