Slice-of-life and coming-of-age films are untapped territory for the Hindi film industry. Not many filmmakers have been able to fully utilize the amount of depth this genre brings to the table. Lakshya, Udaan, Wake Up Sid, and Queen are some of the finest examples of stories having a deep impact on the viewers. Kho Gaye Hum Kahan focuses on three best friends who tries to navigate their lives inside and outside of social media. There is a lot to unpack about how deeply social media ruins our real selves, and it is we who end up picking up the pieces.
Spoilers Ahead
Why Did Rohan And Ahana Break Up?
The movie begins with a montage of Ahana, Neil, and Imaad’s friendship. They have been together since school and have witnessed each other grow into strong, independent individuals fighting their demons. Ahana has been in a strong, loving relationship with Rohan for a while, but he requests a break from it to sort out his career. Ahana was perplexed by his sudden change of mind, as she never felt there was anything wrong with the relationship. She agrees to the break he had asked for, but Rohan goes incommunicado immediately. Ahana is under the impression Rohan might call back, but her expectations remain unfulfilled. Through her resourceful investigating skills, Ahana and her friend deep dive into Rohan’s social media to find details of his personal life. Rohan confirms he is dating someone else, and the breakup further draws her into the world of social media, trying to seek some happiness she wasn’t receiving being on her own in her apartment.
Does Imaad Only Believe In Casual Hookups?
Imaad, a stand-up comedian by profession, was addicted to meeting women through dating apps. He would meet, flirt, spend the night, and not stay in contact with any woman. Physical gratification was his poison, which was a problematic pattern. Imaad was also in therapy, and his father insisted on continuing to seek help for himself. Imaad lost his mother at a young age, and her passing deeply affected him. There’s a connection between Imaad losing his mother and the life he is leading right now. The therapist was aware of the trauma that Imaad had to endure, but the boy chose not to talk about it.
What Was Neil’s Relationship Status With The Social Media Influencer?
Neil was a trainer at the gym that was frequented by celebrities. His client happens to be a popular social media influencer named Lala. Neil and Lala were secretly in a relationship, but he wasn’t allowed to speak about her because of her stature as a public figure. Neil shares the information with Ahana and Imaad but mostly remains tight-lipped about it. Neil was also insecure about his financial standing and the fact that he was not yet independent. He lived with his parents, who did not seem to understand his goal in life. Neil was obsessed with Lala and the kind of life she was leading for her followers. He mistakes his obsession for love and goes out of his way to make her happy for the sake of this relationship that he’s convinced has a future. He defends her choice to be herself on social media, which impresses her further.
Why Were The Three Keen On Making A Business Investment Together?
Neil’s dream was to start a specific type of gym with a niche clientele. Ahana was impressed by his ideas and offered to be the marketing person for the pitch to lure in investors. She also offers to be the marketing head of the brand once the gym officially opens. Imaad offered to put the inheritance money he received from his deceased mother into the gym to become a partner, and the plans were put in motion. There was a sense of trust they had in each other because of their long-standing friendship. Even though his parents had negative opinions about this venture, all three of them went ahead with his business plan.
Was Ahana Obsessed With Getting Rohan’s Attention?
Ahana quits her high-paying job to begin her work with the gym venture. Despite the amount of time she gives to the pitch, Ahana ends up getting distracted because of her profile on social media and the lack of attention not just from her followers but also from Rohan. There was no end to the number of posts she uploaded to attain some kind of validation, which was like a rush of adrenaline. Ahana’s personal goal was achieved when Rohan started responding to her social media profile. She allowed herself to be carried away by his attention, for she believed Rohan was willing to come back, apologize, and resume their relationship.
Were Imaad And Simran Falling In Love?
Imaad had met Simran through the same dating app he always used, but this time he was enamored by her personality. Simran was a photographer who chronicled people she met on the dating app through photos. Simran was much older than Imaad, but there was a sense of attachment he felt towards her, and they began seeing each other regularly. Imaad introduced Simran to his friends as well, and Ahana and Neil were happy to see him moving forward and possibly heading towards being in an emotional relationship. Imaad was leading a secret life on the dating app as he was still seeking out one-night stands with women he met on it. Imaad was trying hard to cut off his old life, but he kept succumbing to his awful instincts, which meant he was cheating on Simran.
