Debut director Arjun Varain Singh gives an honest insight into the phenomenon of social media and how this made youth less communicative with each other.
Kho Gaye Hum Kahan (Hindi) Starcast: Ananya Pandey, Siddanth Chaturvedi, Adarsh Gaurav, Kalki Kochelin, Anya Singh and others Director and writer: Arjun Varain Singh Additional writers: Zoya Akhtar, Reema Kagti and Yash Sahai Music directors: Sachin- Jigar, Ankur Tewari and others Production Companies: Excel Entertainment and Tiger Baby films Genre: Drama Running time: 2 hours and 14 minutes Streaming site: Netflix
Since internet arrived there has been a huge bloom of social media in everyone’s life particularly the Gen Z. There is no denying that social media has its advantages; communication and spreading information has become easier whether it is for good or bad. But at the same time social media does come with its own share of negatives. There is an obsession to seek validification from complete strangers. Arjun Varain Singh uses the tonality of Dil Chahta Hai and Zindagi na milegi dobara to deliver a timely story that never becomes preachy. What also helps Kho Gaye Hum Kahan is its principal cast. The trio of Ananya Pandey, Siddhant Chaturvedi and Adarsh Gourav are in brilliant form.
Ananya Pande, Siddhant Chaturvedi and Adarsh Gourav
Kho Gaye Hum Kahan starts off with establishing the lifestyle of Ahana (Ananya Pandey), Imaad (Siddhant Chaturvedi) and Niel (Adarsh Gourav). They live in a spacious apartment in South Bombay with French windows. Everything looks sleek on the surface but as the story progresses we come to know more and more about these characters. One of the things that make this trio relatable is the side effects of social media.
They have their own share of trauma and insecurities. Their only way of dealing with it is seeking validation on social media. For example Imaad is a Tinder addict who has a major problem with long term relationships. He is a standup comedian who uses humour as a tool to camouflage his internal issues.
Seems like someone dissecting my life: Ananya Pande
Seems like someone dissecting my life: Ananya Pande
Niel is a gym trainer who has dreams of starting his own one day. He doesn’t have the same financial safety as Ahana and Imaad. He constantly compares himself to others by looking at their social media posts and falls deeper into the abyss. He is also in a relationship with a social media influencer Lala (Anya Singh). Lala wants to keep her relationship with Niel a secret as she doesn’t want her ‘hot’ image to be disturbed.
Lastly there is Ahana who has the most stable job among the trio. Ahana is a marketing executive but she also comes with her own share of problems. These include both professional and personal. Her boyfriend suddenly decides to break from her with no valid reason. She retaliates by opening an instagram account and starts posting good pictures of herself presenting a happy image but deep down she just wants to gain back the attention of her ex boyfriend.
Hone do jo hota hai, the song that involves almost every actor
Things take a turn when three of them decide to start a business together. However their personal equations go through many upheavals that impact their professional moves.
A major strength of Kho Gaye Hum Kahan is the way the three protagonists have been written. All of them are flawed and there are times where they are outright unlikeable too. Still many youngsters will find a little bit of themselves in them. Thanks to Zoya Akhtar and Reema Kagti’s sensitive writing these characters never become one note or caricaturist.
Director Arjun Varain Singh also does a good job in weaving the angle of class disparity through the character of Niel. There are moments when Niel judges himself and feels like an odd man out.
Kho Gaye Hum Kahan also makes some important points on the lifestyle of social media influencers and how this has a severe affect on youngsters who want to ape them.
Ananya Pande explores social media
The film begins off as a breezy friendship drama but soon enters into a very different zone altogether. It becomes a relationship thriller about loneliness in digital age.
Fortunately the direction coupled with the writing makes this a smooth process. However there are a couple of aspects that could have done with more insight. One of them is the co living.
The performances of the central cast also help the film immensely. After 2022’s Gehraiyaan Ananya finally gets a part with some substance. The actress is pitch-perfect in portraying the vulnerability of Ahana. Ananya displays a huge level of maturity in handling different emotions. She also shares a good camaraderie with her two co stars particularly Siddhant. There is a breezy vibe between them that makes it instantly endearing to the audiences.
