2.5 stars for the movie Kho Gaye Hum Kahan
Director of the film Kho Gaye Hum Kahan: Arjun Varain Singh
Cast of Kho Gaye Hum Kahan: Rohan Gurbaxani, Adarsh Gourav, Kalki Koechlin, Anya Singh, Ananya Panday, and Siddhant Chaturvedi
The deep statement, “It’s the digital age, lagta hai connected hain par shaayad itne akele kabhi nahin thay,” appears at one point in the movie (We feel connected in this digital age, yet we’ve never felt so alone before). The sincerity with which it is delivered indicates that the author and speaker think this is their first time expressing it. Alternatively, it will resonate well with its PLU target group even if they are repeating it.
An expanded version of this statement of purpose is presented in “Kho Gaye Hum Kahaan,” which stars sexy young actors who are ideal for this world: stand-up comedian Imaad Ali (Siddhant Chaturvedi), astute market planner Ahana Singh (Ananya Panday) and her promiscuous boyfriend Rohan Gurbaxani, gym rat Neil Pereira (Adarsh Gourav) and his influencer girlfriend Anya Singh, who has a million and counting followers.
Best friends Imaad, Ahana, and Neil, who have been close since school, are currently transitioning into adulthood. They are based in Mumbai. The first two are flatmates, the close-knit yet platonic friends that are becoming more and more common in metropolitan areas. They are constantly hopping between one other’s apartments and exchanging notes about unsuccessful dates. Ahana’s self-esteem is at risk due to her intense need for her boy friend’s attention, but she doesn’t care since why won’t he be with her alone? Neil, a parent-only resident, is trying to figure out how to break out from his middle-class lifestyle rut. Will he do a “workout selfie” with Malaika Arora?
This group speaks in a combination of slightly theatrical Hindi and English, creating a visually appealing but carefree youthful vibe. Who says, “main theek nahin hoon”? The conversations between Chaturvedi and Panday, who seems like she may yet become a professional actor, had a hint of meta-ness to it. He had mentioned the advantages she and those like her have in Bollywood during an in-person roundtable. Gourav continues to be as successful as ever.
The movie is essentially an update of the Farhan-Zoya world, which gave us bewildered youths growing to be adults in Dil Chahta Hai and Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara. Even the title of the film reflects this. However, those earlier children were able to hold discussions without the aid of digital crutches since they grew up before cellphones were a permanent part of their lives. It’s almost like you can watch this movie on a phone, as these youngsters use their phones as their pals, adversaries, and bed warmers, minute by minute, looking for approval and connection.
The text is purposefully offensive-free. There aren’t many jokes. You may go through the movie and pause at scenes that attempt to get deeper. For example, there’s a well-done scene where a buddy transforms into a troll, exposing his classist ugly side, and another where a man harms a lady in order to find “closure,” but they are only “stories.”
