Ko Review

They say that if there is a desire that doesn't get fulfilled, most people will try to incorporate it into their life as a hobby at least. For K.V.Anand, an established cinematographer and now successful film director, apparently his desire was always to be a still photo journalist. Already having seen success with his innovative portrait of smuggling in Ayan, the director lives out his dream job through his lead actor Jiiva in his latest offering Ko. Taking the controversies of cast changes and rumors in his stride, Anand returns with Harris Jeyaraj for music and duo Subha [D. Suresh and A.N. Balakrishnan] for story and dialogue but brings a new team of actors and technicians with the talented Jiiva, Karthika who makes her debut and surprise packets Piaa Bajpai and Ajmal Ameer in lead roles while newcomer Richard Nathan takes over cinematography. So without further delay, lets dive in.

The film opens with Ashwin [Jiiva], a still photo journalist for a daily newspaper Dhina Anjal, photographing a group of men robbing a bank as they leave. With some fancy foot work on his bike, he grabs everyone on his camera but not before the leader of the group notices him. All attempts to catch Ashwin fail until he stumbles into Renuka [Karthika] who mistakes him for a thief and stops him in his tracks, inadvertently helping the criminals get away. Confusions clarified, life comes back to normal with Ashwin finding out that Renuka is the new investigative reporter on the team and the police catching four of the five culprits, leaving the leader still at large. After breaking the ice with Ashwin and Saro[Piaa Bajpai], Renuka becomes close with both of them. However, when affections rise for Ashwin, Saro stops her and makes her existing feelings known. Not one to create trouble for her friend, Renuka hides behind her work as their editor assigns her to cover the upcoming elections with Ashwin. For his part, Ashwin begins to feel the same but is confused by her actions so he puts it all aside and stands by her with camera in hand. The two through their investigation shed light to the controversies of the ruling party Chief Minister Yogi [Prakashraj] and opposing party candidate Aalavandhan[Kota Srinivasa Rao]. Its here that Ashwin, Renuka and Saro are introduced to a new candidate group lead by Vasanthan [Ajmal Ameer]. Backed by a group of youngsters, each holding a PUC and goals to be the change they so desperately want in society, Vasanthan and his team battles to find support for their group "Sirugugal" and with Ashwin's help, the wind finally blows their way. But when it comes to politics, the rivalry is both common and brutal. Just when the Sirugugal group finds itself a fighting chance, tragedy strikes in the form of a bomb blast, leaving several members of the party dead. Questions rise as Ashwin and Renuka try to figure out who did it. In the midst of this and in a doubtful state, Vasanthan too questions himself after seeing the gory side of politics whether he should continue. But while the tumultuous turn of events has left everyone shocked, shattering truths come out of Ashwin and Renuka's investigation that will make them both question who really are their allies. To find out the real faces behind the mask, you will need to watch the film.

I usually start off my analysis with the male lead of the film but for a change and because Ko is that kind of film, the first person I must mention is K.V.Anand. You have seen so many stories of an honest reporter shedding light to the atrocities of society. But you will not come across a narrative so closely depicted to reality. Possibly using events that happened during his days as freelance photo journalist, the director doesn't just give his lead character a camera to take random shots; he shows the audience the life of a still photographer working in a daily newspaper. No demigod status, no righteous attitude, just a normal man staying true to his work and maintaining a heart as well. His trademark style is present here as well and what’s more the detail injected into the story makes his story all the more believable. Duo Subha have a knack for creating subtle suspense and with Anand's know how, they strike a connective cord with the audience without becoming too abstract. Richard Nathan, please take the stand for your ovation. His camerawork shows passion, innocence, integrity, and violence with amazing detail like none before. A true highlight of the film that is sure to set a new standard. Peter Hein's action sequences are sure to grab more than just the average action junkie's attention. Harris Jeyaraj's track record speaks for itself so it is hard to select the pick of the lot from any soundtrack of his. With Amali Thumali displaying exquisite locales with the fun vocals of Hariharan and Swetha Mohan/Chinmayi, Venpaniye showcasing the talent of success singer duo Sriram Parthasarathy and Bombay Jayashree and a star studded guest list in the video of the stylish Aga Naga, the only way to determine which the bigger tick is by bringing in the choreography and cinematography to decide which is better. On the background score front, Harris works it in by heightening the emphasis of an already racy screenplay. 

Where do you begin with someone like Jiiva. Personally, I feel his bankability rises with each film. The same actor who played characters like Raam and E, shows his versatility again as he is street-smart, sophisticated and fun Ashwin in every frame. Completely in sync with nuances of a photo journalist, he breaths life into the role. For leading lady Karthika, this is her third film that is the actress's debut after Telugu and Malayalam. Making it even more special and possibly more challenging is that its Tamil, a language her mother Radha reigned supreme before settling to family life. Elegant and cute, she has pitched in her two cents worth but unfortunate for her, Piaa Bajpai steals the scene in first half at every given chance. As the stylish, vivacious yet lovable Saro, she is a amazingly infectious and adorable. The role seems tailor made and she scores on all counts. The next scene stealer would have to be Ajmal Ameer. From Anjaathey to Thiru Thiru Thuru Thuru, the actor takes strides in his acting every time and Ko is no exception. Another character that seems tailor made, he performs with utmost ease and sincerity. Both Prakashraj and Kota Srinivasa Rao, are not new to the corrupt politician role so its cakewalk for them. Bose Venkat is adequate. The remaining cast includes some known names but not enough screen time to remember them by.


With so many things working for a film, there is always flip side but logic is  something that always does get lost in cinematic liberties and Anthony's editing is crisp and neat for the most part so it would be unfair to take away from this adrenaline rushed entertainer on both counts. 


Rating: 3.75/5 - It may not be a Kana Kanden or Ayan, but Ko gives one KO punch.