Aziz Mirza makes a comeback with 'Kismat Konnection'. I've always liked his films, especially those starring Shahrukh Khan and Juhi Chawla, because they have a unique charm and quirkiness and I love the fact that the story of his films usually revolve around the common man and his problems. 'Kismat Konnection' isn't exactly an original idea. The script draws inspiration from Hollywood films like 'Three To Tango' and 'Two Weeks Notice' but it's not a scene by scene ripoff.
This time Mirza introduces a refreshing pair: Shahid Kapur and Vidya Balan. Kapur's Raj Malhotra has Shahrukh Khan written all over it and the actor acts almost exactly like Khan minus the raw energy and natural spontaneity. If Shahid is copying Shahrukh's acting style, he's doing quite a passable job of it but a copy will always be a copy. I almost gave up on Vidya Balan after seeing her ghastly performances in 'Bhool Bulaiyaa', 'Lage Raho Munnabhai' and 'Eklavya'. However, here she's a lovely surprise. She plays Priya quite well. Aside from her wardrobe, she looks good too. The two share a good chemistry.
Of the supporting cast pretty much everyone does a good job. Juhi Chawla clearly stands out. Her scenes provide some of the best LMAO moments. I still can't get that scene out of my head, where she, as the semi-stoned psychic Haseena Bano Jaan, tells Shahid's Raj 'Shake those booties, babe'. I usually find Om Puri terrible in comedy but here he and Himani Shivpuri are fun to watch. Vishal Malhotra gets a decent role this time and does an adequate job (but sometimes he's a little over the top).
As a whole, 'Kismat Konnection' works to an extent but unfortunately, it does not reach the levels of Mirza's earlier films like 'Raju Ban Gaya Gentleman', 'Yes Boss' and even 'Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani' because of the following reasons:
1. It's shot in Canada. What made Mirza's previous works likable was that they were set in India and concerned common problems of the ordinary man but in this film, it is presented like just another NRI story when it could have easily been set in India. Thus, some of the charm is lost.
2. Not to put down their performances but even though Shahid and Vidya share a good on-screen rapport it's no match for the on screen magic between Shahrukh and Juhi. Perhaps the two newer actors will improve with time if they work together more often.
3. Mirza's films were also known for their awesome soundtracks and the lovely visualization of the songs. However, he's picked one of the worst music directors for this film and as a result 'Kismat Konnection' suffers. Not only are most of the songs horrendous, their picturization is unimpressive and they really slow down the pace.
4. Dialogues were another strength in his movies and 'Kismat Konnection' has plenty of those. But, Shahid's monologue in the end gets too political and a little out of touch when he starts talking about global warming and corruption. I understand that the writer's intentions weren't ill but it just looks out of place and a crucial scene like that needed strong but to-the-point lines.
Yet, even with the flaws 'Kismat Konnection' is quite an alright flick. For me, even a bad Aziz Mirza film would be worth watching and this one ain't so bad.
