Kismat Konnection (romance)
Cast: Shahid Kapoor, Vidya Balan, Om Puri
Direction: Aziz Mirza
Critics rating:
FIRST things first. It's actually quite hard to believe that this is Aziz Mirza's film. Aziz Mirza? Remember, the man who gave us great TV soaps like Nukkad and sensitive films like Raju Ban Gaya Gentleman , Yes Boss . The qualifying characteristic of all his work was the celebration of the underdog as hero and the undercurrent of pop socialism in the drama. Kismet Connection has neither. On the contrary, it ends up promoting all kinds of mumbo jumbo - lucky charms, lucky stones, crystal ball gazers, kismet ka khel - in this lack lustre love story which takes a bit from Yes Boss and a whole lot from Lage Raho Munnabhai . And if that's not enough heartbreak, the filmmaker suddenly remembers his commitment to causes. Bingo! Out of the blue, the hero starts rambling about global warming, imperialism, exploitation and the rest. No connection at all!

Shahid Kapoor plays Raj Malhotra (the SRK hangover, it seems), an architect in Toronto who is jobless not because he isn't skilled; only because he is luckless. Desperate for a breakthrough, he visits Haseena Bano (Juhi Chawla), an irritating soothsayer who tells him to find his lucky charm if he wants to get rid of the negative vibes in his life. He accidentally bumps into Vidya Balan, reprising her Munnabhai role as an activist, and life's suddenly on song. The only jarring note? Sweet and ill-dressed (again!) Vidya already has a boyfriend.

No prizes for guessing who gets the girl. But what's even more depressing is the complete paucity of a sensible plot, the plodding narration and the thanda connection between Shahid and Vidya. Also, there isn't much these two proficient actors can do to save the script, although Shahid does try to liven up the drama. Doesn't work. Specially not after Jab We Met .

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