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
Budget₹50 crore[2]
Box officeest. ₹38.30 crore[3]

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

King of Kotha was released worldwide on 24 August 2023 on Onam weekend to generally mixed reviews from critics. Despite getting a strong opening, the film became a box office bomb.[6] King of Kotha was also the fifth highest grossing film of 2023.[7]

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 notorious drug lord who rules Kotha. Shahul meets Kannan Bhai at his casino 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 notorious 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 gangster in the past. Raju meets Tara and falls in love with her. Kannan tries to get Raju and his gang to deal with narcotics, 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.

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 narcotics into Kotha. Knowing this, Raju gets enraged and confronts Kannan, who refuses to reveal anything about the narcotics. 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 due to his alcoholism, 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 UP Police, where he gets a fax from the Lucknow police station about Raju being a retired assassin named "Raju Madrassi". Shahul sends a telegram to Raju, saying his sister Rithu is in danger. Kannan's drug-addicted brother-in-law Jinu and Rithu are in love with each other. As they are sitting in a restaurant, Tony arrives with his force and takes away Jinu for carrying cannabis 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 gasoline, but she manages to escape as Tony arrives.

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 as his wife. That night, Kannan meets Raju at a bar and learns that Raju has become more dangerous after going to UP. Manju sends men to kill Raju, who thrashes them back after a fight, which Manju witnesses. The next day, Shahul makes an offer to Raju to kill Kannan, but he declines the offer, stating that Kannan is still his best friend. 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 thrashes them and kills Kannan's right-hand man Erilan, 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 Ravi killed. Kannan's mother Kalikutty promises to bring Kannan to Raju so that Raju can kill him. Kannan captures Raju and stabs him, where 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. Raju is missing and the townsfolk believe him to be dead.

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 casino and confronts 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 his best friend, where he brings Ranjith's son Sonu to kill him. It is also revealed that Ranjith's men helped Raju escape from Kannan's hideout earlier. Sonu kills Kannan and hands the gun over to Raju, who kills Peelan, telling that Kotha doesn't need an heir anymore.

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

Cast

Production

Development

The film along with its title was announced on 28 July 2021 on the occasion of Dulquer Salmaan's 35th birthday.[9] 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."[10] 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.[9] It is written by Abhilash N. Chandran, who had earlier worked on Porinju Mariam Jose (2019).[11] 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."[12] On 23 June 2023 the film's motion poster, titled "People of Kotha" was launched.[13]

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.[14][15][16] After rumours of Samantha Ruth Prabhu being approached for a role, it was reported that Aishwarya Lekshmi was signed to play Salmaan's pair.[17][18] Shabeer Kallarakkal was roped in to play the main antagonist.[19] Actor Gokul Suresh was cast to play a pivotal role and actors Chemban Vinod Jose and Sudhi Koppa were also added to the cast.[20] Nyla Usha and Shanthi Krishna were also cast in key roles.[21] Zee Studios associated with Wayfarer Films for the film's production and marked its maiden feature film production venture in Malayalam.[22] It was reported that, a major schedule in Karaikudi was interrupted due to the rain, and the team took a brief break.[23] Ritika Singh joined the production in early-November 2022 and shot for an item song.[24][25] In December 2022, Shammi Thilakan announced his addition to the cast through his Facebook page.[26] In January 2023, Prasanna and Saran Shakthi confirmed being cast in the film.[27][28] Filming took 95 days and the Karaikudi schedule was wrapped up on 21 February 2023.[29]

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.[30] 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.[31] The second single titled "Ee Ulakin" was released on 19 August 2023.[32]

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.[33]

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.[34] The Hindi version premiered on the platform from 20 October 2023.

Reception

King of Kotha received mostly mixed reviews from critics with praise for its cast performances, action sequences and technical aspects, but criticized its script, direction and runtime.

Critical response

Sanjith Sidhardhan of OTTplay gave 3.5 out of 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."[35] Anandu Suresh of The Indian Express gave 3 out of 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."[36]

Ronak Kotecha of The Times of India gave 3 out of 5 stars and wrote, "King of Kotha suffers from the same old problem of not knowing how much is too much. Short of becoming a cult gangster classic, it does have the mass appeal and the ability to hold its audience captive for a long time. It just doesn't know when to stop."[37] Janani K. of India Today gave 2.5 out of 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."[38]

Gautaman Bhaskaran of News18 gave 2.5 out of 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."[39] Priyanka Sundar of Firstpost gave 2 out of 5 stars and wrote, "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] Nirmal Jovial of The Week gave 2 out of 5 stars and wrote, "King of Kotha clocks in at nearly three hours in duration. A more judicious and precise editing process could have resulted in a more tolerable viewing experience. Stylised action sequences cannot compensate for the weak script."[41]

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."[42] S. R. Praveen of The Hindu wrote, "King of Kotha, in the end, is an unabashed vehicle for Dulquer's superstardom aspirations, but it does not pack enough of a punch to become the crowning glory that it was intended to be."[43] Vishal Menon of Film Companion wrote, "With the freshness limited to the visuals and the music department, the moments of high King Of Kotha achieve quickly deflate just when you feel the film has done its job. Sadly, there's only so much you can do with daggers and swagger when the runtime is close to three hours."[44]

