Ko

Plot synopsis:
Ashwin Kumar (Jiiva) is a photojournalist working for the private newspaper Dina Anjal. He witnesses 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 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 (courtesy 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 Ashwin, which the latter 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 who is Ashwin's former college mate, 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 land mine there which explodes, killing Vasanthan, while Ashwin manages to escape.
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. Ashwin and Renuka submit their resignations to the Chief Editor for falsified reporting, but he rejects their resignations and tells them to cover the upcoming election.

Tags: murder

Review:
Racy all through, it is a movie that is worth a watch .....Great Film !!!!.
The movie starts off with a bank robbery and Jeeva's breathtaking bike chase...This itself attracts everyone...Jeeva(Ashwin) is a sharp and smart photographer who stands against crimes and manages politicians whenever required and finally trap them on time by just a click!.Karthika(Renu) is an editor in the same press company (Dina Anjal).Piya(Saro) is a cute and bubbly girl who loves Ashwin and tries to propose him..but as usual u know, he loves the right person.
K.V. Anand has done a wonderful job in his third film as a director with a full-fledged political thriller with adequate doses of romance and humour without deviating from the original story.
But unexpected twists will keep the audience glued to their seats.Jiiva as Ashwin excels in his role as a photographer.
Stalwarts like Prakashraj and Kota Srinivasa Rao played their characters with their usual finesse.The highlight of the film is the cinematography.
The nothing-great Gala Gala song does not live up to its pre-release build-up despite a host of well-known faces making cameo appearances.In short, Ko is a brilliantly shot political thriller laced with the usual commercial elements.
The word KO means a leader or king in,I wonder why the director kept this title for the film.I say it for sure that Tamil cinema lost a good title.Moreover it is an unofficial remake of state of play.even after remaking the film the director of the film K.V.Anand did'n say anything about state of play,at least he could have mentioned it in any TV shows, like what director myskin did for yutham sei.The first scene of the film was too bad that the robbers were looking like some idiotic goons who don't know even how to handle a pistol.They were very powerful that they even break very hard glasses with their shoes(what a man).Hero of the film Jeeva who gave remarkable performances throughout his career gave even a better performance which was the only good aspect of the film.Entry of new face Kaarthiga(daughter of Raadha)is a great disaster for Tamil cinema,she don't know even how to act or dance.For every scene she gives same reaction.There were many unwanted comedies which were not needed for the film which made me shout at the theater.In the climax even after pulling the trigger of the bomb it waits for jeeva to jump out and then he lands safely without any fractures(once again , What a man).I am sure that harris jayaraj (the one who thinks himself as hans zimmer) has stolen the title theme from wrestlemania theme !!!!!please get out of our country you filthy copycat.I pray to god to give a good movie taste for tamil audience..
His earlier Ayan (2009) was tolerable only because it followed the usual commercial formula and had Surya leading the credits.Ko's screenplay is bizarre, the action is overdone and half-way through, the movie loses its grip on the audience and on itself.
However, KV Anand makes sure he botches his own efforts with seriously pathetic sequences and hilarious stunts.Today, everybody is a director.
Noted is the fact that some wonderful cinematographers such as Balu Mahendra have succeeded at direction but one must not twist it and start assuming that every flathead with a digital camcorder can try his hand at film narration.I feel sorry for Jeeva.
An extremely capable actor who has produced some nice performances such as Raam (2005), E (2006) and the path-breaking Kattradhu Thamizh (2007) has lost his standing and has started giving us a fair amount of BS through Pori (2007), Thenaavattu (2008) and our very own Ko. Radha's daughter sure is pretty and Piya's childishness is mostly at acceptable levels but some of the other actors in the movie need to find better jobs, such as the grease ball who plays CM.
It is the same old story : "Hero fights the bad guys all by himself and saves the world" Couple this formula with unrealistic situations( which,by the way, are abundant in this film), an heroine who cant "act".
