Kho Gaye Hum Kahan (2023) Review!!

Synopsis – Ahana, Neil and Imaad are three friends in their 20s trying to find meaning in the digital age. They lean on each other as they navigate complexities of relationships and self-discovery.

My Take – Between sibling filmmakers Farhan Akhtar and Zoya Akhtar they have two features, Dil Chahta Hai (2001) and Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara (2011), two definitive stories about 21st century friendships that have resonated massively with the Indian audience.

And while their latest co-production might immediately seem like a riff off, debutante director Arjun Varain Singh immediately manages to make his film stand out by setting his tale in the world of the digital generation and by exploring the perils of social media.

The hustle of living from one post to another, constant life updates, and the nonstop thirst for validation from the many faceless followers is perhaps the story of most of us. Making this Adarsh Gourav, Siddhant Chaturvedi and Ananya Panday starrer a well-timed, relevant film.

Packaged as a coming of age tale in a simplistic yet impactful manner, the film, written by Arjun Varain Singh, Zoya Akhtar, Reema Kagti and Yash Sahai, provides a reality check of the pretentious lives many of us are leading under the garb of fancy profiles and pictures, celebrating each exaggerated life moment, but in reality are completely consumed by it, living one hashtag at a time.

Sure, the film does not break any shackles regarding stories centered on friendship and often follows a predictable pattern of banter, conflict, separation, and reunion. Yet, it crafts a vibrant world that will resonate with today’s youth immersed in their phones and influencer culture.

But most importantly, the film works mainly as the friendship between the three looks real and resonates as they rib each other, fight, and make up as the dark world of social media is succinctly brought out. The sentimental front always remains high thanks to the chemistry between the trio. Coupled that with strong music, amazing writing, and good direction, this one is a great watch about why we should resolve to scroll less and live more in the New Year.

The story follows Imaad (Siddhant Chaturvedi), Ahana (Ananya Panday) and Neil (Adarsh Gourav), three hostel buddies who have carried their friendship well into their adult lives. With Imaad and Ahana even living as roommates in Imaad’s late mother’s apartment. Each have their own personal dependencies on social media. Imaad is a stand-up comic, a commitment-phobe and an obsessive Tinder user.

Ahana, an MBA, is in a job that she isn’t too happy with, has just been unceremoniously dumped by her longtime boyfriend, Rohan (Rohan Gurbaxani) and is struggling to get over it. While Neil is a personal trainer in a gym who feels stuck in his life and career. The fact that he’s dating an influencer, Lala (Anya Singh), who doesn’t care about him adds to his frustration. Each one of them is trying to make something of their lives, and in the process, discover how trying to remain connected virtually has actually made them forget what real life looks like.

Much of what the film wants to say finds resonance. And one doesn’t need to be a 20-year-old for that. Director Arjun Varain Singh‘s film is not so much a look into its evils as it is a mediation on how much it dictates our subconscious, how lost we are in its fog. The film cleverly navigates and intertwines their lives with the repercussions of social media addiction. Friendships come under the scanner, male egos clash, traumas unwind and social media addiction is dealt with all subtlety.

Here, he and his co-writers make you aware of the perils of social media, often reflecting on the shallow outlook of people who use it to paint a different picture about their lives to the world, and at times, even making you feel bad about your virtual existence for it’s definitely not as real as one tries to show it to be.

Like how the unsure Ahana creates a fake account to stalk her boyfriend and starts putting out happy and sexy touched-up pictures of herself on Instagram to prove her life continues to rock. Imaad, on the other hand, jumps from one fling to another, actually connects with an older and wiser woman named Simran (Kalki Koechelin), but being commitment-phobic continues to see other women on the side.

Even Neil, who is dating his influencer client cannot understand her obsession with filtered images and wanting to be constantly seen. But one day, when he gets a celebrity client puts out a post with him, seeing his followers climbing up, Neil finds it as a shortcut to success. After all, the many followers on social media are directly proportional to your success.

What makes the narrative even better is that the writers do not opt for a preachy approach, there are no boring monologues trying to tell you about why one should be or should not be on social media. He gets the message across simply: how social media engagement makes us vulnerable to manipulation. Humans are low on emotional quotient but high on compulsive scrolling.

At 135 minutes, the film never stretches itself to an extent that it loses focus. In fact, there are parts I felt were rushed and could have had been slightly detailed. Ahana’s confrontation scene with her boyfriend, or Imaad’s tiff with Neil when he picks on his relationship status for his stand-up act, or Neil’s ugly moment on Instagram, there are several well-written sequences that impress.

Another winning aspect is the music and every song feels like an instant hit. OAFF–Savera, Ankur Tewari, Sachin–Jigar, Achint, Karan Kanchan and Rashmeet Kaur deliver some mesmerizing tracks here.

Performance wise, Ananya Panday delivers her best act yet. She plays her part to perfection and gives attention to the nitty-gritty of the character. Siddhant Chaturvedi is so effortless and natural that even when he’s doing stand-up on screen, he actually makes you believe that’s one of his side jobs. He demands a strong screen presence and doesn’t let you get distracted.

Adarsh Gourav, with already a BAFTA nomination to his name for his incredible turn in The White Tiger (2021), handles a complex role well and gets under the skin of his character with ease. In supporting turns, Kalki Koechlin is arresting as always, the gorgeous Anya Singh is excellent, and Rohan Gurbaxani does well despite the limited scope give to him. On the whole, ‘Kho Gaye Hum Kahan’ is a compelling digital coming of age story that is both highly effective and timely.