Killa is as much a story of friendship, trust, forgiveness and grief. It makes some nice observations about childhood and the bond between a single parent and a child. You’ll come out feeling a tinge of sadness, but also fully satisfied with how things turn out for our little hero. I’m going with a full five out of five for Avinash Arun’s deeply moving film Killa. If there is such a thing as a perfect film, my vote goes to this one. Don’t miss it. At any cost.

The straight boy who learns to be crooked, the bad-boy gang that holds out the password, the mother who learns to negotiate tricky territories, are all excellent. Bhalerao weve seen before, and hes a twinkly-eyed `badmaash who makes us smile; as also Subhash, who shows vulnerability and strength. Deodar, whos never faced a camera before, wins us over. Some of the feelings that accompany a rites-of-passage film drop it into a familiar zone. In that respect, Umesh Kulkarnis Vihir and Vikramaditya Motwanes Udaan had a little more sharpness and growing-pain in their coming-of-age narratives. But for all that, Killa will stay with me, for its spectacular setting, and for its boy.

‘Killa’ is one of the best films to have hit screens this year and the global recognition at various film festivals that it received, stands as a precursor to the success after its theatrical release. The film comes with English subtitles and is not one to be missed under any circumstances by anyone.

Killa is a deep film with lofty ambitions, and there are parts — like the unpredictability of a moment that ends in a bite of fish — where the film soars jawdroppingly high.Yet, I suspect the scenes that leave you awestruck arent the point of Killa. This is even better. This is a film you should watch for its lovely, lovely lulls.