Nagpur Today:Homi Adajania got rave reviews for his Directorial Debut with “Being Cyrus” which was a grim, dark movie. Then he later delivered his commercially successful “Cocktail” which was a Imtiyaz Ali Script. Homi knows his craft and imagines a world which is not usually portrayed or accepted in Indian Cinema. Finding Fanny is another such movie for which the producer Dinesh Vijan must be applauded first to have the courage to produce it.
Finding Fanny is a story of a few characters living a tiny village “Pokoli” in Goa (the long shots of it are amazing). With only few households in the whole village, everyone knows each other and interferes in each others life. Each of the characters are quirky and funny in their own way.
Ferdie (Naseeruddin Shah) is shy old man who is waiting for reply on his letter to his ladylove, Stefanie Fernandes (Anjali Patil) since 46 years. He does not get her reply but gets his own letter returned back to him by the post for non-delivery. He breaks down and cries buckets.
Angie (Deepika Padukone) is a widow of Joffrey (Ranveer Singh) who died on the wedding day itself. She lives with her mother-in-law (Rosie Eucharistica) who is proud of her own beauty. Don Pedro Cleto Colaco (Pankaj Kapur) is a lustful painter who needs a woman to be his inspiration to be able to paint. He is after Rosie to allow him to paint her.
Savio Da Gama (Arjun Kapur) is an young neighbour of Angie who is full of attitude. He loves Angie but never told her. So instead he gets angry on her for marrying his friend and not him. Angie is worried about Ferdie and wants him to meet his love. So she gets support from all these people and arranges a road trip for “Finding Fanny”. On the road, they discovers each other and find the meaning of love.
Screenplay by Homi Adajania and Kersi Khambatta is very fresh, different and unusual. They successfully setup the small village world environment and the people in it. Everything is very believable. The quirks of each of the characters and their personality traits creates small conflicts which are like storm in a tea cup. That makes them very real and lovable. Dialogues are simple but they do bring smile and emotions where necessary.
As a Director, Homi Adajania knows what he is doing and shows his skills in getting subtle emotions and state of mind of the characters on screen. Do mark the scene when Deepika sees flashes of memories of her husband and the trail stops at Arjun Kapur. It is a Director’s cut. Though the film may feel slow to many but it is necessary for the world he is showing. It’s not slow, it’s cosy pace of that world. There are many laughable, smile-worthy and entertaining moments in throughout the movie. Barring the continuity flaw about color of the petrol can in the last portion, attention to detail is admirable. Homi has a lot to offer. I hope the industry uses his talent more.
On the performance side, every actor is a stalwart. Naseeruddin Shah and Pankaj Kapur give a performance finding-fanny Nagpurexpected from such masters. They both are just amazing. Dimple Kapadia shines in her role which demands Boldness. Ankit Tewari and Anjali Patil are noticeable in their small roles. Ranveer Singh lends his personality in his cameo which is credited as a “Short-Lived” performance which you know why when you watch the movie. His character is literally short-lived.
Arjun Kapoor proves that he is a one of the most talented actor in this industry and that he can portray a range of emotions. After “2 States”, this is another remarkable performance by him. And last but not the least, Deepika Padukone who lives the character of Angie. She looks, feels like her. Rather SHE IS ANGIE. She is both the glamour and substance of this movie. She is completely at ease and portrays all the emotions with finesse. Her fan following will drastically improve and mostly it will include youngsters who will see her as perfect marriage material.
Credit must also go to the casting directors Shruti Mahajan and Parag Mehta.
Film is technically strong. Production Design by Manisha Khandelwal is great. Cinematography by Anil Mehta (another stalwart) is brilliant. Film Editing by A. Sreekar Prasad is superb. Music by Mithias Duplessy is according to the mood of the film. Costumes by Anaita Shroff are apt. Overall a great team effort.
On the whole, Finding Fanny is a movie which is rarely made and if you like quality cinema, this is the movie for you.
Rating : 
Recommendation : A must watch for lovers of quality cinema. Otherwise also it is very entertaining movie which makes you laugh and feel good about life. Watch it. Sometimes, it is good to experiment.
