Kho Gaye Hum Kahan detailed review; An ode to friendship, vulnerability and digital media
21st century, the world is running at an uncatchable pace with a time and space that encircles all around Internet, social media and it's utter complexities. But wait, isn't that what we have eventually made a home with, a life to be more precise. I am one among them, the one among the youth whose life is completely reflected with my social media handle. Referring the same realm of the 'so-called' digital lifestyle, filmmaker Arjun Varain Singh has paid a sheer ode through the brand new movie Kho Gaye Hum Kahan bringing together the young casts, Ananya Pandey, Siddhant Chaturvedi and Adarsh Gaurav.
Kho Gaye Hum Kahan leads to a perfect ending of 2023
Released on Tuesday, 26 December, 2023, 'Kho Gaye Hum Kahan' is a perfect ending to the year for the Indian OTT I suppose. A socially relevant Netflix movie that will make you think twice before running your today's social media errands. The candy floss Instagrammable life has been blended with perfectly refined characters that doesn't not only feel relatable to the live's behind our sunkissed smile and oozing vacay at the white sand beaches but also takes us through the sheer complexities one goes through while sharing something hollow on social media, hollow that yet looks fabulous. The contrasting reality is stiked in the cameras with perfection. Earlier, when I said relatable, the characters are indeed something that felt like our own voices that are perfectly amulgamated in different personalities by Arjun Varain Singh, whether it was Ahana Singh(Ananya Pandey), Imaad Ali (Siddhant Chaturvedi) or Neil Pereira (Adarsh Gourav).
Character Review
The movie revolves around a beautiful friendship shared between a trio - Ahana, Imaad and Neil. Three of them from three varying backgrounds shares the 'will die for you' bond who lives in the city of Mumbai.
Siddhant Chaturvedi plays the character of a stand-up comedian, Imaad Ali who has his past traumas and fear of emotional intimacy. Sid as Imaad outshone a perfect youngster in the movie who goes past and beyond to make people laugh even during his own miseries which he surprisingly reveals during the ending sequence of the film. The scene where Imaad conffesses his fears of touch and emotional attachment that left everyone in tear weaving eyes. His character proved that not every playboy is a playboy by will, it might one's way of dealing traumas and getting throughs shits, which is indeed uncanny but ofcourse a relatable man for the generation.
Ananya on the other hand has played Ahana Singh, an MBA holder who holds her own expertise in marketing and business. With a fruitful life, she has her own vulnerablities and insecutrities that leds her doing one thing or the another on social media that goes all wrong. Sharing extreme fake scenarios to ooze her previous lover makes her a pawn to the social media realm and what we often call 'fake life', whether wearing a red bikini to click a picture or to go out on a date to ignite the fire in Rohan(Ahana's ex). As a lover who loves unconditionally even in the flingy era knows no limit of expressing the love but what if the lover has never been the right one for you from the beginning? What if you are just burning your own self in the process of making him believe your worth? Trust me, Ahana did it everything, Ahana portrayed every lover from the generation who once loved blindly and Miss Pandey as 'that' girl did sheer magic to the character and led the whole movie like a diva.
Neil Pereira, the third one from the trio is a 'not-so-enlightened' boy with a middle class background(FYI Ahana and Imaad comes from a rich background). Neil plays a moving character who is mentally burdened with a family that lacks luxury and a satisfying life, which to change he dreams big and of-course that pays in the end. As a gym trainer, Neil is unhappy from his love life too who decides to ruin the life of his lover who cheats on him for an another man who is more priviledged. His character highlighted all the reflex descisions the modern genration takes in haste, mental burden and live's sheer complexities, but what is important is learning the lesson from the mistakes and Neil Pereira is a perfect example for that.
Bollywood actress Kalki Koechlin also has a special cameo in the film who has shown her finesse caliber in her not-so-long sequences. Simran Kohli, a strong photographer who takes the charge of re-building her life after the death of her lover is utterly satisfying, and portrayed a beautiful love angle with Imaad Ali. Her acting indeed carries the prowess of hypnotism!
Final Verdict
The movie proves the digital world and it's issues on perfect angles and hence makes you believe on perfectly right spots of understanding the truth behind the blingy lifestyle and proves that Instagram does not have picture perfect life everytime. Every human has life with his/her own vulnerablities and scars that we barely show them to the world. No matter however happy one does look in the pictures, every smile carries a burden that is beyond the ages. With a generation that breathe in-and-out the air of internet also have to deal with so many other issues that are perfectly captured within the movie. Kho Gaye Hum Kahan is truly an embodiment of reality. More than a movie, it is a perfectly curated ode to friendship, vulnerability and digital media.
The opinions expressed earlier belong exclusively to the author; PTC Punjabi is not affiliated with the viewpoints expressed in the reviews.
-