Nikhil Bhat recalls a real-life incident that inspired him to write “Kill”

“Kill” director Nikhil Bhat spoke about the inspiration behind his film and commented on its remake, which is being shot in Hollywood.

Speaking to ANI, he recalled an incident that inspired him to make this film: “There was an incident with me in 1994-95. I was travelling by train. At that time, I was living in Patna and studying in Pune. So the journey took almost 36-40 hours. And I had to do this three-four times a year. I had to travel. There was the Bombay Janta Express. I boarded the train at 11.30 pm in the evening. And by 7.30-8 am, I reached Prayagraj.”

“The train reached there. And it was cold. So I got in and went to sleep. And when I woke up in the morning, I thought Allahabad must have come. When I looked outside, it was very dark. Because it was winter. And when I looked, there were many policemen. When I came out, I came to know that 25 to 30 bandits had looted the second AC coach which was right next to mine during the night,” he added.

He continued, “I was a student at the time. I didn’t know if I had to act in films or not. But I think that incident stuck with me. Somewhere in my mind, it just stayed with me. And in 2016, I wrote this story.”

Lionsgate and 87Eleven Entertainment, the production companies behind the famous “John Wick” series, have announced plans to develop an English-language remake of the Indian action thriller “Kill”.

Talking about the film and its Hollywood-made remake, he added, “It’s an action film through and through. The director of ‘John Wick’ wants to make a remake in English. This is the first Indian film to be remade in Hollywood.”

The film is directed by Nikhil Nagesh Bhat and produced by Karan Johar. Lakshya is the protagonist and Raghav Juyal plays the role of the villain. Kill premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) in 2023.

“Kill,” which had its world premiere in the “Midnight Madness” section of the Toronto International Film Festival and later screened at the Tribeca Film Festival, tells the gripping story of army commando Amrit (played by Lakshya) who races against time and armed opponents on a train to New Delhi to save his beloved Tulika (played by Tanya Maniktala).

Chad Stahelski, Jason Spitz and Alex Young of 87Eleven Entertainment will direct the remake, drawn to the intense action sequences and gripping narrative of the original film, Deadline reported.

“Nikhil delivers relentless action sequences that deserve to be seen by as wide an audience as possible,” commented Stahelski, adding, “It’s exciting to be developing an English-language version – we have big shoes to fill.”

The cast of the original film, led by Lakshya and supported by Raghav Juyal and Tanya Maniktala, has received much praise for their performances, especially in the film’s adrenaline-fuelled action sequences set against the backdrop of a thrilling train ride.

The Hindi-language original was released in India on July 5, 2024.