Kill movie review: Lakshya, Raghav Juyal's bloody train ride never slips from track
Lakshya in a still from Kill
Filmmaker Nikhil Nagesh Bhat's Kill is not for the faint hearted. It's bloody and gory, yet it never misses a beat and compels the audience to sit through its nearly 2hours runtime. A film over two hours depicting the goriest action sequences that Indian cinema has ever seen can be a difficult watch. But actors Lakshya, Raghav Juyal and Tanya Maniktala's film takes you on a ride that forces you to pay attention to the screen lest you miss you on some crucial action sequences.
The plot of Kill
Set over a journey in an overnight train headed to Delhi, the film has debutant actor Lakshya playing NSG commando, Captain Amrit Rathod who is on board to meet his bride-to-be Tulika, who is travelling with her family. Things turn awry when a bunch of dacoits hijack the train with their leader Fani (Raghav Juyal) calling the shots. As few passengers are killed in the scuffle, Amrit and his friend, fellow commando Viresh (Abhishek Chauhan) take the situation into their own hands to protect the passengers in the train which includes Tulika and her family.
Things take a dark, gory turn after Amrit witnesses a brutal death during the fight and from there it's just mayhem on the long journey.
In the beginning, you feel Fani is the ruthless one- not as moralistic as his father (Ashish Vidyarthi) and definitely a little maverick in the ways he operates. But Bhat, who also serves as the writer of the film, flips the narrative in the second half and unleashes the animalistic nature of Amrit who goes on a killing spree.
With limited dialogues, the actors rely on physical action and they do not disappoint. Lakshya, in his brooding avatar, appears tailor-made for his role as the deadly, fearless Captain Amrit. Juyal, who has been a popular TV host, and reality TV star, uses his comic timing to make Fani a very interesting villain. He has the best lines which he delivers at some of the crucial moments of the film. Those who have loved Juyal during his TV stint would find the actor's casting surprising- playing the cold, calculative man who doesn't wince or blink an eye when he kills. And Juyal delivers. And while Lakshya, with his biceps and triceps, flexes muscle and kills, Juyal plays the sarcastic villain to the hilt, who is easy on the eyes and yet the most dangerous. Tanya Maniktala has limited role in the film but her character is the catalyst to the plot. Wish there were more scenes of the beautiful and talented actress in the film though.
Twist to the tale
It is also interesting to see how a film that is being pitched as a violent film, isn't just about blood and gore. There are moments when the dacoits want an escape from the mayhem that has unfolded on the train. As they see members of their family being brutally killed, they plead to the leader to abort the plan and deboard the train. They are also dacoits for a reason and Bhat very subtly highlights the state of the impoverished, the class divide and what leads the pack of dacoits to loot and plunder.
Considering the film is set on a moving train, it has limited space and hence it is crucial to keep the pace going. Cinematographer Rafey Mehmood's intrusive camera work and Shivkumar V. Panicker's skillful editing make the film very immersive. There are moments where you may wince due to the extreme gore that is playing out on screen, but nothing looks just for the sake of it. The film also highlights the importance of the foley artists and their work very effectively. A lot of the film relies on sound - just to create the impact it desires and the Foley work is stupendous. Every kick, punch, smashing of heads is felt. The film also boasts of great background score which enhances the fast-paced narrative.
John Wick franchise makers to work on English-language remake of Indian film Kill
Kill is truly one of the most violent films that India has seen so far. But it is also a revenge saga that has a solid story and credible performances to back it. It never misses a beat, effectively uses the confined space in which the story is set and delivers an edge-of-the-seat action thriller.
Kill releases in theatres on July 5.
