Killa

There are many pieces of art that touch your heart, but only some of them can hit you personally, make you feel that whatever happened to you is universal – that something can be intensely personal and shared at the same time. Killa is the latter – a fine piece of art made with such loving attention to detail that hits and stings your heart.

Made by cinematographer Avinash Arun, this national award winning film is a moving tribute to parenthood and coming of age. A story about how a single parent is transferred from the bustling city of Pune to a small sleepy town Guhagar with her 11-year old son Chinmay. A widow – she struggles to come to terms with the loss of her husband and is always questioning her parenting; a child who has just lost his father – Chinmay is grappling with his own issues of abandonment.

A new place, new school, new friends – all Chinmay wants to be is accepted. Not that he realizes that. What follows is his personal discovery of friendship and himself. A tale of realizing that sometimes, it seems like the world is coming to an end, but it's not. Of realizing that true friendship has its way of coming back to you. Of realizing that the first big heartbreak in your life need not always be a romantic relationship, and being okay with that fact.

Killa is about that one moment that defines the end of childhood as we know it. That one moment that changes our perspective, is more often than not sad, but in all probability – makes us a better and stronger human being. Killa will resonate with anyone who has poured his heart and soul into the act of making friends and relationships; with anyone who can trace that exact moment in their life when someone broke the rose-tinted glasses they viewed the world with; with anyone who appreciates the power of silence over words that mean nothing.

Sensitive direction and gorgeous cinematography by Avinash Arun, fantastic performances by Archit Deodhar and Parth Bhalerao and images and moments that stay with you for a long long time after you've walked out of the theater, Killa is an absolute gem and another gem from the new wave of Marathi cinema that continues to impress and delight.

The movie doesn't require language to understand the plot. It seems like a rhythm without music. It is an experience everyone should have. Marathi film industry has proved again that creating a Masterpiece is not a work of money but it requires immense Talent and hard work. The film was appreciated by many international institutions and released late in India, but still it carries wisdom in its every frame.

ExcelVision has another huge feature on its crown by welcoming Mr. Avinash Arun (Director) in Marathi film industry. Very happy with the overall performance and humor. Not finding much to say, but urge everyone to watch KILLA once for the beauty of Mother Nature and excellent roles by the kids in the film.

Very proud to be from Maharashtra. This will be the first Marathi film which I have rated 9/10 on IMDb. Keep up the good work.

Last night I caught this charming Marathi film 'Killa - The Fort'. I feel sorry over having missed this in the cinema. Oh well, at least DVD. Captured from the world-view of young Chinmay (Archit Deodhar) after he moves to a new town on account of his widowed mum's job transfer, the film strongly reminds me of RK Narayan's wonderful novel 'Swami & Friends'. With that literary classic it shares a gentle observational tone, the episodic nature of events told and the ability to see things from a child's point of view. The performances of the young actors are spot on (as also the adults, especially the lovely Amruta Subhash as Chinmay's mum), and although there's never any major unpleasantness, it doesn't try to sugarcoat / idealize the behavior of the kids or talk down to them. It also reminds me slightly of Francois Truffaut's 'The 400 Blows', though a lot more positive in its outlook.

Director Avinash Arun is also the DoP and he does a fabulous job, especially when capturing nature. The shots of dark clouds overhanging the titular fort and the subsequent shower are hugely atmospheric. Editing is also unobtrusively fine, and while there are no songs (thankfully) a lovely melodic instrumental score permeates several moments of the film.

The DVD from Video Palace is good. The image is somewhat soft but seems intentional in the cinematography. No extras, which is a bit of a bummer, but there's a short message from the director on the inside of the (nicely done) digipack talking about his childhood and how it inspired him to make the movie. On the whole highly recommended, unless you only see 100 crore movies.

Another good film from India's 'indie' film movement.

A quiet, simple, sweet/sad portrait of an 11 year old Indian boy dealing with being uprooted from his big city home to a small seaside town after his mother is transferred. He feels like he doesn't fit in, but slowly starts to make friends and a life for himself, only to face various challenges to his equilibrium.

Not a lot happens -- this is more a film of mood and detail than of plot and action. Indeed, for a while I got frustrated waiting for the big dramatic shoe to drop before finally catching on that this wasn't that kind of film. Like real life, even the more 'dramatic' moments are unfinished and their impact unclear. The acting is generally very good, as is the photography.

Nothing that new, but still, a quietly haunting little film that captures the sadness and joy of starting to grow up with tenderness, empathy and gentle humor.

What a performance ....by each and everyone in the movie..... really cool....The scenic beauty is awestruck. Typical Country Side look. In short...simple...elegant and really heart touching.