Art & Entertainment

Khoya Khoya Chand

Something prevents this potentially fiery tale from setting the screen on fire. It engages and involves you, but intermittently.

Advertisement

Khoya Khoya Chand
info_icon
Starring:
Directed by
Rating:
info_icon

On paper, Khoya Khoya Chand would read like a wonderful story of destructive passion and lost love set in the ’50s Hindi film industry, a genteel time when Bollywood boasted of some of the most liberal creative names. Yet, something prevents this potentially fiery tale from setting the screen on fire. It engages and involves you, but intermittently.

At various levels, the film plays on all the cliches we’ve known about Bollywood personalities: the personal turmoils and lost childhoods, the jealousies and rivalries. The focus is on the callow girl, Nikhat (Soha, a mix of Meena Kumari, Madhubala and more), with an ambitious mom who uses her to run the house and support herself, her boozard boyfriend and the kids. Nikhat rises to become a big star with more than a little help from the reigning man Prem Kumar (Rajat wearing a bad wig). She falls in love but he merely uses her, never allowing her to become more than his mistress. In comes the bright writer Zafar (Shiney) who has his own demons to fight. Nikhat and Zafar fall in love but are not quite able to take it to its logical conclusion. On the side, there’s the assistant turned producer Shyamol (Vinay), who supports Nikhat when she needs it the most. It’s perhaps the only genuine relationship in an incestuous world where everyone uses and is used blatantly.

Advertisement

Mishra gets the social texture of the filmdom right: the Punjabi producers and actors, the Bengali director and the UP Muslim writer. The film is glowingly shot and pays a great deal of attention to the details of the times in terms of the sets and costumes. At times it actually overdoes it: the constant voice of Ameen Sayani and the songs of the day in the background get a bit much as do those innumerable Filmfare covers. Most of the performances are competent but from Soha you expected nothing short of magic which doesn’t quite happen and Saurabh Shukla, who is otherwise so wonderful, grates big time. As the Punjabi producer Khosa, he overplays his part, taking inspiration more from the Neetu-Noni programme he did a few years ago with Pankaj Kapur on TV. What really stands out is the music score from Shantanu Moitra.

Advertisement

High Fives

Bollywood

1. Dus Kahaniyaan
2. Aja Nachle
3. Om Shanti Om
4. Khoya Khoya Chand
5. Goal

Hollywood

1. The Golden Compass
2. Enchanted
3. This Christmas
4. Fred Claus
5. Beowulf

Pop

1. Apologize (Timbaland Feat. One Republic)
2. No One (Alicia Keys)
3. Kiss Kiss (Chris Brown Featuring T-Pain)
4. Low (Flo Rida)
5. Bubbly (Colbie Caillat)

Courtesy: Film Information

Tags

    Advertisement

    Advertisement

    Advertisement

    Advertisement

    Advertisement

    Advertisement