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*Bose Venkat as Kadhir, the Naxalite group head
*Bose Venkat as Kadhir, the Naxalite group head
*[[Anthony (film editor)|Anthony]] as himself
*[[Anthony (film editor)|Anthony]] as himself
;Special appearances (in alphabetical order)
;Special appearances
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*[[Abbas (actor)|Abbas]]
*[[Suriya (actor)|Suriya]]
*[[Suriya (actor)|Suriya]]
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*[[Abbas (actor)|Abbas]]
*[[Adharvaa]]
*[[Adharvaa]]
*[[Anjali (actress)|Anjali]]
*[[Anjali (actress)|Anjali]]

Revision as of 11:41, 26 August 2012

Ko
Theatrical Poster
Directed byK. V. Anand
Written byK. V. Anand
Subha
Produced byKumar
Jayaraman
StarringJiiva
Karthika Nair
Ajmal Ameer
Piaa Bajpai
CinematographyRichard M. Nathan
Edited byAnthony
Music byHarris Jayaraj
Production
company
R. S. Infotainment
Distributed byRed Giant Movies
Release date
  • 22 April 2011 (2011-04-22)
Running time
165 minutes
CountryIndia
LanguageTamil
Budget₹15 crore (US$1.8 million)[1]
Box office₹80 crore (US$9.6 million)[1]

Ko (Translation: King) is a 2011 Indian Tamil political thriller film directed by K. V. Anand, starring Jiiva, Ajmal Ameer, Karthika Nair and Piaa Bajpai. The film was released on 22 April 2011 to mostly positive reviews,[2] and was dubbed into Telugu as Rangam as well.

The film's plot outline is inspired from the 2009 film State of Play.[3][4] It is to be remade in Hindi cinema, to be directed by Prakash Jha, tentatively called Satyagraha with Akshay Kumar depicting Jiiva's role and Katrina Kaif for Karthika's role.[5] Based on an online poll conducted by The Times of India Ko won the Best Film award.[6]

Plot

The film begins with Ashwin (Jiiva), a young, energetic photojournalist working for the private newspaper Dina Anjal, witnessing Naxalites robbing a local bank. He chases them and manages to click photos of the robbers. When he tries to escape, he is stopped by a young woman Renuka ‘Renu’ (Karthika Nair) who assumes he is the culprit and helps the robbers to take his camera. However, he is able to secure the memory card of the camera. The police catch him, and to prove that he is a press photographer he shows the photos to the them, who identify everyone except the gang leader (whose face is covered by a mask). At his office, he again meets Renuka, who has newly joined as Article Editor. Saraswathi ‘Saro’ (Piaa Bajpai) also works in his office and has feelings for Ashwin, who does not reciprocate.

Settled in her new job, Renuka writes a cover story about a politician Aalavandhan (Kota Srinivasa Rao), describing his attempt to marry a minor. Enraged by this, Aalavandhan barges into the newspaper office and shouts at Renuka. The audio recording of her interview disappears (courtsey Aalavandhan), and she is fired from her job for falsified reporting. Ashwin later risks his life to capture the pictures of Aalavandhan who actually engages in child marriage in a temple at midnight. Later the story with the photos is printed in their newspaper and this makes Renuka to fall in love with him, which Ashwin reciprocates. Saro is initially jealous of the love between Ashwin and Renuka, but later accepts it and gets over Ashwin.

Meanwhile, Vasanthan Perumal (Ajmal Ameer), a recent graduate and engineer, strives hard to enter the politics by contesting the upcoming election. He is contesting against more experienced politicians who capture the people by giving freebies and money. No one cares about Vasanthan and his team of graduates, who promise a healthy government to people. Their party name is 'Siragugal' (feathers). Ashwin and Renuka find out about Vasanthan's election campaign, and they and the entire Dina Anjal team extend their support to the campaign, covering it extensively, much to the chagrin of Aalavandhan and the Chief Minister Yogeswaran 'Yogi' (Prakash Raj).

One night, Vasanthan's party organises an election campaign meeting. Ashwin, photographing the event, receives a text message from Saro that states there is a bomb underneath the stage where Vasanthan is speaking. Ashwin manages to save Vasanthan just before the bomb explodes. Later, Ashwin finds Saro fatally wounded near the blast site. Saro struggles to tell something to Ashwin and Renuka before she dies. Ashwin, through a video clip recorded by another photographer, finds out that Saro was intentionally killed by someone. He later notices a resemblance between the leader of the bank robbery and this unknown killer, concluding that the Naxalite leader killed Saro.