Why Do Imaad And Neil Have A Falling Out?
Imaad at a show starts making fun of Neil and his relationship with a certain social media influencer. Neil was offended by the content of his set, which he believed was shared in private and not for people to laugh over. Neil walks away from the conversation, not before revealing Imaad’s inability to get emotionally intimate with any woman he meets and labeling him a sex addict in front of Simran and Ahana. Imaad and Neil’s falling out impacts their business plan and Ahana’s future as well. Imaad and Neil started refusing to be in the same room, and there was no truce at sight.
Do Ahana, Neil, And Imaad Get The Closure They Were Seeking?
Ahana and Rohan meet for the first time after the breakup at a wedding sangeet. There was a lot of tension brewing between the two, and Ahana was trying hard to get with Rohan but eventually fell for his charms. Ahana had a deep relationship with Rohan, which she had not gotten over. Having him back was a big deal for her, and the two ended up spending the night together. She woke up to find Rohan gone after blocking her number and social media profile. It can be assumed Rohan used her for one night of gratification, and Ahana’s plans did not work. She was devastated by Rohan’s treatment of her.
Imaad and Simran break up when the latter finds out about his active account on the dating app and him sleeping around with women. Imaad could not explain his situation and he did not try to salvage it. Imaad probably relapsed because he did not realize there was a sense of comfort in emotional intimacy. This was his way of getting out before he would get hurt in the process of being in a relationship. Simran was hurt and was not keen on being in a relationship with someone to whom she could not fully emotionally and physically commit. She had reached a point in her life where having an emotionally mature partner every day was more satisfying than hooking up with random strangers for a few hours of validation.
Neil confronts Lala about her going officially in a relationship with another man on her social media profile. Neil believed he was in love with her. We assume he thought he would receive some validation from his followers if he announced his relationship with Lala. Since that fantasy was not working, Lala pushed him away by reducing him to a fling. Lala’s treatment reeked of emotional unavailability and seeking something only for a few hours of attention and love. Lala was obsessed with her social standing online, and being in a relationship with Neil, whom she considered a nobody, would be career suicide for her.
In a fit of rage, Neil hacked into Lala’s account and revealed the secret of her lifestyle. The young man was insecure about the fact that she chose some other man over him. Neil exacted revenge on her, which is not justified. Neil did not love her, which was the reason behind this extreme reaction. Ahana confronts Rohan and expects some explanation and an apology for abandoning her. She was more tired than angry because of Rohan’s treatment of the relationship they had. She walks out of the house, informing his current girlfriend about his infidelity.
The night ended with Rohan trying to physically harm Ahana and Imaad, who came to rescue her. Rohan, in the end, was beaten up by Neil. The fact that all three came back to each other in a time of distress proves their friendship was bigger than the fallout they had a while back. Imaad and Neil, despite their differences, looked out for each other. Imaad ended up revealing his childhood trauma of being molested by a business partner of his father. This was a big breakthrough for him, as he had not revealed this part of his childhood to Ahana and Neil. There was a sense of relief in him when he spoke about his past trauma that shaped who he is. Imaad probably felt nobody could help him, and this thought stayed with him, which caused him to avoid emotional relationships. Imaad also broke down because he finally admitted having issues. A sense of relief allowed him to seek Simran out, and this was a sign of coming clean about himself and maybe getting back together as well.
Kho Gaye Hum Kahan ends with Ahana being mad at Neil for taking out his anger on the woman he believes cheated on him. Ahana, as a woman, could relate to the amount of cyberbullying Lala was put through because of the hack. She could not support Neil because of her friendship. Neil apologizes publicly for having put Lala through such stressful times. He confesses to having hacked her account and said vile things about her out of spite. By doing this, he might invite himself to a police case as well, but he is willing to move forward as a man who is not bothered by what the world thinks of him. Ahana’s last montage about spending time with people you love is the message the film ends with. Ahana wanted people to focus on real life instead of getting inundated by social media and its madness.
