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Finding Fanny
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Homi Adajania
Written by	Homi Adajania Kersi Khambatta
Produced by	Dinesh Vijan
Starring	Naseeruddin Shah Arjun Kapoor Deepika Padukone Pankaj Kapur Dimple Kapadia
Narrated by	Deepika Padukone
Cinematography	Anil Mehta
Edited by	Sreekar Prasad (Hindi) Nick Moore (English)
Music by	Mathias Duplessy Sachin-Jigar
Production company	Maddock Films
Distributed by	Fox Star Studios
Release date	12 September 2014 (2014-09-12)
Running time	93 minutes
Country	India
Language	English/Hindi
Budget	₹15 crore (US$1.8 million)

Finding Fanny is a 2014 English/Hindi satirical film, directed and written by Homi Adajania and produced by Dinesh Vijan under Maddock Films and presented by Fox Star Studios. Naseeruddin Shah, Dimple Kapadia, Pankaj Kapur, Deepika Padukone and Arjun Kapoor will feature in prominent roles. The film is based on a road trip set in Goa and follows the journey of five dysfunctional friends who set out on a road trip in search of Fanny, the love-interest of Naseeruddin Shah. The film had its premiere in India on September 1, 2014 and is scheduled for release worldwide on September 12, 2014. It has also been selected to be screened at 19th Busan International Film Festival in October, 2014. The film has been cleared with a U/A certificate.

Plot

Finding Fanny revolves around five rather dysfunctional characters that live in the quaint sleepy village of Pocolim, nestled deep in the interior of Goa, India. Pocolim is a village where pointless conversations are a way of life. Nothing ever really happens here and the people of Pocolim, well, they just exist. One night, the old postman Ferdie (Naseeruddin Shah), receives a letter that is slipped under his door.

He realizes that it is the letter he had written 46 years ago to the love of his life, Stefanie Fernandes (Anjali Patil), asking for her hand in marriage. To his utter shock, he discovers that it had never been delivered. All these years Ferdie has lived a life of melancholy and regret, believing that Stefanie had rejected him. He decides to find his beloved Fanny (as he fondly called her) and tell her the truth. Where would she be after 46 years? Dead? Happily married? Would she even remember him? Or is Stefanie Fernandes merely a figment of Ferdie’s imagination?

Four colorful characters from the village join the trip under random pretexts, though in actuality everyone wants a distraction from their mundane lives. A young virgin widow (Deepika Padukone), a bitter mechanic (Arjun Kapoor), a belligerent artist (Pankaj Kapur) and an obnoxious self-appointed “Lady” of Pocolim (Dimple Kapadia) join Ferdie as they experience various hilarious and moving events that change their lives forever.

Cast

• Naseeruddin Shah as Ferdie
• Dimple Kapadia as Rosalina "Rosie" Eucharistica
• Pankaj Kapur as Don Pedro Cleto Colaco
• Deepika Padukone as Angie
• Arjun Kapoor as Savio Da Gama
• Anand Tiwari
• Kevin D'Mello
• Ankur Tewari
• Anjali Patil as Stefanie "Fanny" Fernandes (special appearance)
• Ranveer Singh as Gabo, Angie's husband (special appearance)

Production

Development

Homi Adajania wrote the first draft of the screenplay during his month long stay at village Salvador do Mundo in Goa. During this period he also studied local Goan Catholics, and added some dysfunctional characters into what he called, "hybrid Marquezian Indian village", which became the fictional village of Pocolim. To get local nuances and cultural research right, he took the help of Goan writer, Cecil Pinto. Adajania didn't intend to write the film as a road film, instead he placed it in the genre of As Good as It Gets. This was his second collaboration with Kersi Khambatta, who also wrote the dialogues for his debut film, Being Cyrus. Khambatta wrote the scenes, chapter by chapter, like a novel, which aided in the development of the script. The screenplay of Finding Fanny was adapted from a novel by Kersi Khambatta. The 200-page novel is expected to his shelves later in 2015.

He had finished writing the script of Finding Fanny by 2009, 4 years after his first directorial venture Being Cyrus released. However, casting for the film became an issue as it was an offbeat film—Imran Khan and Sonam Kapoor were initially offered roles in the films, though they turned their respective parts down. Dinesh Vijan had suggested against making the film, advising Adajania that "you are going to make a Hinglish film which only 10 people will see." Hence, Adajania postponed the film and went on to direct Cocktail instead. During the shooting of Cocktail, his narration of the story to lead actress Deepika Padukone had impressed her, and she expressed her desire to be a part of the film.

