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King of Kotha

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Abhilash Joshiy

Dulquer Salmaan

Aishwarya Lekshmi

Soubin Shahir

Ritika Singh

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King of Kotha

In a crime-infested town, Kannan bhai and his gang are the reigning powers. To combat this reign and seek revenge, Inspector Shahul tactfully plots the return of the 'King', leading to a tra... Read all In a crime-infested town, Kannan bhai and his gang are the reigning powers. To combat this reign and seek revenge, Inspector Shahul tactfully plots the return of the 'King', leading to a transformative turn of events. In a crime-infested town, Kannan bhai and his gang are the reigning powers. To combat this reign and seek revenge, Inspector Shahul tactfully plots the return of the 'King', leading to a transformative turn of events.

• Abhilash Joshiy
• Abhilash N. Chandran
• Dulquer Salmaan
• Soubin Shahir
• Ritika Singh
• 464 User reviews
• 8 Critic reviews
• 1 nomination

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• Soundtracks Kotha Raja Composed by Muhsin Parari , Asal Kolaar , Roll Rida Lyrics by Jakes Bejoy Performed by Asal Kolaar , Dabzee , Roll Rida , Resmi Sateesh Duration: 4:33

User reviews 464

• cakartikiyer
• Aug 26, 2023
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• August 24, 2023 (India)
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'King of Kotha' film review: Sturdy, satisfying gangster epic with ample highs

There is a moment in King of Kotha (KoK) where Dulquer Salmaan’s Raju Madrassi dispatches, efficiently, the goons sent by a woman. When he dusts himself off, he is framed against a Rajinikanth poster in the background while he looks at the same woman who wanted him killed. I see this as the Padayappa moment in KoK, you know, Rajini bringing down the swing to sit in front of Ramya Krishna? But there is more of Annamalai in KoK than Padayappa, in how it is the story of two childhood friends who grew up to be sore enemies. Now, apply this thread to the Mohanlal-Suresh Gopi dynamic in Irupathaam Noottaandu, and it essentially explains the dynamic of Dulquer’s Raju Madrassi and Shabeer Kallarakkal’s Kannan Bhai before ‘Madrassi’ and ‘Bhai’ became their surnames. And since KoK is a story about the second coming of a fearsome man with an epic backstory, one can’t help but recall another Rajini film, Baasha. 

Before you start wondering whether KoK is actually a Rajinikanth tribute without Rajinikanth, let me tell you that there is a strained father-son bond in the film that evokes several movies where Thilakan and Mohanlal play father and son, respectively. And it’s only apt that Thilakan’s son Shammi plays Dulquer’s father if the intention was indeed to recall films like Spadikam and Narasimham. But when you think even more, you’ll see shades of Joshiy’s Kauravar in his son Abhilash Joshiy’s debut feature. Dulquer even shows up in the latter half with streaks of grey hair, as Mammootty did in Kauravar.

I think the Kauravar tag would be a good segue into talking about what KoK is ultimately about—the extent to which some people go for their own blood or their loved ones. The motive behind nearly every character’s actions in this film, good or bad, is their allegiance to someone close to them. In that regard, KoK has sprinklings of Shakespearean and Greek tragedies. Macbeth. Helen of Troy. Stories rife with betrayal and men weakened grossly by excessive subservience to their women. This is especially true of Kannan Bhai’s arc, where his Lady Macbeth Manju (Nyla Usha) pulls the strings. One of KoK’s pluses is interesting characters, even if not all are well-developed. 

The Raju-Kannan arc is the most compelling, pulsating with near-Biblical undertones. It’s the Cain and Abel story of Kotha, a fictitious, doom-laden world depicted from high above as one in which every household seems to be breathing smoke to the point of choking on it. This ‘smoke’ gets so overwhelmingly toxic to its inhabitants that Raju’s mother tells him to leave town for the sake of his younger sister. Everyone in the film uses their loved one as an excuse to either drive someone away or bring them back. Interestingly, for Raju, his sister becomes the reason for him doing both. 

