Abhishek Kapoor’s labour of love, Fitoor has finally hit the screens on the ocassion of Valentine’s Day and from the looks of it, not many people are impressed by the film. Based on the cult Charles Dickens’ novel Great Expectations, Fitoor is a romantic movie directed by Abhishek Kapoor. Shot around the globe at exotic locales, the film stars Aditya Roy Kapur and Katrina Kaif in lead roles. Noor(Aditya Roy Kapur) a thirteen year old kashmiri boy who belongs to poor upbringings meets and is deeply infatuated with Firdaus (Katrina Kaif) who belongs to a rich elite family in Kashmir. Her mother who is referred to Begum(Tabu) was left heart broken in her younger age(Aditi Rao Hydari) and is against the love especially with the social divide. She splits the teenagers and insults Noor about his social status. Few years later Noor who had moved to Delhi and becomes a renowned artist comes back to town with his newly acclaimed fame and money. Firdaus is engaged but still has romantic flings with Noor. After initial friction with Noor Begum slowly starts realizing her mistake, but still adamant to get Firdaus married to her fiance. Noor’s love for Firdaus bears all the hardships of time and emotions and succeeds at the end.
There’s a strange strength in Kashmir that makes you want to swallow all of it with all your senses, all your being. It is this ‘fitoor’ – obsession, if you will – that director Abhishek Kapoor makes complete use of in his third film Fitoor. Set against the backdrop of the Kashmir of autumn-winter, Fitoor lets your eyes feast on Kashmir till you no longer know what to do with such overwhelming beauty. For every frame that Tabu tears the viewer’s heart apart with, there’s a Katrina dampening it somewhat as She is bland, lifeless and adds no wow factor to the character. Her best and only great films are to date Ek Tha Tiger and Jab Tak Hai Jaan. Nothing before nor after made an impact. Aditya puts in his heart and soul in making Noor a piece of art and he succeeds wholeheartedly. His brooding demeanour and the deep eyes speak volumes.
It is largely due to the sheer strength of Tabu and Aditya’s acting that Fitoor rises above the ordinary. Possibly, one of the best parts and perhaps the best performer of the movie, Tabu is intensely efficient as Begum Hazrat. The film belongs to Tabu as Begum Hazrat if not anyone else.The lunacy, the heartbreak, the ache, she’s good if not the best we know her to be Among the supporting cast, Rahul Bhat owns his character of Bilal. Lara Dutta is perfectly cast in her character of Leena, so amazing seeing her onscreen again. Ajay Devgn and Aditi Rao Hydari both make ample impact with their respective cameos. Kashmir is the best part of the film. The valley is soulful and alive in the red leaves, and equally stony in the pristine, heartless white of the snow. From long shots of the Dal to Katrina’s red hair in contrast with the white of the winter Kashmir, it is the scenic beauty of the place that outdoes everything else in this tale.
Fitoor, for all its spellbinding beauty, fumbles in the films most integral aspect – the direction and scripting. The story meanders and loses way in between, and there seems a certain urgency in tying all the loose ends. Major revelations in this bilingualism are condensed into a mere span of a few minutes, and it doesn’t quite achieve the desired effect. On the other hand, several intense sequences are dulled by their prolixity. Amit Trivedi’s music is among the strongest points of Fitoor. Each song of the film is an auditory delight. At the end of the day, Fitoor demands a lot of patience on the part of the viewer. But that is largely made up for by Kashmir. Watch the film for its beauty and exquisiteness oh and the great track Pashmina.
Rating: 7/10 | 3.5 Stars