Ko (2011) User Reviews

Paving way for a new era of quality Tamil cinema

[sanjna-polamarasetty-869-692642 · 9/10 · 28 January 2014]

As someone who watches a lot of what Hollywood has to offer, I often find myself complaining about most of the Indian films I watch. Often its about the unreal elements, hallow characters, superficiality, lack of depth in the story, and just the overall quality. But then there are often films like 'Ko' that come around and shut me right up.

'Ko' is one of the best political thrillers Tamil Cinema has had to offer since Mudhalvan. Every element of this film, starting from the opening credits is high end and shows the director's sensibility. Anand gives us a complete film done to perfection. 'Ko' has a great story, that is very eventful and the screenplay is perfect, and well-suited. Jiiva does an amazing job and is very convincing, as is Ameer, which allows for one of the best twists.

The music is well scored, and Karthika is not too bad as the new-comer. 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. I don't have a single complaint about this film, and feel like films like these, that are smart and sophisticated, pave way for a new era of Indian cinema. This time, truly making it an art rather than a money collector.

If you're someone who's sick of mainstream films stuck in their loop for decades now, then don't miss this film. It's sure to leave you satisfied and wanting more.

KO- a right mix of commercial and intellectual cinema..

[guddu2486 · 8/10 · 22 April 2011]

"Warning!!! Contains spoilers" 'KO' is the latest movie from ace cinematographer & director K.V.Anand. For all those who wanna know the meaning of the title 'Ko' represents government or a leader. In ancient Tamil literature the term 'Komagan' or 'Komaan' usually represents a King. 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. The director meets all those expectations and even exceeds them in a few places. In a movie industry where nowadays a dozen movies are made about Madurai and with all those movie have an incessant & unnecessary flow of blood and gore in them, it takes a brilliant director like K.V.Anand to brake those stereotypes. 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. Karthika emotes well and has a dream debut as a serious journalist. Move aside glam dolls. Here's an actress who can really act & it's no surprise as she's the daughter of one of the finest actresses from yesteryear, Radha. Piaa is sexy, bubbly and a treat to watch. Her sad demise before interval will leave a lump in your throat. 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. From the stylish yet realistic stunts to the excellent cinematography during the song sequences, you are in for a treat. Especially the locations and camera work in 'Yennamo Yedho', 'Amali Thumili' & 'Venpaniye' songs will make one craving for more. 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. One couldn't help but be awed by the director's brilliance in these 'inspired' sequences. They are so logical and really inevitable. Dialogue is another strong aspect of the movie which is witty and intelligent. Suba has done a great job. On the downside the opening song with cameos by many big actors fails to make an impact, the placement of 'Venpaniye' song is just wrong, there are a couple of loose ends and the climax was a tad too lengthy and might test your patience. Also the connection between Jiiva & Ajmal looks a bit half-baked with a botched up flashback. But all that said & done, this has all the commercial elements of a blockbuster and also can serve as an eye opener for the younger generation. Go for it. I'm planning to watch it once again.

Action Thriller

[sreenivas1988 · 8/10 · 24 April 2011]

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. Ajmal is a well wisher of people and tries to create a youth political party to serve people. Soon Jeeva(Ashwin) becomes a friend of him and helps him to come to politics. So Jeeva decides to take care of other bad politicians. Amidst all this, a love story and comedy scenes are incorporated.The climax is superb because of the unbelievable TWIST! The comedy scenes inside the press office are hilarious! The song "Ennamo Edho" ROCKS!.. Hats off to Harris Jayaraj again! The movie is a mixture of Love and Politics. A different and entertaining movie. Must Watch :)

Ko - Impressive !!

[kimian · 10/10 · 24 April 2011]

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

Ko' speaks about power struggle and press freedom, laced with all commercial ingredients in an interesting manner. All credits should go to the script and screenplay. Tautly written, there are hardly any logical loopholes.

Jeeva is impressive and played his part exceedingly well. He looks a typical photojournalist. His body language and dialogue delivery are worth a watch. An intense performer, Jeeva pulls it off with ease.

