Producer: Mukta Arts Ltd.
Director: Subhash Ghai.
Music: A.R. Rahman, Ismail Darbar.
Cast: Vivek Oberoi, Isha Sharvani, Antonia Bernath, Amrish Puri, Michael Maloney

Subhash Ghai had first attempted a film advocating patriotism and love for the motherland in Pardes starring Mahima Chaudhury, Apoorva Agnihotri and Shahrukh Khan. His obsession with 'Yeh Mera India' seems to be never-ending and he has carried forward this very idea in his film Kisna.

Starring newcomers Antonio Bernath and Isha Sherwani along with Vivek Oberoi, the plot revolves around the righteous Kisna (Vivek Oberoi). The film is set in India in the 1930's when nationalists fighting for the country's independence urged the British to quit. Kisna, true to his principles goes against his family and protects a British girl, Katherine (Antonia Bernath), who is also his childhood friend, from an enraged mob of nationalists that include his own uncle (Amrish Puri) and elder brother Shankar (Yashpal Sharma).

Katherine is the daughter of a ruthless British Deputy Commissioner (Michael Maloney). The Indians attack the Commissioner's house and Kisna with help from his mother decide to save the girl and escort her to the British High Commission in New Delhi. During the course of the long journey, the two fall in love.

Meanwhile, Kisna is already engaged to Laxmi (Isha Sharvani). His relationship with Catherine leads to problems between the two. The emotional love triangle forms the complex part of this Indo-British romance.

The film sure has its moments, which makes the film most memorable - especially the scene when Katherine and Kisna discover the love for each other after a dip in the Ganga. While the film starts of well, the movie gradually becomes a 'drag' as the second half becomes a little too monotonous. The film unfolds in flashback, quite similar to the popular Titanic. In fact, the director has borrowed heavily from the masterpiece The Last Of The Mohicans starring Daniel Day-Lewis, Madeleine Stowe and Titanic.

Out of the three central characters in the film, Isha Sharvani is very graceful with beautiful dance movements. Unfortunately for her, she did not have much to offer, simply because her role was not demanding enough. Vivek is just about average and one tends to wonder what the hype about his 'new' look and role was all about! However, it is foreigner Antonio Bernath who steels the scenes with her brilliant perfomance. Her expressive face and persona emits innocence just like how the character was expected to be. Amrish Puri as in all his previous films has given a terrific perfomance.

The skin show seems a little 'uncalled for'. Considering the fact that the movie was set during the pre independence period, such show of body and skin seems a little out of place.

Cinematography by Ashok Mehta and the entire setting set in North India are beautiful.

There are many love stories made in Bollywood each year and the chances of it doing well is high indeed, considering the success of films like Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak, Maine Pyar Kiya, Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenege and Veer-Zaara off late. However, Kisna suffers when it comes to script. So it seems that writers Sachin Bhaumick, Farukh Dhondy and Margaret Glover along with Ghai himself failed when it came to deliver a good script!

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