Watch TrailerIn 2014, cinematographer Avinash Arun Dhaware directed Killa, a sensitive representation of the ups and downs that transform an eleven-year-old boy struggling to cope with the death of his father. Along with his mother, they move to a small village from Pune. Thus begins his journey of adapting to the idyllic life of the new place, his new school and a bunch of new friends. Touted to be one of the defining films of contemporary Marathi cinema, the coming-of-age Killa has achieved a cult status over the years and even forms a part of writing courses.
Nine years later, Avinash returns to helming another story themed on childhood and its pangs, this time through the medium of a web series. Titled School Of Lies, it is inspired from a set of true events and takes place at a boarding school named River Isaac School of Education nestled in the hilly, misty and picturesque Dalton Town. One of its students, twelve-year-old Shakti Salgaonkar, suddenly goes missing which wreaks havoc at the school. But there’s more to it. There are many other skeletons hidden in the closet and every mishap seems to be connected. Soon, Shakti’s parents are called and a police investigation begins. The parallel narrative that explores the broken and complicated nature of the relationship shared by his parents also commands your attention.
Killa and School Of Lies might be starkly different from one another in terms of their context and narrative. But what tie them together are the themes of loneliness, disconnect and repression experienced by children and their profound want and need of freedom. Often, children’s emotions are trivialised and brushed under the rug but pain and longing are universal emotions. Avinash successfully delves deep into the spirit and psyche of children and reminds us of the same once again with School Of Lies. In a key scene, we hear Shakti telling his father how suffocated he feels living through the humdrum of life and even when he tries to escape into nature to feel at peace, he still feels stifled. It’s heart breaking. Beautifully, Avinash makes use of his physical and metaphorical lenses to pit the nuances of childhood against the backdrop of untamed nature.
Killa was shot in the stunning landscapes of the Konkan region. The backdrop that included recurrent spells of rain, swollen ponds, seas and rain drenched verdant forests depicted a journey towards teenage. Here too, the abundance of lush green nature plays an important role in heightening the emotional quotient of the narrative. The grey, gloomy and foggy quaintness of Dalton Town helps paint the picture of an almost perfect thriller. Kudos to the writing trio of Avinash, Ishani Banerjee and Nishant Agarwal for helming a story that is all kinds of gritty and nuanced and sinks your heart, leaving a bittersweet taste of childhood and school days in your mouth. We are reminded that children have a mind and voice of their own and they also go through messy emotional upheavals much like adults.
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Now, School Of Lies might be revolving around a private boarding school but it is far removed from the glamorous ones riddled with fashion parades and swooshing swanky cars that we usually get to watch in mainstream Hindi cinema. If you have experienced a boarding school life, you will realise that School Of Lies is as real as it can get. There are references made about bunk partners, ghost alleys and trading boring nutritious meals for desserts. In many way, it may remind you of Nagesh Kukunoor’s Rockford (1999).
School Of Lies may be billed as a thriller about a missing boy but that didn’t deter the writers from fleshing out each characters with a rare finesse, emotionality and simplistic brilliance. Each story will keep you invested no matter how conventional they may be. Needless to say, they deserve spin-offs of their own. The character of career counsellor, Nandita, played by Nimrat Kaur, particularly, will stay back with you. We get a generous glimpse into her complicated romance and love-hate relationship with her ill father. She lets her eyes do most of the talking and underplays the troughs and the crests in her character like a seasoned artist. With her charming presence, she lights up the screen every time. School Of Lies reminds you why she caught your attention even as a debutante and held her own amid powerhouse performers like Irrfan and Nawazuddin Siddiqui in The Lunchbox (2013), and makes you question why we don’t get to see her more frequently.
Geetika Vidya Ohlyan has already proved her mettle with some incredible performances in Soni (2018) and Thappad (2020). If consistency had a name, it would be Geetika. In fact, she takes it a notch higher with her portrayal of a flustered, emotionally unstable and distraught mother whose son is missing. Hers is one of the most layered characters. She is a single mother who is loving and yet flawed and even selfish. Geetika treads that fine line with aplomb and a lot of nuance.
Aamir Bashir plays house master and maths teacher, Sam. While he is the warmest and most supportive faculty member, he is fighting his own demons. In a scene, he is seen breaking down before his elder brother as he revisits a dark and traumatic memory from his childhood. Aamir’s performance will tug at your heartstrings. Speaking about his character, the writers have cerebrally and sensitively touched upon some heavy and risky themes like bullying and institutional abuse, that make the story so much stronger.
Brownie points to the children too who remain the highlight of the show - Vir Pachisia, Varun Roopani and Aryan Singh Ahlawat deliver some solid performances! Sonali Kulkarni, Jitendra Joshi and Mohan Kapur also render an impressive dash to the story.
By the end of it, School Of Lies becomes less of a thriller and more like a homage of sorts to a kind of childhood fast disappearing and one some of us have never even known and despite that, it resonates. Perhaps, the genre it is closest to is life. If you want to take a break from the plethora of fast-paced thrillers and high-octane dramas, give School Of Lies a chance. It will help you reconnect with the times that might not have been the simplest but deeply transformative. Plus, it’s a good-looking, aquarelle-esque series.
