Netflix promotes ‘Kho Gaye Hum Kahan’ with AR wall mural

Netflix’s upcoming film Kho Gaye Hum Kahan delves into the contemporary youth's fixation with social media. The trailer, released on December 10, reveals how the trappings of social media take a toll on real relationships. The platform seems to have taken a leaf out of its own movie and has stepped out into the real world to promote it.

Netflix, in association with Supari Studios and the Bollywood Art Project, has created an augmented reality (AR) wall mural depicting the lead actors of the film, Ananya Panday, Siddhant Chaturvedi and Adarsh Gourav. Titled The Wall of Friendship, it is located on Carter Road in Bandra, Mumbai. It is accompanied by a QR code, scanning which brings the mural to life. 

Notably, the mural extends beyond the cast of Kho Gaye Hum Kahan, incorporating the lead actor trios from cult classic Bollywood buddy films Dil Chahta Hai and Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara, all produced by Excel Entertainment.

Manoti Jain, chief operating officer, Supari Studios, says the three films are a tribute to the enduring spirit of camaraderie in movies across different ages. This mural is a celebration of the 'Decade of Dosti'.

“Our mural at Carter Road embodies a celebration of timeless friendships depicted in iconic Bollywood films. With Netflix’s Kho Gaye Hum Kahan representing a new era of these bonds, our aim was to evoke nostalgia and bridge the generational love for friendship-centric movies,” she says.

Unveiled on November 28, the mural was designed by Post Office Studios and painted by Ranjit Dahiya at Bollywood Art Project. It took 10 days to create the wall, and the tech behind it took even longer- almost a month. 

“Complementing his artistry was the tech expertise from Post Office Studios. We crafted an augmented reality filter that seamlessly integrated characters from Dil Chahta Hai and Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara into the mural, adding an interactive and immersive layer to the experience,” she adds. 

The final reel was delivered within two to three hours. But executing it was fraught with challenges. To capture what they needed for the reel, they had to coordinate the shoot and align with all stakeholders, including the cast, paparazzi, and various team members within a tight 20-odd-minute window. All this while maintaining secrecy around the cast and the upcoming Netflix film until the launch. Unpredictable weather conditions, like heavy rain on a critical weekend, also posed temporary setbacks. 

Creating the AR filters was also a challenging process. “Precision was paramount, especially in capturing the iconic characters' essence for the AR filters, given the finicky nature of these filters and Instagram's extensive approval process. Our primary concern was perfecting the AR filter's functionality- we rigorously tested this to ensure a flawlessly immersive user experience,” Jain says.

The reel showcasing the mural has garnered 4.2 million views on Netflix’s Instagram handle so far. The mural is scheduled to remain on the wall until mid-January.

Apart from the mural, the platform has undertaken various on-ground activities to promote the film. It collaborated with NH7 for the launch of the Hone Do music track. Additionally, the cast was featured on a podcast with Tanmay Bhat and Rohan Joshi.