Killa (English: The Fort) is an Indian Marathi-language drama film directed by Avinash Arun. The film revolves around an 11-year-old seventh grade boy struggling to cope with the death of his father and his journey into coming of age.
| Killa | |
|---|---|
 Film poster | |
| Directed by | Avinash Arun |
| Written by | Tushar Paranjape |
| Produced by | Nishant Roy Bombarde Alan McAlex Vishesh Agrawal Sajid Mansuri Akshay M. Musle Madhukar R. Musle Ajay Rai |
| Starring |
|
| Cinematography | Avinash Arun |
| Edited by | Charu Shree Roy |
| Music by | Naren Chandavakar Benedict Taylor |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | JAR Pictures |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 107 minutes |
| Country | India |
| Language | Marathi |
| Box office | ₹10 crore (US$1.2 million)[1] |
The film was selected for the 64th Berlin International Film Festival where it won the Crystal Bear by the Children's Jury in the Generation KPlus Selection.[2] At the 62nd National Film Awards in March 2015, the film won the Best Feature Film in Marathi award. The actor Parth Bhalerao received Special Mention for his role in this film and Bhoothnath Returns.[3] The film was released on 26 June 2015.[4]
Cast
edit- Archit Devadhar as Chinmay Kale
- Parth Bhalerao as Bandya/Suhas
- Gaurish Gawade as Prince/Yuvraj
- Atharva Upasni as Omkar
- Amruta Subhash as Aruna Kale
- Savita Ashok Prabhune as Mrs. Nivte
- Jui
Plot
editAn 11-year-old seventh grade Indian boy who has just lost his father is forced to adapt to a new school in a small village in Konkan, after his mother is transferred from the city of Pune. The story is about how he copes with his transformation and coming of age on a day by day basis. It is also about the pressures that his mother has to deal with, both as a single mother and at work.
Setting and filming locations
editThe film is set in a village on the Konkan coast of Maharashtra, not far from Ratnagiri, with mentions of Pune as the city they just moved from, and Satara as the town they are moving to at the end of the film.
The fort shown in the film is Vijaydurg Fort in Sindhudurg district. The lighthouse is Jaigad Lighthouse, and general filming takes place in villages in this district. The racing track shown for cycling is near Ganpatipule and the other scenes are shot in Guhagar, Vijaydurga, Palshet, and Pune (as shown in list of locations in movie).
Production
editThe idea for Killa came to Avinash Arun when he was in the FTII and his father kept having to be transferred from job to job. Arun had a difficult time finding work as a cinematographer. So he decided to pitch his idea to a fellow student Tushar Paranjape, who ended up turning it into a full script. When Indian indie production company JAR Pictures showed desire to fund independent cinema from up-and-coming directors, Avinash Arun told them about his story in March 2013. The company decided to greenlight the project, and it went into production after four months.[5]
Release
editThe movie was released in Maharashtra, Karnataka, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Goa on 26 June 2015 in 225 screens.[6] It was released in France (as La forteresse) on 7 October 2015 and in Sweden (as Fortet) at the Göteborg Film Festival in January 2015.
Awards
edit| Award/Festival | Category | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 62nd National Film Awards[3] | Best Feature Film in Marathi | Won |
| Special Mention (Feature Film) for Parth Bhalerao | Won | |
| Berlin Film Festival | Crystal Bear - Best Film Generation KPlus Section | Won |
| Berlin Film Festival | Special Mention - Generation KPlus Section | Won |
| Asia Pacific Screen Awards | Best Youth Feature Film | Nominated |
References
edit- ^ "Court, Lai Bhaari and more: The rise and rise of Marathi cinema". Entertainment. Hindustan Times. 4 October 2015. Retrieved 14 July 2021.
- ^ Barraclough, Leo (15 February 2014). "Berlin: Crystal Bears Go to '52 Tuesdays', 'Killa'". Variety.
- ^ a b "62nd National Film Awards for 2014 (Press Release)" (PDF). Directorate of Film Festivals. 24 February 2015. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 25 March 2015.
- ^ "Killa Releases in June". Killa Facebook Page. 15 February 2014. Retrieved 14 July 2021.
- ^ "Avinash Arun Talks Killa". Indian Express. 20 October 2014. Retrieved 14 July 2021.
- ^ "Why Marathi film industry is on a roll". Mid-Day. 3 July 2015. Retrieved 14 July 2021.