A few days later, Renuka notices that Vasanthan's photo in their newspaper was cut from a college class photo, where Ashwin is also present. Confronted by Renuka, Ashwin tells her that he and Vasanthan studied in the same college and were best friends. He also tells her that he is happy for Vasanthan's success and is wholeheartedly supporting his election campaign.

In the election, Vasanthan's party wins by a huge majority and Vasanthan becomes the Chief Minister. He orders the release of 20 naxals on Republic Day, citing humanity. Shocked on hearing this news, Ashwin rushes to the secretariat to meet Vasanthan. In Vasanthan's office, Ashwin notices that the Naxalite leader who killed Saro is there, talking with Vasanthan. Ashwin airs his grievances to Vasanthan, who ignores him. Ashwin then follows the leader to his hideout. At the same time, Vasanthan orders the Tamil Nadu Police to go kill the Naxals at their hideout and the Police Commandos surround the perimeter of that place. Ashwin, already at the hideout, confronts the Naxalite leader, whose name is Kadhir (Bose Venkat) and finds out from him that Vasanthan had made a deal with the Naxalites to help him win the election. They orchestrated events such as the burning of a hut and saving the woman in that hut (who was also a Naxalite) in order to win people's sympathy. In the same vein, they had planted a bomb on the stage where Vasanthan was speaking during his meeting. Saro had found out the truth about Vasanthan, but was fatally assaulted by him so that she does not reveal his character and intentions to anybody. Ashwin realises that Saro had tried to warn him and Renuka about Vasanthan's true character before dying and also that now Vasanthan is double-crossing the Naxalites and is planning to kill them as a show of achievement. Ashwin records this confession using his mobile phone camera and sends it to Renuka, who plans to publish this story in their newspaper. Vasanthan then arrives and kills Kadhir. He also tries to kill Ashwin. However, Ashwin triggers a bomb there which explodes, killing Vasanthan, while Ashwin manages to escape.

Meanwhile, Vasanthan's party members arrive at the hideout on hearing the news that Vasanthan had died. Seeing their innocence, Ashwin forces Renuka not to reveal the truth about Vasanthan because his party members would get into serious trouble and lose their seats just for supporting Vasanthan. They did not know about Vasanthan's true character and intentions and supported him, believing his false claims of a 'healthy government'. Instead Renuka publishes an article saying that Vasanthan had sacrificed his life fighting the Naxalites and died as a martyr.

The film ends with Ashwin and Renuka submitting their resignations to the Chief Editor for falsified reporting, but he rejects their resignations and tells them to cover the upcoming election.

Cast

During the filming of Ko at Bergen in 2010
Special appearances

Production

Jeeva during the filming of Ko at Bergen

Casting

Initially the film was rumored to have Karthi in the lead. However, it was later officially announced that Silambarasan Rajendar would play the lead in the film,[7] but was later replaced by Jiiva.[8] The lead female role was initially supposed to be enacted by Tamannaah Bhatia, who was replaced by actress Radha's daughter, Karthika Nair.[8] The trailer of this film was played during the screening of Manmadan Ambu and got a favourable response.[9][10]

Filming

The film was shot on location in Chennai, Harbin in China as well as in Western Norway at Trolltunga, Stalheim, Bergen and Prekestolen,[11] becoming the first Tamil film to be shot in Norway.

Remake

The Film Is Being Currently Remade In Bengali Titled KANAMACHI Directed By Most Notable Bengali Director Raj Chakraborty. It Starts Ankush Hazra, Srabanti, Sayani & Abir Chatterjee In Lead Roles Of Jeeva,Kartika Nair,Piaa Bajpayee & Ajmal Ameer Respectively. The Film Will Release In August 2012

Soundtrack

Untitled
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Behindwoods.com[12]
Rediff[13]

The soundtrack is scored by Harris Jayaraj, who had previously worked with Anand on Ayan.[14] The composition of the songs took place in Macau. During Diwali 2010 a short teaser was released which featured the song "Enamo Aedho" which received a high response. Another song, "Aga Naga", featured special appearances by several Tamil film personalities, including composer Jayaraj (see under cast). The album was launched on 19 January 2011 in Chennai.[15]

No.TitleLyricsSinger(s)Length
1."Aga Naga"Pa. VijayVijay Prakash, Tippu, Ranina Reddy, Priya Subramaniam, Solar Sai ,Srik , Emcee Jesz05:22
2."Enamo Aedho"Madhan Karky, Sricharan, Emcee JeszAalap Raju, Prashanthini, Sricharan, Emcee Jesz05:36
3."Gala Gala"KapilanTippu, Krish, Haricharan, Sayanora Philip04:55
4."Venpaniyae"Pa. VijaySriram Parthasarathy, Bombay Jayashree05:25
5."Netri Pottil"Madhan KarkyNaresh Iyer02:43
6."Amali Thumali"VivekaHariharan, Swetha Mohan & Chinmayi05:50

