With both Kanaa Kanden and Ayan, cinematographer-turned-director K.V.Anand proved himself to be a filmmaker who brought back respectability to the masala genre by delivering masala movies with originality, style and smarts. He reinforces that opinion with his third film Ko. Like his previous films, Ko also has all the ingredients that go into a masala film but they are accompanied by a smart screenplay and a fast pace, which ensure that the film grabs our attention right at the beginning and rarely lets go.

Ashwin(Jiiva) works as a photographer at the Dhina Anjal daily. Saro(Piaa) is a reporter working with him while Renuka(Karthika), another reporter, has just transferred from Madurai. With elections round the corner, Ashwin and Renuka find incriminating news stories about both the Chief Minister Yogi(Prakashraj) and the opposition leader Aalavandhaan(Kota Srinivasa Rao). Meanwhile, a social activist Vasanthan(Ajmal) has also entered the fray with a group of like-minded friends but finds the going tough against those with money and power.

The first half moves along without much focus as two potential bad guys are introduced but as they become mired in controversies, there doesn't seem to be any particular issue capable of carrying the movie forward. But this is one case where unfocused does not mean slow or boring as humor, action and romance, in that order, keep the proceedings entertaining. The camaraderie between those at the newspaper office leads to good fun and the proceedings are littered with good-humored shots at several targets(including one at the director himself, for the storyline of Ayan). After the fantastic bank robbery and subsequent chase that kicks off the movie, action takes a backseat though we don't miss it because of the excitement surrounding the political events and Jiiva's coverage of them. The romance seems forced and so doesn't make much of an impact.

The film's first half sets up a familiar common man vs politician(s) situation. But the complacency about the route its going to take ensures that it then surprises us with a neat turn. Like Aadukalam, it primes us for a familiar clash by introducing us to familiar characters and setting up a familiar conflict but then surprises us by bringing in a completely new villain. The twist and its background aren't very realistic but the element of surprise generated by the twist and the way events and characters from before are connected make it easy to overlook this.

The screenplay does a good job of tying up loose ends and setting up the climax. The one-on-one fight here is fabulously staged and keeps up Anand's reputation as a great director of action. The confined quarters are utilized well, making the fight quite intense and though the way Jiiva ends the fight is somewhat similar to the what Jayam Ravi did in Dhaas, it doesn't seem as ridiculous. The end is a little bit open-ended but does feel logical and right.

Ko is a film where Jiiva's occupation as a photographer is an integral part of the story. So its nice that the aspects relating to photography are presented realistically. It is definitely good to see Jiiva change lenses to pick an appropriate one, use fancy equipment like the trick lens that takes shots sideways and select a higher ISO for shooting at night (for the curious, he uses a EOS 7D). While on the topic, the photographs during the opening credits are also fantastic.

Jiiva is energetic and conveys the passion that is essential for any photojournalist. But he doesn't possess the screen presence or charisma of a 'star'. In other words, Ko is a K.V.Anand film rather than a Jiiva film. Karthika, yesteryear actress Radha's daughter, is lucky enough to land a meaty role for her debut. She looks OK(her eyebrows seem a bit too arched to me) and seems comfortable in front of the camera. Ajmal seems earnest in his role and brings out all the shades in his character without overdoing it. Piaa seems a bit too energetic at times but the sweetness of her character helps her tide over it. Prakashraj is wasted while Kota has more to do in a steretypical politician's role.

Anand and Harris Jayaraj share the credit for the song sequences being watchable even if none of them will feature on any Top 10 lists for picturization. Some popular stars show up for Aga Naga... but the song sequence doesn't dwell on them much. Ennamo Edho... doesn't dazzle with the locations or picturization but the song is so good that it carries us through. But both Amali Thumali... and Venpaniye Munpaniye... feature absolutely breathtaking locales. The former's wideangle shots with Jiiva and Karthika dancing on the precipice are eye-catching while the latter comes at a completely inopportune moment but almost makes us forget that with the locale and the ice sculptures dotting the landscape. Gala Gala... is a college group song shot in a familiar manner.