PremiumKho Gaye Hum Kahan review - Ananya Panday, Siddhant Chaturvedi & Adarsh Gourav's film serves as a 'reality' check to youngsters living it up for 'reel' life
Directed by Arjun Varain Singh, Kho Gaye Hum Kahan stars Ananya Panday, Siddhant Chaturvedi, and Adarsh Gourav. Here's our review of the Netflix movie.
Last Updated: 09.48 PM, Dec 26, 2023
Kho Gaye Hum Kahan is the apt title for Ananya Panday, Siddhant Chaturvedi and Adarsh Gourav’s film, which released at a time when most of us are ‘lost’ in the world of social media - struggling to find our ‘real’ selves in the ‘reel’ world. Interestingly, that’s majorly what the Netflix movie talks about. The coming-of-age drama film is directed by Arjun Varain Singh, while it’s co-written by Zoya Akhtar, Reema Kagti and Arjun.
Kho Gaye Hum Kahan review:
To begin with, I had no major expectations as such for Kho Gaye Hum Kahan. However, the film, which marked Arjun’s directorial debut, left me surprised. It’s a story about three childhood friends Imaad (Sidhant), Ahana (Ananya) and Neil (Adarsh), who deal with complex relationships and professional lives in the digital age, in their 20s.
While Ahana is in a relationship with Rohan, Neil, a gym trainer, is living it up for his ‘reel’ life with his social media influencer girlfriend Lala. On the other hand, Imaad is a stand-up comedian, who is otherwise busy going on Tinder dates. However, their lives are far from being simple. And that’s exactly what sets Kho Gaye Hum Kahan apart from other movies based on similar narratives. Its storyline and characters are much more relatable.
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Not everyone’s life is picture-perfect as shown in most Bollywood movies or on Instagram, to be precise. As humans, we deal with our own set of struggles while putting up a happy and brave face. Similar is the case with Ahana, Imaad and Neil. Ahana eventually goes through a major heartbreak and so does Neil, while Imaad is unhappy because he hasn’t been able to trust people, the reason he often shies away from being committed to anyone. While they continue to deal with their problems, the trio embarks on a journey only to realise that it is far more complicated than they expected. And I feel that’s the beauty of Zoya, Reema and Arjun’s storytelling.
The makers have tried their level best to make Kho Gaye Hum Kahan relatable in the contemporary world - how people deal with ‘loneliness’ in the digital era. In my opinion, their attempt has been successful. The music of this Ananya, Siddhant and Adarsh starrer is great. That said, while some songs are suitable for certain portions of the movie, the rest could’ve been ruled out. At one point, I felt as if I was watching a musical coming-of-age drama.
As far as the performances are concerned, Ananya effortlessly essays the role of Ahana. The actress thoroughly lives her character and that shows on screen. As for Adarsh, the actor has put in a lot of effort to make Neil relatable. Having said that, some aspects of his character left me confused. The makers haven’t provided clarity as to why Neil makes certain steps in the film.
Speaking about Siddhant, the actor’s performance as Imaad is one of his best works. The vulnerable side of his character is what makes the actor’s performance powerful. After Gully Boy, it is Kho Gaya Hum Kahan where Siddhant steals the show.
Kho Gaye Hum Kahan verdict:
In short, Kho Gaye Hum Kahan serves as a ‘reality check’ for the current generation who are working hard on their ‘reel’ life, instead of the real one. It is a film that sticks to the purpose of conveying the sad truth about today’s generation.