In May 2013, Padukone and Arjun Kapoor were signed on for leading roles, the latter being assigned the part of "a mechanic, who’s in denial about being a loser." Reportedly, Padukone has reduced her usual fee for the film and has also signed a profit-sharing deal with the producers. By August 2013, Naseeruddin Shah and Dimple Kapadia, who earlier featured in Being Cyrus, were signed on for the film; Pankaj Kapur joined the cast the following month. Whilst the film was earlier reported to be a short film, Padukone confirmed in an interview that this was untrue. The film will be showcased in English and Hindi versions to cater for the audience in India and abroad.

Before the filming could commence, sessions and workshops were organized with the actors. A month prior shooting, Adajania and Naseeruddin Shah figured out where to place the latter's character emotionally and his body language, through story arc from vulnerable, even "borderline idiotic" to coming into his strength later in the film. Shah decided to use a mid-range voice, instead of his natural baritone. Arjun Kapoor was convinced to use a restraint acting style, compared to his usual dramatic style, and appear in the "effortlessness of just being".

Filming

Shooting of the film began in October, 2013 the film was shot on various villages across Goa, including Saligao, Parra, Assagao, Aldona, Socorro, and Cortalim, and was completed in 36 days. Dimple Kapadia worked a prostheic posterior for the film, as she did in Rudaali (1992). The film was shot in English, the Hindi version was subsequently, dubbed in by the actors. On July 4, 2014, the cast shot for a promotional music video for the song "Shake Your Bootiya. The freewheeling dance number was choreographed by Shiamak Davar, giving the actor quirky moves, keeping with the tone of the film.

Music

The music of Finding Fanny was composed by Mathias Duplessy, duo Sachin-Jigar and Sachin Gupta. The lyrics were penned by a range of artists including, Mukhtiyar Ali, Alan Mercer, Sachin Gupta, Jigar Saraiya and the film's producer, Dinesh Vijan. The first song "Fanny Re" released on August 11, 2014 in an event in Mumbai where the second song, "Shake Your Bootiyaan" written by Dinesh Vijan, Mayur Puri and Sachin-Jigar was also announced. The film's soundtrack officially released on August 19, 2014.

Release

The English version has been edited by Nick Moore. The director, Homi Adajania expressed interest in premiering the film at the Toronto International Film Festival. However, it was decided the film will premiere in India 11 days prior to the film's worldwide release, on September 1, 2014 and therefore the makers decided against the decision. The film has now been selected to be screened at Busan International Film Festival in October, 2014.

Ahead of its release, the film got into a tangle with the Censor Board of India. Late August, the Board asked the director to delete a supposedly a ‘vulgar’ line from the film wherein, Deepika Padukone says, “I’m a virgin" to get a UA certificate. The board also demanded a scene wherein Dimple Kapadia’s skirt gets torn be "toned down". As of September 1, 2014, the film was still waiting for approval from the Censor Board. The process was slowed down due to arrest of Central Board CEO, on bribery charges. The film was also rejected permission twice by the Animal Welfare Board of India, due to a scene involving a hen. On September 5, Adajania confirmed that the CBFC has finally approved the Deepika Padukone dialogue, which was previously removed. This came after, he pointed out to the CBFC chairperson that it had already approved the same in film's trailer.

Marketing

On July 2, 2014, the first promotional pictures were released of Arjun Kapoor as Savio D'Gama and Deepika Padukone as Angie. In the picture, Arjun Kapoor dons a pair of shades and a vest, while Deepika Padukone, who plays a Goan girl, is seen wearing an apron and holding a blood stricken butcher's knife. On July 8, 2014, the official posters for the film were released and on July 10, 2014, the official trailer was released. As a first, the makers decided to premiere the film on September 1, 2014 to gauge the response of the film before it releases worldwide.

Reception

Finding Fanny has received critical acclaim. The film has got great reviews from the critics wit the Bollywood review aggregator website Sahi Nahi reporting a score of 88%. Raja Sen of Rediff.com gave the film four stars and said the film gives "much to smile pleasantly at to guffaw at." Taran Adarsh of Bollywood Hungama said, "Writer-director Homi Adajania has dared to break all conventional rules and manages to serve an absorbing and entertaining story that keeps you interested It will surely appeal to the target group of a discerning audience that values sensible entertainment." Sweta Kaushal of Hindustan Times commented that "all the actors have done a brilliant job, fitting perfectly in their characters" and described the picture as a "not-to-be-missed take on life and love".

References

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External links

• Finding Fanny at IMDb
• Finding Fanny at Bollywood Hungama

• 2014 films
• Indian comedy films
• Indian satirical films
• English-language Indian films
• Films set in Goa
• Films shot in Goa
• Hindi-language films
• Road movies