Killa

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!

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.

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.

Killa, a movie about 11 years old 7th grader school boy who has some friends in Konkan.

Kids and their childhood. What an amazing a simple story it is!

I don't understand the language of this movie so i watched with English subtitle. Don't worry. It's very easy to understand this movie. At first, i was so happy. Kids doing their kids things.

When i was a child i had similar story. My dad had a job but he got transferred into a different city. I lost some best friends. I am not sure whether I'm the right person to answer this question but here you go. Yes, same thing happened with me. And i know how much it hurts, i know especially when that someone used to be your best friend, someone with whom you used to share every little secret of yours. But you know what, those days are not going to come back and the fact is that you have got to move on. Sooner or later.

I can remember them now. You don't have to read any reviews or see any ratings. You can open your eyes and watch it without any doubt.

The place, I'm from Bangladesh and i never heard or saw konkan before. The place and landscape on this movie was so amazing and refreshing. The ocean view wow! I wish i could visit this place.

When i was watching this movie it felt like I'm in this movie. It feels so realistic to me. Some part was so joyful and some part are heartbreaking.

I'm giving 9/10 Because this movie deserves it. I really loved this movie. Worth to watch with full family.

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.