Kho Gaye Hum Kahan review: Passable film is fairly enjoyable

Kho Gaye Hum Kahan revolves around three best friends, their ambitions, their struggles, and the role that social media plays in their lives. The film is now streaming on Netflix.

Story

Childhood best friends Neil, Ahana, and Imaad find themselves facing personal challenges and navigating through the complexities of relationships, heartbreak, and ambition.

Imaad is a comedian whose past keeps him from having a meaningful romantic relationship. Ahana’s breakup with her long-term boyfriend leads her to seek his attention through social media.

Neil, an ambitious gym trainer aspiring to a better life, is dating an influencer whose expectations in the relationship differ from his own. 

When Neil tells his friends about his dream of having his own studio, Ahana and Imaad decide to support him and become his business partners.

The three of them are fighting their own battles, and seeing the seemingly effortless yet amazing lives of various people on social media only makes matters worse.

Neil, Ahana, and Imaad need to accept themselves, learn from their mistakes, and grow individually before taking the next big step together.

Performances

Siddhant Chaturvedi’s portrayal of Imaad is fun but not without depth. While his stand-up acts may not be the best, Chaturvedi delivers both the film’s lightest and most moving scenes, which shows the actor’s impressive range.

Ananya Pandey gives a satisfying performance. She fits the role of Ahana quite well; it’s almost as if the character was tailor-made for Pandey.  

Adarsh Gourav’s performance captures Neil’s insecurities and desires. Even when the audience does not approve of Neil’s choices, Gourav’s depiction makes it easy to understand the character.

Positives

The film depicts how social media has come to shape people’s lives. Creating an image for online validation leaves the characters feeling lonelier than ever.

Ahana’s story makes the audience reflect on how social media can distance us from reality, making self-acceptance almost impossible. 

Neil’s narrative is used to explore the motivations behind online trolling, revealing more about the trolls’ lives than those they target.

While Imaad’s story doesn’t center on social media, it holds significant meaning. The way the film reveals his past makes for a touching scene.

The film features some impressive shots that do not fail to draw the audience’s attention to the characters and their emotions. 

Additionally, the film moves between the stories of the three friends, and the transition is quite smooth. 

Negatives

In the beginning, when the film introduces the lives of the three main characters, the narrative lacks cohesiveness. It becomes a task to understand where the plot is heading.

Due to that, the story fails to engage from the get-go. The fact that the film opens with a subpar stand-up act does not help. 

The film tries to get the audience to think about the adverse effects of social media on people’s lives, but it falls short of leaving a lasting impression. The portrayal is not superficial, but it is not very deep either.

The chemistry between the three main characters could have been better. While Imaad and Ahana appear to be childhood best friends, Neil seems somewhat disconnected.

Verdict

Kho Gaye Hum Kahan is not perfect or extraordinary, but it has its moments. It is a  passable film about the struggles of three friends living in a digital age.

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Also Read: Kho Gaye Hum Kahan ending explained: Do the three friends start their own business?