Popular reviews

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  Review by Varghese ★★★★★ 1

  What is it about childhood that one can never erase from the memory? Is it the innocence? Is it the eternal bonding with buddies? Killa takes you back to the wonder years of yore.The days of cassettes,stationery boxes,being a backbencher,bicycling with friends,when life was simple yet enriching, when technology was less prevalent. Those who have shifted schools regularly will instantly connect..Special mention to the spellbinding cinematography which evokes feelings of warmth and nostalgia.The acting is superlative,the direction is taut and by the end you will have a smile on your face. Will make a great double feature along with Stanley Ka Dabba!!!WATCH IT NOW.

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  Review by rahul ranjan ★★★★½

  86/100

  What's so special about Truffaut's '400 blows' or Ken Loach's 'Kes' or so many films by Kiarostami?
  Its the gaze that the film offers to the viewer is not only familiar to them but they're also fond of them plus the authentic dynamics of the relationship of the individual with others in a new environment which transcends borders. Killa possesses those specialities as well.

  Killa or The fortress becomes the spiritual place of protection that Chinmay unconsciously seeks in the new social environment with which he is confronted.
  Killa took me with Chinmay on a journey where the anguish of childhood shapes us and forces us to grow up, become adults or atleast act like adults and be more…

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  Review by arsheeza ★★★★ 1

  Do you ever feel the sense of when you truly missed the days of childhood memories? Well, I do miss those days when you bond with your buds and I think "Killa" really took me those days of friendship and the nostalgic factor to it. It basically takes you back to the years of how nostalgia brings us so much joy, but also tells the realistic approach of what friendship can be and how dynamic the relationship is. And let me tell you, this is one heck of a captivating watch.

  It is told with the utmost care because you can tell how much it means for the director Avinash Arun to tell a coming-of-age drama that is very relatable…

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  Review by Mihir Nanda ★★★★ 2

  One of those rare films which explored childhood friendships so realistically. The misunderstandings, the hesitation, the slow understanding of each other, the bonding, the journey from acquaintances to friends, it's all so nicely portrayed.

  I was reminded of Stand By Me in how relatable and genuine these friendships felt. And how one day, we have to leave our friends behind. Sadly. 😭

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  Review by Kibriya⚡ ★★★★

  New month; new challenge. This time exploring the regional cinema of Maharashtra. 
  The Marathi May Challenge  

  Avinash Arun’s Killa has the same vibe as the recent Letterboxd favourite Three of Us. Forts. Saturated cinematography. Monsoon. Konkan. 

  It made me reminisce childhood. The exploration of friendships and misunderstanding, the fights, fun, making memories is shown so realistically with the genuine and suave performance by the kids. Reminded me of Rob Reiner’s Stand By Me. Oh the pains of growing. Being unique. Going through changes.

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  Review by adpadgaonkar ★★★★★

  Avinash Arun’s Killa managed to evoke so many emotions from me, especially in the way the film chooses to emphasize childhood memories in even the smallest ways. His impeccable ability to bring so much attention to the beauty of the Konkan coast and definition to each character in the film especially stand out to me. I also love how the film navigates the intersections of parental and childhood struggles that stem from difficulties that come with fitting into a new place and its environment. Beautiful, layered masterpiece and I’m so glad that I got to watch it with my mother.

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  Review by Suheb ★★★★★ 4

  i still remember when I first watched it in theatres, I was still in school.
  My dad took me to watch this, and at that time it was THE coming-of-age movie I resonated the most with.
  6 years later, the emotions are same, except now I miss those golden days and I understand the layers of the movie much more perfectly.

  Going to school, doing antics with your friends, teasing each other, carrying lunch in that cloth bags, getting scolding from teachers because you were talking about where to go after school in between of a lecture, feeling betrayed by your friends, in the end celebrating the childhood transitioning period together.

  Avinash Arun is a painter whose each stroke is…

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  Review by Shivam ★★★★½ 2

  Marathi films (Top 51)

  अतिशय गोड आणि सुंदर असा चित्रपट 🌸

  "सागरने नविका मनी संकट मोठे पेरले..
  वादळाने होडीस एका दशादिशांनी घेरले

  शिड तुटले, खीळ खुले..
  कशा काय ह्या वल्ह्याची..
  नविकास ही फिकीर नव्हती..
  पुढे राहिल्या पल्याही..

  नशीब नव्हते पाठीशी..
  नव्हता अनुभग घटिषी..
  उभा थाटला एकटाच .
  युद्ध होते वादलाशी..
  वय वर्ष साठी..

  खलबली विश्वास मोठा जणू..
  त्यास जोड कर्तुत्वाची..
  रौद्र वादळ शांत झाले..

  एकटावला जीव हा..
  कोटुन येतो टाकावू..
  शतभाऊंचे बळ येते..
  जे मातृत्व तरळते मनी"..

  95/100.

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  Review by Ashwani Kumar ★★★★½

  We lose people, mostly friends, over the course of life so often that the bittersweet pain gets normalized and eventually, we reach a stage where we completely forget how it felt then. I cannot emphasize more on the importance of Killa for it treads on that very experience of coming-of-age. Dealing with something as pure as friendship, a bond built on harmony and the love for the companionship of each other, Killa hits no false notes at all. It is no simple merit to actually recreate a universal memory in a dream-like structure, as if an individual is reminiscing more than telling a straightforward story, while also capturing the process of metamorphosis of the same individual in the present. It's a story happening and also a memory being recollected, both at the same time. This is the powerful screenplay of Killa. The last time I saw this happening in an Indian film was when I watched Pather Panchali.

  Waah!

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  Review by Allan Arkush ★★★★

  Films about Childhood often suffer from sentimentality, predictability, and cliched child performances.
  "Killa" from India has none of that. It's about the birth and thwarting of alienation. Beautiful locations and very believable young boys. The Mother is exceptional.

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  Review by SOUAD

  - "الوحدة قاسية وعليكِ إتخاذ بعض القرارات الصعبة. بعد سن محدد، لن تكوني قادرة على التحكم بكل شيء."

  اللعنة لقد أعاد لي الفيلم ذكرياتٍ كنت أظن أنني هجرتها منذ سنوات!

  السينما الفوتوغرافية الشاعرية الخاصة بـ "أفيناش أرون" لا تفشل أبدًا أن تأسر روحي.

  من خلال هذا الفيلم أستطاع المخرج "أفيناش أرون" أن يجسد الحياة كما هي بعفويتها والشاعرية بكل تفاصيلها البسيطة لحتى نغوص بداخلها ونرى المشاعر والروابط المتعلقة برحلة النضوج من منظور طفل، وتأثير تكوين الصداقة وإكتشاف الذات والحنين إلى الماضي وصعوبة التكييف مع تعقيدات الحياة والتغييرات والإنتقال والعلاقة بالوالدين.

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  Review by Neel Mitra ★★★★½ 2

  Told with utmost heart and care, Avinash Arun's Killa is a beautiful coming-of-age story of the 11 year old Chinmay in a fish-out-of-water setting whereby his widowed mother gets transferred to an unfamiliar place whilst he struggles to make new friends and grieve his father's death.

  Not just a heart-touching tale of the bond between a struggling single mother and her son, Killa is also an alluring study of child psychology. The sweet essence of childhood, the innocent friendships, the petty little conflicts and anger, and finally the amends, everything about this film feels so relatable and close to heart, mainly because we have all been through such a phase. There's no unnecessary melodrama in effect and yet the film…