Moreover few songs were just "inserted" into the plot.They just didn't fit in.Overall a normal movie pictured in a good way.Definitely watchable.But highly overrated..
Every element of this film, starting from the opening credits is high end and shows the director's sensibility.
But the character we all truly fall in love with is that played by Piaa Bajpai, who's adorable and charming and does complete justice to her purpose in the film.
KV Anand is one of India's best cameraman, but in his film why the camera is handled so worse, I think KV should have stuck with the camera too.
Like this, lot of lags in Screenplay!As for as acting is concerned Jiiva and Ajmal both have done their job well!
Harris impresses in ENNAMO ETHO alone!The movie would've been fine if the director had finished it with SIRAGUGAL's win and added few details and steadied the screenplay!
The director could have enjoyed his status of being a smart-ass with this movie also but alas everything falls apart with the first act itself with half-baked characterizations, poor chemistry for the love track, lackluster sound track, average performances and some sloppy direction.
The saddest part is that having the original movie released a couple of years back , the desi director couldn't improvise the screenplay.
well...to speak about the script...it has got most of the grasp power...honestly trust me ...whn i went to c this movie and asked reviews from people i heard them saying this movie is 100 times better than ayan and u will notice an unexpectd twist..with this excitement i went...i was blank in mind when i was seeing.but at the 20th minute of the movie i predicted almost the entire story..i can withstand all the comments given by users and all ppl..except for one status updated by some dumbass which said KV ANAND IS THE GUY TO BEAT MANI RATNAM AND SHANKAR..wat the F ..he can overcome shankar but never mani...but i would like to give more credits to screenplay and song locations..and u would notice in the climax the greatest fun where a number of land mines fall from a cupboard and nothing blows..and hero escape even after stamping it and he takes minimum of 4 seconds to escape from the blast.even though these wont be considered and these r of primary importance in a tamil cinema...guys if u wanna enjoy an extreme commercial go ahead get a popcorn and enjoy ..
A photojournalist-turned-director, K V Anand, with 'Ko', has rendered a movie that is like reading a newspaper fresh and folded very early in the morning from page one till the last.Journalists are until known to be portrayed in a clichéd manner in Tamil cinema, wearing a pyjama kurtha, spotted with a beard carrying a long shoulder bag.
Times have changed and so are the lives and struggles of journalists.With 'Ko', Anand has turned the arc light on the unsung heroes of modern India, the neo-journalists, their dedication and passion towards the profession.Anand has proved his mettle coming with intense thrillers with great detailing, thanks to writers Suba in his side as it was evident in 'Kanna Kandein' and 'Ayan'.'Ko' speaks about power struggle and press freedom, laced with all commercial ingredients in an interesting manner.
Tautly written, there are hardly any logical loopholes.Be it a hardworking scribe or a photographer who are chasing sensation news, a power-lust Chief Minister, or an opposition leader, or a youth who wants to change the political system, all characters do have a say in the film.
Anand has woven all of them craftily.The movie revolves around Ashwin (Jeeva), who is a talented photographer in a Tamil daily Dina Anjali.
He is the sought-after lensman in his newspaper for his images speak a thousand words and bring awareness.There are a couple of other journalists in the same media house- Renuka (Karthika), who covers sensational events and entertainment -in-charge Saro (Piya).
As typical politicians, as they are portrayed, they do everything under the sun to come to power.But Renuka and Ashwin's brilliant investigative reports and photographs, help a third force led by youth Vasanthan (Ajmal) emerge the front-runner.
An intense performer, Jeeva pulls it off with ease.Karthika as Renuka brings out the nuances needed for the role well.
An intense performer, Jeeva pulls it off with ease.Karthika as Renuka brings out the nuances needed for the role well.
His looks compliment the character.The veterans Prakash Raj and Kota Sreenivasa Rao have played their part well.