And while I enjoyed watching Dulquer bash up one psychotic thug after another while looking cool, I would’ve liked to see a little more depth than just a twice-heartbroken guy who became a thug himself on account of his dad. As a character, Raju merely feels like a compilation of unused alternate takes of what Dulquer did in Second Show and Kurup. There are no major discernable differences in these performances as such. Perhaps, this was deliberate; maybe ‘bashing up one psychotic thug after another while looking cool’ was exactly what he was required to do.

Through KoK, Abilash Joshiy brought back memories of watching some of the most iconic South Indian gangster dramas of the 80s and 90s, some of which I’ve mentioned earlier. I even thought of two early revenge-soaked crime epics of Priyadarshan—Abhimanyu (1991) and Aryan (1988). KoK does embody the tragic undertones and constantly lurking menace of these two films, but then you also sense the makers want to envision Raju as a John Wick-type figure, this ‘Baba Yaga’ one-man killing machine capable of eliminating people with pens, forks, shards of glass or anything he can get his hands on. As Kannan remarks at one point: “Raju passed matriculation and returned with a PhD.” 

At times, the build-up gets repetitive, considering how we get a primer on the skills of Raju more than twice. Even the John Wick films were wise enough to know that putting the “Do you know who he is?” line so many times would test the audience’s patience. In KoK, we get moments where this attempt to ‘announce the king’s arrival’ approaches a tone of desperation. And when the film makes it obvious, in more than one instance, that Raju will most likely save someone in distress exactly at the point the audience has already predicted it, it gets slightly tiring. 

While on dialogues, they aren’t exactly one of the film’s strong suits. Save for witty lines like, “I was on the population control board,” or, “The usual trend is to go to Mumbai; I went to U.P for a change,” or a wordplay involving a mother calling her son “thendi” and him responding with, “mindi, thalla mindi” (spoke, mother spoke), most deliveries are jarring to the point of even ruining the fun.  One is almost taken out of the movie when you hear characters from the 90s talk like people in 2023. In certain instances, like when Prasanna’s cop, who is responsible for orchestrating the events, says “Best” more than once and you can’t help but think of the Maheshinte Prathikaram climax. The lines are simplistic to the point of registering a comical effect. For example, in the scene where the villain tells the upright cop, “All cops are on my payroll,” and the latter responds, “But I’m not one of them,” I couldn’t help but cringe. Also undercooked are the Dulquer-Aishwarya Lekshmi portions, which reek of contradictions and rushed culminations. 

Fortunately, such contrivances get evened out by fairly gripping plotting and a few arresting performances, most notably, Shabeer Kallarakal, who first makes Kannan an endearing and vulnerable common man-thug before turning him into a devious and cocky mafia kingpin who proclaims himself as “the government” of Kotha. While the fight sequences are nothing worth writing home about, they do satiate the appetite for cathartic violence, albeit mildly; quite notable is the climactic showdown that briefly emulates the first-person shooter gameplay view to spice things up. Jakes Bejoy’s fittingly rousing score acts as a neat cushion without being intrusive. Cinematographer Nimish Ravi’s work evokes the ambience of Francis Ford Coppola’s The Godfather films, with its amber-drenched elegance and brown-dominated colour palette. 

Yes, KoK may seem like a cocktail of the most tried-and-tested mass action movie formulas, but, like me, if you approached it as the Bheeshma Parvam prequel that happens in an alternate universe where Michael was once named Raju, then you might find yourself walking out of the theatres sufficiently satisfied. But if you ask me if I would revisit it soon, I’m not sure. 

But, I can say one thing for sure, though: For a first-time filmmaker, Abhilash Joshiy shows much promise, and while I wouldn’t go so far as to call him Malayalam cinema’s answer to Lokesh Kanagaraj, it’s evident that he has the Tamil hitmaker’s capabilities when it comes to handling a humungous cast and explosive set-pieces. And we need more of these guys in Malayalam cinema at the moment. As long as they remind me of what Thampy Kannanthanam and IV Sasi accomplished once, I’m all for welcoming whatever they come up with next. 