Karthika as Renuka brings out the nuances needed for the role well. She has not exaggerated. She downplays her emotions to gel with the character. Ajmal is a revelation as an aspiring politico Vasanthan. His looks compliment the character.

Anand deserves all accolades for rendering a brisk entertainer that is devoid of clichés. Racy all through, it is a movie that is worth a watch .....Great Film !!!!

Ko- A Brilliant political thriller

[indian-ashwin · 9/10 · 29 April 2011]

The movie goes 'click' 'click' 'click' right from the word go. Like the rapid succession of photographs from Ashwin's(Jeeva) camera the movie too goes at breakneck speed. The editing is crisp and keeps up the pace of the movie only to be slightly vitiated by the song sequences which tend to make you yearn for the movie to continue. Jiva does a commendable job as a snappy photographer who works for a daily newspaper. Ko has 2 heroines, Piya and Karthika.

The movie marks the debut of yesteryear heroine Radha's daughter, Karthika. Be it the romantic scenes or the emotional ones, she excels with her expressions. Her lip sync too is good considering this is her first movie in Tamil. Heavyweights Prakash Raj and Kotta Srinivasa Rao have little to perform and have lesser screen time than even the heroines. Cinematography is flawless and so is the direction. 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! His much needed break.

Ko- A must-watch political thriller

[nair_vinod · 8/10 · 22 April 2011]

After Ayan, everyone has been eagerly anticipating for Ko since the teaser was released. 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. It is not exactly a good-versus-bad theme here unlike most of other movies with political themes. But unexpected twists will keep the audience glued to their seats.

Jiiva as Ashwin excels in his role as a photographer. Karthika Nair marked her debut with a decent performance while Piaa Bajpai fulfills the requirements of her role well. The show stealer is undoubtedly Ajmal. His performance as a youth revolutionary leader is outstanding. Stalwarts like Prakashraj and Kota Srinivasa Rao played their characters with their usual finesse.

The highlight of the film is the cinematography. Richard M.Nathan did a wonderful job with the camera. Be it the fights or the songs, he shot the scenes with sheer brilliance. The locales of Norway and China are spellbinding and eye-catching, thanks to the cinematographer's efforts.

Harris Jayaraj did a superb job in Ayan and he repeated the magic in Ko as well. The BGM is apt for the scenes although it was a bit loud in certain parts. Anthony's editing is as usual, crisp and maintains the pace of the film well. Peter Hein's stunts are a treat for the action buffs. The songs are choreographed perfectly according to the mood of the songs. 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. If Ayan showed us about smuggling activities, Ko is all about political revolution. Hats off to K.V. Anand for presenting us three different films with three different themes.

Don't Miss It!

[ajasonfire · 10/10 · 25 April 2011]

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. Though he is an engineer his aim to become a politician and aspires to change the society. 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. Vasanth (Ajmal) joins his hands with Yogi (Prakash Raj) and forgets to do good for the society. During some unexpected mishap Saro (Piaa) gets killed in a bomb blast. 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. Ajmal did the role of Vasanth extremely well.

Prakash Raj's performances is outstanding and one can't blink his eyes while he is on screens. He is back after a long time with a meaty role.

Harris Jayaraj's music is outstanding. Harris tunes with visuals are super to view and its great treat for the audience. Background score is racy.

Richard Nathan's Cinematography is excellent. Editing by Anthony is speed up the film.

After a long time a best movie in Tamil.

A Thorough Entertainer.

