Ko - Review

Cast	Jiiva, Karthika, Ajmal Ameer, Piaa Bajpai, Prakashraj, Sona, Kota Srinivasa Rao
Director	K.V. Anand
Story	Subha
Screenplay	Anand, Subha
Music	Harris Jayaraj
Banner	Red Giants
Producer	Kumar Jayaraman
Cinematography	Richard Nathan
Editing	Anthony
Genre	Action/Thriller
Release Date	April 22, 2011
CBFC	U
Stunts	Peter Hein

Statutory warning: Ko is a blink-and-miss entertainer. Every single shot in the film (including the innovative title cards) is very important. So make sure to be at the theatre five minutes before the film begins and watch it only on the big screen.

After months of flashy trailers, ads and news reports, K.V. Anand's Ko has raised expectations almost to breaking point. The wait for Ko was too long and now, the final product is worth all that hype and expectations.

It’s not every day that you get to watch a political thriller with double-crosses, skilful tactics, mesmerizing visuals and a romantic story tossed in, without having to squirm or ending up with a headache. Ko’s screenplay does the trick – brilliantly choreographed stunts and gun firing sequences, cleverly planted twists at every nook and corner of the plot and some good music. Running a little more than two hours, Ko proves to be an absolute entertainer.

Who's in it?

After playing a double role in Singam Puli, Jiiva dons the role of a daring photo journalist Ashwin inKo. K.V. Anand returns to the silver screen as a director after the blockbuster Ayan. Karthika is Renuka, Ashwin's love interest and colleague. Ajmal Ameer is Vasanthan, a software engineer and aspiring politician. Piaa Bajpai plays a bubbly entertainment journalist Saro. The movie also has Jegan, Prakashraj, Sona and Bose Venkat in prominent roles.

Harris Jayaraj has composed the score with lyrics by Madhan Karky, Sricharan, Kapilan, Viveka and Pa. Vijay. The story and screenplay are by K.V. Anand and Subha. Ko is an RS Infotainment production released by Red Giant Movies.

What's it about?

Ko narrates a series of events in the life of courageous photo journalist Ashwin (Jiiva), who works for a leading newspaper. His presence of mind and daring attitude leads to many scoops. From a thrilling bank robbery to minority marriage to exposing Maoists, he has the knack and guts to capture anything on his camerad report it. Renuka and Saro work for the same organization.

Vasanthan (Ajmal), a software engineer, aspires to join politics and cleanse the corruption in society. Vasanthan has a small political party which consists of educated youths, including engineers, doctors and other graduates.

It's election time. And the fight is between Chief Minister Yogeswaran (Prakash Raj) and opposition leader Kota (Kota Sreenivasa Rao). After a series of events, Vasanth captures people's attention with the help of Ashwin and wins the election. But before you come to any conclusion, there is a big twist awaiting you! And considering the racy screenplay, we are not going to tell you anything more about the story.

The Performances

The film completely belongs to K.V. Anand and Jiiva. Rarely do we come across an actor who keeps reinventing himself in each movie and emerges successful each time. From Raam to SMS, we have seen Jiiva in various dimensions and shades. With Ko, Jiiva emerges as a perfect action hero material, both for the masses and classes. Jiiva has come out with a thumbs up performance; he is smart, stylish and intelligent. His introduction sequence (bike wheeling) and the climax fight scenes need special mention. Equally good is Ajmal Ameer's performance; director Anand has brought out his talents perfectly on screen. After  Anjathey, Ajmal comes out with yet another master class performance.

Debutant Karthika, daughter of yesteryear sensation Radha,  could not have asked for anything better than this. It is difficult to believe that this is her first film (in Tamil) and she is definitely here to stay and shine. The Jiiva-Karthika subtle romance track is enjoyable. The chemistry between them is great, thanks to Subha's dialogues and screenplay. Piaa has finally got her due in Kollywood; Ko can be easily rated as her best performance ever. Though the film doesn't have a separate comedy track, the screenplay compensates for it. Praksahraj, Kota Srinivasa Rao, Jegan and Sona play their parts perfectly.
Kudos to K.V. Anand for his perfect casting!
  
For Techie Lovers

When it comes to a K.V. Anand film, we surely expect it to be a visual treat and Ko does not disappoint. The film works due to Anand-Subha's  fresh and innovative handling of a wafer-thin story with some perfect twist and turns. The film has some striking visuals. Be it songs or action sequences, the cinematography keeps the viewer glued to the edge of their seats. Though the pace slows a bit in the second half (which has three songs), Anand compensates it with a thrilling climax.

Peter Hein's stunt choreography is on par with Hollywood. Harris Jayaraj's songs, especially 'Enamo Eedho' and 'Venpaniye' are sure hits. His gripping re-recording, including the rock band theme music that gets played during the stunt scenes, is worthy of praise. Cinematography Richard Nathan's genius is another major highlight of the film. His stunning visuals will surely leave you breathless, whether it is a daring fight scene or romantic songs. He is truly another K.V. Anand in the making!
Editing by Antony and art direction by Kiran deserve applause. Story and screenplay by K.V. Anand and Subha are a big plus with the unexpected twists and turns that keep happening throughout the movie. After the racy Ayan, Anand has pushed the envelope to the next level in Ko, Unlike Ayan, which was a neat entertainer, Ko comes with a solid message: Youth Politics.
 
The Special Song
 
If SRK and Farah Khan could do in Om Shanti Om, Anand and Jiiva have done it in Ko. Yes, we are talking about Harris Jayaraj's special number which has an array of Kollywood actors as special guests. Vijay Prakash, Tipu, Ranina Reddy, Priya Subramani and Solar Sai have rendered the much-awaited 'Aga Naga', which is a complete hiphop number with techno beats. Harris Jayaraj, Bharath, Tamannaah, Karthi, Suriya, Abbas, Krish, Rima Kalligal, Jayam Ravi, Shiva, Shakthi and Ganesh Venkatraman make special appearances in the song with the regular cast. Get ready to be bombarded by this song on all radio and TV channels, ring tones, clubs and discos!
 
THE VERDICT
 
Ko is a breezy, racy, fun ride entertainer that keeps you glued to your seats for the entire show. A perfect entertainer with a hard core message, we recommend Ko for this weekend, only on big screens!
Ko = King sized entertainer! Don't miss it!