This Dharma Production backed project stars newcomers Lakshya Lalwani (debutant), Tania Maniklata (in her second film) and Raghav Juyal in the lead roles, and is a very close Indian relative to John Wick.
Basic Plot- Business tycoon Baldev Signh Thakur boards a superfast train from Delhi to Ranchi with hir family after arranging his daughter Tulika's engagement against her will. Tulika's long distance NSG commando boyfriend unknowingly boards the same train and attempts to propose her, but is interrupted by a gang of notorious dacoits who also board the train with some not so honest motives.
Positives
Almost all the aspects in this film add up to it's credit and that's quite amazing
Direction and Writing
Seems like director Nikhil Nagesh Bhat has learned from his goofs in Apurva (2023) and has thus made the film Kill extremely to the point, to focus only on the action. This works wonders for this film, especially when coupled with it's short runtime of only 105 minutes which doesn't let the essence of the film fade even for half a minute! The direction doesn't beat around the bush at all and the screenplay is on the same track as well. Written by Ayesha Sayed and the director himself the screenplay is fast paced and promises an adrenaline pumping, chest thumping train ride (quite literally), that keeps you at the edge of the seat throughout the film. The screenplay is just fit for a one line story that Kill has and it is really the backbone of this action entertainer. The direction on the other hand is brilliant as well, as the director skillfully blends emotions in the entire screenplay. While you get the exciting claustrophobic feeling while watching the action (as everything happens inside a train), you do not feel exhausted watching the same due to extremely well placed breathers. There are a handful of subplots as well, which contribute to the overall emotional depth of the film. The dialogues are really enjoyable with particularly dark themes and situational humor in some instances. The director also makes sure that he treats the villains as humans, who become angry at the protagonist, horrified when see their men get brutally killed and even scared of fighting back at several instances. The human emotions of every kind are very well inculcated by the director in the screenplay.
Technicality and Action
War (2019) and Tiger 3(2023) fame action director Oh se Yeong has left no stone unturned for this film which reflects on the silver screen as well. The action is simply not for the faint hearted and even action film lovers will find this film surprising in terms of it's brutality. There is a lot of bloodshed in this film, which is one of the very positive aspects of this film. The action really feels one of a kind from the perspective of an Indian film and it seems like the director has not missed a single opportunity in justifying the film's adult rated certificate. What's interesting is the action with sharp objects which gives the essence of Korean action films, owing to which you witness the sheer brutality throughout the film which never loses it's way, making way for a visual feast with blood as the only option in the menu. Credits to cinematographer Rafey Mehmood and editor Shivkumar V Panicker as well, who take this film on cloud nine with their works. The action is brilliantly edited and shot which gives viewers the gritty feel as intended. The camera work in the fight sequences is great that gives you the feel of a passenger, witnessing things live on the train.
Performances
The lead trio have really exceeded my expectations. Lakshya Lalwani as the protagonist is too good. Not only does he excels in action scenes, but also does equally good in portraying emotional scenes. He has a 'never give up' attitude which boosts his character in the film. Tania is nice. Not very striking as such, but does well in her portions and the show stealer has to be Raghav Juyal in this film. He has his witty nature which really makes you wish that his character has a dog's death. Also, the performance of the lead trio peaks in the interval scene, which has a lot of drama, eventually setting up the second half of the film. Ashish Vidyarthi, who portrays Raghav's father in the film also does a good job. At several instances we see how the father son relationship isn't very smooth (instead of both being dacoits) between them, which often leads to wrong decision making and quarreling among their own group. This is a great addition according to me.
Underwhelming aspects
There are almost no negative aspects of this film. I only wish the film was a couple of minute longer to watch the reaction of Tulika's (Tania) family meeting Amrit (Lakshya) after the film came to a stop. Nevertheless, the ending that the film has is quite nice.
Conclusion
If you are an action film fan, missing Kill on the big screens will be nothing short of a crime. The unapologetic nature of the film stands out tall and confident among every other aspects. Minors getting fatally stabbed in front of their parents, putting someone's head on fire when he's alive, stabbing multiple times and throwing out a character from the moving train only to hear the character getting sliced by an oncoming parallel train as the screen goes black, are some of the many boldly thought and executed scenes that this film has. This film is not merely a regular action film, but a film which shows the brutality, purpose and the aftermath of action. Even if you are not an action film fan, this film is a must watch at the theatres at least to witness what Indian films are capable of.
Watch Out For
All the action sequences, especially the one with a fire extinguisher and obviously the final act.
WTF Recommendation
9/10
