By Martin D'Souza, Bollywood Trade News Network
What you look for in KISMAT KONNECTION is the chemistry between the two lead actors, Shahid Kapoor and Vidya Balan. What you also look for is telltale signs of a broken heart in Shahid Kapoor. Remember the film shooting began in Canada immediately after Saif Ali Khan whisked Kareena Kapoor, then Shahid's girlfriend, away. On both counts, I don't get what I'm looking for. The chemistry isn't all that hot, and no, Shahid is not brooding in Canada.
All talk of romance between Shahid and Vidya, I guess, was just a publicity gimmick to rake up interest in this flick, but Kismat, has let the producers down. The Konnection just does not work. More than having anything to do with the lead pair, I think it has everything to do with the storyline, which is so flimsy, that you fear it will snap mid-way. No novelty in the drama, no ideation put through when the two first meet, no novelty in planning the end as well. You can just guess what is coming up.
And yes, there is no standout performance as well. Vidya Balan looks gorgeous, but there are certain angles in which she looks way older than she actually is. Also, the girl will have to hit the gym, pronto. Shahid Kapoor was fabulous in JAB WE MET. Had it something to do with the presence of Kareena Kapoor? Here, he just about manages to pull through the scenes. Nothing extraordinary. There is no one else, the rest just support the two in their romance. The music too, is nothing to write about.
Raj (Shahid) is a struggling architect. Brilliant in his college in studies, sports and drama, he finds it tough in the real world. As luck would have it, he learns about a certain Haseena Banu Jaan (Juhi Chawla wasted in the role) who is a fortuneteller. She tells him that he will find something that will be his lucky charm. And that something happens to be a someone called Priya (Vidya Balan). Whenever Vidya is around, Shahid gets lucky. Vidya is attached to one Community Centre where the old are taken care of and Shahid is about to clinch a deal with the firm to build a shopping mall where the Community Centre exists. Somehow, Shahid manages to convince Vidya that the Community Centre will co-exist, which he knows is not the truth.
The movie shines in patches. There are a few scenes that are very well handled, but the rest is just your normal Bollywood fare. One instance is when Vidya and Shahid try to tell their feelings to each other at a party; another is when Vidya is agitating against the mall coming up. However, these scenes are few and far between.
I must admit that Manoj Bohra who plays Dev Kataria, a character with shades of grey, really stands out. In the first scene they meet, he dwarfs the rest with his personality, presence and acting. And that I think is a huge plus. This lad has a future in Bollywood.
Director Aziz Mirza will manage to rake in the initials in the first week, thanks to Vidya and Shahid, after that I fear that the connection will be lost.
