Meghal
It is difficult to fathom the minds of Indian directors - what drives them to create period movies with stories that are still relevant in 21st century. Whether it is Vidhu Chopra's "1942 - A Love Story" or Sudhir Mishra's "Khoya Khoya Chand". With too much focus on recreating the past, the story takes a back seat and as a result, the movie fails to impress.Time to time, Bollywood keeps making movies about itself - mainly the struggle for new comers and its dirty ongoings, right from Guru Dutt's "Kaagaz Ke Phool" to Zoya Akhtar's "Luck By Chance" (Best among the crop being Hrishikesh Mukherjee's "Guddi"). Sudhir Mishra takes one step further - he makes a movie about 1950's Bollywood. He tries to cram everything into a story - new comer struggle, casting couch, art v/s mainstream cinema, etc., etc. But while putting so much efforts to recreate that "magical era", the story, the dialogues and the character development takes a back seat. The result is just a movie that seems to be going nowhere.The movie centres around Nikhat, an actress, played by Soha Ali and Zafar, a script writer/novelist/director/producer played by Shiny Ahuja. The movie centres around the ups and downs in their relationship, and between other characters along a time period. However, crammed with corny dialogues, annoying stereotype characters and clichéd situations, the movie drags right from the start. After a while, you just don't care what happens to the characters. Inconsistencies and loopholes are galore. Since the main characters have a Muslim background, it is customary to speak "khalis Urdu" and observe that "tehzeeb". However after few scenes, all that mannerism seems to disappear in thin air. The height of ridiculousness comes when to show her alcoholism, the director shows Soha Ali in a car parked on Bombay street side and Soha enjoying a glass of hooch.The character of Shiny is supposed to be some kind of deep brooding, which he plays to an annoying extreme. It reminds me of similar character played by Akshay Khanna in "Dil Chahta hai". But speaking in a slow baritone voice doesn't make you an intellectual, it just makes you look a phony.This movie somehow reminds me of Scorsese's "The Aviator". In "Aviator" however, with emphasis on recreating past, the director did not lose focus on the basic element for a good movie - a strong solid storyline. With "Khoya Khoya Chand" however, no such hope exists,sadly. The only positive aspect that I did not spend any money to watch this drivel, a simple walk to public library is all the effort that I put in watching this movie. I still gave 4 starts to the movie, as there are still movies that are worse than this and are still popular and made big monies at box office.
Kaustubh Prasad
Disappointing, to say the least. This movie doesn't even come close to Hazaaron Khwaahishen Aisi. This was a movie with so much potential, but Sudhir Mishra's apparent self-indulgence makes it almost painful watching in parts. Khoya Khoya Chand was never meant to target the commercial audience, but I doubt many people will be able to appreciate the plot, especially the second half. It is a movie that tries to celebrate itself without achieving an iota of greatness.Shiny Ahuja is brilliant, as usual, and Soha Ali Khan tries, but her role demanded someone more expressive, like Vidya Balan. The performances though are completely negated by the story. The last half-hour is a tragedy, both in the movie, and for the audience.
Bittoo Kumar
I was always excited to see classical films, showing royal and grandeur of palaces, old machines, slow pace of time, the natural way of action and the background score and hence, when I watched the trailer of Khoya Khoya Chand, by Sudhir Mishra, I got interested. Yesterday,I saw the movie.My first expression while coming out of the theater, was WOW! and it really is interesting my friends, to see something a revival of the classic without blindly copying the classic. The movie is directed by Sudhir Mishra, who has a fine taste of classical elements, and the movie shows his hard work and keen efforts to bring to us what we used to have in the past, while retaining the contemporary essence to it.The movie is set in the 1950s era, showing the events associated with stars and people associated with bollywood! It is basically about a young girl Nikhat(Soha Ali Khan), who is a junior artist in bollywood and dreams to become an actress some day and till now she has been working as a side dancer in some sequences. She has to face the dark side of film industry and is determined to do so. Prem Kumar(Rajat Kapoor) is a super star, one whom directors are willing to make movies with and actors willing to work with. Also, he has an image that no artist can stand in front of him and deliver his dialogue with retakes. However, the super star is attracted to actresses who worked with him and therefore, Nikhat who's always willing to be in limelight comes to be his new attraction. There begins Nikhat's career in the film industry, when Zaffar(Shiny Ahuja), a young, talented poet, actually a story writer, from the families of Nawabs, comes to Bombay.He does not believe in any limelight, pomp or show. Having a troubled childhood, he's a hard nut to crack, his emotions do not easily come out, but when they do, it sets the stage on fire. The fine sense of direction by Sudhir Mishra, actually takes us to that period and one, which lacks in Indian Movies normally. Last I remember, having seen Rand De Basanti, where to depict a feeling or an emotion, the director used a different set up all together and left the audience to understand what he wants to convey by the set. Its the case in Khoya Khoya Chand, rather than actually showing everything happening, the director has, in between tried to give a hint or show whats to be understood.Shamol(Vinay Pathak), a fine actor plays the role of an assistant director to big directors, and is a friend of Zaffar. He takes Zaffar, into the film industry to try his fame as a script writer, realizing Zaffar's talent of writing. He is liked by everyone and there comes his first meeting with Nikhat. They interact, chat, work with each other and eventually begin to like each other. Nikhat, however continues to work in the film industry but slowly gets frustrated with the people around. Even she had a troubled childhood, and the thougths of which, disturb her sometimes. The movie also features Ratnabala(Sonya Jehan), who's a beautiful actress and has risen up the same way as Nikhat has. The role has been played extremely well, of a greedy, jealous, young woman, however I do not remember seeing her in any of the movies before this, But she's a fine actress. Slowly Nikhat and Zaffar come close, which is not liked by some people. This gives rise to various differences in opinions, arguments. The second half of the movie is mainly focused on the relationship between Nikhat and Zaffar. Both having achieved an acceptable position in the film industry, work in somewhat different fashion according to nature and interests. Zaffar would want Nikhat to do as he tells her to, but this would not happen. There begins a cold war, a kind of separation, both Nikhat and Zaffar have to live with. However, this does not last long. Nikhat has achieved name and fame, but is she comfortable with her life, satisfied with the way things are coming to her.Is she happy without Zaffar in her life.The dark world of film industry clings to her feet, she's no longer happy and becomes a frustrated spoilt actress, her career drowning. She no longer can work properly, every time either her personal habits or her past comes in front of her, just when Zaffar comes into her life again........But its too late now, for she has now in herself something else except Zaffar and has to abide by it. Thus, the story of Nikhat, an actress who is both in the good books as well as bad records of people, is portrayed.The background score is like old movies, use of traditional musical instruments, slow music, colorful sets, classical dancing sequences, all of which makes us like Khoya Khoya Chand. However, the movie seems to be a collection of events grouped together and therefore, every scene seems to be like an act or a scene in a play. Maybe it has been done intentionally, for in movies of the past, we normally see events like stage plays. It is a complete entertaining package, one of the best movies of the year, definitely an award winning movie. I would give it an 8.5 out of 10 for excellent performance by all the actors, good music, good plot, story line and extremely well direction. Do watch the movie, you'll surely like it.
