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Finding Fanny

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Finding Fanny
Theatrical release poster
Directed byHomi Adajania
Written byHomi Adajania
Kersi Khambatta
Produced byDinesh Vijan
StarringNaseeruddin Shah
Dimple Kapadia
Pankaj Kapur
Deepika Padukone
Arjun Kapoor
Narrated byDeepika Padukone
CinematographyAnil Mehta
Edited bySreekar Prasad (Indian- English)
Nick Moore (International- English)
Music byMathias Duplessy
Sachin–Jigar
Production
company
Distributed byFox Star Studios
Release date
  • 12 September 2014 (2014-09-12)
Running time
101 minutes[1]
CountryIndia
LanguageEnglish
Budgetest. ₹29 crore[2]
Box officeest. ₹50.61 crore[3]

Finding Fanny is a 2014 Indian English-language[4] satirical road film directed and written by Homi Adajania and produced by Dinesh Vijan under Maddock Films and presented by Fox Star Studios.[5] Naseeruddin Shah, Dimple Kapadia, Pankaj Kapur, Deepika Padukone and Arjun Kapoor 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 Shah's character. The film had its premiere in India on 1 September 2014 and was released worldwide on 12 September 2014. It was selected to be screened at the 19th Busan International Film Festival in October 2014.[6]

Plot

[edit]

Ferdie Pinto gets a letter at midnight and realises his one true love, Fanny Fernandes, never knew about his love for her. Angie, Ferdie's friend had married Gabo Eucharistica who died suddenly[a] during the wedding party. Ferdie and Angie set out to find Fanny with the help of her and Gabo's friend Savio Da Gama, Gabo's mother, Rosie, and unsavory artist Don Pedro Cleto Collaco. From the past, Savio has loved Angie and had stepped back after her and Gabo's marriage.

On the journey, Ferdie throws Rosie's cat out of the window by accident whilst sneezing as he is allergic; so to keep her unaware, he retrieves the dead cat and pretends that it is sleeping. They visit Fanny's old house and find a deranged Russian Vladimir who tells them Fanny sold him the house 20 years ago and moved to Tivoli. Ferdie tells Savio that Rosie's husband is not dead, but instead had run away to Madagascar with another woman, and Rosie had simply lied to the village for the sake of her pride. As they approach Tivoli, Ferdie thanks everyone for joining him on his journey – but unbeknownst to him, most of the other passengers have their own reasons for making the trip. Savio soon realizes that they have gone the wrong way, and are now in the state of Karnataka due to wrong navigation by Ferdie, who cannot read a map. When they run out of petrol, Ferdie volunteers to go and get some in the morning; so the group spends the night in the open field next to the road. Don Pedro tries to seduce Rosie into being a model for his painting, whilst Savio and Angie go away from the others to talk. Savio tells Angie that he does not have a big business in Mumbai as presumed, but rather he was a waiter for 5 years and is not wealthy. It is revealed that Angie only married Gabo because Savio never asked her, and she was in love with Savio as he was with her. He kisses her and she slaps him. They eventually talk and after realizing that they both still have feelings for each other, have sex that night.

In the morning, Ferdie goes to get petrol and comes back to find Rosie posing in the field for Don Pedro and Angie and Savio busy talking. The artist has now dropped his charming attitude of suave sophistication and is mistreating Rosie. When she sees the painting, she is devastated to find that it is a nude unflattering portrait of her. Don Pedro walks off with the painting and finds the can of petrol that Ferdie has left, along with a letter explaining that he is going on alone and thanking them for coming this far with him. The rest of them start to leave but Rosie refuses to go, saying that they can't leave Ferdie. She gets extremely upset and begins to yell at Savio, telling him that he should have died instead of Gabo and that Gabo only married Angie because Savio was in love with her. Savio angrily tells Rosie that she is selfish and reveals that her cat is actually dead, but she hadn't even noticed, leaving everyone else to look after it. They bury the cat and set off home. On the way, Rosie accidentally opens the glove compartment in the car and finds Savio's father's revolver. She puts it to her head, intending to shoot herself. When no one notices, she coughs and Savio sees his dad's revolver, which is an antique and worth a lot of money. He begins to wrestle with Rosie for the gun whilst driving, causing it to go off and Don Pedro gets shot in the head, without anyone noticing. They turn the car around and go to look for Ferdie; finding him by the roadside waiting for the bus, but can't pick him up as the car brakes fail. The back door of the car opens and when the car veers close to the cliff edge, Don Pedro's body falls out. The car eventually comes to a stop and Angie notices that Don Pedro has gone. Rosie says that he jumped out of the car to save himself, but Ferdie sees someone who he thinks is Don Pedro on a passing bus, while in fact, his body is at the bottom of the sea.

