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Home > Bollywood Movie Reviews > Khoya Khoya Chand A Worthy Tribute APK | December 09, 2007 Rating: *** (***** Very Good, **** Good, *** Fair, ** Average, * Bad) User comments Art: Gautam Sen. Costumes: Ashima Belapurkar-Niharika Khan. Cinematography: Sachin Kumar Krishnan. Editing: Ruchi Narain-Archit D. Rastogi. Lyrics: Swanand Kirkire. Music: Shantanu Moitra. Sound: Subhash Sahu. Story & Director: Sudhir Mishra. Producer: Prakash Jha. Banner: Holi Cow Pictures. Release Date: 7th December, 2007. Sudhir Mishra's obviously been there. He's seen it all. Otherwise it's difficult to make a movie like Khoya Khoya Chand, which is absolutely an insider's account. The visual quality of the movie is a highlight, as are the references to various legends and celebrities of the bygone era-without taking actual names. To a Class A 'Bollywood' buff, who is interested in Hindi cinema, it's history, it's wonderfully rich gossip and it's delectable scandals, this movie will make sense and feel refreshingly good. To regular cinegoers, it's impossible to trace the threads to reality and understand and appreciate the eccentricities of various characters.  Plot Nikhat becomes a star thanks to the give-and-take she has with superstar Prem Kumar. Zaffar is a writer and when Nikhat turns muse, romance blossoms. But then it's a rollercoaster ride then on, with filmfares and friends, leechy producers, bankruptcy and fading glory. The ups and many downs of the tumultuous relationship and their spotlighted lives make the movie.Story, Screenplay and Direction Here's the man who made Hazaron Khwaishein Aisi, perhaps one of the most intriguing movies in the recent past. That was one dynamic theme-of emergency. This is another-the 60s Hindi film industry. It's not the industry that was visible to the public eye that Mishra chooses to show. It's the Hindi film industry that people liked to speculate about. Everything from the vintage cars, the look, the costumes, the kind of people who'd come to work in the industry, the various kinds of people who dominated the industry has been worked on. And it shows, as it's totally authentic. The camerawork is worth mentioning, and so is the editing. As a period film, the movie excels. The characters are kept real, and though they behave like filmi, what else can you expect from film stars. The casting is excellent and everyone fits their roles perfectly. You see a lot of the dark side of the struggling world of Hindi cinema. The narration is not kept the same throughout and you see Vinay Pathak starting off as a narrator after which the movie takes off on its own. Possibly, the two factors viz. the uneven narration and the slow pace make the movie loose the grip somewhere during the second half. But it picks up again, and the climax sequences are again deftly handled.  Performances Soha Ali Khan fits perfectly as an yesteryear actor. Maybe because we are used to the idea of Sharmila Tagore as the quintessential 60s diva and Soha looks so much like her. Maybe because she has an author backed role with a director who worked on the character before presenting it on screen. Or maybe she's a really good actor, highly underrated and in need of more good roles.Shiney Ahuja is very good in the first half, excellent with one-liners and in some of the scenes. He falters towards the end but overall it's much better than his Bhool Bhulaiyaa performance-perhaps he's comfortable with his mentor. Saurabh Shukla is terrific as a Punjabi producer and steals the thunder in many of his scenes, along with Rajat Kapoor. Kapoor as Prem Kumar, a superstar is very believable and lives his part. Vinay Pathak as Ahuja's friend is good as ever, especially in the second half. Soniya Jehan as Ratanbala is extremely beautiful and does a good job. Music The background is appropriate and the title song is very melodious. Shantanu Moitra has made the soundtrack sound so much like a 60s movie, it's hard to believe it's not one. Last Word You can draw parallels to many stars of the 60s, but then, you can just appreciate the movie for what it is. Mishra claims it's a tribute to the golden era, and so it is. It's a movie that hardcore Hindi movie connoisseurs will be able to treasure in their list of must-watches. The hard work put in each department shows, but for the slight lack of hold on the grip. However, it can be 'Soya Chand' for the restless 'blockbusters-only' crowd. |