Finding Fanny

Finding Fanny [4/5]

When love doesn't come knocking on your door, you go knock on its door. Out of all the valuable lessons that Finding Fanny teaches you, this one is worth taking home! Finding Fanny is the story of Angie, (Deepika Padukone) the widow of Garbo (Ranveer Singh) who stays with her mother-in- law Rosie Eucharistica (Dimple), another widow. Angie believes that no one deserves an incomplete love story, so she sets out on a road trip with her mother-in-law, her friend Savio (Arjun Kapoor), the famous painter Don Pedro (Pankaj Kapoor) and Freddi (Naseeruddin Shah) to help find Freddi's long lost love, Stephanie Fernandes.

The first half of the movie is very entertaining. Goa looks a lot more beautiful than what we have usually seen. The cinematographer is nothing short of brilliant! From the look of its trailer, Finding Fanny seems to be a comedy, it's not just that, it's a lot more.

The second half of the movie seems to go by a lot faster than the first half and is filled with some very unexpected turn of events that leave you shocked and amused at the same time! The movie inspires you to act and seek out whatever it is that you want, instead of waiting for it to come by. By the end of the movie, you'll manage to smile through your tears.

Whether you like this movie or not depends hugely on your taste. If you have been a lover of commercial cinema like Chennai Express or Kick, Finding Fanny might not interest you that much. But if you have a taste for diverse cinema, Finding Fanny is the right pick for your palette.

All actors have done a fabulous job. My favourite of the five is Pankaj Kapoor, who didn't even had a necessary role as per screenplay, is just OUTSTANDING! Naseerudin Shah is very lovable and cute. Deepika is also good but she shines in narrating the story. Arjun Kapoor is revelation. He should try more roles like this. And finally, Dimple Kapadia. She should be applauded for accepting such kinda role that not everyone can play and she is fantastic.

Background score is very good. And finally, the immensely talented director, Homi Adjania deserves the maximum credit for what he has delivered. One needs to be very creative in order to tell a dark and emotional story in an entertaining way. And he does a fab job. Finding Fanny is the best movie Bollywood has produced this year since QUEEN! Highly recommended :-) [4/5]

FINDING FANNY (English): 7.5/10

Finding Fanny revolves around five rather dysfunctional characters on a road trip to find "Fanny"- the love of the life of one of them. As the amusing plot unfolds, the characters are shown in vibrant shades and a rather refreshing climax wraps it up in a very nice way. All in all, a good movie worth watching at least once.

A brave attempt to recreate the magic of the old time comedies lost after Hrishikesh Mukherjee and his school of film making. Its a feel good comic-drama backed by some decent performances.

The actors brought alive the characters, which, must I say, were rather well built. While Pankaj Kapoor was the best in the lot and Naseeruddin Shah was just about as outstanding as ever, it was Dimple Kapadia, who did that bit of extra-effort to fit into the canvas with an air of grace. I have had my reservation on the selection of Arjun Kapoor, who seemed to be edgy at times; all credit must go to the director who was able to judiciously moderate the character to hide Arjun's monotonous limitations rather colourfully within the frame. Deepika Padukone for a change performed surprisingly well, and dare I say beyond expectations. Worth mentioning: she looked stunning in her rather simple get-up for the film. However, making her the primary narrator, well, was apt, but not judicious. An out and out off-beat feel good movie, without much of melodrama, grandeur and unnecessary colours, Finding Fanny is a tale right out of a book of great Indian short stories and stands as a one off instance of a movie that has been narrated and directed well from behind the camera. The script was seamlessly flowing, and the story was well woven, the camera man, requires a word of praise for making Indian locations look as beautiful and appealing. To sum it up, its rare to find that feel good brew, which has been ever so elusive from Hindi films for some time now.

The dead cat didn't smell for a real long time, almost through out the trip, apart from that continuity was well managed.

Homi Adajania is back after his commercial mainstream outing in "Cocktail" to what he does best, tell another quirky tale of dysfunctional individuals which he convincingly told with his debut "Being Cyrus".

"Finding Fanny" let me warn is not your run of the mill movie, it is abstract in its narration but the soul is at the right place.

Homi Adajania adapts Kersi Khambata's story again after "Being Cyrus". "Finding Fanny" primarily tells the story of five individuals Angie (Deepika Padukone), her mother-in-law Rosie (Dimple Kapadia), her naïve affable friend Ferdie (Naseeruddin Shah), her mother-in-law's admirer Don Pedro (Pankaj Kapur) and her brooding secret lover Savio Da Gama (Arjun Kapoor). Based in a small village of Goa Pocolim, the story unfolds when these five principle characters take a road trip to find Ferdie's love, whom he confessed love 46 years back Stefanie Fernandes a.k.a "Fanny" (Anjali Patil). How each character comes to his own and discovers themselves is what the story is all about.