Film: King of Kotha Director: Abhilash Joshiy Cast: Dulquer Salmaan, Shabeer Kallarakkal, Aishwarya Lekshmi, Shammi Thilakan Rating: 3.5 / 5

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‘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.

King Of Kotha Movie Review: A tighter edit could have elevated this power-packed gangster spectacle

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Rajib Bauri 2 234 days ago

John cena 36 247 days ago.

Please skip this movie unless you like overacting and terrible acting. The people spamming 5 stars are fan boys 

shamnasanu 1 247 days ago

Must to watch

ajacobsephania 1 249 days ago

♨️❤️‍��

sadiksadik 16 251 days ago

Very Nice movies Action Choreography Camera work back ground music   and specially Dulqar top acting what ever fast films better than old  it’s Amazing  5/4 my mark

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‘King of Kotha’ Review: Dulquer balances classy action and mass appeal in this tale of friendship, vendetta

In Kotha, the rules are defined by Kannan (Shabeer Kallarakkal) and his gang. When a newly appointed police officer, Shahul Hassan (Prasanna), takes charge of the place, he is determined to bring Kannan to heel. To achieve this, he sets out to bring Kannan’s old friend-turned-foe and notorious gangster Raju (Dulquer Salmaan) back to Kotha, a place he once ruled over.

With ‘King of Kotha,’ Abhilash Joshiy has shown he is quite capable of handling action without compromising too much on quality content, almost like his father and veteran director Joshiy. ‘King of Kotha’ is not just a mass flick, but a film that does have an interesting storyline, just as Dulquer Salmaan claimed in his recent interviews. Friendship, romance, deceit, and vendetta make up most of the film’s plot.

highlight is Raju and Kannan’s relationship. While ‘King of Kotha’ is every bit Dulquer Salmaan’s movie, Shabeer Kallarrakkal also owns the film in his own way, breezing through the scenes with his swagger. Is he a friend or foe or both? His complex character arc is also the highlight of the film.

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Chemban Vinod’s performances as Renjith will be remembered for a long time, as he delivers some of the best comic dialogues in the film. His dialogue delivery in English and his confrontations with Raju evoke genuine laughter. Prasanna, Nyla Usha, Anikha Surendran, and Gokul Suresh all perform excellently in the film. Aishwarya Lekshmi is satisfying to watch as Raju’s girlfriend, Thara, but she has little to do except be, well, Raju’s girlfriend.

Dulquer Salmaan excels in the action scenes. His look, though rugged in the movie, is alluring. Most of his dialogues are written for his fans, but his character arc too is interesting. He shines as a lover, doting brother, and a loyal friend.

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 and background score by Jakes Bejoy, the visuals by Nimish Ravi and the style of making have helped elevate the film, so it appeals to a pan-Indian audience.

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King Of Kotha Movie Review: Dulquer Salmaan Starrer Relies More On Violence And Less On Content

Updated Jan 25, 2024, 15:18 IST

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King Of Kotha Movie Review

Article by Nanda Gopal Published by GulteDesk --> Published on: 11:55 am, 24 August 2023

2 Hr 56 Mins   |   Action   |   24-08-2023

Cast - Dulquer Salmaan, Aishwarya Lekshmi, Shabeer, Prasanna, Usha, Anika and others

Director - Abhilash Joshiy

Producer - Dulquer Salmaan

Banner - Wayfarer Films & Zee Studios

Music - Jakes Bejoy, Shaan Rahman

Dulquer Salmaan became dearer to Telugu audiences with Mahanati & Sita Ramam. He is now back with a rugged-mass avatar in the gangster film ‘King of Kotha’. The trailer has raised the expectations on the film. Will Dulquer continue his success streak and will he cement his position? Let’s check out our verdict.

Kanna Bhai is a dreaded don who is ruling Kotha. Newly-transferred police inspector Shaul Hassan (Prasanna) challenges him to put an end to Kanna’s rule. But he is defeated. He decided to bring estranged criminal Raju (Dulquer) to Kotha to put a check to Kanna. What is the past between Raju and Kanna? How Raju settles all the scores from the crux of the story.