Critical response

The soundtrack did not fare well with music critics. C. Karthik from Behindwoods.com gave 2.5/5 writing: "Overall, Harris has tried to re-create the Ayan magic in KV Anand's latest and has achieved it to an extent [...] There are a couple of songs that give bragging rights to Harris but the others fail to scale the same height. Ko is worth having in your personal collection!"[12] Pavithra Srinivasan of Rediff gave a 2/5 citing that "aside from the sweetly melodious Ennamo Edho, the other numbers are all mish-mashed versions of his earlier hits."[13] Indiaglitz said "Ko's music is vivacious with different genres of romantic songs, hip hop and nevertheless even poetic."[16] Ko is the remake of english movie (state of Play) which is released on 2007 Nicolas crag.

Release

Ko released in nearly 230 theatres in Tamil Nadu, making it Jiiva's biggest wide release.[17] It is also being released in multiplexes across metros like Delhi, Mumbai, Pune, Chandigarh, Lucknow and Vadodara with English subtitles to attract the non-Tamil audience.Ayngaran International released the movie on DVD and releasing soon on Blu-ray.

Critical reception

The film opened to mostly positive reviews. Behindwoods.com gave three out of five and the verdict "a stylish commercial entertainer!", while also lauding the performances of the lead artists.[18] Sify cited that "for an audience numbed by predictable Kollywood potboilers week after week, here is an original offering from KV Anand, a fearless filmmaker who doesn't insult your intelligence. He is able to cater to the needs of both the elite as well as mass audiences, which should be applauded."[19] Pavithra Srinivasan from Rediff also gave three out of five saying that Ko was a "spicy ride", further citing that "with its basic plot of politics, it has enough twists and turns to keep you occupied. Best of all are the light touches of sarcasm and humour that make it work. Go for it." She also appreciated Ajmal in particular, labelling him as the "surprise package" who had got "a lot of scope to perform, and makes use of the opportunity well." Malathi Rangarajan from The Hindu described the film as a "tale with a realistic twist" and praised Anand who "strikes gold with Ko. Blending the commercial with the realistic is a challenge, but K. V. Anand proves adept at it."[20] Times Chennai gave 65/100 and stated that "You feel empathy, rage, helplessness, and triumph at every step of the way".[21] Indiaglitz said that "Racy all through, it is a movie that is worth a watch, if you are really not bothered about logic at certain places", while stating that Jeeva was "impressive and played his part exceedingly well."[22] N. Venkateswaran from The Times of India gave three and a half citing: "With Ko, director Anand gives notice of his immense talent once again, making a movie that is all set to lord over the box office this summer".[23]

Nevertheless, the film also fetched scattered mixed to negative response. Nowrunning.com rated the film 1.5 out of 5 stating that "Ko staggers throughout, pretending to take risks and after the first misstep; it's nothing but a free fall, all the way. The funny thing is the free fall isn't a smooth ride either. It hits every protruding rock."[24] National Film Award-winning critic, Baradwaj Rangan wrote: "If someone wants to make a case for the abolishment of song and dance from our cinema, Ko would be Exhibit A." He also went on to state that Ko was "a series of big scenes with no transitions, no segues, no scenes that just stop to smell the scenery."[25] A critic from Chennai Online said "The way Naxalite movement is portrayed only betrays the director’s poor knowledge about them. Some of the heroic elements are quite unwarranted and clichéd. Those in the field will vouch for the fact that no journalist in today’s world gets the kind of freedom as the protagonist in our film gets. The political chess game too has been poorly portrayed and lacks imagination. The climax is ridiculous and too long."[26]

Box office

Ko collected ₹5 crore during its first two days of screening.[27] In Chennai, it collected ₹73.39 lakhs in the opening weekend.[28] After 9 weeks, it collected ₹7.99 crore in Chennai.[29] Ko successfully completed 175 days [30] and declared as a "Blockbuster" hit by trade and media.[31] The film, made on a budget of ₹15 crore is estimated to have grossed over ₹80 crore.[1] The Telugu version, Rangam was also declared successful, with distributors organized celebrations in Tirupati on its 100th day of theatrical run.[32]