[raghavan40789 · 7/10 · 22 April 2011]

There were talks of Simbu being the first preference for the lead role of KO and just 5 minutes into the film you understand why. Simbu would have been a value addition to the lead role, but having said that one must really commend Jeeva for his crisp, honest and charming performance. As a maverick photographer for a news daily, Jeeva is sprightly and ebullient and fits the role to a T. K.V.Ananth has made sure he has left no stones unturned to make this film a wonderful entertainer and his hard work behind the script shows in every frame and how! The very opening of the film makes you sit up. The rolling titles are perhaps the best seen in recent times. Montage pictures, art, scintillating photography all form the background while the text plays around. 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. He is shown as a sensation in the industry with no fear at all, as he starts off by capturing a bank robbery in progress through his lenses and from there on his exploits only reach skyward. In comes Karthika, a journalist transferred to Chennai wing, looking misty eyed and seemingly in a trance. Her expressions worsen once she sees Jeeva and it is love all the way for the lead pair. 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. From then on, the movie grows in entertainment factor. Youth politics, political vendetta, friendship, betrayal and suspense all form the crux of the story which is entertaining fast paced and at a few stages thought provoking as well. The story is a little predictable sometimes, but kudos to the director and editor (Anthony) for having excelled in keeping the screenplay taut. 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. KV Ananth has fast become the man who can do no wrong as his movies are a safe bet. Anthony as always is perfect with the scissors. 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 songs for one are a huge let down. There is a popular jest in musical circles that Harris makes original tunes only once per election and it seems to be justified. Other than Ennamo edo, all songs have a heard before feel and a couple of them prop up at really unnecessary times which mar the narration. The saving grace is the picturisation. 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. Spicy, Suave and Fast paced. But for a few glitches, KO does well to make the audience sit glued to their seats. A definite entertainer!

Surely one of the best movies of the year 2011, The movie is aptly titled and the screenplay is simply out of the world, It holds you in wraps all through the movie

[knight_alexander · 9/10 · 3 May 2011]

The movie,Highly hyped after the director,K.V.Anand's successful 'Ayan',lives up to it completely. The storyline deals with a very sensitive topic which is taken by a very few people,Since its a fragile topic,Anand deals with it nicely. The screenplay is filled with a bunch of twists and turns that nobody would expect or can predict, The person you think is the Villain in the movie turns out to be a good samaritan and the one you think would be the good guy is the bad guy. The movie highlights the life of a photojournalist, the things he goes through in his job,and the dangers he faces in everyday life. 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. The movie is packed with a witty dialogues and the importance of roles is divided very well between all the protagonists in the movie and they live up to it in terms of the performance. The Heroine,played by Karthika(D/o of the 80's heroine,Radha) doesn't seem like a debutant except for a few scenes. 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. Even though Vasanthan is portrayed as a good samaritan until half of the movie,he proves otherwise in the last 30-35 minutes of the movie. 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 song,Amuli Thumili, one of the most beautifully picturised songs in the recent past. 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. You'd think "Does a photojournalist have to undergo this much for his job? at the end of the movie. 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!

Ko - Ko ahead

[askarme-950-928124 · 7/10 · 31 May 2011]

Headline. Scoop. Byte. Edition. These words are familiar with all journalists. For a layman it's the newspaper that he reads finally counts. 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. All credits should go to the script and screenplay. 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). They develop an affinity for Ashwin.

A battle begins in Tamil Nadu as Assembly elections are announced. It becomes a direct war between Chief Minister Yogeswaran (Prakash Raj) and opposition leader Alavandan (Kota Sreenivasa Rao). 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. He is a symbol of modern Indian youth who believes in clean politics.

At an election rally of Vasanthan, a bomb goes off killing Saro. Vasanthan goes on to win the polls. Now the onus falls on Ashwin and Renuka to find the real culprits behind the attack. Get ready to watch an unpredictable climax.

Jeeva is impressive and played his part exceedingly well. He looks a typical photojournalist. His body language and dialog delivery are worth a watch. An intense performer, Jeeva pulls it off with ease.

Karthika as Renuka brings out the nuances needed for the role well. She has not exaggerated. She downplays her emotions to gel with the character. Ajmal is a revelation as an aspiring politico Vasanthan. His looks compliment the character.

The veterans Prakash Raj and Kota Sreenivasa Rao have played their part well. They have given right emotions needed for the roles. Piaa in the supporting character is adequate. Watch out for Sona in a cameo. Chinmayi's dubbing for Karthika is apt.