Performances :

Dulquer Salmaan gives up his class look and turns into a rugged avatar. He dons the role of a rowdy, albeit a good rowdy. This shade of Dulquer fails to work. Acting-wise there are no complaints though. Shabeer as the baddie does what is expected of him. Inconsistency in his characterisation makes him a weak villain. Aishwarya Lekshmi as Tara is alright. She got a cliched role of a heroine without much screen-presence. Anikha Surendran as Duqluer’s sister gets an unimportant role. Chemban Vinod gets the role of Ranjith, another villain. His fascination for English is good thought, but could have been executed well. The dialogues of his broken English failed to engage. Nyla Usha as Manju is seductive and her back story at the end is somewhat interesting. Shanthi Krishna as mother Malathi is fine. Her role has a twist towards the end. Gokul Suresh is seen as SI Tony. Dhruv Vikram is seen in a brief role as a guest appearance. The film has stellar performances which are backed by good characters. But weak writing plays the spoilsport.

Technicalities

The story of the King of Kotha is quite familiar. But the idea on paper sounds great. But it loses to the bad treatment. The film drags and drags. Weak screenplay takes away the steam. Direction suffers to an extent. Technically, the film is flawless. Production design and sound design deserve special mention. Background music is good. The film struggles with its pace.

Performances Production Design & BGM

Weak Story & Screenplay Lacks Powerful Villain Dragged Portions

Dulquer and director Abhilash Joshiy team-up for a gangster film. The film’s scale, look, template all give a huge elevation. The expectations before its release were high. After watching the trailer, what one expect is a kickass action crime drama, but what is finally offered is a mediocre gangster film with no surprises. The film begins with Kotha intro and how it eventually ruled by one don Kanna Bhai. He is portrayed as a notorious and dangerous villain. But his original characterisation is revealed when the story progresses. With the backstory, it is revealed he is actually a weak and feeble who rose to the position without much effort. All these make the villain less impactful. The writers have to be blamed. Even Dulquer’s elevation is not effective. It is all in words. He is called as Raj Madarassi in UP. He has introduced new-style of killing people. All these really need better translation onto the screen. And he is seen saying he bought ‘Apple Farms’ to turn the farmer and leave the violence. There is a disconnect and this wasn’t narrated well. There is a satire in the film from Dulquer where he mouths, “Everyone is going to Mumbai. So I went to Uttar Pradesh.”

Director Abhilash seems to be inspired from KGF, but this Kotha is nowhere close. The villains here in Kotha are mere jokers. The gangster action movie falters in terms of the story. Lack of a gripping screenplay adds to the woes. Dulquer and direction rescue the film to an extent. But the dragged portions bore the viewers. The film tests patience. Of all, the film is highly predictable and has several nostalgic moments squandered all over it. The love track between the lead pair is also unconvincing. The film towards the interval raises some hope. Dulquer aka Raju leaves the town of Kotha due to love failure and deceit in friendship. But the second-half doesn’t improve at all. It just moves in a sluggish way with highly predictable scenes.

Having said this, King of Kotha isn’t completely bad. It has its moments occasionally. There are several crafts in the film that have delivered. The production design, background score and the artistes performances are the biggest strengths that make one sit through the whole film. However, the formulaic scenes and lack of enough action, unworkable emotion make this a tiring watch. The film just drags and drags and make audiences wait for the climax sequence. This Kotha is ‘Rotha’. This gangster drama is damp squib.

Verdict: King Of ‘Rotha’

Rating: 2 /5

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Home » Reviews » Malayalam Movie Reviews

King Of Kotha Movie Review: Dear Dulquer Salmaan, Please Stop Choosing Style Over Substance To Avoid Following Prabhas’ Mistakes!

You'd love to watch what's happening, not for what's happening in those scenes but for how everything is executed.