Ever since his stupendous success with 'Ayan' (the director should be commended for making fun of this movie in a scene in 'Ko') there had been huge expectations for his next venture and the slick and stylish trailer of 'Ko' just increased those expectations.
With the right mix of commercial & intelligent cinema (took this line from Behindwoods review) he delivers big time.From the intelligent choice of title and really brilliant opening credit sequence the viewer is all set to be taken for a different ride & the director and his crew keep the tempo till the end.
Jiiva as a photo- journalist is handsome, stylish and excels in his role and proves yet again why he's one of the rarest breed of perfectionists in Tamil film industry.
But the most important & extraordinary role in the movie goes to Ajmal who has breathed life into his character, though I feel he could've emoted well in a few sequences.
Prakash Raj & Kota Srinivasa rao, do justice to their small roles and Bose Venkat comes as a surprise in the end.All that said about actors the technical crew have excelled in almost every frame.
Story wise there are ample twists to keep the viewers engaged till the end and it is commendable that the director has touched a lot of contemporary issues like 'cash for vote', 'naxalism', 'journalist ethics' without being overtly preachy.
They just go well with the flow.When the movie opened with the 'bank heist' sequence (one of the best choreographed stunt sequences in recent times, kudos to Peter Hein) I felt that there is some inspiration from 'The dark Knight' and the climax and ending just confirmed it.
Like the rapid succession of photographs from Ashwin's(Jeeva) camera the movie too goes at breakneck speed.
Editor Anthony makes a surprise cameo as the editor of a private TV channel.K.V.Anand proves his mettle once again while wielding the megaphone and the movie is far better than his previous outing Ayan.
The bike stunts in the beginning of the movie deserves special acclaim, great work Peter Hein!A brilliant movie released at the right time given its theme - Politics, Ko is sure to propel Jiva to the A list of heroes in Kollywood!
The film starts at Dina Anjali a Tamil daily newspaper office where Ashwin (Jeeva) is a photographer.
Two lady journalists working in the same newspaper Renuka (Karthika) as the investigative reporter and Saraswathi (Piaa) as covers the entertainment section.All the three of them try to break the news and stand up on their toes for all getting the latest happenings news.Next character get introduced Vasanth (Ajmal) as an engineer.
Vasanth (Ajmal) plans to contest in the upcoming elections.Ashwin (Jeeva) has good political contacts he makes his friend Ajmal as a politician for a good cause.
But after turning as a politician Vasanth (Ajmal) turns into a corrupted politician like all other politicians and kicks Ashwin out from his camp.Yogi (Prakash Raj) is the Chief Minister of that political party.
But seeing all these Ashwin (Jeeva) plans to bring down Vasanth (Ajmal) by using the same political contacts.
The rest of the story forms the interesting with twist.Jeeva's brilliant performance is one of plus point of the film.
Jeeva perfectly fits in the role of Ashwin and he is stylish in the character.
Jeeva dialog delivery and body language was extraordinary.Karthika looked beautiful and her performance is impressive as Renuka.
Both Jeeva and Karthika looked as a perfect pair.Piaa Bajopai is fit in her role of Saraswathi and she is looked cool and stylish.Ajmal performance is quite equal to Jeeva.
Editing by Anthony is speed up the film.After a long time a best movie in Tamil..
The movie,Highly hyped after the director,K.V.Anand's successful 'Ayan',lives up to it completely.
Inspired by K.V.Anand's real life incident when he was a photo journalist for 'The Times' Newspaper, He has portrayed the hero's character beautifully.
Prakash Raj, The Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu in the movie, shown as both a good guy and a bad guy,which I guess the director used to say that everybody has both a good side and a bad side.
Kotta Srinivasa Rao,The opposition party chief,tries his best to get to power by bribing voters and believing in the odd superstitions(one that if he gets married to a minor girl,he'd remain in power forever).Jeeva,as the hero,Ashwin does justice to the role given to him.