Compelling watch
Siddanth Chaturvedi also gets into the skin of Imaad. He does a very good job in conveying the emptiness and the inner pain hiding behind the mask of standup comedy. Adarsh Gourav continues to show why he is a bundle of talent after White Tiger. He shines bright as the conflicted Niel who wants to hide his middle class upbringing.
Kalki Kochelin plays an older woman who gets involved with Imaad. She is a photographer who is seen doing a project on people who use Tinder. There is nothing to complain about her performance but the character could have done with more meat.
Kho Gaye Hum Kahan is both entertaining and also highly relatable. It should definitely be on your watch list.
2023 has definitely been a far better year for Bollywood in more ways than one. Films like Pathaan, Jawan, Animal, and Gadar 2 have become major blockbusters.
In addition to being blockbusters, both Pathaan and Jawan opened to good reviews.
On the other hand, Animal had mixed reviews. Despite severe criticism about the toxic masculinity promoted in the movie, Animal broke many box office records majorly due to the performances of Ranbir Kapoor, Anil Kapoor, and Bobby Deol.
Gadar 2, as a film, has no emotional impact like its prequel, but there was enough for the hardcore masses to enjoy. Sunny Deol proved he still has the charisma to play a mass hero by pulling off the gravity-defying action sequences.
Apart from these blockbusters, other films that attained hit status include Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani and OMG 2.
2023 has also been a year where not-so-mainstream actors Pankaj Tripathi and Vikrant Massey successfully carried their films on their shoulders. Well, I’m talking about OMG 2 and 12th Fail.
Now, let us get into more details about the best of 2023 Bollywood films, not necessarily the blockbusters.
Pathaan
Siddarth Anand’s globetrotter was an eagerly-awaited movie since it marked Shah Rukh Khan’s comeback to the silver screen as a leading man after a long gap of five years.
Shah Rukh in a still from ‘Pathaan’. (X)
Siddarth Anand had a huge responsibility on his shoulders, and the director more than succeeded in delivering a popcorn entertainer with the aid of a fast-paced screenplay by Shridhar Raghavan.
What also made Pathaan the perfect mass entertainer was the strong antagonist in the form of John Abraham.
The combat sequences between Shah Rukh Khan and John were well-executed. John Abraham’s Jim was not just menacing, but he carried an angst. Jim had a solid back story explaining why he did what he did.
Another strong aspect of Pathaan is the backstory of how this spy gets this name. The scenes of Shah Rukh Khan with the locals of Afghanistan have so much warmth in them.
Shah Rukh had a blast playing a full-fledged action hero. He was in equal parts charming and rugged. However, after delivering a series of subpar outings, John Abraham surprised everyone in this action entertainer.
Dimple Kapadia, as the boss lady, was also in fine form.
There were some things in Pathaan which did not quite work. One was the simplistic way the topic of patriotism and the Pakistani angle were dealt with.
Also, the love story between Shah Rukh Khan and Deepika practically jumped out of nowhere.
However, in the final tally, Pathaan was the ideal mass comeback for Shah Rukh Khan.
Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani
Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani and Satyaprem Ki Katha were easily the best romantic films Bollywood produced this year.
A poster of ‘Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani’. (X)
Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani had all the staple elements that one expects from a Karan Johar entertainer.
There were larger-than-life sets and some exquisite costumes, particularly gorgeous saris worn by the women. However, there was more to the film than just mere gloss.
Karan Johar subverted some of his own themes from his previous films — like how fear is camouflaged as respect in our culture. He also made some pertinent points on the side effects of toxic masculinity.
Most importantly, Through the role of Ranveer’s Rocky Randhawa, Karan Johar presented a protagonist willing to change and evolve into a better human being.
Just like Ranbir Kapoor’s Ranvijay Singh in Animal, Rocky does not share the best relationship with his father. But he never uses it as an excuse to become a wild “animal”.
In Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani, many scenes could be watched on repeat mode. The sequences of Rocky flirting with Alia’s Rani Chatterjee in his broken English and her amusement bring a smile to the viewers’ faces.
The decency of Ranveer backing off when Rani clarifies that nothing more can happen between them was refreshing.
The scene where Rani proposed to Rocky in the middle of a road was definitely filmy but adorable, given how Karan switched the gender roles.
A major highlight of Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani was the recreation of the song “Dola Re Dola” from Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Devdas (2002).
Ranveer’s Rocky Randhawa performing Kathak with his prospective father-in-law (Tota Roy Chowdhury) was a pleasant surprise.
The different emotions that Rani Chatterjee went through — from shock, wonder, and finally extreme happiness — were portrayed brilliantly by Alia.
In the second half, the messaging got heavy. Nevertheless, it was not a deterrent.
The performances of the principal cast were brilliant all through, with particular mention of Tota Roy Chowdhury as the Kathak-loving man.
Satyaprem Ki Katha
A still from ‘Satyaprem Ki Katha’. (X)
Just like Rocky Randhawa in Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani, Kartik Aryan’s Sattu in Satyaprem Ki Katha was also a protagonist willing to evolve and change.
Sattu was initially shown as an underdog well out of Katha’s (Kiara Advani) range.
But circumstances not only bring them together but also get them married.
Katha had a haunting past that was initially assumed to be the result of a bad break-up with her ex-boyfriend. But later, it turned out to be something more sinister.
The film was essentially a relationship drama while dealing with an important social issue like date rape.
Director Sameer Vidwans did a good job of depicting the issue of consent in relationships.
At times, Sattu came across as too patient with Katha, but he was never presented as some social reformer. The change in Sattu happened gradually.
Both Kartik and Kiara delivered brilliant performances.
The supporting cast, led by Gajraj Rao, was also in fine form.
OMG 2
A poster of ‘OMG 2’. (X)
This spiritual sequel to the 2012-released film Oh My God was a compelling social drama that looked at the taboo yet important subject of sex education.
The best part of Amit Rai’s direction was how he normalised the discussions around physical intimacy without making it look awkward or uncomfortable.
One of the standout scenes in OMG 2 was Pankaj Tripathi’s Kanti Sharan Mudgal explaining how the body parts of males and females should be taught in school. Pankaj Tripathi did complete justice to the arc of his role.
Akshay Kumar had an extended cameo as Lord Shiva’s messenger in human form.
In Oh My God, Akshay played Lord Krishna. Much like that film, here too, he played the part with the right amount of divinity.
The scenes of Akshay imparting wisdom to Kanti Sharan were good to watch.
Jawan
Jawan was a film that can ideally be described as a Khichdi of Shankar’s brand of vigilante cinema and Shah Rukh’s Chak De India.
At its core, Jawan was a father-and-son drama with 50 shades of Shah Rukh Khan as both father and son.
Shah Rukh Khan in ‘Jawan’. (X)
Atlee absolutely nailed these father-son moments besides addressing various grassroots problems like underdeveloped government facilities.
One of the women in Shah Rukh Khan’s vigilante gang was played by Sanya Malhotra. Her backstory was based on a real-life person named Dr Kafeel Khan.
Dr Kafeel Khan was falsely accused of the death of several kids at a hospital where the real issue was a lack of proper facilities along with corruption. Dr Kafeel Khan tried to procure oxygen, but his best efforts failed to save the children.
Yes, the presentation of these grassroots issues was simplistic, but still, it hit the viewers hard.
Jawan also benefitted immensely from Shah Rukh Khan submitting totally to the director’s script and giving it his all.
Nayanthara also made a solid Bollywood debut in her dual-shaded role as a determined NSG commander and a single mother.
On the other hand, Vijay Sethupati made for a good opponent, particularly in the second half.
The same cannot be said about Deepika Padukone and Sanjay Dutt.
The energy dipped during the brief flashback scenes of Shah Rukh Khan and Deepika.
Sanjay Dutt’s extended cameo did not add great value to the proceedings.
Nevertheless, Jawan, on the whole, proved to be “paisa vasool” entertainment.