Star Cast: Dulquer Salmaan, Shabeer Kallarakkal, Prasanna, Gokul Suresh, Aishwarya Lekshmi, Saran Shakthi, Chemban Vinod Jose, Shammi Thilakan

Director: Abilash Joshiy

What’s Good: The fact that Dulquer Salmaan is playing a stylish gangster in a noir-like drama directed by Joshiy’s prodigy

What’s Bad: The story taking the most predictable route delivering the typical gangster-drama cliches one after another

Loo Break: It’s an almost 3 hour film & you’d crave for multiple loo-breaks, not one

Watch or Not?: Only if you like to watch a film to appreciate its production design, direction & background score

Available On: Theatrical Release

Runtime: 2 hours 53 minutes

Following every existing gangster film cliche, we’re introduced to a fictional place which is divided into 2 worlds – the privileged class & the criminals and how a policeman is transferred to bring peace. Also, how upon landing there he gets to know the reality and how brutal the dons here are, so he decides to call the good don who left the place a decade ago but now only he’ll be able to tame the bad guys of the town. How many Gangster films you’ve seen portraying this story? The answer to that also portrays the number of flaws this one has.

The fictional place is Kotha, situated near the Kerala-Tamil Nadu border and the non-linear storyline moves back and forth from 1996 to 1986 and more. The ‘King of Kotha’ comes with the most common name you’d ever see a filmy Gangster named as, Raju (Dulquer Salmaan). Yep, imagine a dark, hazy & full-of-swag entrance of a crime-lord and a person named ‘Raju’ enters as the King.

After a flashback sequence to Raju’s origin story, we get to see how he returns after a decade to Kotha to tame Kannan Bhai (Shabeer Kallarakkal), who’s now the current hoodlum of the area. Plot twist: They both were in the same gang but got away due to another typical Gangster-film-style cliche, one had to become richer by dealing in drugs but other didn’t want to. Now, if you’ve seen enough crime dramas, you know who’s who and what would happen next.

King of Kotha Movie Review: Script Analysis

It’s indeed a stylish debut by Abilash Joshiy (son of Joshiy, the catalyst to some swanky actioners in Malayalam cinema) but it’s restricted heavily by Abhilash N. Chandran’s run-of-the-mill story. You’d love to watch what’s happening, not for what’s happening in those scenes but for how everything is executed and that’s the main problem of this Dulquer Salmaan starrer.

You’d like to watch it for Nimesh M Thanoor’s utopian westernised production design but Shyam Sasidharan’s snail-paced editing (barring few good action sequences) would apply brakes at regular intervals completely sucking out the interest. Cinematographer Nimish Ravi (Rorschach, Kurup ) continues to weave the magic with his camerawork delivering one of the stylish POV combat sequences in utmost style.

King of Kotha Movie Review: Star Performance

Dulquer Salmaan maintains the swag of being a gifted actor presenting his kaleidoscopic self in a motley of subjects. He’s as stylish as bad*ss and as heartwarming as Raju but that doesn’t do any justice to the narrative because of the things he’s made to do. Shabeer Kallarakkal as Kannan Bhai starts brilliantly but is reduced to being an useless sidekick. Despite playing such an important role in Raju’s life, his character is never developed to register a deeper connection.

Prasanna & Gokul Suresh as the two policemen are used just as postmen to deliver the non-linear storyline with ease, nothing more nothing less. Aishwarya Lekshmi as Tara, Raju’s love interest rarely get a chance to be more than the love interest and when she gets it, she’s sent off. Shammi Thilakan as Raju’s father Kotha Ravi is impactful and earnest in his little role.

King of Kotha Movie Review: Direction, Music

Director Abilash Joshiy presents similar shades of noir coupled with beautiful colour-grading like his father and delivers a promise of doing great with a better script. It would be extremely interesting to see where does he goes from here. If he directs something like Avane Srimannarayana, many of us will be “shut up and take my money.”

Jakes Bejoy’s background score matches the stunning visuals helping to elevate the watching experience of certain scenes. The songs used throughout reminds us of Vikram’s soundtrack, which got its recognition because of the story’s engrossing drama.

