Shah Rukh Khan proves here again why he is the reigning King of Bollywood, as he plays the man who would be king, a troubled young warrior-in-training named Asoka. He inherits a sword (with a thirst for blood) that was cast off into the stream by his grandfather who was tired of seeing battle and war, and from that day on Asoka becomes the envy of his stepbrothers because he trains himself to be invincible on the battlefield. One day while in exile, he meets and falls in love with a beautiful runaway princess names Kaurwaki (played to the best of her ability by Kareena Kapoor, considering that this role was supposed to be for Aishwarya Rai who personifies the meaning of beauty more than Kapoor ever could) and after a few song and dance numbers, they marry each other in the deserted forests. They are existing happily until one day members of Asoka's family track him down to tell him that his father as taken ill, and this makes him end his exile to return home. He promises to return for Kaurwaki (who doesn't know that he is himself a prince) but due to unforeseen circumstances, he is unable to return to her as ends up marrying a smitten young caretaker (played by Hrishitaa Bhatt). A battle for the throne ensues when upon Asoka's return home the king passes away and he has to slay his opposing brother in order to ascend to the throne, which he does. He becomes more and more sinister as things don't go his way. Then one the day of a planned battle he is reunited with Kaurwaki on the battlefield after an intense bloodshed of her people in which left him victorious in battle. They are all forever torn apart as they patch up their histories and sorrows and Asoka's new wife ends up leaving him after the birth of their children.