King of Kotha

King of Kotha (also marketed as KOK) is a 2023 Indian Malayalam-language action thriller film[1] directed by Abhilash Joshiy in his directorial debut and produced by Wayfarer Films and Zee Studios.[4] The film stars an ensemble cast of Dulquer Salmaan, Shabeer Kallarakkal, Prasanna, Gokul Suresh, Aishwarya Lekshmi, Nyla Usha, Chemban Vinod Jose, Shammi Thilakan, Saran, Shanthi Krishna and Anikha Surendran. The cinematography is handled by Nimish Ravi and the film score is composed by Jakes Bejoy while the songs are composed by Jakes Bejoy and Shaan Rahman separately.[5]

King of Kotha
Theatrical release poster
Directed byAbhilash Joshiy
Written byAbhilash N. Chandran
Produced by
Starring
Narrated byMohanlal
CinematographyNimish Ravi
Edited byShyam Sasidharan
Music by
Production
companies
Release date
  • 24 August 2023 (2023-08-24)
Running time
174 minutes[1]
CountryIndia
LanguageMalayalam
Budgetest. ₹50 crore[2]
Box officeest. ₹38.30 crore[3]

The film was announced in July 2021. Principal photography commenced in September 2022 and wrapped up in February 2023. The film was released worldwide on 24 August 2023 during the festival of Onam, where it received mixed reviews from critics.[6]

Plot

1996: CI Shahul Hassan is transferred to a fictional crime-infested town called Kotha, which is situated near the Kerala-Tamil Nadu border. Shahul enquires more about the town and learns that the citizens, especially teenagers, are addicted to narcotics. While investigating about the background of the narcotics, Shahul learns about Kannan Bhai, a dreaded Don and drug lord, who rules Kotha. Shahul meets Kannan Bhai at his hideout along with SI Tony Titus, where he is humiliated by Kannan. Shahul inquires about Raju from Tony as Kannan earlier mentioned the name, where Tony reveals Raju's past.

1986: Raju is a merciless gangster and Kannan's childhood friend who rules Kotha. Tony and Kannan are a part of Raju's gang and football team called "Winners Kotha". Raju is always at loggerheads with Ranjith Bhai, who is the head of the neighbouring town Gandhigram, but Ranjith never harms Raju out of respect for Raju's father Kotha Ravi, who was also a dreaded don in the past. Raju meets Tara and falls in love with her. Kannan tries to get Raju and his gang to deal with drugs, but Raju disagrees as Tara's brother committed suicide due to drug overdose. Raju does not share a good relationship with his parents as his mother Malathi hates him for being a gangster and also blames his father for Raju's upbringing. Malathi also abuses Raju's gang members, where Kannan learns about this and provokes Malathi.

Ravi sees this and interferes in between them. Kannan tries to stab Ravi with a knife, but ends up stabbing himself. Upon knowing this, Raju gets angry and tries to beat up Ravi, who defends himself. One day, Ranjith sends photos of Tara hanging out with a Bombay-based journalist named Nikhil, where Raju breaks up with Tara and starts drinking heavily. Blinded by his greed for wealth and power, Kannan decides to partner up with Ranjith and agrees to transport drugs into Kotha. Knowing this, Raju gets enraged and confronts Kannan, who refuses to reveal anything about the drugs. Raju gets into a fight with Kannan and ends up partially blinding Kannan in the right eye. A few days later, Malathi realises that Raju may not live for long if he continues to be a drunkard where she advises him to leave Kotha and never come back. Raju leaves Kotha on the night of the FIFA World Cup Finals and later goes missing.

1996: Shahul tells Tony to enquire about Raju with the Uttar Pradesh police force, where he gets a fax from the Lucknow police station about "Raju Madrassi", who is a retired assassin. Shahul sends a telegram to Raju, saying his sister Rithu is in danger. Kannan's brother-in-law Jinu, a drug addict and criminal, and Rithu are in love. As they are sitting in a restaurant having ice cream, Tony arrives with his force and takes away Jinu for carrying Marijuana packets. Rithu later cuts all ties with Jinu. After getting released, Jinu goes to Rithu's house to talk to her, but is kicked out by Ravi. The next day, Jinu tries to set Rithu on fire by dousing her in petrol, but she manages to escape as Tony arrives at the scene. Jinu gets brutally killed by Raju, who has arrived back in Kotha after receiving the telegram from Shahul.

