Finding Fanny

As these lines in the climax from the voice over of Deepika Padukone suggest “we only die, love never dies, its always there, you just have to find it, you have to knock on the door even if the door is not there.” The movie is about finding love. The intrinsic message that movie gives is, love does not die and it gives you second chance, you just have to realize it.

Ferdie (Naseerudin Shah) is postmaster in a fictional sleepy village of Goa called Pocolim. One fine night he receives a 46 old letter under his door which he wrote to his then sweetheart Fanny expressing his one-sided love towards her and awaited for 46 years for her reply. He confides about this letter to Angie (Deepika Padukone) who, being a wedding day widow, has nothing else to do but to fulfill other people wishes. She takes up this task to unite this long separated couple. She manipulates her first love Savio (Arjun Kapoor) to drive an old car owned by a pugnacious crazy painter (Pankaj Kapoor) who is in love with the figure of Rosie (Dimple Kapadia) and desperately wants to draw her. These Five obnoxious people starts a road trip to find Fanny the lost love of Ferdie but they all end up finding their true love after going through many hilarious but magnificent, life changing events through the trip. Also, they come to know a lot of hidden truths buried with each of them about other, when these come out in open make the other person shocked and audience astounded.

Homi Adajania has created a marvelous piece of art. He has very subtly narrated truths of life by telling crazy stories of these five dysfunctional people and then intertwining these stories together. The ability of Homi of stitching all the stories together is extra-ordinary that we have already seen in Being Cyrus. I am not sure if I can call the story very ordinary because when converted into screenplay and see each story from other person’s perspective makes it very interesting; and revelation of all those small – small but big truths of life towards the end makes it outstanding. The dialogues are quirky and you can find few adult jokes, already shared on social media, here and there. 

Deepika looks amazingly simple but lovely in tank tops and floral midi skirts. Her character might remind you of Amilie but her portrayal of Angie is not that curious rather manipulative and selfish. In one of the scene when after fighting, Savio is sobbing in one corner she comes to him, makes love to him and after that she tells him, “I only came to you otherwise you would have been sobbing here, I thought sometime I should do what I want to do.” Also in one of the interesting dialogue when she tells him after making love, “you can be better.”  Even though claims to be a virgin before sleeping with him. 

Arjun Kapoor is convincingly good as a man helplessly in love with Angie but afraid enough not to be able to express it to her. His outburst in the climax proves him to be a talented actor. Naseerudin Shah is as always un-shockingly spectacular as Ferdie. His Body language is amazingly good as a loser, confused and diffident old wreck who is persuaded by a bored widow to find his lost love. Pankaj Kapoor has done a fabulous job of portraying a split personality and you will be amazed by him towards to end. Dimple Kapadia is outstanding in rendering a self-proclaimed Lady of village who is tired of hiding the biggest truth of her life about her husband.

Cinematography gives you a fresh look. Costume design and make-up artists have done a fantastic work. Music is soothing. Finding Fanny is a refreshingly tasteful romantic comic drama hiding a lot of truths of life. Just watch it to explore life and love around you...