King of Kotha (Hindi)

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

King of Kotha was released worldwide on 24 August 2023 on Onam weekend to generally mixed reviews from critics. Despite getting a strong opening, the film became a box office bomb. The film is the 5th most expensive Malayalam film ever.

King of Kotha Plot

1996: CI Shahul Hassan is transferred to a fictional crime-infested town called Kotha, which is situated near the Kerala-Tamil Nadu border. Shahul enquires more about the town and learns that the citizens, especially teenagers are addicted to narcotics. While investigating about the background of the narcotics, Shahul learns about Kannan Bhai, a notorious drug lord who rules Kotha. Shahul meets Kannan Bhai at his casino along with SI Tony Titus, where he is humiliated by Kannan. Shahul inquires about Raju from Tony as Kannan earlier mentioned the name, where Tony reveals Raju’s past.

1986: Raju is a notorious gangster and Kannan’s childhood friend who rules Kotha. Tony and Kannan are a part of Raju’s gang and football team called “Winners Kotha”. Raju is always at loggerheads with Ranjith Bhai, who is the head of the neighbouring town Gandhigram, but Ranjith never harms Raju out of respect for Raju’s father Kotha Ravi, who was also a gangster in the past. Raju meets Tara and falls in love with her. Kannan tries to get Raju and his gang to deal with narcotics, but Raju disagrees as Tara’s brother committed suicide due to drug overdose. Raju does not share a good relationship with his parents as his mother Malathi hates him for being a gangster.

One day, Ranjith sends photos of Tara hanging out with a Bombay-based journalist named Nikhil, where Raju breaks up with Tara and starts drinking heavily. Blinded by his greed for wealth and power, Kannan decides to partner up with Ranjith and agrees to transport narcotics into Kotha. Knowing this, Raju gets enraged and confronts Kannan, who refuses to reveal anything about the narcotics. Raju gets into a fight with Kannan and ends up partially blinding Kannan in the right eye. A few days later, Malathi realises that Raju may not live for long due to his alcoholism, where she advises him to leave Kotha and never come back. Raju leaves Kotha on the night of the FIFA World Cup Finals and later goes missing.

1996: Shahul tells Tony to enquire about Raju with the UP Police, where he gets a fax from the Lucknow police station about Raju being a retired assassin named “Raju Madrassi”. Shahul sends a telegram to Raju, saying his sister Rithu is in danger. Kannan’s drug-addicted brother-in-law Jinu and Rithu are in love with each other. As they are sitting in a restaurant, Tony arrives with his force and takes away Jinu for carrying cannabis packets. Rithu later cuts all ties with Jinu. After getting released, Jinu goes to Rithu’s house to talk to her, but is kicked out by Ravi. The next day, Jinu tries to set Rithu on fire by dousing her in gasoline, but she manages to escape as Tony arrives.

Jinu gets brutally killed by Raju, who has arrived back in Kotha after receiving the telegram from Shahul. Jinu’s sister Manju learns about this and decides to kill Raju. It is also revealed that Kannan killed Ranjith in order to make Manju as his wife. That night, Kannan meets Raju at a bar and learns that Raju has become more dangerous after going to UP. Manju sends men to kill Raju, who thrashes them back after a fight, which Manju witnesses. The next day, Shahul makes an offer to Raju to kill Kannan, but he declines the offer, stating that Kannan is still his best friend. Kannan sends up a contract killer “Suitcase Leslie” to kill Raju, but Raju kills Leslie and sends his remains to Kannan. Kannan gets agitated and arrives at the market with his men, where they fight against Raju. Raju thrashes them and kills Kannan’s right-hand man Erilan, thus avenging the death of his friend Rafi.

That night, Raju goes to Tara’s house to invite her for Rithu’s birthday, but Kannan arrives and stabs Tara. As Tara is rushed to the hospital, Raju gets a call from Kannan, where he rushes to a site and finds Ravi killed. Kannan’s mother Kalikutty promises to bring Kannan to Raju so that Raju can kill him. Kannan captures Raju and stabs him, where Manju arrives. Raju discloses that he has known Manju since her teenage as a prostitute and that Jinu was actually her son who was born after she was assaulted by her stepfather. Manju leaves the place humiliated and Raju escapes after the police arrive at the scene. Raju is missing and the townsfolk believe him to be dead.

However, Raju is still alive and was planning his attack on Kannan all the while, where he sends a letter to Shahul saying that he has accepted the offer that Shahul had made earlier. Raju offers the entire town of Kotha to Kannan’s henchman Peelan in exchange for killing Kannan. Peelan accepts the offer and switches sides. Raju goes to Kannan’s casino and confronts Kannan, who brings a group of contract killers to kill Raju. Raju kills all of them and incapacitates Kannan. Raju tells Kannan that he cannot kill him as he still considers him as his best friend, where he brings Ranjith’s son Sonu to kill him. It is also revealed that Ranjith’s men helped Raju escape from Kannan’s hideout earlier. Sonu kills Kannan and hands the gun over to Raju, who kills Peelan, telling that Kotha doesn’t need an heir anymore.

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