Harris Jayaraj is a major attraction. All his songs pep up the environment. 'Ennamo Yedho...' is pick of the album.

Anand deserves all accolades for rendering a brisk entertainer that is devoid of clichés. Racy all through, it is a movie that is worth a watch, if you are really not bothered about logic at certain places.

Nail Sawer

[snarasoft · 10/10 · 25 May 2011]

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. Over all, I liked it.

Why shouldn't it be a copy, A movie, if it can be remade for the local audience to understand, reach, the script should be welcomed.

There is a lot of dramatics in the last few reels, Im confused, how the director tried to match them on with the terrorist group.

The song background aren't new, we have seen them a lot in new movies.

Another major point on the success was, Vanna was releasing on the same days with a lot of hype and a dj party song was a killer from Vannam. 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. Ko

Ko aka State of Play

[lithiym · 23 April 2011]

The reason why the story of KO feels to be so strong comparing to other aspects of the film is that, the story seems more similar to Kevin MacDonald's 2009 block buster, STATE OF PLAY, starring Russell Crowe and Ben Afflect. I feel that Ko is the same story of SOP, with a screenplay to suit tamil cinema. Jeeva plays the role of Russell Crowe while Ajmal takes Ben Affleck's. The saddest part is that having the original movie released a couple of years back , the desi director couldn't improvise the screenplay. I feel for people who haven't seen SOP, would find KO impressive, others who have seen SOP would have a Stomach Burn, as i did. More drawbacks, heroine who doesn't know to act, doesn't know to dance. Lame music by the ace music director, and irrelevant bgm throughout the movie.

not exactly the best but pretty good

[avinash-kumar105 · 6/10 · 1 May 2011]

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 .

Ko a xerox copy of state of play!!!

[vicky14692 · 1/10 · 7 May 2011]

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.

Great Watch

[IPyaarCinema · 7/10 · 14 July 2022]

Good Movie. Everybody acted very well in the movie. Songs and BGM in the movie were so good. The 1st half in the movie was so interesting and thrilling. The 2nd half in the lagged and bored a lot at some scenes.

One of The Best of 2011.

[vichitra · 7/10 · 12 April 2012]

Simply KO is one of the best movies of 2011 in India. Thank You K.V. Anand for producing us again a very good movie. Ko has many many memorable moments and some dialogues are such intense that it makes you think really like that. (Spoilers) Like when one terrorist gets shot and Hero asks him why he doing all this, he replies" What is life according to you? Chill Out, Watching Cricket, Movies?." Movie never makes you bore at any moment. It makes you stick to your sit through out the whole 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. Agreed it is somewhat inspired but Ko is brilliantly written and adapted according to India's perspective. Ko team has done decent research on the movie and its character. Jeeva is charming and he adapted pretty well to the photographer character.. Looks like he did took some lessons from pro photographers about photography aspects which we can see in the movie like proper posture of a photographer while taking a photograph, boosting up ISO for night photography etc etc. 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. Song Enamo Yedho is beautifully written, composed and cinematography..

In short Ko is very good movie which has almost everything Love, Drama, Action, Suspense, Good Songs, Good Directing, Good Cinematography.

"Ko" is a decent attempt at a commercial cinema

[sribornagain-394-460163 · 7/10 · 13 June 2012]

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. The pace is so fast & riveting that its hard for anyone to even think about those flaws. 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. Now they will be ruing their decision. Not Jiiva for this would turn a new leaf in his career. After this movie he would go one rung up , only that he should choose his movies intelligently.

First half moves at a brisk pace though at certain instances screenplay lags a bit while second half is okay . The political satire in the second half is enjoyable while the climax looks a bit contrived. 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. Karthika doesn't have much to do while Piya Bajpai steals one & all's heart with a lovable enactment of a cute role.

For Prakashraj his role is a cakewalk while Kota Srinivasa Rao would do such roles even in his sleep. 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 CG works are noteworthy especially in the bomb blast sequence. Richard Nathan's cinematography elevates the mood & pumps in energy into the script. The super slow- motion shots are brilliant & used astutely wherever required. The climax fight sequence is beautifully shot.

