Khoya Khoya Chand - Shiney shines!

All doom and gloom for Soha/Waheeda/Meena and Shiney/Guru/Dev
A movie that makes me stroke my invisible chin beard and wonder hmmm is a very good film in my books. However KKC made me do a little more "what!" and "Yeh kya baat hai!" it was like reading the trivia book by Mihir Bose, obviously Sudhir Mishra read this or investigate into every 1950's scandal and threw into the mixing bowl that is this movie. So I thought in this review I'd liken it to the scandals that are very glaringly apparent.

1. 1. Nikhat (Soha Ali Khan) is first seen as a 14 year old with a pushy mother who forces her into dancing and acting in movies. This reminded me of Nutan who was pushed into movies at 14 also by her faded movie star mother Shobha Samarnath who took her out of the Swiss school she was in after her finances had disappeared.
2. When we see Nikhat the second time she is older and falls into the company of Prem Kumar (Rajat Kapoor) a diminishing superstar. He uses Nikhat for his needs and also puts her in all his movies, but when he marries he still expects her at his beck and call. A very obvious allusion to Raj Kapoor and Nargis' relationship, she only achieved true fame after Aawara and that he wouldn't divorce his wife for her is very apparent in this movie
3. Nikhat meets Zafar (Shiney Ahuja) a writer who has some serious daddy issues, he is very creative. He rids Nikhat of Prem's help and they fall in love, but when something goes wrong with their planned marriage he gets despondent. His friend (Vinay Pathak) tells him its too risky to cast her in Zafar's home production. A whole lot of shades of the Guru Dutt and Waheeda relationship here, with the movie in question alluding to Sahib Biwi Aur Ghulam where Waheeda refused the role of Chotti Bahu and ending their relationship.
   
4. The side characters all seem to come from trivia books the tantrum throwing Ratanbala (Sonya Jehan), the yes man producer (Saurabh Shukla), the pushy and horrible parents.

The movie is very sporadic in its good moments, the love story between Nikhat and Zafar seems to be completely sexual, but the movie right from the outset talks of the sexual politics and using people for movies and etc... But did the two leads really love each other, maybe he loved her more adding to the Guru Dutt allusions abound that the movie has. What I liked about this was that it is completely brutal in showing the real life behind the golden era full of backstabbing sex and betrayals, and it shows how fleeting the movie industry is, one moment you are on top, the next -with Meena Kumari and Madhubala allusions- are gone.
The performances are brilliant, Soha though first seemed a bit too young but once she settles in she really shines, and Shiney seems to be the new art actor of these days, he embodies his Guru Dutt/crazy role very well and shines!(sorrrrry) Rajat Kapoor is very good as the selfish Prem Kumar. The supporting characters all have their good trivia etched roles, but Vinay Pathak and Sonya Jehan are great in cracking fiery roles!
The ending shot again showing the sleaze and the sex of the industry works well in conveying the movies message that behind the movies it isn't that pure.
Khoya Khoya Chand is a nicely ensemble filled movie, that works as a "Spot the Scandal" type of a movie which does make me stroke my beard and say "Vaah kya trivia hai!"