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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