Awards

Award Category Nominee Result
2011 Filmfare Awards South Best Actor Jiiva Nominated
Best Director K.V. Anand Nominated
Best Film Ko Nominated
Best Male Playback Aalap Raju
(Enamo Aedho) 		Won
Best Music Director Harris Jayaraj Nominated
Best Supporting Actor Ajmal Ameer Won
2011 Vijay Awards Best Actor Jiiva Nominated
Favourite Director K. V. Anand Nominated
Favourite Film R. S. Infotainment Won
Favourite Song Enamo Aedho Won
Best Background Score Harris Jayaraj Nominated
Best Supporting Actor Ajmal Ameer Nominated
Best Supporting Actress Piaa Bajpai Nominated
Best Male Playback Aalap Raju
(Enamo Aedho) 		Nominated
Best Costume Designer Nalini Sriram Nominated
Best Story, Screenplay K.V. Anand
Subha 		Nominated
Best Editor Anthony Nominated
2011 SIIMA Awards Best Actor in a Negative Role Ajmal Ameer Won
Best Film Ko Won

References

  1. ^ a b c "Fans Are Friends For This Star! - Jiiva - Ko - Rowthiram - Tamil Movie News". Behindwoods.com. 2011-08-05. Retrieved 2011-09-12.
  2. ^ Ko release postponed, Behindwoods.com
  3. ^ "Tamil entries for Oscars lack originality"
  4. ^ http://entertainment.oneindia.in/tamil/news/2010/jeeva-ko-inspired-state-of-play-190410.html
  5. ^ http://123tamilforum.com/showthread.php?t=574164
  6. ^ "The Chennai Times Film Awards 2011". 22 June 2012.
  7. ^ "Simbu walks out of KV Anand's Ko!". Sify Movies. 2010-02-04. Retrieved 2011-02-07.
  8. ^ a b "Simbu 'OUT' Jeeva 'IN'". Indiaglitz. 2010-02-05. Retrieved 2011-02-07.
  9. ^ "'Manmadhan Ambu' comes with 'Ko'". Indiaglitz. 2010-12-23. Retrieved 2011-02-07.
  10. ^ "Five reasons to watch K.V. Anand's Ko!". Indiaeveryday.in. 2011-03-08. Retrieved 2011-09-12.
  11. ^ "Ko at Western Norway Film Commission". Western Norway Film Commission. 2010-10-23. Retrieved 2011-04-25.
  12. ^ a b "KO MUSIC REVIEW". Behindwoods.com. Retrieved 2011-07-17.
  13. ^ a b "Nothing original about Ko's music". Rediff. Retrieved 2011-07-17.
  14. ^ "'Ko', a political thriller". Indiaglitz. 2010-08-31. Retrieved 2011-02-07.
  15. ^ "'KO' Audio comes in style". Indiaglitz. 2011-01-20. Retrieved 2011-02-07.
  16. ^ "Ko Music Review songs lyrics". IndiaGlitz. 2011-04-20. Retrieved 2011-09-12.
  17. ^ "Ko opening big worldwide". Sify.com. Retrieved 2011-09-12.
  18. ^ "Ko Review - Ko Movie Review". Behindwoods.com. Retrieved 2011-09-12.
  19. ^ "Movie Review:Ko-Review". Sify.com. Retrieved 2011-09-12.
  20. ^ "Tale with a realistic twist". The Hindu. Chennai, India. 2011-04-24.
  21. ^ [1][dead link]
  22. ^ "Ko Tamil Movie Review - cinema preview stills gallery trailer video clips showtimes". IndiaGlitz. 2011-04-22. Retrieved 2011-09-12.
  23. ^ "Ko". The Times Of India. 2011-04-23.
  24. ^ "Ko Review - Tamil Movie Review by Rohit Ramachandran". Nowrunning.com. 2011-04-23. Retrieved 2011-09-12.
  25. ^ Baradwaj Rangan. "Bullet-point Report: Ko « Blogical Conclusion". Baradwajrangan.wordpress.com. Retrieved 2011-09-12.
  26. ^ "Movie Review: 'Ko' | Movie Review - Movies". ChennaiOnline. Retrieved 2011-09-12.
  27. ^ "Cakewalk for 'Ko' - Tamil Movie News". IndiaGlitz. Retrieved 2011-09-12.
  28. ^ Ko release postponed, Behindwoods.com
  29. ^ "Chennai Box office". Behindwoods.com.
  30. ^ "Ko Completes 175 Days! - Ko - Jiiva - Kv Anand - Karthika Nair - Pia Bajpai - Ajmal - - Tamil Movie News". Behindwoods.com. 2011-07-29. Retrieved 2011-09-12.
  31. ^ "Tamil movie 'Ko' to be remade in Hindi - Movies News - Tamil - ibnlive". Ibnlive.in.com. Retrieved 2011-09-12.
  32. ^ "'Rangam' to celebrate victory in 20 centres - Telugu Movie News". IndiaGlitz. Retrieved 2011-09-12.
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