Box office

King of Kotha had a strong opening at the box office grossing over ₹7.7 crore[45][46] which was the second highest opening for a malayalam film after Odiyan (2018).[47]

King of Kotha grossed $9,619 in New Zealand, $160,553 in the United Kingdom, $674,061 in the United Arab Emirates and $45,206 in Australia, totaling $889,439 in international earnings.[48][49]

References

  1. 1 2 "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. ↑ nirmal. "ആള്‍ ടൈം ഹിറ്റ് ലിസ്റ്റിലേക്ക് നാല് ചിത്രങ്ങള്‍! 2023 ലെ ഏറ്റവും വലിയ മലയാളം ഹിറ്റുകള്‍". Asianet News Network Pvt Ltd (in Malayalam). Retrieved 1 December 2023.
  8. ↑ "'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.
  9. 1 2 "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.
  10. ↑ "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.
  11. ↑ "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.
  12. ↑ "#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.
  13. ↑ "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.
  14. ↑ "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.
  15. ↑ "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.
  16. ↑ "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.
  17. ↑ "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.
  18. ↑ "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.
  19. ↑ "Shabeer Kallarakkal plays the main antagonist". Archived from the original on 21 February 2023. Retrieved 26 October 2022 – via Twitter.
  20. ↑ "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.
  21. ↑ "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.
  22. ↑ "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.
  23. ↑ "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.
  24. ↑ "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.
  25. ↑ "Ritika Singh completes the shoot of an item song". Archived from the original on 13 November 2022. Retrieved 14 November 2022 – via Twitter.
  26. ↑ 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.
  27. ↑ "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.
  28. ↑ "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.
  29. ↑ "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.
  30. ↑ "Sony Music bags music rights for Dulquer Salmaan's 'King of Kotha'". Archived from the original on 9 July 2023. Retrieved 28 June 2023.
  31. ↑ "King of Kotha: First single to be launched on this date". 26 July 2023.
  32. ↑ "King of Kotha song Ee Ulakin: Dulquer Salmaan is both a rugged thug & a lover". OTTPlay.
  33. ↑ "'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.
  34. ↑ "Dulquer Salmaan's 'King of Kotha' to release on Disney+ Hotstar on this date". India Today. Retrieved 26 September 2023.
  35. ↑ Sidhardhan, Sanjith (24 August 2023). "King of Kotha review: Dulquer Salmaan's screen presence elevates this uneven-yet-ambitious gangster revenge saga". OTTplay.
  36. ↑ Suresh, Anandu (24 August 2023). "King of Kotha review: Dulquer Salmaan's skillfully-crafted gangster film fails to offer a gripping narrative". The Indian Express.
  37. ↑ Kotecha, Ronak (24 August 2023). "King Of Kotha Movie Review: A Tighter Edit Could Have Elevated This Power-Packed Gangster Spectacle". The Times of India.
  38. ↑ K., Janani (24 August 2023). "King of Kotha' Review: Dulquer Salmaan's film is salvaged by technical excellence". India Today.
  39. ↑ Bhaskaran, Gautaman (24 August 2023). "King Of Kotha Review: Dulquer Salmaan Shines In The Over-Ambitious Gangster Drama". News18. Retrieved 25 August 2023.
  40. ↑ Sundar, Priyanka (24 August 2023). "King of Kotha movie review: Dulquer Salmaan-starrer is a disappointment that is visually stunning". Firstpost.
  41. ↑ Jovial, Nirmal (24 August 2023). "'King of Kotha' review: Dulquer Salmaan's gangster film fails to impress". The Week. Retrieved 25 August 2023.
  42. ↑ Alexander, Princy. "'King of Kotha' Review: Dulquer balances classy action and mass appeal in this tale of friendship, vendetta". Onmanorama.
  43. ↑ Praveen, S. R. (24 August 2023). "'King of Kotha' movie review: Dulquer Salmaan's gangster flick is held down by its script". The Hindu.
  44. ↑ Menon, Vishal (24 August 2023). "King of Kotha Review: A Clever, Self-Aware Action Drama Turns Into An Empty Postcard Of Daggers And Swagger". Film Companion.
  45. ↑ "'King of Kotha' box office collection Day 1: Dulquer's film is off to a great start". India Today. Retrieved 2 December 2023.
  46. ↑ "King of Kotha box office Day 1: Dulquer Salmaan starrer takes Malayalam cinema's biggest opening". www.ottplay.com. Retrieved 2 December 2023.
  47. ↑ "King of Kotha box office collections: Dulquer starrer takes Second highest opening ever for Malayalam films". PINKVILLA. 25 August 2023. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
  48. ↑ "King of Kotha". Box Office Mojo. IMDb. Retrieved 16 November 2023.
  49. ↑ "King of Kotha". The Numbers. Nash Information Services, LLC. Retrieved 16 November 2023.
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