It is inevitable to bring in the reference of Sudhir Mishra's previous film,"Hazaaron Khwahishein Aisi" , when one sits to ponder over KKC's relevance today. Like his previous film, KKC is also set in a bygone era, a time that boasts of being the "golden" age of Indian cinema, HKA was based set in the most turbulent times of Indian politics(well...it's turbulent now too), but both films have struck the right chord as today's audience could identify themselves with those in the films.
Coming to Khoya Khoya Chand....whatever I had gathered from the trailers and reviews of the movie....everything was very discouraging. But after I saw the movie ,I did not get up from my seat for a good few minutes.I agree with most people , who have taken it to be their sole ambition to slander the movie and the filmmaker, that the story has been told many a times before....but I doubt whether it had received such a palpable treatment.
Sudhir Mishra should be solely championed because of the characterization of Zaffar, Nikhat ,Ratanbala ,Shyamol ,Noni Ganguly....But I guess the best one's that of Prem Kumar's. With a stroke of artistic brilliance, Mishra has asserted the fact that, nobody wants to harm anybody-they just want to pursue their own interests, but if you stand in their way, well only a few would spare you to be busted out. That's how the world rotates on give-and-take policy.
The director creates many cinematic moments and the language of the camera is impeccable. The performance are flawless ,to say the least , and every actor- be it the main leads or the supporting cast ,they have done a brilliant job. The scene in which Prem Kumar's engagement is announced , the broken,cheated look on Nikhat and the compassionate look on Ratanbala , who too has been cheated, superbly portrayed by Soha Ali Khan and Sonya Jehan.The flashback scenes of Zaffer's troubled life in Lucknow, the look of shock and despair on Zaffer's face when he returns from London, only to know that His beau Nikhat was married to his best friend as she needed support in the brink of her downfall, Zaffer's father praying for forgiveness , Zaffer caught by Nikhat making love to Ratanbala and the look on their faces, the drunken brawl of Zaffer with Nonida.....I can go on and on and on.
Rajat Kapoor is marvelous as the talented,charming,sly, opportunist, compassionate , wicked(yes , he is the most humane of all characters, neither fully good nor fully bad)superstar and Sonya Jehan is a good find of Mishra's(she only did a "Taj Mahal" before)as the seductive , fussy, actress, cheated again and again in love. Her portrayal of Ratanbala reminded me of the penpicture of the lonely moon in Shelley's "To the Moon",filled with a sense of nihilism. She is the Khoya Khoya Chand in my opinion. Soha has delivered her best performance till date and Shiny like always delivers this time too.Sushmita Mukherjee, Saurabh Shukla and the actor playing Nonida,do justice to their characters but kudos to Vinay Pathak's Shyamol,Zaffer's friend , repenting every moment of his marriage to Nikhat and to see her suffer.Superb.
The impact of the film keeps haunting you for quite sometime. The music resonates in your memory long after you have actually ceased to hear it.And you can still hear someone saying,"Zaffer, Ab To Mauff Kar De Yaar"(forgive me now at least) or "Pata Hain Tum Apne Bap Se Itni Nafrat Kyun Karte Hon??Kyunki Tum Jab Bhi Apne Andar Jhankte Hon To Unhi Kon Paatein Hon"(do you know why do you hate your father so much?because whenever you reflect upon yourself, you find him)
