Kho Gate Hum Kahan about three young friends from the Gen Z, and Three of Us about three people caught in a situation – each film distinct in the way its treated, yet about life and emotions, writes Rajeshwari Kalyanam
Two films – both starkly different from each other in the way they are treated and most importantly the characters. One is about three young friends – each with different lifestyles, dealing with challenges unique to each of them yet relatable to the new generation – Kho Gaye Hum Kahan is the movie starring Ananya Pandey, Siddhant Chaturvedi and Adarsh Gourav.
Three of Us: A Poignant Journey Back in Time
And the other is ‘Three of Us’ – which is also about friends – and about growing up, yet it is also about childhood relationship – it is about adults busy in their worlds, working for a living and for giving their children bright future, and about leaving behind memories in the sands of time while moving forward. Shefali Shah and Jaideep Ahlawat are the two childhood friends Shailaja and Pradeep and Swanand Kirkire is Shefali’s husband in the film – the normal middle-class man, who sells health insurance for a living, and whose wife works in a government office. He is happy with life until a life changing moment happens.
Navigating Shallow Waters
Kho Gaye Hum Kahan on the other hand talks about relationships that are shallow, about insecurities that youngsters deal with and how many amongst them seek external affirmations, especially through social media likes. The film is young at heart, and it is also about growing up and learning to deal with the challenges.
Rediscovering Innocence
The film, Three of Us is about this lady in middle age revisiting her life, memories and looking out for the child within her that is lost along the way as life takes over. It is only when she is diagnosed with Dementia, she feels this urge to feel and live every moment and capture it in the form of pictures in case she forgets them. She wishes to revisit and relive her childhood and goes back to her hometown where as a kid of eight years she had friends, a sister, her school and this best friend Pradeep for whom she has had special affection, who she leaves behind as a child, never to meet again when her family shifts from the place.
Journey of Rediscovery
Husband and wife set out on this trip that introduces her to herself, and her husband who is indulgent and amazed to see Shailaja reveal her past through various places she goes to and people she meets. He learns more about her and as a child full of spirit, who loves to dance, have fun. And, he is even miffed a little for not seeing her so happy during the many years of their marriage and feels uncomfortable with the realisation that he may not have known this side of her, if it was not for the trip. She meets Pradeep, who is still in the town – is married with two daughters. And, this trip in a way makes her realise that she did harbour this desire to meet her dearest childhood friend, as she had left him without even a proper goodbye. This trip indeed does introduce her to herself.
Finding Joy Amid Life’s Hustle
The film reminds us of how we get so busy with life as we know it that we leave the inner child somewhere behind us, we forget to be happy in the real sense. We forget that life is unpredictable and in our hurried existence, we leave so many people, and memories behind – those memories that have given us the purest joy. While we forget to revisit the happy moments, we also do not visit those moments of sadness, consciously perhaps – which have not gone away. They too stay in some corner of our mind as unresolved incidents waiting for a closure.
Cinematic Brilliance Unveiled: The Artistry Behind ‘Three of Us’
Three of Us is directed by Avinash Arun, who is also a brilliant cinematographer, and produced by Allu Entertainment and Matchbox Shots. And, it has some brilliant writing, sensitive shots aided by some wonderful camera work – that take the audience through intricate emotions without much effort. Not to mention the actors who shine through the film – they can make their eyes speak, and communicate to the audience as well.
Navigating Turbulent Twenties: Ahana, Neil, and Imaad’s Journey
Ahana (Ananya), Neil (Adarsh) and Imaad (Siddhant) are in their 20s. Ahana is an MBA graduate – a bright student with a promising career and she is stuck in a toxic situation with her boyfriend, Imaad is dealing with his childhood trauma and is afraid of commitment and is a Tinder addict, while Neil is from a middle class family who harbours aspiration to have his own high end gym, and is dealing with low self-esteem, and these are just a few of the many issues. And, the film in a way mirrors the generation with its new age lingo, newly defined relationship statuses. the situationships, the tinder hookups…and the good, bad and ugly sides of a relationship.
Youthful Zeal vs. Quality Living
Kho Gaye Hum Kahan is about the youngsters who want to make each moment happen and they want to enjoy life or in their words live it to the fullest – which is exactly what Three of Us talks about. But, in their hurry to live life, the youngsters miss out on the pertinent point of living a quality life. Plus, the peer pressure which gets a whole new dimension with social media stresses them out in different ways.
Balancing Dreams and Demons
The aspiration for a better life, ambitions and goals, and the burning desire to achieve them in the shortest possible time, and the insecurities, uncertainties and fears that cloud their lives – all these are part of life, but it is when they become bigger than everything else is when they become problematic – which is what happens in the lives of the three protagonists.
Mastering Life’s Dance
And, in the end it is about how they deal with it all and learn the trick to a happy life. It is all about how a person balances the highs and lows well enough. The trick is to have a support system and foster trustworthy relationships in order to have this solid support to fall back on in times of crisis.
The two latest Bollywood films give out one life lesson – slow down, remember to enjoy life in real sense, and create memories – which is indeed what life is all about.
The two Hindi films are streaming of Netflix.
