With the recent string of movies on rowdies and dadas, it has become commonplace to see our heroes embrace violence. So it is a relief to see a protagonist who tries to run away from it. Kokki is a movie about just such a man. Though based on a single, rather simple plot point, the film short length and fast pace help make it entertaining for the most part.

Uppili(Kota Srinivasa Rao) is a superstitious man whose every move is decided by his astrologer(Manicka Vinayagam). On his advice, the first sight he sees every morning is that of the Ayyanaar outside his window. But one morning, his eyes fall instead on Kokkisamy(Karan), a barber. But the day turns out well for Uppili and his astrologer tells him that seeing Kokki first thing in the morning will make all his days just as good. So Uppili wants Kokki by his side all the time. But Kokki, who is all set to leave his past behind and go to Malaysia, goes on the run. He meets Raji(Sanjana), who also helps him stay out of Uppili's clutches. But Uppili is not ready to let him off the hook that easily.

Kokki is about a man on the run. We are used to heroes going after the villain, the most common reason for that being revenge. But Karan here has no such goals. He just wants to be left alone so that he can carry on with his life. He doesn't go looking for trouble and even when trouble finds him, he tries to get away from it. A few scenes, like when he tries to reason with the police right at a crime scene, make this side of him very clear. This characteristic makes it easier to identify and sympathize with him since that is what most people do in the real world. So by being quite non-heroic, he makes us root for him.

Like Thiruttu Payale, this is another film that is affected by the director's need to make it a masala film. So we get an implausible romance that seems abrupt and silly. Barring having to eliminate the duets, nothing would have changed by having Sanjana simply help Karan as a friend (instead of forcing her to fall in love). But due to Tamil cinema's unwritten rule, we are forced to watch her fall for Karan for no reason at all. Its films like this that make me appreciate Selvaraghavan's daring in Pudhuppettai even more. Thankfully, the director hasn't followed the rules completely and avoids inserting an unconnected comedy track.

The movie starts off in a rather creepy way and though it never goes back to that environment again, it does maintain a rather sober tone throughout (the aforementioned lack of a comedy track helps). But that opening scene is later explained in a completely unexpected twist that reveals the true colors of one of the characters in a surprising manner. Karan's helplessness and tendency to run away from trouble gets a hit towards the end. But the movie avoids becoming completely cinematic.

A noticeably slimmed-down Karan is quiet and brooding throughout in contrast to his usual roles. With darkened face and unruly hair, he is a scary image but his eyes have a sadness that earns him sympathy. Sanjana struggles with a poorly-defined character but shows glimpses of a good actress. Kota Srinivasa Rao acts as usual but Manicka Vinayagam is quietly scary as the astrologer. With a strong voice and good diction, he manages to inject his sentences with a firmness that works well.