What happens when a conman who is looking for a unique saint meets a fake fakir? Well, you can explore more about this theme in the supposed- to- be debut movie of Farhan Akhtar “The Fakir of Venice”.
Directed by – Anand Surapur
Produced by – Punit Desai, Anand Surapur
Screenplay by – Rajesh Devraj
Story by – Homi Adajania
Starring – Farhan Akhtar, Annu Kapoor, Kamal Sidhu
Music by – A. R. Rahman
Cinematography – Deepti Gupta, Preetha Jayaraman, Bakul Sharma
Edited by – Bunty Nagi
Production company – October Films, Phat Phish Motion Pictures
Plot: The movie revolves around Adi Contractor (Farhan Akhtar) who works in films as a Production Controller. The Fakir of Venice begins with the voiceover of Akhtar who plays the role of a conman and is also a flawless “Jugaadu”. Adi is a person who ensures that by hook or by crook, the peculiar demands of producers of the industry are met. Once he successfully smuggles a monkey which was needed by some producers. Adi, the hustler from Mumbai, is hired by a Venetian artist and is given the job of finding a fakir who can bury himself in the sand for some time. Adi goes to Banaras but is unable to procure any such fakir. Finally, he decides to con the art fraternity and hires a daily wage labourer from Mumbai named Sattar (Annu Kapoor). Sattar is no sage but has incredible experience of burying himself in the sand for a long time. Both the crooks head towards Venice, the city of Canals where they have to work for an art exhibition show. Together, they both experience the most unique time of their lives in the picturesque European city.
Movie Review: The Fakir of Venice which was scheduled to be released nearly twelve years ago manages to entertain us despite the long delayed schedule. However, there are some elements which highlight that newness is missing in the movie. It is unable to entice the viewers despite a fresh concept; thanks to its unusual comic plot. The movie explores the intermingling of humans from two separate classes.
Adi is an upper-middle-class Mumbaikar while Sattar is a poor crook. The Fakir of Venice goes ahead and explores the kind of bonding both humans make in a foreign city. Mainly, the story revolves around Farhan and Annu’s character throughout the movie. Farhan has delivered his best in the role of a typical suburban upper-middle class Mumbaikar. He doesn’t disappoint and delivers a good job being in front of the camera. The presence of Annu Kapoor, a talented actor of the film industry has tried to take this film to new heights but as the veteran actor is not used completely in the movie, the purpose is not served. The film has a little to offer to an audience who anticipates for high voltage Bollywood dramas.
Our verdict: On a whole, the Fakir of Venice appears a bit outdated and the narrative throughout the movie seems forced and looks overboard. The movie will only be applauded by a niche audience. So, go for this one only if you are a fan of Akhtar and are looking for a divergent movie.
