Killa- Movie Review

       Overall plot-

Chinmay has to shift from Pune to a village in Konkan because of his mother’s transfer. Change of place and area can take its toll on anyone’s life- be it a 12 year old or a grown up. This story is about how Chinmay and his mother cope up with the life of village Konkan, its people and the respective surroundings.

                                 

                                       Killa- Movie Review

    Avinash Arun (the director) got the idea for this movie when he was studying at FTII. His father had to be transferred from his job from place to place which displeased Avinash. In a way we can say that Chinmay (Archit Deodhar) in the movie portrays the real life Avinash. Screenplay writers Tushaar Paranjype and Upendra Sandhaye have done a great job in putting it on paper. That could explain why the movie managed to capture all the nuances and subtleties of the topic at hand, as gracefully as it can.

     The major topic in question is- are you able to guess what goes on in your child’s mind?

The film subtly answers this question without any tinge of melodrama which could primarily be the reason why the movie bagged praises, and awards.

      Chinmay (Archit Deodhar) is portrayed both talented and artistic in the movie, fondly named as ‘Shishyavrutti’ (scholarship) by his friends. From playing the wise but quiet kid, to portraying the angry and demanding one, he carried it off easily in one movie sequence itself. Owing to this reason I can safely say that Archit was completely in Chinmay’s skin while playing the role. Although the movie appears to be slow and tacit but Bandya and Chinmay’s other friends manage to pull off the humour quotient of the movie appreciatingly. Talking about the entertaining part, I can’t help but give a standing ovation for Bandya’s (Parth Bhalerao) performance in the film. You can say it merely by observing him that it’s not just his dialogues which are doing the trick. Bandya by himself has the capability to tickle the funny bone.

      I found the direction of the movie expecially appealing. From getting the children to do their part, to bringing out the best in them and giving a justice to the screenplay at the same time, Director Avinash Arun has done a fabulous job. The film doesn’t simply tell you a story; it gets you enagaged with itself in the ‘KILLA’ and gives you the feel of-

- Sound of the waves carrying its message.

 -A view from the top of the killa signifying the heights to which the movie has reached.

-The gentle feel of air of the movie, reaching out to your soul.

      Apart from the direction and screenplay, another element worthy of a credit is its editing. Editor Charu Shri Roy, conspicuously made sure that he gives his personal best for this masterpiece. He knows direction, he knows writing, and maybe it is this knowledge that made him ‘trim’ the movie just right. In that way,I would be lying if I say that only the director deserves a credit; editors, screenplay writers, cinematographers, etc everyone is worthy of a praise for creating this masterpiece.

    Overall I would give this movie 4.5 star.

Epilogue-

Awards bagged by the Movie (Berlin Film Festival)-

 Crystal Bear- best film generation  Kplus section.

 Special mention- generation Kplus section.

 Role I would have liked to play- Bandya.

                                                       Thankyou :)

Goshta Tashi Gamtichi- Drama Review

          In spite of the progression of cinema, theater hasn't lost its charm yet. Actors performing live for a host of audiences sounds more enchanting than watching a movie on a 70mm screen. According to me, it takes actual talent of acting to express yourself in front a large audience. Marathi dramas for that matter, never fail to entertain me. I will be writing reviews of dramas over here, in my blog. 

                  Goshta Tashi Gamtichi (A story of fun.)

  The plot revolves around a maharashtrian family which skillfully portrays the nuances of the life of any regular middle class family.
    Kunal, (Shashank Ketkar) plays a role of the son of a middle class teacher Mr. Sanjay Dikshit (Mangesh Kadam) and Mrs. Vaasanti Dikshit (Leena Bhagwat). After his graduation, Kunal takes the decision of becoming an entrepreneur. The thought of his only son wanting to do business instead of a stable government job, is highly shocking to the closed mindset of Mr. Dikshit. To top it, Kunal a rebellious son, is shown at loggerheads all the time with his father. Quarrels between them with no apparent conclusion are shown frequently. Both the son and father standing by their own ground, are reluctant on accepting each other’s views. When a middle class closed mindset battles with its adversary- a turbulent broad mindset, the resulting consequences given their respective natures are quite predictable. But the flow of events and the plot tend to be quite gripping. 
Mrs. Vaasanti Dikshit is an interesting character too. Indifferent to the dispute sessions between her son and her husband, Vaasanti is showcased as the occasional mediator between their arguments. In spite of having almost no contribution in their quarrels, she even makes her silent presence felt onstage by the occasional inputs like- closing the windows during their argument, laughing once in a while at either of their dialogues, etc.       
 One of the many debates between Kunal and his father, lead them into playing a game of listening to one command of each other per day. In the first round itself, Sanjay Dikshit fails to obey a simple command which required him to say “I love you, beta” to his son and instead ends up saying “I hate you”, rather gravely. The game progresses with similar commands. One among them required Sanjay to take his wife on a date. Sanjay Dikshit, who never crossed the protective boundaries of “Parla (E)” as they mention it, takes his wife to Juhu beach for a “date” where they rediscover their love for each other whilst their merry making. One can’t help but smile while observing their chemistry which is quite resembling to any middle class couple. 

“You are never too old to express your love towards loved ones. Confessing the same once in a while actually strengthens the bond.”

     In another command, Sanjay out of nowhere asks Kunal to leave the house for 3 days. That, I would like to call as the defining moment of the play because it is only after it, that the actual topic (Generation gap) starts to materialize. He does oblige to his father’s command. Kunal returns after three days, with the understanding for his father’s viewpoints, thinking and life. Just like Kunal learns to accept his father’s viewpoints, so does his father learns to accept his son’s decisions giving a conclusive end to the ‘gamtichi goshta.’

     

   The plot effectively not only covers the problem at hand, but also provides solution to tackle the same.However the sudden light of wisdom in Kunal’s thinking after he leaves home is something that appears like a utopia. But that can be accepted, considering rest of the plot. After all, anything that takes us away from reality sounds entertaining!
Barring that, the drama is very much novel in its reach, and it is something which every family could relate with. In spite of being a common topic, the writer Mihir Rajda has done a fabulous job in making it look novel and different. Equal credit must be given to the director Advait Dadarkar too, for maintaining the entertainment and seriousness quotient at the same time. 
 It has its own quirky, funny, relatable elements which makes it a complete entertainment package

Overall, I would give the drama 3.5/5 stars.