The beauty of Killa is the metaphor holds fort

The opening scene itself sets the mood for what Killa is - a visual feast, a trip down memory lane and a gentle tug at your heartstrings. Cinematographer Avinash Arun, in his directorial debut, opens the award-winning movie with a stunning visual of a rain washed forest road and a drenched young boy emerging from the rain. As children, we've all loved playing carefree in the rain. And the grey light and heavy downpour always evokes memories, some romantic and some dark.

With his brilliant portrayal, Arun takes you through the struggles of childhood through the life of an 11-year-old boy who suddenly finds himself uprooted from the city life of Pune and thrown into the sleepy idyllic life of the sea-kissed Konkan region. The rain, which takes on a key character besides the protagonist Chinmay and his mother, is a poignant symbol of the turmoil and emotions that the young boy goes through.

Killa is about Chinmay, or Chinu, an 11-year-old played by Archit Deodhar who, after his father's death, moves from Pune to a village in Konkan with his mother, essayed by the highly acclaimed actress Amruta Subhash. The mother is transferred to the village on a government posting and Chinu, a quiet introverted child, is suddenly uprooted from all things familiar. His grief is compounded by a lack of friends and his struggle to find acceptance among his new classmates. The new life is a struggle for his young mother as well who tries to adjust to the sarkari set-up in a small village.

In a poignant scene that beautifully portrays the emotional turmoil and outbursts that many of us must have experienced while growing up, Chinu beats his classmates in a race as they cycle up to an old fort - the killa. As he wanders off to explore the fort, the skies break into a heavy storm and Chinu finds himself abandoned and alone, left behind by his friends. This triggers an outburst and the betrayed young boy, so far almost reclusive and quiet, accuses his mother of having uprooted him. The emotions feel real without any drama. The storm becomes a symbol of the fears that the young boy faces.

While the movie is about real human emotions, Arun has stunningly used nature to tell the story. The rains and storm depict the emotional turmoil, the calm sea reflects the coming-to-terms with the situation of the young protagonist. And most importantly, the fort stands as a metaphor for Chinmay's feeling - abandoned and lonely, yet strong with turbulent events cause an upheaval. It's an emotion and a state of mind that's universal and that's why you connect with the movie and the characters instantly.

After winning acclaim at film festivals and picking up awards, the film opened in cinema halls last weekend. With English subtitles, the movie isn't restricted only to a Marathi-speaking audience and welcomes all lovers of good cinema for its very real portrayal of emotions, stellar performances and expectedly excellent cinematography.