King of Kotha is a Malayalam period action drama that tells the story of Raju, a gangster who ruled a crime-infested town called Kotha in the 1980s, and his comeback in the 1990s with the help of a cop named Shahul. The movie stars Dulquer Salmaan as Raju, Shabeer Kallarakkal as Kannan Bhai, Prasanna as Ranjith Bhai, Gokul Suresh as Tony Titus, Aishwarya Lekshmi as Tara, Nyla Usha as Malathi and Babu Antony as Ravi. The movie is directed by Abhilash Joshiy and produced by Wayfarer Films and Zee Studios.
The movie is a tribute to the 1980s Malayalam cinema, especially the action genre. The movie has a retro feel, with the costumes, music, dialogues and cinematography reflecting the era. The movie also has some references to the real-life incidents and personalities of that time, such as the Rajiv Gandhi assassination, the Bombay blasts, the underworld dons and the football craze. The movie has some stunning action sequences, choreographed by Dhilip Subbarayan and Anbariv. The movie also has some emotional scenes, where the characters deal with their love, friendship, family and loyalty.
The movie has some drawbacks, such as the length, which is almost three hours long. The movie could have been trimmed by removing some unnecessary scenes and songs. The movie also has some clichés and stereotypes, such as the portrayal of women, who are either victims or villains. The movie also has some logical flaws and continuity errors, which affect the credibility of the story. The movie also suffers from some poor dubbing and lip-sync issues in some scenes.
King of Kotha is a decent entertainer that offers some nostalgia and thrill for the fans of Dulquer Salmaan and 1980s Malayalam cinema. The movie is not a masterpiece, but it is worth a watch for its action and drama. The movie is available on Disney+ Hotstar¹ in Malayalam and in dubbed versions of Hindi, Tamil and Telugu languages³.