The story premise by Kersi Khambata is wafer thin but it is the screenplay which accentuates the narration. It is the situations that make the story funny; each character is defined well with their set of eccentricities and insecurities. Kersi has done a brilliant job in defining the characters well. But I felt the proceeding goes from quirky to awry as the movie comes to an end. The climax could have been written better. But overall the pace never dips and at the end you have a smile. Well as I said earlier this is not your conventional film so do not expect the obvious.

The Dialogues written by Kersi and Homi is the highlight of the movie which complements the narration and lifts the scenes. They are brilliantly written with subtle humor but the impact is hilarious.

It is the performances by the ensemble cast which is a major highlight and the reason why the movie is a delight to watch. Homi undoubtedly had an enviable cast. Naseeruddin Shah as Ferdie, the emotional affable post master is brilliant. Naseer underplays his character,he has modulated his voice and his body language to portray Ferdie and the outcome is just mind-blowing. Pankaj Kapur who plays the eccentric lusty painter Don Pedro, he again proves his brilliance with this portrayal. Although amongst the five characters, Don Pedro's character is wafer thin as far as the writing goes but Pankaj Kapur with his portrayal takes the character to the zenith. It was delight to watch both the thespians in one frame. Dimple Kapadia as Rosie is brilliant and gives one of her best performances; she captures the nuances of Rosie's character well. Deepika Padukone again gives a good performance with Angie, Homi extracts another cracker performance after her Veronica act in "Cocktail". Arjun Kapoor as Savio, the brooding loser and lover shows his range as an actor.

Anil Mehta's cinematography is so breathtaking that after watching the movie you want to take a trip to Goa. He captures the old Goa so well, something which has not been highlighted well after "Trikaal". Goa's beauty lies beyond the beaches as well and Anil has captured it brilliantly.

Costumes by Anaita Shroff Adajania are so well done that it actually blends with the narration and does not look out of place. Production Design by Manisha Khandelwal is another highlight, every detail is painstakingly executed. The last highlight being the Music by Mathias Duplessy especially the backgrounds score, it just transports you to another world.

Homi Adajania breaks the conventional norms of film making and tries to create an Indian "Little Miss Sunshine"; well he partially succeeds as well. The movie's unconventional take makes it for niche audience and it may not find takers in the masses.

Finding Fanny definitely helps you in finding the expected solace. The plot presents a road journey involving a post master and his troupe of hysterical companions.

I went inside the cinema hall with an expectation of experiencing something unusual and that was exactly what the movie bestowed upon me. Most of the Indian flicks in recent times are supported by hackneyed ideas and illogical story lines and this is the region where Finding Fanny stands out. Also, the film gets covered up convincingly within a tolerable run time of 110 minutes thus managing to keep the audiences awake. According to me, the conclusion drawn out was slightly stereotyped. But even then, it was acceptable.

The performers assembled were certainly top-notch. Naseeruddin Shah is charming as ever while enacting the character of a depressed post master belonging to a delirious village. Deepika Padukone looks completely adorable while playing a lonesome widow. The naturalness that she is able to carry along with her throughout the movie is unquestionably worth admiration. Arjun Kapoor as Savio is greatly expressive. His last couple of projects have undeniably managed to bring out the best in him unlike his initial performances which were not really up to the mark, in my opinion. Dimple Kapadia is bold while playing the role of Deepika's mother-in-law. Pankaj Kapur too is one of the several laudable elements.

Direction by Homi Adajania is fair. A quirky adventure where the protagonist tries to find his long lost love is wonderfully put on the big screen. Screenplay by Homi Adajania and Kersi Khambatta is odd yet likable. Editing and Cinematography departments have managed to pull of their respective jobs decently. Music by Mathias Duplessy is disparate and alluring.

In addition to the above mentioned qualities, a number of unpredictably bizarre sequences are bound to leave you hilariously flabbergasted. If you are someone who is tired of watching clichéd narratives and masala dramas, then this must be the movie that you're looking for.

Review Finding Fanny

Direction and Filmography is fantastic... Story was simple and dialogues made movie subtle comedy and fun ride... Music is enchanting and characters are made with very special treatment... Acting and actor chosen are really great.. weather it is Naseeruddin Shah as shy lover like teenager, Dimple Kapadia as Egoistic lady, Pankaj Kapoor as lecherous artist, Deepika Padukone as simple and sweet girl, and Arjun Kapoor all are simply superb...

Must watch for everyone's performance...Specially of Don Pedro(Lecherous Pankaj kapoor)