'Kismat Konnection was destined to be made'

Like the title of his new film, Aziz Mirza believes in a connection with kismet. "I planned other films but out of the blue, Kismat Konnection came into the picture. It was destined to be made," says the director, whose last film was Chalte Chalte (2003) starring his favourite Shah Rukh Khan and Rani Mukerji.

And he is enjoying the action. "I was not exactly away. I live in the film world and I have been attending shoots, so I would not call this a comeback," says the director, who stopped making films after the death of his wife a few years ago.

Mirza describes Kismat Konnection as a small film on a small canvas. "Let me be clear: it is not an earth-shattering film," says the director of films like Raju Ban Gaya Gentleman, Yes Boss and Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani, all starring Shah Rukh and Juhi Chawla. And he has got them into Kismat Konnection as well, with Shah Rukh doing a voiceover and Juhi making a special appearance. And Mirza is all praise for Shah Rukh. "He had just returned from London. Any actor would have made an excuse and gone home, but at 1.30 am, Shah Rukh saw to it that he completed the voiceover."

Not that Mirza's latest film has been free of controversy, most notably in the matter of how his

lead pair of Shahid Kapur and Vidya Balan look together. "I don't care what people say about Vidya looking older than Shahid. I thought they would look good irrespective of their ages, and they do." And his confidence on the matter reflects his awareness of a changing Bollywood. "There are so many new directors making good films," says Mirza, who rates Taare Zameen Par and Lage Raho Munna Bhai as two of his favourite films in recent times.

Will Kismat Konnection, releasing on July 18, join that brigade? "If you have better things to do, don't go and watch my film. But if you do, treat it as a simple film." So now you know...