The group then carries on to Tivoli to find Fanny. They get to the village and see a funeral procession go past. Ferdie sees a woman that he thinks is Fanny, only to discover that she is Fanny's daughter (Anjali Patil) and the funeral procession is for Fanny. Ferdie is told by the daughter that Fanny was married four times and never even mentioned his name to her daughter, implying that he wasn't important to her. They go to the funeral and Angie muses that you can't wait for love, you must go out and find it.

Six months later, there is a wedding in the church. The couple is presumed to be Savio and Angie but is in fact, Ferdie and Rosie. The happy couple drives away into the sunset, leaving behind Angie and Savio kissing near the church as they leave.

Cast

[edit]

Production

[edit]

Development

[edit]

Homi Adajania wrote the first draft of the screenplay during his month-long stay at village Salvador do Mundo. 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 (1997). This was his second collaboration with Kersi Khambatta, who also wrote the dialogues for his debut film, Being Cyrus (2006). Khambatta wrote the scenes, chapter by chapter, like a novel, which aided in the development of the script.[10] The screenplay of Finding Fanny was adapted from a novel by Kersi Khambatta. The 200-page novel is expected to hit shelves later in 2015.[11]

He had finished writing the script of Finding Fanny by 2009, 4 years after his first directorial venture Being Cyrus released.[citation needed] 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.[12] 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."[13] 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.[14]

In May 2013, Deepika 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."[15][16] Reportedly, Padukone has reduced her usual fee for the film and has also signed a profit-sharing deal with the producers.[17] 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.[18][19] Whilst the film was earlier reported to be a short film, Padukone confirmed in an interview that this was untrue.[20] The film will be showcased in English and Hindi versions to cater for the audience in India and abroad.[21]

Before the filming could commence, sessions and workshops were organised 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".[10]

Filming

[edit]

Shooting of the film began in October 2013.[18] The film was shot in various villages across Goa, including Saligao, Parra, Assagao, Aldona, Socorro, and Cortalim,[10] and was completed in 36 days.[22] Dimple Kapadia wore a prosthetic posterior for the film, as she did in Rudaali (1993).[23] The film was shot in English, the Hindi version was subsequently, dubbed in by the actors.[10] On 4 July 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 actors quirky moves, in keeping with the tone of the film.[24]

Soundtrack

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Finding Fanny
Soundtrack album by
Mathias Duplessy, Sachin–Jigar
Released21 August 2014 (2014-08-21)[25]
GenreFeature film soundtrack
Length12:46
LabelSony Music India
Mathias Duplessy chronology
Delhi in a Day
(2011) 		Finding Fanny
(2014)
Sachin–Jigar chronology
Bey Yaar
(2014) 		Finding Fanny
(2014) 		Happy Ending
(2014)

The music of Finding Fanny was composed by Mathias Duplessy, duo Sachin–Jigar and the lyrics were penned by a range of artists including, Mukhtiyar Ali, Alan Mercer, Mayur Puri and the film's producer, Dinesh Vijan. The first song "Fanny Re" released on 11 August 2014 in an event in Mumbai where the second song, "Shake Your Bootiya" written by Dinesh Vijan, Mayur Puri and composed by Sachin–Jigar was also announced.[26] The film's soundtrack officially released on 19 August 2014.

Finding Fanny Soundtrack
No.TitleLyricsMusicSinger(s)Length
1."Fanny Re"Mir Mukhtiyar AliMathias DuplessyMir Mukhtiyar Ali3:07
2."Mahi Ve"Mir Mukhtiyar AliMathias DuplessyMir Mukhtiyar Ali3:04
3."Ding Dong"Alan MercerMathias DuplessyMathias Duplessy3:23
4."Shake Your Bootiya"Dinesh Vijan, Mayur PuriSachin–JigarDivya Kumar3:12
Total length:12:46

Release

[edit]

The International English version was edited by Nick Moore.[21] The director, Homi Adajania expressed interest in premiering the film at the Toronto International Film Festival.[27] However, it was decided the film will premiere in India 11 days prior to the film's worldwide release, on 1 September 2014 and therefore the makers decided against the decision.[28][29] The film has also screened at Busan International Film Festival in October 2014.[30]

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 '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".[31][32] As of 1 September 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.[33] On 5 September, 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.[34]

Marketing

[edit]

On 2 July 2014, the first promotional pictures were released of Arjun Kapoor as Savio Da 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.[35][36] On 8 July 2014, the official posters for the film were released and on 10 July 2014, the official trailer was released.[37] As a first, the makers decided to premiere the film on 1 September 2014 to gauge the response of the film before it releases worldwide.[38]