King of Kotha Movie Review: The Last Word

All said and done, this Dulquer Salmaan starrer is no Beeshma Parwam! It’s bad*ss, has enough style but lacks the essential substance that binds everything else together. A missed opportunity!

King of Kotha Trailer

King of Kotha releases on 26th August 2023.

Share with us your experience of watching King of Kotha.

For more recommendations, read our 2018 Movie Review here.

Must Read: Maamannan Movie Review: A Conversation So Important That You Might Even Want To Ignore The Flaws

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'King of Kotha' Review: Dulquer Salmaan's film is salvaged by technical excellence

Director abhilash joshiy's 'king of kotha' is a gangster drama that suffers from predictability. the dulquer salmaan-starrer stands tall because of its music and cinematography, says our review..

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• 'King of Kotha' released in theatres on August 24.
• The film stars Dulquer Salmaan as a gangster named Raju.
• Shabeer, Prasanna, Aishwarya Lekshmi and Anikha Surendran play crucial roles.

Release Date: 24 Aug, 2023

Dulquer Salmaan's charm is something that cannot be ignored even when you consciously want to. To shed his lover-boy image, the actor par excellence chose a 'massy' movie like 'King of Kotha', an out-and-out gangster drama, which requires him to look rugged in shabby clothes, untamed hair and most importantly, put up a stern face. This is in stark contrast to the image he has among the audience. Has he excelled as a gangster in 'King of Kotha'? Let's find out in this review.

Raju (Dulquer Salmaan) is a man who is feared by the people in the fictitious village of Kotha, which is now ruled by Kannan Bhaiya (Shabeer Kallarakkal) and his men. The village has children who suffer from drug abuse, women who care for them, and men who live in fear. When CI Shahul Hassan (Prasanna) comes to the village of Kotha to put an end to the menace, he is shown his place by Kannan. That's how influential he is.

However, Shahul is hell-bent on doing his duty as a police officer. He drafts a clever plan to put an end to Kannan and it involves Raju. What's the connection between Raju and Kannan? How did Kannan end up becoming the most influential person in Kotha? What's the story of Raju and how does he stand up against Raju? These questions are answered in three hours.

Every gangster story has that one event that pushes the person to take up violence. His origin story, his rise to fame, a solid adversary and a typical ending are what constitutes a gangster film. 'King of Kotha' has everything that's mentioned here and more. It has style. A style that will make you fall in love with the visuals, thanks to cinematographer Nimish Ravi.

Director Abhilash Joshiy's 'King of Kotha' has promising ideas, but it gets bogged down by predictability. Throughout the entire film, you can guess the proceedings, which spoils the excitement. 40 minutes into the film, we still do not get to see Dulquer Salmaan. We only see Kannan and his men singing praises of Raju and it builds intrigue. And when Raju makes his massy entry, the crowd erupts.

One of the main issues in 'King of Kotha' is its pacing. After the introduction and the world-building, the story fizzles when it goes beyond the main plot. Though every scene sets the tone for the interval and climax, it gets tedious after a point. The film is nearly three hours long and some sequences could very well be avoided.

That said, Dulquer Salmaan has given his all as Raju. As a rugged gangster, he is in his superlative form. However, it is during the love and emotional sequences that his charm takes over. Shabeer wowed us all as 'Dancing Rose' in 'Sarpatta Parambarai'. And 'King of Kotha' is yet another jewel in his filmography. As Kannan, he has shown his acting chops and what he is capable of. Prasanna, Aishwarya Lekshmi and other supporting characters show promise. But, their characters are underutilised as the focus is on Raju and Kannan. So does the father-son track between Raju and his dad. It added a new dimension to the story and also left you wanting more.

It'd be a crime if cinematographer Nimish Ravi and composer Jakes Bejoy were not complimented for their exceptional work in 'King of Kotha'. Nimish's frames and lighting take us straight to the village of Kotha. Jakes Bejoy's score elevates every single mass sequence. Not just that, even during the emotional scenes, his music takes it to another level.

'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.

