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!

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.

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 is a simple tale of a young Chinmay Kale and his short time in a village in Konkan, and yet it has so many layers. His anger towards leaving his old city, the loss of his father, the anxiety about living in a new place and meeting new people, the joy of making new friends and being accepted and finally the realization of his mother's importance, her grief, her struggles and acceptance of his own life.

All of the above is showed beautifully --- without exploiting any emotion or incident by overplaying the drama. Despite of that, every scene grabs you and your attention.

Debut film-maker Avinash Arun has done a fantastic job with direction and cinematography. But then again the canvas to work with was also beautiful. As someone who has a house in Konkan I can vouch for its beauty. Its white-sand beaches, clear blue seas, gorgeous light houses and lots and lots of coconut trees. Goa maybe the go to destination for many, but there are many hidden gems above in Maharashtra on that coastal line.

Amruta Subhash has done a good job, but that is expected from an actress of her caliber. But the movie belongs to the kids. They are the ones who surprise you and all of them are amazing. Parth Bhalerao will take all the credits for his role as the naughty Bandya, but Archit Deodhar (who played Chinmay Kale), Gaurish Gawade, etc are all brilliant as well. A special mention must be made to Umesh Jagtap who has a very small role of a drunk fisherman and he still leaves a mark.

Killa makes you laugh a lot and makes you sad in places, but best of all it takes you back to your own childhood, which would have been sprinkled with similar moments and friends.

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.