Critical reception

[edit]

Finding Fanny received critical acclaim upon release.[39]

Raja Sen of Rediff.com gave the film four stars and said the film gives "much to smile pleasantly at [and] to guffaw at."[40] A reviewer from 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."[41] 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".[42] In a four-star review, Mumbai Mirror's Rahul Desai regarded the film as a breakthrough film involving commercial actors, saying "This film is exactly the kind of brave clutter-breaking effort that most critics wish for while lamenting the rigidness of mainstream stars."[43] Sarita Tanwar of Daily News and Analysis praised the film for being "real, funny and thoughtful".[44]

Box office

[edit]

The film collected ₹51 million (US$610,000) on its opening day on a total of 900 screens which previewed both English and Hindi versions.[45][46] The film collected ₹199 million (US$2.4 million) in India and $1.6 million from the overseas market in its first weekend.[47] The film grossed £101,000 from UK and $515,000 from the US during its opening weekend.[48] In its first week, Finding Fanny collected a total of ₹281 million (US$3.4 million) crore.[47]

Awards and nominations

[edit]
Award Category Recipients and nominees Result Ref.
7th Mirchi Music Awards Best Background Score Mathias Duplessy Nominated [49]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "FINDING FANNY (12A) - British Board of Film Classification". British Board of Film Classification. Retrieved 4 October 2015.
  2. ^ "Finding Fanny gets an edge over Creature 3D". indianexpress.com. 19 September 2014.
  3. ^ "Finding Fanny - Movie - Worldwide Gross & Budget". Box Office India. Retrieved 18 November 2016.
  4. ^ "'Finding Fanny' will open avenues for English films: Karan Johar". The Indian Express. 2 September 2014.
  5. ^ "Goa in fashion: Ranveer, Deepika reveal their looks in Finding Fanny". Hindustan Times. 3 July 2014. Archived from the original on 29 December 2014. Retrieved 7 July 2014.
  6. ^ "Finding Fanny to premiere in Korea". The Times of India. 6 September 2014. Retrieved 6 September 2014.
  7. ^ "Anjali on a roll". The Hindu. 29 April 2014. Retrieved 30 April 2014.
  8. ^ Rodrigues, Clara (15 October 2013). "Konkani film to tackle ill effects of MMS". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 20 October 2013. Retrieved 20 October 2013.
  9. ^ "After Ramleela, Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone to share screen space in Finding Fanny Fernandes". Daily News and Analysis. 10 October 2013. Retrieved 20 October 2013.
  10. ^ a b c d Nandini Ramnath (30 August 2014). "Homi Adajania: Love and longing in Goa". Mint. Retrieved 31 August 2014.
  11. ^ "COMING SOON: A Finding Fanny Novel". 30 August 2014.
  12. ^ "Deepika replaces Sonam". Filmfare. 15 October 2013. Retrieved 20 October 2013.
  13. ^ Dedhia, Sonil (10 July 2012). "I was bullied into making Cocktail". Rediff.com. Retrieved 28 June 2013.
  14. ^ Singh, Prashant (21 May 2013). "Deepika Padukone features in Finding Fanny". Hindustan Times. Archived from the original on 22 May 2013. Retrieved 28 June 2013.
  15. ^ Gupta, Priya (10 May 2013). "Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh team up for an English film". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 17 May 2013. Retrieved 28 June 2013.
  16. ^ Pitale, Sonali J. (10 March 2014). "It's an emotional experience to act in front of dad: Arjun Kapoor". Mid-Day. Retrieved 17 April 2014.
  17. ^ "Deepika Padukone in Profit Sharing Deal". Archived from the original on 15 October 2014. Retrieved 13 October 2014.
  18. ^ a b "Dimple Kapadia signs Homi Adajania's next". Bollywood Hungama. 3 August 2013. Archived from the original on 6 August 2013. Retrieved 3 August 2013.
  19. ^ "Pankaj Kapur joins cast of Finding Fanny". The Indian Express. 13 September 2013. Retrieved 30 April 2014.
  20. ^ "Box Office Queen". Box Office India. 4 January 2013. Archived from the original on 27 June 2017. Retrieved 13 January 2014.
  21. ^ a b "A different version of Finding Fanny for foreigners". India Today. 21 July 2014. Retrieved 21 July 2014.
