Netflix's "Kho Gaye Hum Kahan," directed by Arjun Varain Singh, is a GenZ drama about love, life, mental health, and social media dependency.
Set in modern-day Mumbai, India, the film follows three 20-somethings best-friends as they navigate identities, friendships, careers, and mental health issues associated with low self-esteem, sex addiction, seeking out toxic romances, etc.
The film is also a subtle commentary on influencer culture, the growing dangers of social media, as well as the impact of our reel-life on our real-life and world view.
The ring leader, Imaad, is a commitment-phobic stand-up comedian. His experiences of child abuse makes him a sex addict with an unhealthy dependence on Tinder.
Ahana Singh, the care-bear, has a sound corporate job, but she reels under a toxic relationship with her ex-boyfriend.
The underdog of the group, Neil Pereira, is a celebrity gym trainer who suffers from low self-esteem because of his middle-class background and an abusive romance with an influencer.
All the friends are portrayed with a heavy social media dependence and phone addiction, each showing signs of frustration, FOMO, substance use, social withdrawal, and trivializing problems.
Their mental health gets in the way of their relationships with each other, their partners, and business plan, but they come together to solve their issues.
The climax of "Kho Gaye Hum Kahan" tells GenZ to unplug from the virtual world and live in the real world.
It tells us to discard comparisons and accept that we all move and grow in our own paces.
The film urges us to face our fears, address our life's problems and mental health issues, and fall back on our family's and friends' support for recovery.