Harris Jayaraj's background score is good in patches while on the whole average. "Enamo Aedho" is a chart-buster though it has the routine Harris Jayaraj feel to it. Other songs are mediocre.

On the whole , "Ko" is a decent attempt at a commercial cinema where more than heroism the script rules.

Overrated Film

[varungopal15 · 5/10 · 25 May 2011]

Expectations of the film was high. Successful director, Production house with wide reach, protagonist is a photographer(a rare phenomenon), great trailer song. But that's the end of the positives. Film could not deliver anything more on the show day. 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.

Ko

[santhosh-10290 · 7/10 · 18 July 2019]

Good Movie. Everybody acted very well in the movie. Songs and BGM in the movie were so good. The 1st half in the movie was so interesting and thrilling. The 2nd half in the lagged and bored a lot at some scenes. Good Movie.

Copycat film

[praveenking10 · 3/10 · 14 May 2011]

This film KO as acclaimed by other reviewers as a good film by Anand K.V. is a copy cat Indian version of a best US film "STATE OF PLAY" by Kevin Macdonald , staring Russell Crowe .

Anand K.V killed the story , logics and other main features of State of play and delivered an complete CLUMSY unlogical masala tamil film.

As said by other reviewers Anand.K.v isn't an brilliant director , he is yet another stupid director of tamil industry , who copies the story from Hollywood and changes it for Indian style and proclaims it as his own story which he had in his mind for last 10 years or so.

KO is yet another clumsy tamil version of a good Hollywood film.

Godspeed! too much!

[gauthamhits08 · 5/10 · 24 June 2011]

Released during the time of IPL, this film has matched the speed of IPL! Now having said that, what's the necessity for such a speed in a screenplay that has to be quite steady and realistic? The writer has added a lot of commercial value to a COULD'VE MADE WELL SCRIPT.

The beginning of the movie itself makes us to sigh! Do bank robberies take place that easily? If yes, then at least it should have been directed well! And is there a difference between JIIVA's bike stunts and Vadivelu doing a stoppie with Tamannah in THILLALANGADI???And in India do the newspaper publishers work that way???(ASS,KRISH) all those stuff trying to imitate Hollywood was totally artificial. Wherever you go i'll follow is not vodafone's quote! it's actually is JIIVA's untold truth in this movie..wherever,whatever the problem maybe JIIVA-the photographer will be there to snap a few..comeon yaar give it a break! 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. In the climax why doesn't Jiiva understand AJMAL? Let it be a shortcut, now that a qualified ministry is formed why would jiiva wanna risk it? Like this, lot of lags in Screenplay!

As for as acting is concerned Jiiva and Ajmal both have done their job well! Kota srinivasa rao and PrakashRaj have been wasted! Editing was very ordinary. When ANTONY shows up in a scene-god,help me!what an acting sirji?? 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's mistake is that he has attempted to make a 4hour film in two hours which is missing a lot! Still I'm giving it a 5 only because of the Idea of youngsters coming into politics! When compared to AAYUTHA EZHUTHU which is quite similar, KO sucks!!

A middling effort.....

[jeethjohnp · 5/10 · 21 April 2011]

This was a movie with huge expectations running all over it. This was because of K V Anand's previous venture 'Ayan' and his cinematography credentials and (to an extent) his stint as a journalist. The base story is something which is common in all his movies. What is interesting here is the premise that he had selected for depicting that. Journalism and Politics are two separate things. They are like water and oil. But the exact opposite is what is presented in this story. It runs somewhat parallel to RGV's 'Rann' but with lesser attitude and with more commercial elements. 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. Instead he turns out to be just smart and a brilliant ass with this one. The story is solid. The same did not get transferred to the treatment. There are constant ups and downs throughout the movie. As with all the commercial movies this movie is also ridden with cliché's and with a running time of approximately 3 hours it becomes a bit itchy. All in all…it is a commercial movie in a suppressed format in all ways.