Jaane Jaan (Netflix)
A poster of Bollywood film ‘Jaane Jaan’ . (X)
For those who are not aware, Sujoy Ghosh’s Jaane Jaan was based on the best-selling Japanese novel “Devotion of Suspect X“, which already has many onscreen adaptations.
Jaane Jaan was primarily about a single mother named Maya D’Souza (Kareena Kapoor), who runs a local café.
Maya has a dark past related to her ex-husband (Saurabh Sachdeva). Jaideep Ahlawat, Maya’s neighbour and a Mathematics teacher, secretly loves her but is socially awkward. Every day, he visits the café, leading to some amusing moments.
Maya’s life turns upside down after the re-entry of her ex-husband. From here, the movie goes into the zone of the Drishyam series.
Jaane Jaan was a survival thriller about a determined single mother. In this story, she gets the help of a neighbour who would go to any lengths to save her.
The soul of Jaane Jaan was the relationship dynamics between Kareena Kapoor’s Maya and Jaideep Ahlawat’s Naren. Sujay Ghosh did not miss a single beat in depicting this complex love. He also did complete justice to the novel “Devotion of Suspect X“.
The hill station of Kalimpong also became a character in itself, thanks to Avik Mukhopadhyay’s cinematography.
The scenes between Kareena and Vijay Varma, playing a charming cop for a change, were good to watch.
Both Kareena and Jaideep got into the skin of their characters.
Vijay Varma brought a lot of charm to his scenes.
12th Fail
A poster of the film ’12th Fail’. (X)
12th Fail, directed by Vidhu Vinod Chopra, was a classic underdog drama about a real-life IPS officer — Manoj Kumar Sharma.
The DNA of 12th Fail was quite similar to the underdog stories that Rajkumar Hirani directed — 3 Idiots (2009) and Munna Bhai (2003, 2006) films.
It was meant to give the viewers a warm hug and make them leave the theatres with a happy feeling.
Vidhu Vinod Chopra mostly succeeded in his endeavour. The director, along with his leading man Vikrant Massey, did a wonderful job of showcasing the numerous challenges that Manoj faces.
There were places in the first half where the pace dipped, but having said that, there was also a lot to enjoy, especially if you are a fan of inspirational films based on real life.
Apart from the overall strong performances by technicians, 12th Fail scored distinction marks.
The cinematography of Hemant Wagh, in particular, stood out — whether it was the initial scenes in Chambal or the later ones in Delhi Streets.
Dunki
A still from Rajkumar Hirani’s ‘Dunki’. (X)
Rajkumar Hirani’s Dunki will not do the business of Shah Rukh Khan’s last two films — Pathaan and Jawan, but there is no denying that this is an important film in terms of how it addresses an important social issue.
The issue is about borders existing only for the underprivileged. It presents a hard-hitting tale of immigrants in this case Punjabi migrating to England through illegal means for different reasons.
The first half of Dunki is mostly a breezy watch, but things take a serious turn just before the interval. Vicky Kaushal has an extended special appearance and is at his usual best.
The comic portions in this film don’t have the brilliance of the Munnabhai MBBS (2003), Three Idiots (2009), and PK (2014), but it recovers ground, particularly in the second half when the proceedings get serious.
The second half shows the many dangers Shah Rukh’s Hardy, Taapsee Pannu’s Manu and others go through to reach London. Here, their utopia comes crashing down. The viewers get a short but powerful glimpse of the menial jobs that these immigrants have to do even after securing citizenship.
One of these immigrants is Vikram Kocchar’s Buggu. Buggu passes the IELTS exam and goes to London legally before Hardy and Manu, but he is still not living a happy life.
Rajkumar Hirani’s directorial skills come out in the second half the way he handles the drama.
One of the things that work for Dunki is the love story between Shah Rukh Khan and Taapsee. Both the actors share a good chemistry in both light and emotional scenes.
Anil Grover and Vikram Kocchar also bring a certain gravitas to their respective parts.
Overall, Dunki is a well-made social film. It is not flawless but there is a lot to take away.
