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In a sepia-tinged tribute to 1950s Hindi cinema, Khoya Khoya Chand captures the tumultuous love story between a rising starlet and a talented writer/director in the fickle world of the film industry. Sudhir Mishra's second film with Shiney Ahuja, spans nine years and as a result drags in places and is overly long, but Sachin Kumar Krishnan's cinematograhy helps to tell an engaging and sometimes passionate story.

Superstar Prem Kumar (Rajat Kapoor) notices aspiring actress, Nikhat (Soha Ali Khan) on a film set and gives her the break she desperately wants, but at the cost of compromising any morals she has left. Having been raped on the casting couch at the age of fourteen, Nikhat is all too familiar with being used in the industry where she wants to succeed. Zafar (Shiney Ahuja), a writer looking for his first break, stumbles into Nikhat's life and they instantly fall for one another. The ebb and flow of their relationship and individual careers takes them on a personal journey, forcing them to confront issues from their past.

"AN ENGAGING AND SOMETIMES PASSIONATE STORY"

Shiney Ahuja is confidently arrogant as Zafar while Soha Ali Khan excels as Nikhat, a role previously offered to Vidya Balan. Prone to dragging it might be, but Khoya Khoya has a tighter grasp on reality than Om Shanti Om., this year's other reflection on a bygone Bollywood era.

Khoya Khoya Chand (Lost Moon) is out in the UK on 7th December 2007.