Jinu's sister Manju learns about this and decides to kill Raju. It is also revealed that Kannan killed Ranjith in order to make Manju his wife. That night, Kannan meets Raju at the bar and learns that Raju has become more dangerous after going to Uttar Pradesh. Manju sends men to kill Raju, who beats and sends them back after a fight, which Manju herself witnesses. The next day, Shahul makes an offer to Raju to kill Kannan but he declines the offer, stating that Kannan is still his friend. That night, Raju and Kannan meet up and have a few drinks in Raju's hotel room. After leaving, Kannan sends up a contract killer Suitcase Leslie to kill Raju, but Raju kills Leslie and sends his remains to Kannan. Kannan gets agitated and arrives at the market with his men, where they fight against Raju. Raju beats all of them up and kills Kannan's right-hand man Erilan by stabbing him in his heart, thus avenging the death of his friend Rafi.

That night, Raju goes to Tara's house to invite her for Rithu's birthday, but Kannan arrives and stabs Tara. As Tara is rushed to the hospital, Raju gets a call from Kannan, where he rushes to a site and finds his father killed. Kannan's mother promises to bring Kannan to Raju so that Raju can kill him. As he goes to finish Kannan, it is revealed that this entire plot was planned by Kannan so that he could kill Raju. Kannan stabs Raju after which Manju arrives. Raju discloses that he has known Manju since her childhood and that Jinu was actually her son who was born after she was assaulted by her stepfather in her childhood. Manju leaves the place humiliated and Raju escapes after the police arrive at the scene. Three weeks later, Raju is missing and the townsfolk believe that he is dead due to the stab wounds sustained after Kannan's attack.

However, Raju is still alive and was planning his attack on Kannan all the while, where he sends a letter to Shahul saying that he has accepted the offer that Shahul had made earlier. Raju offers the entire town of Kotha to Kannan's henchman Peelan in exchange for killing Kannan. Peelan accepts the offer and switches sides. Raju goes to Kannan's hideout to confront Kannan, who brings a group of contract killers to kill Raju. Raju kills all of them and incapacitates Kannan. Raju tells Kannan that he cannot kill him as he still considers him as a brother, where he brings Ranjith's son to kill him. It is also revealed that Ranjit's men helped Raju escape from the place where Kannan had stabbed him earlier. Ranjith's son kills Kannan and hands the gun over to Raju, who kills Peelan, telling that Kotha doesn't need an heir anymore.

1998: Raju is living with Tara and Rithu happily in Shimla, where he receives a call from his arch-enemy named Dev Gujjar sent by Manju to kill him.

Cast

Voice over

Production

Development

The film along with its title was announced on 28 July 2021 on the occasion of Dulquer Salmaan's 35th birthday.[8] Salmaan who portrays a gangster in the film stated: "King of Kotha will be having all these elements (perfectly timed clap points, catchy songs, and elevation sequences) that could satisfy the audience."[9] He also added that this is a dream project with his childhood friend Abhilash Joshiy, son of veteran filmmaker Joshiy, and have been waiting for the past few years to find a perfect project to collaborate.[8] It is written by Abhilash N. Chandran, who had earlier worked on Porinju Mariam Jose (2019).[10] In October 2022, Salmaan stated in an interview that, "It is an action gangster genre, noir film set in a fictional town. It's interesting because I generally tend to veer away from this type of cinema quite a bit. But I found a bit of a balance. I feel like it has content, it has great writing, but it's also a very commercial gangster drama."[11] On 23 June 2023 the film's motion poster, titled "People of Kotha" was launched.[12]

Filming and casting

The principal photography began on 27 September 2022 at Karaikudi, while additional filming occurred in Rameswaram and Ramanathapuram. Nimish Ravi joined as the film's cinematographer.[13][14][15] After rumours of Samantha Ruth Prabhu being approached for a role, it was reported that Aishwarya Lekshmi was signed to play Salmaan's pair.[16][17] Shabeer Kallarakkal was roped in to play the main antagonist.[18] Actor Gokul Suresh was cast to play a pivotal role and actors Chemban Vinod Jose and Sudhi Koppa were also added to the cast.[19] Nyla Usha and Shanthi Krishna were also cast in key roles.[20] Zee Studios associated with Wayfarer Films for the film's production and marked its maiden feature film production venture in Malayalam.[21] It was reported that, a major schedule in Karaikudi was interrupted due to the rain, and the team took a brief break.[22] Ritika Singh joined the production in early-November 2022 and shot for an item song.[23][24] In December 2022, Shammi Thilakan announced his addition to the cast through his Facebook page.[25] In January 2023, Prasanna and Saran Shakthi confirmed being cast in the film.[26][27] Filming took 95 days and the Karaikudi schedule was wrapped up on 21 February 2023.[28]

