Samrat Ashoka was among the legendary NT Rama Rao's final movies. The historical drama was produced, directed, and edited by NTR himself. A box-office flop, it was widely panned by critics. It was released in 1992.
Critics felt NTR (at 69) looked too old for the vigorous role of a young Ashoka, and the chemistry with a 21-year-old Vani Viswanath felt disconnected. Why didn't it generate a political row at that time? What he did on screen was not of his opponents' concern. Since Samrat Ashoka was a flop, people simply stopped talking about the movie altogether.
Vani Viswanath has always spoken about NTR with immense reverence. In later interviews, she mentioned that working with him was like being in a "gurukul" (a place of learning). She was often cast in roles that required a strong, warrior-like screen presence, which made her a fit for the role of Tishya Raksha regardless of the age difference. NTR was seen as both Ashoka and Chanakya. Mohan Babu featured as Malavasimha Rudradeva.
