Skip to main content

Killa-review

Had reviewed this movie for the print publication I work for. After a long time, I felt a movie deserves a repeat watch. Again and again..till I have my fill of the blue, green seas.

Hdg: A Journey

Guhagar, the coastal town in Maharashtra, is a perfect holiday spot for those residing in Pune, Mumbai and Kolhapur. Sun and sand is what people are looking for, and that’s what the coastal towns are known for.

In Killa, however, you are treated to the gloomy, stormy, choppy, placid waters, the rising and ebbing of tides and the sinister palms swaying in the twilight. Avinash Arun (who is also the cinematographer) morphs the Konkan into an unknown entity. It’s achingly, hauntingly beautiful and fearsome, all at the same time.

The rolling waves and the pouring rain sum up the feelings of a fatherless 11-year-old, who has been uprooted from his family, to be planted into a different soil. Chinmay Kale (Archit Deodhar), who moves from Pune to Guhagar, after his mother (Amruta Subhash) gets transferred there, resists the idea. He broods, scowls, acts snooty and finally smiles.

Killa is set in the ’90s, yet it’s not a period film. And, though it’s going down memory lane for the director, it’s not a nostalgic look at school days. It digs deeper — it’s about trying to fit in, trusting others and ourselves and flowing with what life has to offer. A part of it is coming of age drama, when young boys suddenly grow older. Depicting this transformation with finesse are the irrepressible mischievous Suhas aka Bandya (Parth Bhalerao) the class leader, Yuvraj (Gaurish Gawde) and the egg-head Omkar (Atharva Upasani). They give the movie its tense, funny and wise moments. However, unlike other films meant for children, which paint them as ‘mature’ or ‘sugary sweet, cute faced’, Killa keeps it real and understated.

In this amazingly visual film, the only jarring note is that of the drunkard, through whom Chinu learns to trust the world. Too many movies have employed the drunkard or village wastrel to show the light to the protagonist.

A special mention must also be made of Amruta Subhash, who fights her own dilemmas in her government job. Towards the end, and this is no spoiler, both sail on to calmer seas — wise and content.

A placid turn to the stormy beginning. And, a reason enough to watch this journey.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Portrait of a poet

This has already been published in the Sunday supplement. Krishnaji Keshav Damle also known as Keshavsut --- Poetry never really appealed to me. And, so it was with great reluctance that I agreed to my husband's plan to visit Keshavsut Smarak – a memorial raised in memory of 'Father of Modern Marathi Poetry', Krishnaji Keshav Damle – in Malgund. We were in Ganapatipule at that time and decided to go to Malgund, a 10-minute drive (a kilometre) from the popular tourist destination. A sign-post told us to take a left turn and what greeted us, at the end of the lane, was tranquil silence. No security guards, no tourists, just a plaque announcing that Damle, popularly known as Keshavsut, was born in the red-roofed house, surrounded by green shrubbery. Keshavsut's house in Malgund  A poem by Keshavsut  The house, renovated in the old style, was near-empty, except for Keshavsut's portrait that was hanging from the wall in the front room. In the
Post a Comment
Read more

Many ideas of ‘self’ (Review of Pratibimb, Marathi play)

With Mahesh Elkunchwar’s name as a writer associated with Pratibimb (Reflection), you know nothing in the play will be at face value. Nothing is what it seems. It is difficult for commoners to get into Elkunchwar’s mindspace, which is precisely the subject of the Marathi play, which was staged earlier in August and will now be performed again on Friday, September 15 at Sudarshan Rangmanch, Shaniwar Peth. While watching the play, it’s evident that the viewer has to peel various layers to get to the core of the story — Who are you? What does ‘self-identity’ mean? Is it so bad if your reflection goes missing or if you have no identity? Thokale (a white-collared office goer) wakes up one morning and finds his reflection missing. Enters Bai, his landlady, who tries to assure him that nothing is lost. In fact, it could be a ‘breaking news’ for the newspaper. This perhaps could have led to a lot of chaos physically. Instead, we are led to the darkness looming large in our dystopian minds
Post a Comment
Read more

Valu and more

Visited Poman Pimpale village where Marathi picture Valu was shot. --- Documentary la chala… came the shout and Poman Pimpale villagers slowly started gathering at the village square. The children were already there, jostling each other, eager to see the ‘documentary’ – Marathi film Valu, which was shot in this village, some 14 kms away from Saswad. On the occasion of the film completing 50 successful days, the cast and crew of Valu, decided to host a special screening for the villagers on Saturday as a tribute. As Umesh Kulkarni, the director of Valu says, “ The movie is a collaborative venture of the villagers and myself. Valu is theirs as much as it is mine.” You just need to mingle with the crowd to find out what Umesh says is true - it’s their movie that the villagers have gathered to see. Pradeep Poman, a village elder, says that they enjoyed the whole film making process. “It had become a past time for us. Whenever we had some time to spare, we just went to see the shooting.
Post a Comment
Read more