Music
King of Kotha
Soundtrack album by
Jakes Bejoy and Shaan Rahman
Released23 August 2023 (2023-08-23)
Recorded2022–2023
GenreFilm soundtrack
Length27:02
LanguageMalayalam
LabelSony Music India
External audio
audio icon King of Kotha (Jukebox) on YouTube
Singles from King of Kotha
  1. "Kalapakkaara"
    Released: 28 July 2023
  2. "Ee Ulakin"
    Released: 19 August 2023

The background score is composed by Jakes Bejoy while the songs have been composed by Jakes Bejoy and Shaan Rahman separately. The music rights were bagged by Sony Music India.[29] The track "People of Kotha" that was featured in the motion poster video was released on 23 June 2023, the same date as the promo. The first single titled "Kalapakkaara" was released on 28 July 2023, on the occasion of Salmaan's birthday.[30] The second single titled "Ee Ulakin" was released on 19 August 2023.[31]

Track listing
No.TitleLyricsMusicSinger(s)Length
1."Kotha Raja"Muhsin Parari, Asal Kolaar, Roll RidaJakes BejoyAsal Kolaar, Dabzee, Roll Rida, Resmi Sateesh4:33
2."Kalapakkaara"Joe Paul, FejoJakes BejoyShreya Ghoshal, Benny Dayal, Jakes Bejoy, Fejo4:12
3."Ee Ulakin"Manu ManjithShaan RahmanSreejish Subramanian4:02
4."King of Kotha (Title Track)"FejoShaan RahmanFejo, Nithya Mammen3:02
5."Doore"Manu ManjithShaan RahmanSreejish Subramanian, Shaan Rahman3:52
6."People of Kotha"Travis KingJakes BejoyTravis King, Shatadru Kabir, Anand Sreeraj R, Jakes Bejoy, Niranj Suresh, Srikrishna Vishnubhotla1:32
7."King of Kotha (Teaser Theme)"InstrumentalJakes BejoyInstrumental1:38
8."Kalapakkaara (Karaoke)"InstrumentalJakes BejoyInstrumental4:12
Total length:27:02

Release

Theatrical

King of Kotha was theatrically released on 24 August 2023, coinciding with Onam. The film was intended to be released in Malayalam, along with the dubbed versions in Tamil, Telugu, Hindi and Kannada.[32]

Home media

The film was premiered on Disney+ Hotstar from 29 September 2023 in Malayalam and in dubbed versions of Tamil, Telugu and Kannada languages.[33] The Hindi version premiered on the platform from 20 October 2023.

Reception

Critical reception

Sanjith Sidhardhan of OTTplay gave 3.5/5 stars and wrote "King of Kotha might have a familiar storyline that feels stretched out in parts, but Dulquer’s performance along with the grand visuals make this gangster revenge saga worth watching in theatres."[34] Arjun Ramachandran of The South First gave 3.5/5 stars and wrote "King of Kotha has all the elements to be a mass entertainer. Above all, it has the potential to turn Dulquer Salmaan into a pan-Indian star."[35] Anandu Suresh of The Indian Express gave 3/5 stars and wrote "Though the Dulquer Salmaan-starrer possessed the potential to be celebrated alongside iconic gangster movies like Satya, Vada Chennai, and Gangs of Wasseypur, its failure to feature a compelling narrative prevents it from reaching the lofty heights it aspired to achieve."

