Kill Film Review: The Gory, Bleaching Experience of Indian Rail Rampage

Lionsgate UK has been tapped by Dharma Productions and Sikhya Entertainment to distribute Kill internationally, following its premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF).

Headed by Nikhil Nagesh Bhat (of Hurdang fame), this is a unique joint venture between Indian and Western production houses. Before it opens widely on July 5, the film will also have its premiere at the London Indian Film Festival.

An ordinary train ride to New Delhi is turned into a bloody battlefield in the narrative of Kill. Once he learns that his girlfriend Tulika, portrayed by Tanya Maniktala in A Suitable Boy, is being coerced into an unwelcome marriage, army commando Amrit, played by Lakshya (in his first film role), sets out on a risky mission to stop the planned marriage aboard the train headed for New Delhi.

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But the trip abruptly changes when a group of masked bandits, commanded by the vicious Fani (Raghav Juyal, Street Dancer 3D), start intimidating the travellers with knives. Amrit responds with a persistent counterattack, driven by his determination to protect the innocent, making the commute a thrilling display of bravery and warfare. An everyday commute became an exhilarating thrill ride due to the high level of adrenaline.

Incorporating the distinctive ‘Dharma Productions’ element of a moving romance, the movie starts off as a forbidden love tale before turning into an exciting gorefest. Regretfully, the screenplay contains a number of flaws despite how solid the idea sounds in theory. For instance, even though they are taking the train, Tulika is the daughter of a well-known businessman. Character development context is lacking. As a result, this makes it harder for the audience to immerse themselves in the reality that is being shown.

Logic is taken with a grain of salt in such stories, which makes sense—they’re meant for escape. The main character’s strategy for fending off the fiercest onslaught is strange, though. The train hijacking bandits are another instance of a development that lacks spark. The background of the characters’ reasons behind their horrifying deeds is barely explored, despite the characters being well-developed. 

The concept is a bit flimsy and predictable at points.

In any case, the compelling action choreography and ambient background score make up for the weak storyline thanks to their excellent technical elements. It’s striking to see how the conflict between good and evil is shown through the use of blue and red. Although the terror is not forced upon the audience, it does help to draw out the characters’ emotions. The brutality elicits a pantomime response. 

It nearly seems as though good and evil are engaged in an instrumental war through the violence. The action and stunts team deserves recognition for their imaginative battle scenes, especially considering the limited area. The cast also does a fantastic job doing these feats.

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For such a remarkable start, Lakshya really packs a punch. The performance is captivating because of his strong physical attributes and strong verbal delivery. He can definitely become a superstar. With kindness, elegance, and beauty, Tanya Maniktala emanates herself onscreen. In the midst of the turmoil on television, she exudes a strong presence. A true show-stealer is Raghav Juyal. 

The figure is made all the more terrifying by his everyday Desire mixed with a dash of comedy. The dark humour is expertly balanced by him. He has never played a different role. Juyal’s father, played by Ashish Vidhyarthi, is a fantastic actor. See him play a villain again after a long break is refreshing.

All things considered, Kill’s release is appropriate. There appears to be a market for fast-paced, bloody content considering the popularity of Animal and John Wick: Chapter 4 last year. The film has certain flaws, but overall it’s worth seeing despite the screenplay and direction. Violence is not something that is for the weak of heart, given its hideous character. That being said, the performances—especially Raghav Juyal’s—will live on. This is going to be your worst nightmare if you believed that the romantic train scenes in Hindi film classics DDLJ and Jab We Met.