Action thriller Kill gets high praise at TIFF

The most violent and goriest film ever to be produced in India, KILL has awed audiences at its world premiere screenings at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF).

Requiring over 140 liters of fake blood to accommodate all the intense action, and by its closing credit, reaching a body count of over 40 corpses, audiences cheered and gasped along at packed screenings at North America’s largest film festival.

KILL is just the second Indian film selected for TIFF’s popular Midnight Madness category. Its programmer Peter Kuplowsky described the film as a “relentless martial arts thriller.” He added that it “laces its high-concept premise with familial melodrama that cuts across both sides of the battlelines.”

The film is directed by Nikhil Nagesh Bhat. According to its production notes, he started writing it while Covid was raging and lockdowns were in effect. “Somehow, the confinement, helplessness, insecurity and rage found its way on the paper,” he said.

The action is all aboard a train bound for Delhi, as a commando Amrit tries to protect his girlfriend Tulika and her family from a raiding band of dacoits, in what turns into a spectacle of relentless mayhem.

“I firmly believe that within every guardian, there lurks a beast that is unshackled when defending his loved ones. As Amrit’s innocence meets its death, his transformation is palpable,” Bhat said.

Amrit is played by Lakshya, who makes his feature debut as a high-octane action hero. Tanya Maniktala plays Tulika, Amrit’s love interest, while the psychopathic villain Fani is played by Raghav Juyal.

The production design also plays a huge part in creating the malevolent ambience of the film. Shot over just 77 days, it has a uniquely designed train set constructed by Production Designer Mayur Sharma from scratch, according to the filmmakers. In addition, it has brought in Korean action choreographer Se-yeong Oh, to craft the continuous fight sequences.

KILL has the powerful backing of Dharma Production and producer Karan Johar and Guneet Monga’s Sikhya Entertainment.

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