Janani. K of India Today gave 2.5/5 stars and wrote "King of Kotha is a gangster drama that has many interesting ideas, but they are underused. Despite the pacing issues, the film holds your attention."[36] Princy Alexander of Onmanorama wrote "Though the film gets a little predictable towards the end, the filmmakers have tried to steer clear from sticking to the old formula of mass action films. The songs, the visuals, and the style of making have helped elevate the film, so it appeals to a pan-Indian audience."[37] 123Telugu gave 2.25/5 stars and wrote "On the whole, King Of Kotha is a lengthy and boring gangster drama. Dulquer Salmaan shines as usual, and he gets nice support from Dancing Rose. But the routine story and the snail-paced narrative worked against the film big-time."[38]

Zoom TV gave 2.5/5 stars and wrote the storyline as "predictable" and the film was bogged down by a "sluggish screenplay."[39] Priyanka Sundar of Firstpost gave 2/5 stars and wrote "The film as a whole, however, has left me disappointed because here is a film that could have gone big with its bromance and noir treatment, but all we experienced was shallow mass moments, and scenes strung together to make a passable story. If King Of Kotha had as much of an emotional depth as Dulquer Salmaan’s one dialogue that explains his love for Aishwarya Lekshmi’s Thara — we would have probably had a winner"[40]

Gautaman Bhaskaran of News18 gave 2.5/5 stars and wrote "King of Kotha has a nice plot, but an over-ambitious scripting pushes it in a multitude of paths with the cream of it all turning sour. The narrative is uneven, and direction not quite up to the mark."[41] Nirmal Jovial of The Week gave 2/5 stars and wrote "more judicious and precise editing process could have resulted in a more tolerable viewing experience."[42]

