Finding Fanny

The movie is not for everybody especially not for people who are used to the commercial capers which our dear old Bollywood is dishing out everyday!!

well with a star cast of Naseeruddin Shah and Pankuj Kapur(brothers-in-law sharing screen presence together for the first time!!) you go in with high expectations and fortunately they both deliver class performances!Dimpal Kapadia and Deepika both contribute significantly. The only wobbly performance was of Arjun Kapoor as a sulky boy but his diction was not clear at times and expression the same for most of the emotions!!

The movie is all about finding what we have lost in our lives but never had the courage to go about it to attain it. Though the dark humour and crisp editing is the movie's USP.

All in all Finding Fanny is a relief from some of the past torturous movies i had to endure!!

The cinematographer also has done a good job in capturing the picturesque Goa at its best.

Agree or disagree, this movie is not great at all. I didn't watch it with great expectations but thought it would turn out to be a decent one as I've really liked the Director's previous 'Being Cyrus'. Casting is the only plus point I see in this movie. The plot doesn't have the grip to glue the viewer to the movie. Story is about searching for a person and the events are very flat and dull. Very boring I must say. Not complaining about not having the regular Bollywood ingredients but this movie could've been better. Narration style was not interesting. Felt like the mood of the movie was going off at places.

Personally didn't like this movie at all.

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]

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.

Naseeruddin Shah : is a shy, solemn loner, the post master in a village where no one posts or receives any mail, still is a choirboy singer even though his days of being a boy are well behind him. And he brays, nay, sobs inconsolably as he receives a marriage proposal he'd made to his beloved Fanny via mail, forty-six years ago. It was never posted ! And the only one who understands him, is willing to help him is the girl he considers to be like a daughter, who he thinks will make one lucky bugger a great wife and will also be a super mother…Deepika…

Deepika Padukone : ethereal, leggy, flashing that dimpled smile of hers, a vision in floral dresses, floating through their tiny Goan village, remains upbeat despite all that's happened to her, with her husband choking to death on her wedding day, she till today isn't sure whether she should've accepted her hubby's proposal or gone with his friend instead, her quiet admirer, the quiet, quite infatuated… Arjun….

Arjun Kapoor : left town the day Deepika was going to get married. Rumour has it he went to Mumbai and was successful in some business. Is now back in their village. Not happy about how things have turned out. Prone to angry outbursts. Alone in his dilapidated house, which is falling apart. And working on his old car, which is also falling apart. Which he's just sold to… Pankaj….

Pankaj Kapur : is the new man in town, an award winning artist, a painter who earns huge sums for his every brush stroke. Is enjoying his solitude, the idyllic sylvan surroundings, his alcohol. And is also indulging in his fetish for 'big' women…by ogling at Dimple…

Dimple Kapadia : who does have a really large ass ! Also happens to be Deepika's mother in law and house mate, the woman who makes the tiny village tick, the one who organizes everything and loves being the centre of attention…the type who will try to commit suicide but will cough first to make sure someone is watching…the stingy type who will hide the cookies if she thinks her guest is eating too many…the type who feels too many drinks don't agree with her legs. Gout? Inquires Pankaj, solicitously ? No, she laughs, it makes them spread open…

These five quirky characters set off on a drive to locate Naseer's precious Fanny. In the dilapidated car. From the village that we're assured is so tiny, you cant locate it on a map. And interesting things happen on the way.

This is one of those delicious movies where its not so much about the story but more about the characters and the conversations. Where the script and the dialogue is, quite refreshingly, actually king. Where the music sets the mood but doesn't overpower. Where the performances by the stalwarts, Pankaj, Naseer are every bit what you would expect – they get into the skin of their assigned roles, changing body language, their walk, their way of talking to ensure we believe in them. Pankaj, in particular, has more scope to display his intensity, especially in a little bit towards the end.

Dimple is very good too, dominating yet hesitantly finding her way through the challenges life has thrown at her. Arjun has probably the most unidimensional role and he does it credit. In acting chops, probably the one who has to go the furthest, but he can still hold his head high after this one. And Deepika…ah, sweet, lovely, Deepika! Anyone who doubts whether she can act…I mean, really act…better be advised to watch this one. None of the histrionics, over the top gestures and mannerisms of say, Chennai Express…just subtle changes of expressions, a slightly quizzical mien of inner happiness with just a smidgen of indecision.

This is one of those films which is about journeys, self-discovery, life and more. The lessons made easy with the humour and the idiosyncratic dramatis personae. Set in a place where we all wish we could be…simpler, where time seems to stand still. And its not so much about Finding Fanny, but finding love…at any age…

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