Finding Fanny (12 Sep 2014)

Cast: Deepika Padukone, Arjun Kapoor, Dimple Kapadia, Naseeruddin Shah, Pankaj Kapur, Anjali Gupta, Ranveer Singh (Cameo), Anand Tiwari

Director: Homi Adajania   Writer: Homi Adajania, Kersi Khambatta   Music: Mathias Duplessy

Cinematography: Anil Mehta   Production Design: Manisha Khandelwal   Costume Design: Anaita Shroff

Running Time: 105 minutes

‘Finding Fanny’ is like one of those medium paced Mexican flicks, that invariably contain – rural setting with old and unkempt style housings surrounded with nature, an unassuming village lass oozing with passion and sexuality, liquor influenced scenes, unconventional characterization of leading characters and a simple story, which will neither make your heart loose a beat, nor make your mind wander elsewhere.

The movie is based in Pocolim, an obscure Goan village with no presence on the map. It’s a quaint and non happening village, with such dull routine that, when their old postman, Ferdie (Naseeruddin Shah) decides to embark on a road trip to find his long lost love Stefanie Fernandes (Anjali Gupta) aka Fanny, he is invariably joined in by four other villagers on one pretext or the other!

The movie opens with Ferdie receiving a return mail, which was actually his love declaration to the woman of his dreams, Fanny. This declaration was mailed forty six years before, and in the event of receiving no reply, Ferdie had been since living the life of rejection and solitude! The mere realization that such a life was lead in vain makes him utterly miserable and depressed. His good friend Angie (Deepika Padukone), the youthful virgin widow advises him to at least find his lost love and know her sentiments, so as to bring a closure to his questioning state of mind. She decides to accompany and arrange for his trip. And thus, another young but bitter villager Savio Da Gama (Arjun Kapoor), a recent Mumbai returned, is roped in because he knows driving and car repair. Don Pedro Cleto Colaco (Pankaj Kapur), a visiting painter with a roving eye and artistic musings for extra curvaceous women is also roped in, so as to use his car as the vehicle in the road trip. Angie’s mother-in-law and mother to the deceased Joffrey (Ranveer Singh), Rosie Eucharistica (Dimple Kapadia), the self proclaimed first lady of the village, accompanies the foursome to simply ensure the safety of her daughter-in-law! On the front, it is an expedition to bring peace to the soul of a fellow villager, but in actuality all the co-passengers see the journey as an escape from their respective dull routines and silently hope to find some answers and solution to their own quests of life! Savio has the hots for Angie, while Don Pedro has the hots for Rosie. The ladies in question are also not really happy with their ‘single’ status. And so, the lost and pining five some along with Rosie’s pet cat embark on their journey and in the process, get lost, find both expected and unexpected answers to their respective quests, and ultimately attain their destined closure.

Neither it’s a perfect story, nor does it serve any cause. In fact, instead of harping on the occurrence of true love or ‘united till death’ syndrome, it emphasizes on the ‘idea of love’ and the need and pursue of the same, even in the event of loss of the original partner! Without promoting infidelity, it signifies that the basic need of life is to feel and share love and it is not dependent on the existence or fidelity of the one with whom you have united your heart and promised to share the rest of your life! The shoes of the deceased or betraying partner need to be filled by someone appropriate enough as per the present timeline of life, because the need to have a breathing and devoted partner is perennial.

This movie has a bilingual release i.e. in both Hindi and English. It also has a good measure of sub titled Goan lines. The genre is amalgamation of comedy, satire and drama. It’s well made in its own way. The content and presentation is new for the Indian screen. It is meant for the ‘thinking audience’ and thankfully is devoid of unnecessary songs and/or titillation. More than the masses, the film seems to be targeted for the international audience (Fox Star Studios being the distributor). No wonder, it is slated to be released at both Busan (South Korea) and Toronto (Canada) International Film Festivals.

The movie is based on five main characters and all of them are well casted and have delivered flawless performances. But still you feel that Pankaj Kapur has stolen the show and Arjun Kapur is the weakest link of the lot. Deepika Padukone looks confidant, wise and very beautiful and that too in a non glamorous role. The lady is pretty regular with flesh bare clothing. But never before has she looked so illuminous and desirable. Dimple Kapadia seems to be becoming a pro with character driven roles, caring a damn about her looks. This is a far cry from her younger and much more successful diva days. To give the lady her due, one must mention that, nearing sixty, she still looks very glamorous. Naseeruddin Shah is an acting school in himself. The opening scene requires an ocean of emotions, followed by outburst and silent retreat. It is impossible to think of anyone else, who can even analyze the scene like him. Pankaj Kapur plays the most complex character of all. He is supposed to be a flamboyant artist (painter), find his muse in extra curvaceous women and appear disinterested in everything else to the point of appearing selfish. And he has successfully depicted all this in good dignity! Arjun Kapoor has acted average. Acting with such polished actors, he was expected to display much more depth in his character. Ranveer Singh and Anjali Gupta (remember the feisty naxalite from ‘Chakravyuh’) and Anand Tiwari (the priest) are effective in their small roles. The director Homi Adajania has well attempted a relatively new concept in movie making. Without caring to give in to the superfluous  needs of the commercial cinema, he has neither diluted his philosophy, nor hastened the pulse of the movie. To do this, and that too after the roaring success of his commercial hit ‘Cocktail’, he must be a very confidant man. ‘O Fanny Re’ track touches your soul. Given the limited scope provided by the storyline, cinematography and costume design are exceptionally good. They are in-line and noteworthy.

To sum it up, in an art gallery where patrons mostly find and appreciate well defined forms and subjects (like human, God, nature), this movie is like a well made abstract painting, which many will fail to enjoy because of their routine preferences, and the remaining will derive their own meaning of a particular - brush stroke, shape or even corner!