He has done a great job in terms of acting and the stunt sequences are very cool,just like the ones in the director's previous movie,Ayan.Ajmal as Vasanthan, the leader of a bunch of middle-aged guys who want to bring a change to the society by joining politics and doing something good for the country they were born in.
There are lots of twists and turns,which would make you go like "oh my god" every single time.The Soundtrack of the movie is a hit too.
The locales of the song are simply awesome and you'd be surprised that someone could find locations like that.Bottom Line: In the first half of the movie,K.V.Anand makes you feel that you want to be a photo journalist in real life but in the second half of the movie,he makes you think exactly otherwise.
And you do not want to glance at your watch even once through the course of the movie because you'd feel you'd miss something important by then.Its not just the storyline and the acting which rocks,even the starting credits is beautiful boasting off a series of beautiful pictures shot in different places in the world.If you had high hopes of the movie,I can assure you that you'd come out very content!.
Just for the opening, the team of KO deserves special mention.Storyline: Jeeva is a photo-journalist who has a knack of being at the right places at the right time.
Piaa Bajpai looks fresh and has played a neat cameo.The storyline brings together the three afore mentioned journalists and also the most powerful package of the film Ajmal, who leads a pack of youth and forms a political party of young, educated and well bred friends.
The political angle in the film has been handled admirably and the dialogues are sure to tug at the thought strings of many.Ups: The lead pair, Ajmal and the supporting artistes take the movie on their shoulders till the end.
Cinematography, Screenplay, Direction, Dialogues and casting are perfect and overall they make this movie a real entertainer.Downs: The movie, though fast paced has some flip sides.
The locations are spell binding and the grace of the lead pair help too.You wonder sometimes as to why the hero remains just another photographer without any special promotions or rewards, despite his daring and revolutionary exploits!!The second half does seem to drag on a little but the screenplay re aligns itself to end in a crescendo with a climax.But the most disappointing facet comes in Ajmal's character.
Every dialogue of his in the former half of the movie, loses credibility in the end when his character reverses and this is upsetting, the director should have taken better care of this aspect.Bottom line:On the whole, KO is a perfect summer movie.
Why not give a 10, I in fact loved the movie, not the technical stuff or the cast or the music or the story line.
But Ko's musics takes aways and nothing less than Vannam's killer.Jeeva, could have improvised on a mature character but his child like face kills it at some shots.Pia and Karthika looks silver screens at all times, cant take the eyes away on the frame they are.As a photographer the artist should have used a Nikon and none of his equipments were apt to the sceen, its just a camera in the hand than the professional equipment and some stupid tricks like the side lenses, well it isn't bad, but could have a better thought.Ajmal's big break and a very good adv for the film, hope he cont to perform such classic roles than the hero.
In fact credit goes to him more than Jeeva at any point of time.Watch it, Enjoy it.
K.V.Anand's "Ko" is an interesting political thriller which like his previous flick "Ayan" has loads of logical pothole submerged under a racy screenplay.
Thus K.V.Anand has once again reiterated the fact that he is one of the best when it comes to handling a commercial plot.Wonder what all those who rejected this movie where thinking.
The song placements in the second half are ridiculous to put it mildly.Kudos to K.V.Anand & his team of scriptwriters for risking a commercial script without much heroism & managing to stick onto reality as much as possible.Jiiva does a neat job while Ajmal shines towards the end.
The supporting cast is a mixed bag with certain people like Bose Venkat , Jagan & Sona doing a good job while certain others amateurish in their work.Technically the movie is excellent .
The climax fight sequence is beautifully shot.Harris Jayaraj's background score is good in patches while on the whole average.
Thank You K.V. Anand for producing us again a very good movie.
Coming to Story, Yes it is inspired from movie "State of Play" as some extent but it is not at all copy of the Hollywood movie.
Some of the scenes are overdone like the opening bike van chase, Romantic song in the middle of intense situation but it is manageable to watch.