Raj Kumar Santoshi, currently finishing post-production work on his upcoming film Halla Bol (also starring Devgan), says that he hasn't finalised the title of his next as yet, but yes, Ajay Devgan will now wear the great Indian Emperor Asoka's crown in Raj Kumar Santoshi's as-yet-untitled period film It will be a mega-budget film along the lines of the Hollywood film (read wannabe) Gladiator, on the life and times of Ashoka.

The film is expected to roll in August this year and completed in one schedule by December 2007. Ajay says this script is by far the best he had heard in all these years.

Ashoka's wife according to Santoshi has to be a mix of sensuality and innocence like Cleopatra or Delilah.

Ashoka as a film came to him while he was researching for another project on the Ramayana, that begins next year.

Santoshi feels that Ashoka's philosophy about peace and non-violence is the need of the hour today, and has even been advocated by HG Wells in his books.

Ajay will not go bald after his character adopts Buddhism cos Ashoka was also an Emperor who had to do his worldly duties.

This is the historical on Ashoka after Santosh Sivan's 2001 film with Shah Rukh Khan and is bound to create comparisons.

But Santoshi disagrees and says that their story is completely different. It starts with the Kalinga war and continues to travel through the fascinating and exciting journey of Ashoka's life, when from Chanda Ashoka he became Dharma Ashoka."