2.5 out of 5 stars for 'King of Kotha'. Published By: K Janani Published On: Aug 24, 2023 ALSO READ | Dulquer Salmaan on 'King of Kotha': Haven't done anything that massy before

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‘King Of Kotha’ first-half review: Netizens call Dulquer Salmaan’s gangster drama a ‘paisa vasool’ entertainer

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King of Kotha Review: 'Dull'quer's Sluggish Treat

Movie: King of Kotha Rating: 1.5/5 Banner: Wayfarer Films, Zee Studios Cast: Dulquer Salmaan, Aishwarya Lekshmi, Shabeer, Prasanna, Nyla Usha, Chemban Vinod, Gokul Suresh, Shammi Thilakn, Shanthi Krishna, Vada Chennai Saran, and Anikha Surendran Writers: Abhishek Maharshi & Anirudh Krishnamurthy Music: Jakes Bejoy DOP: Nimish Ravi Editor: Shyam Sasidharan Producer: Dulquer Salmaan Director: Abhilash Joshiy Release Date: Aug 24, 2023

The success of "Sita Ramam" has catapulted Dulquer Salmaan to prominence in Telugu. His fame spans all of India. “King of Kotha” is his latest pan-Indian film. He also produced it.

Let’s find out its merits and demerits.

Story: The story is set in 1996. Kanna bhai (Shabbeer) is the don of the drug-ridden town of Kotha. Shahul (Prasanna), a new police officer, tactfully organizes the return of the "King.” The 'King' is ex-gang leader Raju. Ten years ago, Kanna Bhai worked as Raju's assistant.

How Kanna deceives Raju and turns into a don is revealed in the rest of the drama. Details about what happened to make Raju leave town and his plans for exacting retribution are revealed. His relationship with Tara (Aishwarya Lekshmi) and the ups and downs it experiences are also detailed.

Artistes’ Performances: One of India's most dashing actors, Dulquer Salmaan also manages to impress with his performances. His performance is sincere and effective despite the thinness of his role. He brings life and energy to an otherwise boring film.

Aishwarya Lekshmi plays an unremarkable character. Sabbeer in the role of Kanna Bhai is a mismatch. While Anikha Surendran, who plays Dulquer Salmaan’s sister, only has a few scenes, Nyla Usha, who plays Khanna Bhai's girlfriend, is impressive. The guy who plays Ranjith gets some funny English lines.

Technical Excellence: The songs composed by Jakes Bejoy and Shaan Rahman are forgettable. The background score composed by Jakes Bejoy is also a let down.

In the same vein, the production design is worth mentioning. The writing and editing are both quite subpar.

Highlights: Dulquer Salamaan

Drawback: Three hour long duration Boring narration Vague sub plots No emotional connect Superficial setting

Analysis Even a bullock cart moves faster than the narration of "King of Kotha." With a runtime of 170 minutes, this Dulquer Salmaan-starrer gangster drama suffers from a sluggish screenplay and lacks a convincing storyline.

Khanna Bhai, the don of Kotha, is introduced at the beginning of the story as a threatening and vicious figure who has the police force under his control. However, as the hero enters the scene, he transforms into a mere shadow. Initially, he was the hero's friend, but in his absence, he became a don. The reason behind the hero and his former friend being at odds is poorly explained.

The film contains numerous subplots, including the hero's conflict with his parents, Khanna Bhai's romance with Manju, and a cunning police officer, among others. Unfortunately, none of these subplots are adequately developed or reach a logical conclusion.

The first part of the film reminds one of "Dasara," a place filled with crime and narcotics (replacing alcohol addiction in "Dasara"), and the story of two friends. However, the entire first half is painfully slow. Although the pace of the plot does not significantly change after the intermission, things do improve somewhat in the second half compared to the first. Nonetheless, neither half provides a credible narrative.

The primary reason for Dulquer and Aishwarya Lekshmi's continued longing for each other after breaking up on a specific occasion is also unclear. A mother who prefers a cat over her own son or someone similar is equally unbelievable.

In addition to these dull portions, the film is excessively long.

It’s not that the film doesn’t have any positive elements. The film has a grand setting. The production design, the cinematography are ok but still it tests the patience. 

