Kismat Konnection

If you're a Torontonian, then there is a high possibility that you will not like the film. Yes the movie is shot in Toronto so that should be interesting enough right? But that's where you are wrong. The film is shot all over Toronto, parts of Niagara, India, and a city or two I'm sure. Firstly, any single person in Toronto does not live in a two story house by him or herself. And if you are going to design a house, why not even get a glimpse of what a house in Toronto looks like. The staircase was so Indian, the lamps were Indian, and the fact that you showed a one story house from outside and two stories inside was SO Indian! Moreover Adelaide street where Mr. Shahid Kapoor lived does not have houses. It is highly commercial and totally packed with no rooms for houses. Secondly, Vidya Balan is sitting at Sheldon Lookout and her waving friend sits across the lake to her. This is not possible because the rocks she's sitting on face a huge lake, and the sky line of Toronto. And if someone Is sitting on the other side, unless you have bionic eyes, you cannot see them. Lastly, the two love birds go for a walk in Toronto, at Harbour front, then walking around King Street, then Bay street, but when the song is nearly ending, they are actually at Niagara falls which is two hours away from Toronto! But the audience is made to believe its all still Toronto! If you are going to use an outside location, at least get its geography right. Toronto is flooded with Indians, Pakistanis, and Bangladeshi's and Srilankan's all of whom are big on Bollywood. But this much error in presentation of a movie by such a well known director is just sad. The movie is okay. If you have time to spare watch Jab We Met again. This one is a pass by.

Lady luck is the personification of luck in the form of a lady bringing good or bad fortune for a person (mostly a male as it's the males who think this way). Males look upon the females they love or like as lucky for them and it's just a wild thought that their association brings good luck to them. Well, such phenomena may not exist but several people believe in its existence. And as they say, man's thoughts only reveal themselves to him in tangible form, such things do happen also (may be out of pure coincidence or due to the famous Law of Attraction). Kismat Connection (2008) tells such a story only.

Set in Toronto, the story of Kismat Connection (the connection of luck) is the story of two young architects - Raj (Shahid Kapoor) and Hiten (Vishal Malhotra). They are talented and sincere but their luck does not favour them and they are struggling hard to get work. While continuously approaching Mr. Gill (Om Puri), a director of a construction firm - Batra and Gill in their bid to get a contract, they stumble upon Priya (Vidya Baalan) who runs a community centre meant for the modestly earning people. Soon Raj starts feeling that Priya is his lucky charm. Love blossoms in his heart for Priya and he expects better days for him when two significant developments take place.

Raj comes to know that Priya is engaged to Karan Behl and they are going to tie the sacred knot soon. On the other hand, the coveted contract sought after by Raj and Hiten turns out to be the one which will result in the demolition of the community centre Priya is associated with. After a good dose of comedy in the first half and a good dose of sentiments in the second half, the movie ends in the Bollywoodish 'All's well that ends well' style.

The director of this movie is Aziz Mirza and it is the signature movie of this director who had earlier directed movies like Raju Ban Gaya Gentleman (1992) and Yes Boss (1997) having a similar tone. The movie is entertaining, no doubt. And the theory of lucky charm may not be a scientific one but it may appeal to a sizable chunk of Indian audience (including myself). It's a weak movie all the same with the director trying to pack too many things in the climax when the hero delivers his emotional speech and gets what he wants.

The first half of the movie which focuses on comedy is more interesting and makes the viewer sit through it. However the later part follows the tried and tested formula-studded path and starts boring. Well-identified scenes appear first to bring the members of the lead pair closer, then to separate them and then to reunite them, rendering a feeling that the filmmaker has nothing new to offer. The later reels have a clear hangover of Lage Raho Munna Bhai (2006) also when the issue of the dismantling of the community centre for the sake of the project of the mall creates a twist in the story. However everything remains quite predictable and the audience knows the end beforehand.

It's difficult to understand why the filmmaker has set the story in Canada whereas the same could have been narrated with an Indian backdrop in a much better way especially when all the characters of the story are Indian only. Setting the story on a foreign land has diluted its impact for the Indian audience because it becomes difficult to relate to it on account of this very reason.

Vidya Baalan has replicated her Lage Raho Munna Bhai act because she has got a similar role and similar script as well. However while she was perfect for Sanjay Dutt who's much older to her, she is quite a mismatch for Shahid who is younger to her. She appears to be her aunt from all the angles and their on screen chemistry is quite unappealing. Shahid Kapoor, Vishal Malhotra, Om Puri, Boman Irani and others including Juhi Chawla in a cameo have done their respective parts well. More than the chemistry between Shahid and Vidya, it's the chemistry between Vidya and her peculiar friend Boman which impresses the audience.

Technically this movie is good and the beautiful locations of Canada have been captured very well by the cinematographer. The movie is lengthy and should have been made crispier through proper scripting and editing. Pritam's music is good.

I recommend Kismat Connection as a decent entertaining watch to the regular movie buffs. Well, whether you consider someone special as your lucky charm or not, is up to you but you can enjoy this movie which is more or less a fun movie.

Seriously not a product you would expect from somebody who has strings of hits to his credit namely Raju Ban Gaya Gentleman, Yes Boss, Chalte Chalte and my favourite Phir Bhi Dil Hain Hindustani. Clearly the midas touch is missing. After watching the first few reels, one can walk out and confidently write a review (like me here!). The idea is pretty stale – probably belonging to the roaring 70's (Sanjay Chhel, how did you manage to market the lousy stuff?).

Aziz Mirza's Raju Ban Gaya & Yes Boss contributed towards numero uno status for SRK and with the same hope Shahid Kapur gives his best.

Hey Baby, you need some serious advise on fashion ie. Vidya Balan at her awful best.

Vishal Malhotra as a side-kick is becoming monotonous in his la Rajendranath roles.

Om Puri is wasted.

The lucky mascots donning the narrators and fortune teller hats don't help either ie. SRK and Juhi.

Music by Pritam is good with a few catchy fusion mix numbers.

There is no good reason to base the story in Canada. Any city from India would do. Old age home idea is plagiarised from Lage Raho Munnabhai.

PS: Will I finish the rest of the movie? Hope not!

Clichéd. Very clichéd.

Those expecting a romantic extravaganza akin to Shahid's Jab We Met will be very disappointed. Nothing about the movie clicks. The comedy is non-existent. The storyline is predictable and the portrayal is mediocre.

The beginning of the movie although not very promising was at least decent. The first half is light-hearted and raised expectations. But the second half is lengthy and stretches on, much to the impatience and frustration of the viewers. Even the twists and turns were stereotypical and had nothing new to offer. The songs were good and refreshing. The acting was OK. The chemistry between Shahid and Vidya was not very good. All in all it is not a movie worth wasting your time and money on.

A lousy effort.

I saw this movie lately and now I'll try to comment about it in few words: There is nothing interesting in the whole movie. It's so boring sometimes. The story line is so simple and not connecting at all that when we end it we aren't satisfied at all.

There is nothing about he chemistry between the 2 principal actors. If only the story was more credible and the script stronger than what we had to see.

I liked the dress of the actors and the general colors of this movie. The music was too modern I didn't like it.

It's the kind of movie to watch once and never again.

My vote: 5/10