Deepika Padukone will be seen in UK cinemas again from 12th September 2014 in Homi Adajania’s Finding Fanny.
Finding Fanny is the story of five dysfunctional characters from Goa on a road trip to search for the long-lost love of Ferdie played by Naseeruddin Shah.
In this interview, the Om Shanti Om star talks to Bollywood reporter Sunny Malik about the film and much more.
You agreed to do Finding Fanny while you were filming for Cocktail in London. Did you ever have second thoughts afterwards as it’s a different kind of film?
No, never. I was narrated the film during Cocktail and by the end of the film, I decided that I want to be a part of Finding Fanny. Forget all my films last year that have released, as Cocktail had not even released when I said yes to Finding Fanny. The experience that I had with Dinesh Vijan (producer) and Homi Adajania (director) on Cocktail was amazing, which is why I didn’t have to think twice before saying yes to Finding Fanny. I knew that during the making of the film we will have a great time. For me that is the most important thing while making a film. I want to work with people I have a great equation with and have a good time working with. Everything else is secondary e.g. what people are going to think or what the result at the box office will be. I didn’t think of these things at all.
What attracted you to the film when you were narrated the story?
It was the script. It was so refreshing and different from anything else I have done or was offered at that time and most importantly, it stayed with me. The characters and story just stayed with me after the narration. If I may say so, I was so impressed with the script at that time and now after watching the film, it has turned out to be even better. People have watched the film a couple of days ago and we are still getting messages of how they loved the film and how the characters have stayed with them. That exactly is what the film is about. It is not a massive commercial film or a film that will change society. It’s just a simple and feel-good movie which brings warmth and a smile to your face.
Your first look was rather shocking as you were holding a butcher’s knife covered in blood…
Well, that is just another day in the life of my character Angie.
As Homi, the director, and Dinesh, the producer, are very good friends of yours, does it ever get awkward when you have creative differences during the making of a film?
Not at all. I am very comfortable with them. All the movies I have done with the two whether it was Love Aaj Kal, Cocktail or now Finding Fanny, we have all come together in a productive manner. I think because we are friends, we are comfortable with each other and we discuss everything. If someone is unhappy or has something to say, we always discuss it. It’s not necessary that we act upon it but we definitely discuss it. I think, the three of us collaborate and come together really well.
How was your experience working with Dimple Kapadia this time again?
For me she become a personal favourite now, not just as a co-star but as a person. She is someone I have got along very, very well. She took me out shopping and treats me like a daughter. I was moving to my new house and was looking for things for the new place. I remember she had a day off and she told me that she was going to go and look for some things as I had told her how the place was going to look like. She picked up cushion covers, carpets, candles and photo frames for me. She told me that she will call me at ten o’clock in the morning and take me shopping when I have day off. She had the whole day planned out. And sure enough, she called me at ten o’clock in the morning when I had a free day and said that she is ready and we should go. I quickly got ready, we hopped into a car and went shopping. She didn’t even allow me to pay for anything. She took me out for lunch and told me how she was extremely fond of me. I remember we came back at six or seven in the evening. I will never forget that. Even today, people ask me about her because of this new film. In one of my interviews, I praised her and I meant it. She was so touched that she sent me a bag of goodies the next day. My equation with her really goes beyond films. She is someone I connect with at an emotional level.
The duration of the film is quite short for Indian movies. Do you feel that is a plus point?
I have always believed that you have to enjoy a movie for what it is. There are filmmakers that make movies which are three hours long and then there are filmmakers that make films which are one or two hours long. I don’t think the duration of a movie matters at all. It should have no bearing of what the audience feels eventually. As long as you feel that you have enjoyed the movie and connected with the characters, that is all that matters. Suddenly there is too much focus on numbers like box office or duration. These are all silly external factors. If we manage to bring out a smile to your face at the end of the movie, that is a sign of a good film for me.
The film is being released in UK cinemas by 20th Century Fox. Do you think this being an English language film, it can reach a wider audience?
Yes, most definitely and hopefully it will. It is nice to know that a big studio like Fox is a part of a film like Finding Fanny. I do hope that it reaches a lot more people. The idea of films in general is to make them available and accessible to as many people as possible. I don’t think language should ever be a barrier. I can say that the reach our films have had in the last couple of years is phenomenal. I was shooting in Corsica (island near France) and I had fans over there. They were not of Indian origin. They were people who were born and brought up there or in France. They have seen Om Shanti Om over and over again. I can’t tell you exactly what, but it was such an overwhelming feeling.
Finding Fanny stars Deepika Padukone. Arjun Kapoor, Dimple Kapadia, Pankaj Kapur and Naseeruddin Shah. The film is directed by Homi Adajania and releases on 12th September 2014 in UK cinemas through 20th Century Fox.
BollyNews UK 