Overall, “King of Kotha '' suffers from poor writing, vague narration and sluggish pace. Despite Dulquers’s presence and grand production values, the film only offers boring moments. This is certainly an ignorable film and if dared to get into the theatres it squeezes out the energies of the majority audience for sure.

Bottom line: King of Slow Pace

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Tags: King Of Kotha King of Kotha Review King of Kotha Movie Review King of Kotha Rating King of Kotha Movie Rating King of Kotha Telugu Movie Review King of Kotha Telugu Movie Rating

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Release Date : August 24, 2023

123telugu.com Rating : 2.25/5

Starring: Dulquer Salmaan, Aishwarya Lekshmi, Dancing Rose Shabeer, Prasanna, Nyla Usha, Anika Surendran, Chemban Vinod, Gokul Suresh, Shanthi Krishna

Director: Abhilash Joshiy

Producers: Wayfarer Films & Zee Studios

Music Directors: Jakes Bejoy, Shaan Rahman

Cinematographer: Nimish Ravi

Editors: Shyam Sasidharan

Related Links : Trailer

Dulquer Salmaan has emerged as a PAN India star with his recent films, and now he has come up with the gangster action drama King Of Kotha. The movie, directed by Abhilash Joshiy, has Dancing Rose Shabeer, Aishwarya Lekshmi, Prasanna, Nyla Usha, Anika Surendran, and Chemban Vinod in crucial roles. The movie hit the screens today, and let’s see how it is.

Khanna Bhai (Dancing Rose Shabeer) is a drug lord in Kotha town. C.I. Shahul Haasan (Prasanna) decides to eradicate the drug mafia in the town, but he fails to do so. Shahul learns that Kotha has been under the control of Raju (Dulquer Salmaan) a few years back and that Khanna Bhai is Raju’s dear friend. But both Raju and Khanna Bhai part ways due to a few reasons. What made them separate? What did C.I. Shahul Haasan do then? This forms part of the crux of the story.

Plus Points:

It is undoubtedly Dulquer Salmaan’s show from the start to the end. The versatile actor breathes life into Raju’s character and performs with ease. His role is neatly designed who wishes to wipe out the drug mafia. The actor is good in the action sequences, too.

Dancing Rose, a.k.a Shabeer Kallarakkal, did a convincing job as a gangster. He gets a meaty role and does his part with finesse. Chemban Vinod’s English diction is funny, and he evoked decent laughs. The background score composed by Jakes Bejoy becomes a blessing in disguise in this film.

Minus Points:

Well, to start off with, this is not the kind of story one expects from a Dulquer Salmaan film. It is a regular gangster drama, and narrative-wise, too, the film isn’t any different. Dulquer and Dancing Rose try their best to lift the film with the performances, but the weak story hampers the impact considerably.

For the most part, the narrative is snail-paced, and it requires a great deal of patience to complete the film. The editing team did a poor job, as many prolonged sequences could have been trimmed down. Also, the film is highly predictable, and the climax is stretched for no reason.

Other than Dulquer, Dancing Rose, and Chemban Vinod, to a certain extent, none of the characters are impactful. There has been a lot of effort that has gone into the film’s making, but more care was required as far as writing is concerned

Technical Aspects:

The songs composed by Jakes Bejoy and Shaan Rahman are okay, but the background score by Jakes Bejoy was extremely good. The movie is set in the period backdrop, and the art direction team did a good job in recreating the bygone era. Nimish Ravi’s cinematography is excellent. The production values are fine. The editing, as mentioned earlier, is poor.

Coming to the director, Abhilash Joishy, he did a poor job with the film. As the story is routine, he should have done some magic with the narrative, but sadly, that didn’t happen here. It would have been much better had the director taken care of the lengthy runtime. Good actors alone can’t save a film if the writing is bad.

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. Hence, King Of Kotha ends up as a disappointing watch this weekend.

123telugu.com Rating: 2.25/5

Reviewed by 123telugu Team

Click Here For Telugu Review

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