Prashant Sharma aka Fanney Khan (Anil Kapoor) is your average middle-class man. However, what sets him apart are his dreams. Despite worshipping Mohammad Rafi and Shammi Kapoor, he has to make do by singing in an orchestra. He remains a gully boy, never really making it big. So even before his daughter utters her first word, he entrusts her with the responsibility of fulfilling his dreams, even naming her after Lata Mangeshkar. Unlike her father, Lata (Pihu Sand), grows up idolizing Baby Singh aka Sumitra (Aishwarya Rai Bachchan). She aspires to be just as famous but every time she steps up on the stage, she is ridiculed for her size and appearance. Her father decides to cut an album for her. When a distressed Baby hails Fanney’s cab, his first instinct is to kidnap her. With a lot of help from his ex-colleague but all season friend, Adhir (Rajkummar Rao), he makes ransom calls and unreasonable demands. But he soon realizes that Baby has a lot more to offer than just money. He hatches a plan to extort an album out of Baby’s manager.

Anil Kapoor hits all the right notes as a beleaguered father, who is often reprimanded by his own child for being so unflinchingly dedicated in his mission to see her succeed. He strikes the right balance for a middle-class man in Mumbai struggling between dreams and reality. This even as his wife Kavita (Divya Dutta) continues to be his empathetic voice of reason. As a debutante, Pihu Sand captures the vulnerability of her character, but one never understands her constant grouse against her father. As the hotshot singer Baby Singh, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan looks befittingly gorgeous, but her storyline is etched without much effort or logic. The talented Rajkummar Rao as Prashant’s trusted friend Adhir shows his usual flair within a limited scope.

Overall, ‘Fanney Khan’ is a star-studded musical that starts on a high note and has its moments of glory. It shows how parents live their dreams through children.