King Of Kotha |verified| Today
is a 2023 Indian Malayalam-language period action crime film directed by Abhilash Joshiy (in his directorial debut) and produced by Dulquer Salmaan under his banner Wayfarer Films in association with Zee Studios. The film stars Dulquer Salmaan in the lead role, alongside an ensemble cast including Aishwarya Lekshmi, Prasanna, Gokul Suresh, Chemban Vinod Jose, Shabeer Kallarakkal, and Shammi Thilakan.
For a debutant, Abhilash handles the scale remarkably well. The "Kotha" universe feels tangible—a dusty, neon-lit hellhole. However, his inexperience shows in the pacing. The first hour is electrifying; the second hour drags with repetitive fight sequences and predictable plot twists.
: With a runtime of nearly three hours, the film is frequently described as "bloated" or "exhausting," with certain emotional beats and subplots failing to land. King of Kotha
Jakes Bejoy composed the film’s soundtrack, which includes:
The film holds a 35% rating on some review aggregators and was noted as a stylish but hollow gangster drama. is a 2023 Indian Malayalam-language period action crime
King of Kotha is an ambitious but flawed action drama that succeeds in style and atmosphere but falters in narrative depth. It works as a showcase for Dulquer Salmaan’s charisma and the technical team’s craftsmanship, but struggles to offer a fresh take on the familiar “retired gangster returns” trope. For fans of South Indian mass cinema, it provides several well-crafted action sequences; for general audiences, it remains a watchable but forgettable entry in the gangster genre.
– The Kannan-Raju dynamic mirrors classic gangster duos (like Godfather ’s Michael and Sonny or Nayakan ’s Velu and Selvam), emphasizing that the most dangerous enemies are former allies. : With a runtime of nearly three hours,
The film boasts an ensemble cast, though critical reception regarding their impact was mixed:
King of Kotha ended its run as an average grosser. It recovered its production cost through digital rights (sold to Amazon Prime Video) and satellite rights, but it did not achieve the Baahubali or KGF -level success the makers had hoped for.