This Friday marks the release of Khoya Khoya Chand, a film directed by Sudhir Mishra and starring Shiney Ahuja along with Soha Ali Khan. The film is set in the world of Hindi cinema of the 1950s and is a tribute to films of that era.
Mishra said that the films of that golden age inspired him; “I am going to dedicate this film to my father and uncles and my film uncle Guru Dutt. It’s a tribute to films like Pyaasa, Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam. I loved those films. Its essence and its love of the times.”
Adding, “I am inspired from people like my father, D.P. Mishra who belongs to the same period. Khoya Khoya Chand is set in the 50’s and 60’s, an era that marks the wonderful period of cinema. Filmmaking was the be all and end all for the passionate greats of that time. Khoya Khoya… is a film about filmmaking and relationships. It is about passions of the youth…”
To make the film look and feel authentic the director and production team did a lot of research, “I spoke to Waheeda Rehman, who gave me an insight of that time. I got some information from Randhir Kapoor about his father and RK Studios. Also there many people from that period that helped me in detailing of the film. Niharika Khan has designed clothes. She has used some shawls from Dev Kumar’s family. Some clothes and fabric used then is quite rare to come across these days. The sets have been designed by Gautam Sen who used to design for Aziz Mirza’s films. He has done some really outstanding work,” explained Mishra.
Mishra said about Shiney in his role as Zafar, “Shiney is amazing in the film. There’s no other actor who I would have cast for the role of Zafar. His character is inspired by my father. Shiney is brilliant in the film. His role is more complicated than that in Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi.”
He was very impressed with the performance of Soha as Nikhat saying, “Khoya Khoya Chand is Soha’s real debut. It is her first film. She has done a marvelous job. This film should have happened right at the beginning of her career. This movie does justice to her talent. Soha does a cabaret, mujra, piano song, and sentimental song… She plays a successful superstar who goes through a downfall and also a complicated relationship. She has portrayed the softness of a girl, passion of a woman and a downfall that gets her addicted to alcohol. She has done all this with much ease.”
Though period dramas are a hard sell to audiences, Mishra has faith in his film. “All the actors have done a wonderful job; Adlabs’ production value is excellent; the detailing is outstanding; the camera work and music is brilliant. There’s no reason it shouldn’t work.”
We certainly cannot wait to see this intriguing film! Be sure to go and check out Khoya Khoya Chand when it releases in theaters this Friday!
