We are currently part of a generation with manifolds who share more ties with screens surrounding us as compared to human beings. To present a picture of this puzzle, I feel is rather difficult, especially in the Indian context, since the diversity of our country is one of its central features that often becomes a hurdle in binding the vast landscape in a single narrative. A story that is relatable to one might come across as completely alien to another, and somewhere between these two extreme poles lies the tales curated by the trio of Zoya Akhtar, Reema Kagti and Farhan Akhtar, where one might repulse at the clear difference in lifestyle and experiences yet find a sense of belonging in the relationship and bond shared by the characters.
In a way, Kho Gaye Hum Kahan is another addition to the same list of movies. While it breathes in a similar and complex breeze atmosphere, the film hardly confines itself and manages to travel beyond the surface and circles of cliches, often brought to the centre as a means to represent the current generation who lead a life dictated by social media and its striking necessity to alter the reality. It sincerely reflects upon our equation with digital channels, staring away from the unnecessary keyword-stuffing form of dialogues and not factoring in the quotient of sudden and magical virality out of nowhere.
Moreover, the movie stays true to its characters and tries to unearth their personal patterns, usage and repercussions of social media. In this process, the team of writers consisting of Arjun Varain Singh, Zoya Akhtar and Reema Kagti try to tick some not-so-important boxes with characters named and introduced as Neil Periera - A gym freak, Ahana Singh - An obsessive stalker and Imaad Ali - A carefree stand-up comedian, which never really interplays with the storyline in a significant manner. However, they more than compensate for it and excel at creating their horrifyingly gripping and riveting character arcs, which delve into exploring themes like debating self-image, childhood trauma and ties of aspirations that lead one to their emotional debacle.
There is a scene in the film shedding light on the birth of a troller as one of the titular characters goes on to spread hate in the comment section of a post by Karan Johar and Sonakshi Sinha on the digital platform. In another scene, we see Lala, an influencer, engaged in an argument with Neil while sitting in front of the mirror as she removes all the cosmetic accessories from her face required to present her perfect self on social media. These subtle sequences are not only impactful but also demonstrate the conviction of the creators in their woven narrative, especially Arjun Varain Singh, who in his first venture as a Director, has exceptionally brought this story to life.
He, along with Cinematographer Tanay Satam, Production Designer Sally White and Art Director Vatsal Dhamani, have masterfully set the tone of the film bombarding each frame with a number of artefacts, things, colours that embody the flow of countless information and options in the digital world, followed by the subsequent chaos. Even the most dispersed and flooded frames look aesthetically pleasing, much like most of our social media feed, which tells half a story while the rest, the raw and the real part, is mostly cropped out. Also, due credit to editor Nitin Baid for crafting the fantastic opening montage sequence that bridges an instant connection between the audience, the dynamics of the friend group and the larger movie.
Another brilliant feature of the film is the performances of the lead cast, including Adarsh Gourav, Ananya Pandey and Siddhant Chaturvedi, which makes their characters much more believable. While they hardly miss a beat in the individual portrayal of their respective characters, they together share a beautiful camaraderie on-screen as school friends who are able to sustain their friendship even in adulthood, which aids the storyline prolifically. Along with them, Kalki Koechlin, Rohan Gurbaxani and Anya Singh blend seamlessly with the world and contribute beautifully to the movie with their performances.
The more sombre and somewhere blissful music of the film created by several artists - OAFF, Savera, Ankur Tewari, Sachin Jigar, Karan Kanchan and Rashmeet Kaur - is another charming component that plays becoming one with the screenplay, allowing you to immerse yourself in the unfolding events and emotions. “Ishq Nachaawe” and "Teri Yeh Baatein” became my instant favourites from the album, and “Hone Do Jo Hota Hai” has been slowly growing on me much like how this movie grows with the passing time only if you stay with it, which sadly happens to be an irony in itself in context to the audience this movie is targeted.
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