Inside 'Kho Gaye Hum Kahan': Exploring Friendship, Social Media, and Impact with Siddhant Chaturvedi, Ananya Panday, and Adarsh Gourav

The movie Kho Gaye Hum Kahan, which debuted on Netflix the day after Christmas, has garnered a lot of praise for its relatable theme of how many of us have lost ourselves and our sense of self-worth to the never-ending addiction called social media. It also features many heartwarming moments mixed with heartbreak, a charming friendship that serves as the film's central theme and was directed by debutant Arjun Varain Singh. Siddhant Chaturvedi, Ananya Panday, and Adarsh Gourav deliver powerful performances in the film. Ten days after its premiere, the movie is still going strong. T2 spoke with Siddhant, Ananya, and Adarsh about their films and other topics.

It's uncommon to find a song that is both enjoyable and meaningful like Kho Gaye Hum Kahan. Regardless of age, there are a lot of themes in the movie that everyone can relate to since, let's face it, we are all addicted to social media.

Adarsh Gourav: Maheep Kapoor's mother told me she could relate to the movie while I was at one of the screenings. She is most likely in her late sixties. That even she thought the story was important and that she could relate to every character made me very happy. Not only the three main characters, but all of these people have aspects of themselves that you can identify with, which is what makes this narrative so lovely.
Ananya Panday: The comments with the cutest images of their three buddies are the ones that I have received. They have made statements along the lines of, "We called our friends after the movie," or "We hugged our friends." It's difficult to evoke those types of emotions in people. It was undoubtedly what we set out to do with the movie, but what was most touching was that we were able to make it happen and that people actually felt that way.
Siddhant Chaturvedi: Not just Gen-Z or millennials, but people of all ages have found the film appealing. Its appeal has extended beyond its intended target group (TG) to a wide range of viewers. It's a pleasant feeling. In addition, I've been receiving a lot of direct messages from people who were abused as children, and they appreciate how sensitively the movie handled it. They now feel like they have a voice and that it's acceptable to talk about and sort of let it out of your system thanks to my character Imaad's stand-up monologue about his abuse. That's a winner in my book.

Has this movie altered the way you use and view social media?

Adarsh: I think my use of social media has increased, but in a good way. I've been using social media more, but I also know exactly what I want out of it—mostly, I want to use it to promote my music.
Ananya To be really honest, I was doing well right before the movie came out. My usage of social media was minimal. I refused to get into that vicious cycle or spiral. However, I have been watching it more since the movie came out due of the positive feedback and love. I fear that I will become enmeshed in this cycle of validation once more.

It's crucial to treat love and hate on social media with equal respect. You cannot overindulge in anything, and I fear that this is just what is happening to me. When something positive happens, you are seeking a rush and thinking things like, "I want more satisfaction." After watching this movie, that's what's happening to me. I feel content and that it is giving me a strong sense of contentment and self-worth.

I'm like, "You have to snap back to reality, you have to keep working hard, you have to do better with the next film," but then I think about Ahana, her character in the movie. It's important to catch yourself before you lose yourself in your love or hate since I have experienced the negative side of both emotions as well. It's about remaining impartial in both circumstances.
Siddhant Over the past year, I haven't been very active on social media since I felt like there wasn't much to talk about, especially with regard to the films I had previously done. I believed that the audience had discovered other ways to amuse themselves, and I was at a loss for how to keep them interested outside of my work. And at last, it has taken place. My phone has been beeping for the past two weeks. I used to deliberately set my phone aside and check it no more than three times a day. I am now paying closer attention to it though, as it is impolite to read through the messages and not reply.

People are expressing their love for us. They are summarizing every scene in the movie and discussing our performances in paragraph style. I can share things on social media that I haven't been sharing for a while because I feel like there is an audience for it right now. I'm also using that channel to share a little bit of my happiness and how well the movie has done with me.

The three of you have such a laid-back, natural chemistry and friendship off screen. Did you need to go above and above to establish that connection off-screen as well?

Siddhant: Not even one person has spoken to me since the movie's premiere!
Ananya: We have group conversations! We've also conducted a group call. However, prior to it, throughout Kho Gaye Hum Kahan's marketing, we were constantly in each other's faces! We have all been traveling on our own!

But the thing is, even after a while, when we meet again, everything is always the same. So nothing truly changes, even if we get back together after six months. They will always be Neel and Imaad to me, not Adarsh and Sid, after this movie. For me, they have simply taken on those personas, and our connection will always revolve around that. We are not required to meet or communicate on a regular basis. The most significant thing is that all three of our parents believe we will always be friends. This is significant because our parents have seen us with our other lifelong friends, and it is remarkable that they recognize the similarities in our friendship.

What quality, if any, would you have to impart to each of your characters to help them become more like you?

Adarsh: I wish I owned as many sneakers as Neel does. It's absurd! And I think that if I had to give Neel anything, it would be a bit more confidence in myself.
Ananya: I'd choose Ahana's commercial sense. Her business plan creation process is so impressive that I would take her college degree! What I would like to give Ahana is a small amount of confidence and self-love, which I don't have much of anyhow (laughs), but what I do have, I'd like to share with her.
Siddhant: I would like to have more humor. Though I could improve on my sense of humor, I believe I am fine. I would like Imaad to get the property his mother left behind! (laughs)

What do you believe about the three pals in movies that you feel works so well together? It's been said that Kho Gaye Hum Kahan is comparable to Dil Chahta Hai, the seminal movie about the friendship of three friends.

Siddhant: I've always known that Kho Gaye Hum Kahan and I had a strong friendship history. However, when people began drawing comparisons between it and Dil Chahta Hai and Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara, I began to think about it more. There is drama and struggle in the friendship between the three buddies. With four pals, it never occurs since, in the event of a quarrel, the group will inevitably break up into twos. When it comes to three pals, things are different... woh bolte hain na ki teen tigada kaam bigada. More tension is always present, and in a disagreement between two friends, one of them will always be the one caught in the midst, attempting to mediate the situation. When Imaad and Neel have a falling out in our movie, Ahana is the one who gets caught in the midst.

A trio of friends strikes me as being quite lovely; they almost seem geometric, like a kind of love triangle. It's both hectic and gorgeous.
Adarsh: Delhi Belly is my favorite trifecta.
Siddhant: Three idiots as well.
Ananya: Given the journey to Manali and the fact that Aditi (Kalki Koechlin) is a girl, Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani will be my choice.

If the three of you had to launch a business together, what would it be, similar to the pals in Kho Gaye Hum Kahan?

Ananya: Since Adarsh is the one with the most bizarre notions, he ought to respond to this.
Adarsh: I adore the lotto industry! individuals are so drawn to it that you may make a lot of money by selling lottery tickets to the same group of individuals for the rest of your life!

Is that even relevant these days?

Ananya: Alright! Even now, my dad (Chunky Panday) purchases lotto tickets!
Adarsh: You will find nearly no beggars in any Keralan city, but everyone will be hawking lottery tickets. Huge awards are offered, but only one individual is selected to receive the grand prize, and nearly everyone purchases that ticket, making it an extremely lucrative company.

Do the three of you intend to move to Kerala?

Adarsh: No, no, we'll simply begin it here. Mumbai division! (laughs)

Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Press Time staff and has been published from a syndicated feed.