Killa

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.

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.

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.

Having spent my childhood in Konkan, I couldn't resist getting nostalgic feeling throughout the movie. The movie goes on in a smooth rhythm. All the characters and the events feel so real. All the actors are perfect in their respective roles.

In many scenes the surroundings speak more than the dialogs. Although, I thought the Marathi language was not exactly how people from Konkan would speak.

The photography is very beautiful. Especially the monsoon and the sea are shot beautifully. The sequence shot on the fort was a delight to watch. It is one of those few movies which stays with you even after it is over!