(Content Warning: Mention of sexual abuse & film spoilers)
Kho Gaye Hum Kahan, streaming on Netflix, is more than a coming-of-age story of three friends and how social media influences their lives. The movie delves into intimacy and its significance for those living under the shadows of past traumas.
Imad, played by Siddhant Chaturvedi, is a stand-up comic caught between toxic dating patterns, self-discovery with the help of a therapist, and navigating intimacy when he finds 'the one.'
It all ties together when, towards the end, he publicly shares the story of repeated abuse by someone close to his father.
This is the lived reality of many. The 2020 data by National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) shows that 96 percent of sexual abusers of minors in India are relatives or friends of the family.