Without a doubt, the finest action film to come out of India to date, Kill, directed by Nikhil Nagesh Bhat, is a 106-minute adrenaline-pumping rollercoaster that rips throats, smashes nuts, snaps necks, and will have you on the edge of your seat the entire time.
Kill begins with Amrit (Lakshya), an army commando, learning that his girlfriend, Tulika (Tanya Maniktala), is being forced into an arranged marriage to someone else by her father (Baldev Singh Thakur). Consequently, Amrit, along with his friend and a fellow commando, Viresh (Abhishek Chauhan), travels to Ranchi, intending to break off her engagement and elope with her. However, she decides against it because she is terrified of her wealthy and influential father. While Tulika and her family are on their way back to New Delhi by train, Amrit surprises her with a marriage proposal. She accepts, and they decide to run away, get married, and be together once they arrive in the city. On the other hand, a gang of over 30 bandits, all of whom are extended family members, board the train and begin abusing, assaulting, and stealing from the passengers, led by the ruthless Fani (Raghav Juyal). Upon learning this, Amrit and Viresh decide to stop them, resulting in a bloodbath that has disastrous consequences for everyone involved.
The film’s plot is straightforward, with the first half focusing on the people’s survival from the bandits, while the second half devolves into a violent revenge fest. Initially, the action appears subdued and not to its full potential, owing to Amrit and Viresh being in the army and their reluctance to kill any civilian. But then, just before the end of the first half, there’s a crazy plot twist, followed by the title card reveal, and the second half goes completely bonkers, not only reaching but exceeding all expectations. Nikhil Nagesh Bhat’s screenplay is visceral and brutal as he ensures that no character, whether protagonist or antagonist, has it easy in this film. He makes the audience fear the worst for the characters they like and empathize with and then lets the worst happen to those characters. Nobody gets away with anything. Nobody gets what they deserve.
Through Kill, director Nikhil Nagesh Bhat explores the consequence of death, refusing to let any person’s demise from either side be merely another body count, as is common in action films. With each death, the film becomes more personal and dramatic, the stakes get increasingly high, and the action becomes more ferocious, as characters grab anything they can get their hands on to smash each other, including knives, rods, broken glass, box cutters, hammers, fire extinguishers, etc. There is really no better place to set this film than in the sleeper coach of an Indian train, with its tight quarters, high volume of passengers, and lack of space to stand, sit, or sleep—the most claustrophobic environment imaginable. The impressive action choreography by Parvez Sheikh (War (2019)) and Se-Yeong Oh (Snowpiercer (2013)) complements the claustrophobic setting and, combined with the clever camera placements and tight editing, makes the action (although a bit repetitive at times) as energetic and intense as possible. Furthermore, the amplified sound design of characters banging each others’ skulls on washbasins, mirrors, walls, or anything edgy heightens the impact of the action. Among the many unsettling and memorable scenes is the one in which Fani and his men enter a train compartment and find that Amrit has strung up all of Fani’s men he has killed. Another one is the furious fight sequence near the door of the train compartment between Amrit and the muscular, vengeful Siddhi, played by Parth Tiwari (who is out for blood after Amrit killed his father), in which two ladies decide to join the fight, leading to a cathartic conclusion.
The screenplay’s ability to effectively establish the romantic bond between Amrit and Tulika in just a couple of scenes—the flashback sequence and the charming scene in the train’s lavatory—is also noteworthy. Their chemistry feels genuine, and their relationship is far more endearing and convincing than most recent mainstream Hindi rom-com films. Performance-wise, India gets a new action hero in Lakshya, who gives a compelling performance, showcasing his physical prowess while expertly executing all his stunts. The film’s standout performance, however, belongs to Raghav Juyal for his portrayal of Fani—a ruthless villain who is completely self-aware and knows exactly what he wants. His outstanding portrayal as a cruel and despicable individual has never made me dislike a film character with such passion in recent memory.
Kill movie links: Letterboxd, IMDB
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