Meet Parth Bhalerao, the endearing child actor in 'Killa'

There's not a moment's respite for the teen actor. As the cameras flash, he preens and poses, pearly-whites flashing. Once the still guys are done, there are TV crews to take care of and then the selfie-hunters. Parth Bhalerao fiddles with his pixie hair-mop, breaking into the occasional chortle at the attention he's getting at the Pune premiere of his film Killa. "The National Award felt great. But this is special. After all, Pune is my hometown. Being recognised here is different," says the 15-year-old proudly.

Killa, the Marathi drama film directed by Avinash Arun, revolves around an 11-year-old coping with the death of his father. Selected for the 64th Berlin International Film Festival where it won the Crystal Bear by the Children's Jury in the Generation KPlus Selection, Killa was also awarded the best feature film in Marathi award at the 62nd National Film Awards.
As Parth endearingly agrees to pose for the cameras, you understand why the National Awards jury said while giving him a special mention: "For lovable portrayals with a rare aplomb of an impish and caring child in both Killa and Bhootnath Returns."

Parth remembers being overjoyed on being selected for Killa. "My drama teacher had seen my talent in my work on stage. He gave my name. I auditioned for the role and was selected."

Though the story revolves around Chinmay (played movingly by Archit Deodhar), who had the longer role, the 'Lords of the last bench' who Chinmay befriends leave their own mark on the viewer. True, Yuvraj (Gaurish Gawade) with his Dubai Dad, fancy compass box and bike and bullying nature comes across as the leader of the pack, but it's Parth's livewire Bandya, playing the underdog to Gawade, who stays with the audience long after the film is over.

"We had a lot of fun while shooting. We stayed in the coastal town of Guhaghar for three months. The sea, the sand and the bonding with all the boys on the set felt so great that it was sad when we were done," Parth remembers.

The most challenging aspect of the role was being cruel to a local mongrel, he says. "In real life, I love dogs. After the shoot when I tried playing with the dog again, it was running away from me and that felt bad."

"It's exciting to think of college and the freedom," says Parth, who has just passed his Class 10 boards, and remembers the lines, admission forms and other formalities he completed just a year ago. And did he get recognised and mobbed? "That's ok. Feels good to be noticed in college," he says, turning beetroot red when girls are mentioned. "Nothing like that. I'm too young..." he trails off laughing.

He's trying to beg off, but how can we let him go without asking him about playing Akhrot in Bhoothnath Returns with Big B Amitabh Bachchan. "I'm really thankful to Killa because it gave Tiwari Sir (Filmmaker Nitesh Tiwari of Chillar Party and Bhoothnath Returns fame) the confidence to cast me."

Did he feel intimidated, especially since his character had to address Bachchan's character in the first person, push him around, pull his hair and even hit hit him? "From the first time we met Bachchan Sir, he went out of his way to make me comfortable. He would constantly joke and was very friendly and warm. That made me comfortable on the set."

What he then adds, brings in the signature mischievous Bandya in him alive. "See he's not Hrithik Roshan, Ranveer or Salman Khan. He's so senior that I haven't seen all his famous films. That too, definitely helped."
Ouch!