Killa

A Marathi-language film that confidently takes on the subject of pre-adolescent childhood, director Avinash Arun's Killa presents the deceptively simple tale of 11-year-old Chinmay's (Archit Devadhar) itinerant life with his mother (Amruta Subhash)—who has just landed a new job after the death of her husband—as they move to a small coastal town, away from the bustling, populous urban center of Pune. From the opening shot, Arun conveys a palpable visual sense of isolation and alienation from the point of view of fish-out-of-water Chinmay, who must vie for acceptance in a strange new rural environment, slowly but surely coming to grips with the stressful challenges brought on by extreme social change. In one central scene, Chinmay and his new acquaintances take part in a bicycle race to the titular ancient fortress, which is meant to be a bonding activity, but winds up just adding to Chinmay's feelings of being a social outcast. And just as Chinmay and his mother begin to find their footing in the provincial village, their lives will be disrupted by further change. Killa is a strangely affecting and bittersweet film, which holds out an inkling of hope for Chinmay's approaching adolescence. Recommended. (M. Sandlin)