  22. ^ "Deepika Padukone wraps up 'Finding Fanny Fernandes'". Mid-Day. 6 November 2013. Retrieved 6 November 2013.
  23. ^ "Censors Wanted to See me in Bikini, but Since I had a Skirt on, They Cut the Scene: Dimple". NDTV. 28 August 2014. Retrieved 1 September 2014.
  24. ^ Garima Sharma (11 August 2014). "Finding Fanny cast shoots quirky video for first song". The Times of India. Retrieved 1 September 2014.
  25. ^ "Finding Fanny (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)". iTunes. 21 August 2014.
  26. ^ "Deepika Padukone, Arjun Kapoor's Quirky Love in Fanny Re". NDTV Movies. 11 August 2014. Retrieved 13 August 2014.
  27. ^ "Finding Fanny Fernandes May Go For TIFF: Homi Adajania". OneIndia Entertainment. 13 June 2014. Retrieved 14 June 2014.
  28. ^ "Finding Fanny will not premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival anymore". DNA. 29 July 2014. Retrieved 3 August 2014.
  29. ^ "'Finding Fanny' premiere gets postponed". DNA. 22 August 2014. Retrieved 22 August 2014.
  30. ^ "'Finding Fanny' selected for Busan International Film Festival". Deccan Chronicle. 3 September 2014. Retrieved 3 September 2014.
  31. ^ "Finding Fanny's virgin dialogue not okay with Censor Board?". India Today. 27 August 2014. Retrieved 1 September 2014.
  32. ^ "'Virgin' dialogue deleted from Arjun, Deepika's 'Finding Fanny'". The Indian Express. 27 August 2014. Retrieved 1 September 2014.
  33. ^ "Waiting for Censor Nod". The Indian Express. 1 September 2014. Retrieved 1 September 2014.
  34. ^ Roshmila Bhattacharya (6 September 2014). "Finding Fanny: CBFC approves Deepika Padukone's 'virgin' line". The Times of India. Retrieved 6 September 2014.
  35. ^ "First Look: Arjun Kapoor-Deepika Padukone get playful about their upcoming Finding Fanny Fernandes". India TV. 2 July 2014. Retrieved 2 July 2014.
  36. ^ "First Look: Exclusive: Deepika Padukone's first look from Finding Fanny". The Times of India. 2 July 2014. Retrieved 2 July 2014.
  37. ^ "Arjun Kapoor Sports Bohemian Look in Finding Fanny Fernandes". NDTV Movies. 3 July 2014. Retrieved 5 July 2014.
  38. ^ "'Finding Fanny' premiere to be held 17 days before its release". Deccan Chronicle. 28 July 2014. Retrieved 3 August 2014.
  39. ^ Mehta, Ankita (10 September 2014). "'Finding Fanny' Movie Review: Must Watch Film with Brilliant Performances". International Business Times. Retrieved 12 September 2014.
  40. ^ Sen, Raja (10 September 2014). "Review: Finding Fanny is wickedly fantastic". Rediff.com. Retrieved 10 September 2014.
  41. ^ "Finding Fanny (2014) Review". Bollywood Hungama. 10 September 2014. Archived from the original on 1 November 2013. Retrieved 10 September 2014.
  42. ^ Kaushal, Sweta (8 September 2014). "Movie review: Finding Fanny is a not-to-be-missed take on life and love". Hindustan Times. Archived from the original on 10 September 2014. Retrieved 10 September 2014.
  43. ^ Desai, Rahul (2 September 2014). "Film review: Finding Fanny". Mumbai Mirror. Retrieved 19 September 2014.
  44. ^ Tanwar, Sarita (12 September 2014). "Film Review: It is real, funny and thoughtful; that is the charm of 'Finding Fanny'". Daily News and Analysis. Retrieved 19 September 2014.
  45. ^ "Box office: 'Finding Fanny' overtakes 'Creature' on day one". Koimoi. 14 September 2014. Retrieved 14 September 2014.
  46. ^ "Finding Fanny a Success, Makes Rs 5.1 Crore on Opening Day". NDTV Movies. 13 September 2014. Retrieved 25 September 2014.
  47. ^ a b "Finding Fanny collects Rs 28.09 cr in first week". Jagran Post. 20 September 2014. Retrieved 25 September 2014.
  48. ^ "Bollywood Box-Office Report of the Week". Glamsham.com. 18 September 2014. Retrieved 25 September 2014.
  49. ^ "Nominations - Mirchi Music Awards 2014". MMAMirchiMusicAwards. Retrieved 15 April 2018.

Notes

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  1. ^ Gabo's mother (Rosie), to save the money, had the figurines on wedding cake made out of plastic, not icing. Gabo, in a drunken frenzy, had a piece of cake with the figurines, not realizing he'd swallowed the figurines, and choked to death
[edit]
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