Devicka and I have traveled to Goa each year in last 20
years so that makes it around 20 trips. Some years we have missed out but that
has been more than compensated by more than one trip in several years. Often we
have hired a car and gone off the beaten track.
The landscape can be stunning at times. You can take a turn somewhere
and be suddenly faced with a water body in the form of a swirling river or a calm
lake. It could just be a pond. You can reach a remote picturesque village with
the old world charm with green hills forming as backdrop and as you enter a
small shop to buy a soft drink you realize that it is actually a small bar. You
will find someone who looks like Naseeruddin Shah in one of the bars no matter
what time you go. It could be 10 in the morning. He will be brooding and
drinking some stinking feni. If you sit down for a while with him he will start
philosophizing and then break into a song in his gruff voice.
This is the beauty of ‘Finding Fanny.’ I could identify with the place and its
people. The movie is about a road trip
and each character grows on you as the movie progresses. So much so that Fanny
becomes insignificant and the trip takes the centre stage.
We saw the film in English version after reading that the ‘puns’
in the movie come out better in English version. I kept laughing from the
beginning to end. At times the humor is dark but it is still funny. You could
actually laugh at the death of an animal or a lovable character!
Deepika looks gorgeous as she is with minimal makeup,
straight hair and nice and simple clothes like skirts and dresses which suit
her fine figure. She has a lovely smile. She is like a girl next door though I
must confess there was no such girl next door when I was growing up. Don’t
blame me if I enjoyed her seducing Arjun Kapoor. Pankaj Kapur, Arjun, Dimple and Naseer are
more than competent and each one of them is a lovable character. Pankaj Kapur
once again shows what talent is. He can fit into any role and bring it alive.
The art of enjoying a movie is not to analyse the movie
while watching it. Enjoy the photography, story, acting, narration and the
dialogues. There is enough in this movie to discuss and analyse. There are a
lot ifs and buts. There are dark hidden moments and some riveting moments. But
that will only come when you enjoy the film. If you havn’t enjoyed the film
then it’s not worth analyzing. As far as I am concerned- I want to watch it in
hindi as well.
