Marathi film Killa bags the Crystal Bear award at Berlin Film Festival

In a significant achievement, Marathi film Killa bagged Gläsernen Bär (The Crystal Bear) for the best feature film and also got the Special Mention from the International Jury of KPlus- a first for an Indian film. Killa is the third Marathi film to be selected in Berlinale in its entire history and is the first Indian feature film to win this coveted award. Produced by Madhukar R Musle, Ajay G Rai, Alan McAlex under the banner, Jar Pictures and presented by M R Filmworks, the film was a part of NFDC Film Bazaar’s Work-in-Progress (WIP) Lab in 2013. Producer Ajay G Rai says, "The recognition from Berlinale underlines our faith and commitment to produce quality cinema. We feel honoured and proud to represent Indian cinema on global platform." Talking about why he believed in the film Ajay adds, "Killa is a heartfelt and sensitive portrayal of emotions and I feel everyone will identify with the characters. We are looking to release the film this summer in May." The ecstatic first time director and FTII graduate, Avinash shares his feelings on winning the award. "It's a wonderful feeling. I am completely overwhelmed by how children reacted to the film. I think the film reached to its audience where it belongs to. I am so thankful to Berlinale for providing us this platform to showcase our culture" says Avinash who has earlier worked on Kai Po Che and is currently working as the Director of Photography for Nishikant Kamat's next starring Irrfan Khan. Starring Amruta Subhas, Archit Deodhar, Parth Bhalerao (Stars in Bhootnath Returns) and Shrikant Yadav, Killa deals with the universal conflict of migration and how it impacts the lives of people, especially children. The movie is slated to hit cinema screens in India, in May.