Nikhil Nagesh Bhat is currently the most talked-about filmmaker from India, what with his Kill setting new standards for onscreen violence.
In a freewheeling interview Nikhil says his exposure to cinema started late. “When I was in Patna, while growing up I wasn’t allowed to watch films or even Chitrahaar. So I used to bunk school and go and watch morning shows in Patna movie theaters .I saw all kinds of action films at that time. So my parents probably tried to stop me from watching 100 films, I saw 500 in return!”
Nikhil reveals the trigger point for this train-terror actioner was a train journey. “I used to travel to Pune from Patna by Bombay Janta Express in sleeper class . Raat ko soya aur jab Allahabad aane ka time tha, tab aankh khuli. To dekha ki koi chhote station pe gaadi ruki thi. While I was sleeping away in the night, the AC class was being robbed. In my coach, there were some soldiers from Danapur. They started saying, had the dacoits attempted to rob our coach, we would have shown them. This incident stayed with me. This was way back in 1994-95 .”
All the action scenes in Kill were scripted. “Yes, Sir. I wrote the entire action in the script. Because I had never done action before. So had to write everything in detail. I mean all the steps as well. Smallest of detail. And that was beautifully choreographed by Mr. Oh. And we trained the actors for almost 3-4 months. Everyday, everyone,including the actors playing the goons.It’s a genre film ,Sir. I think we are quite ready for a film like this. I mean we in India are huge fans of John Wick and The Raid, Old Boy… I guess we were waiting for this to happen. Moreover Sir, films from the South and recently Animal have also been visceral. So I think we are ready. Loha garam hai! My earlier release Apurva had violence which was not shown. It was assumed. In most of the scenes. It was left for the audience’s imagination. Kill is out there for everyone to see. I am learning to experiment with angst in films. Dheere dheere baahar aa raha hai.”
The actors suffered several injuries while shooting . “ Because it’s a close encounter combat film, everyday, there was some injury, his eye was injured, neck was hurt, shoulder got hurt… in fact, Tanya Maniktala broke her arm in one of the action sequence
Nikhil began work on Kill during the Covid lockdown. “I started writing during the first wave. A lot of insecurity, feel, confinement, claustrophobia… I think all this found the way into words and feelings.”
Speaking on the films that have influenced Kill, Nagesh says, “Cinematically, I feel Aliens is a huge influence where the protagonist and the antagonist, both are trying to survive and protect their loved ones. The creature and the astronaut both. Then Rambo and Kill Bill. There are so many films which cast an influence but these are on top.”