References
  1. "King of Kotha". British Board of Film Classification.
  2. "Dulquer Salmaan's King of Kotha sets record in Mollywood pre-release business". India Today. Archived from the original on 27 July 2023. Retrieved 28 June 2023.
  3. "'King of Kotha' box office collections: Dulquer Salmaan starrer emerges with ₹38.30 crores". The Times of India. 4 September 2023. Retrieved 4 September 2023.
  4. "King of Kotha to be wrapped up with a brief North Indian schedule". Cinema Express. Archived from the original on 14 March 2023. Retrieved 14 March 2023.
  5. "'King of Kotha': Here's the latest location click from the Dulquer Salmaan starrer". The Times of India. ISSN 0971-8257. Archived from the original on 14 March 2023. Retrieved 14 March 2023.
  6. "'King Of Kotha' Twitter review: Check out the audience response of the Dulquer Salmaan starrer". The Times of India. 24 August 2023. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 24 August 2023.
  7. "'King of Kotha' will be a complete mass entertainer, says Anikha Surendran". The Times of India. ISSN 0971-8257. Archived from the original on 22 March 2023. Retrieved 22 March 2023.
  8. "Dulquer Salmaan announces two projects 'King of Kotha' and 'Othiram Kadakam' on his birthday". The Week. 28 July 2021. Archived from the original on 1 October 2022. Retrieved 1 October 2022.
  9. "Dulquer Salmaan's 'King of Kotha' to start rolling on August end". The Times of India. 22 June 2022. Archived from the original on 1 October 2022. Retrieved 1 October 2022.
  10. "Dulquer Salmaan announces two Malayalam films". The New Indian Express. 30 July 2021. Archived from the original on 1 October 2022. Retrieved 1 October 2022.
  11. "#MasalaExclusive: Dulquer Salmaan on how he broke his star kid image, the women in his life and mental health". Masala.com. 28 October 2022. Archived from the original on 28 October 2022. Retrieved 28 October 2022.
  12. "Dulquer Salmaan Introduces 'People of Kotha' In New Video, Announces Teaser Release Date". News18. 23 June 2023. Archived from the original on 27 June 2023. Retrieved 28 June 2023.
  13. "Dulquer Salmaan's King of Kotha begins". The New Indian Express. 27 September 2022. Archived from the original on 1 October 2022. Retrieved 1 October 2022.
  14. "Dulquer Salmaan turns 'mischief maker' on the sets of 'KOK' as he wraps up the day's shoot early!". The Times of India. 10 October 2022. Archived from the original on 11 October 2022. Retrieved 11 October 2022.
  15. "Ritika Singh wraps up special dance number for Dulquer Salmaan's King of Kotha, next schedule in Uttar Pradesh". OTT Play. 16 November 2022. Archived from the original on 16 November 2022. Retrieved 16 November 2022.
  16. "Is Samantha playing the leading lady in Dulquer Salmaan's 'King of Kotha'?". The Times of India. 5 August 2022. Archived from the original on 2 October 2022. Retrieved 1 October 2022.
  17. "Gokul Suresh joins Dulquer Salmaan's King of Kotha". Cinema Express. 29 September 2022. Archived from the original on 1 October 2022. Retrieved 1 October 2022.
  18. "Shabeer Kallarakkal plays the main antagonist". Archived from the original on 21 February 2023. Retrieved 26 October 2022 – via Twitter.
  19. "Gokul Suresh's presence in Dulquer Salmaan's King of Kotha draws comparisons with Mammootty, Suresh Gopi's films". OTT Play. 29 July 2021. Archived from the original on 1 October 2022. Retrieved 1 October 2022.
  20. "Nyla Usha joins Dulquer Salmaan in King of Kotha". Cinema Express. 27 July 2022. Archived from the original on 1 October 2022. Retrieved 1 October 2022.
  21. "First look of Dulquer Salmaan's King of Kotha out; the actor sports a rugged look". OTT Play. 1 October 2022. Archived from the original on 1 October 2022. Retrieved 1 October 2022.
  22. "Dulquer Salmaan's 'King of Kotha' goes into a schedule break". The Times of India. 28 October 2022. Archived from the original on 28 October 2022. Retrieved 28 October 2022.
  23. "Buzz: NOT Samantha Ruth Prabhu, THIS actress joins Dulquer Salmaan's King of Kotha for a special number". Pinkvilla. 12 November 2022. Archived from the original on 12 November 2022. Retrieved 12 November 2022.
  24. "Ritika Singh completes the shoot of an item song". Archived from the original on 13 November 2022. Retrieved 14 November 2022 – via Twitter.
  25. Thilakan, Shammy (15 December 2022). "Shammy Thilakan joins the cast of King of Kotha". Facebook. Archived from the original on 15 December 2022. Retrieved 16 December 2022.
  26. "Prasanna joins the sets of Dulquer Salmaan's King of Kotha". Cinema Express. 5 January 2023. Archived from the original on 5 January 2023. Retrieved 5 January 2023.
  27. "King of Kotha: Abhilash Joshiy ropes in this KGF Chapter 2 star for Dulquer Salmaan's gangster thriller". OTT Play. 16 January 2023. Archived from the original on 22 January 2023. Retrieved 22 January 2023.
  28. "Dulquer Salmaan wraps up King Of Kotha; Drops a fun VIDEO from the last day on sets". Pinkvilla. 21 February 2023. Archived from the original on 21 February 2023. Retrieved 21 February 2023.
  29. "Sony Music bags music rights for Dulquer Salmaan's 'King of Kotha'". Archived from the original on 9 July 2023. Retrieved 28 June 2023.
  30. "King of Kotha: First single to be launched on this date". 26 July 2023.
  31. "King of Kotha song Ee Ulakin: Dulquer Salmaan is both a rugged thug & a lover". OTTPlay.
  32. "'King of Kotha', Teaser released with mass and action". Viral Kerala. 30 June 2023. Archived from the original on 30 June 2023. Retrieved 30 June 2023.
  33. "Dulquer Salmaan's 'King of Kotha' to release on Disney+ Hotstar on this date". India Today. Retrieved 26 September 2023.
  34. "King of Kotha review: Dulquer Salmaan's screen presence elevates this uneven-yet-ambitious gangster revenge saga". OTTplay.
  35. "King of Kotha review: Dulquer's swag and strong performances make this a mass entertainer". The South First.
  36. "King of Kotha' Review: Dulquer Salmaan's film is salvaged by technical excellence". India Today.
  37. "'King of Kotha' Review: Dulquer balances classy action and mass appeal in this tale of friendship, vendetta". Onmanorama.
  38. "Review : King of Kotha – Disappointing gangster action drama". 123Telugu.
  39. "King Of Kotha Review: Dulquer Salmaan Packs A Punch In This 90s Style Action Film". Zoom TV.
  40. "King of Kotha movie review: Dulquer Salmaan-starrer is a disappointment that is visually stunning". Firstpost.
  41. "King Of Kotha Review: Dulquer Salmaan Shines In The Over-Ambitious Gangster Drama". News18. 24 August 2023. Retrieved 25 August 2023.
  42. "'King of Kotha' review: Dulquer Salmaan's gangster film fails to impress". The Week. Retrieved 25 August 2023.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.