Critics' report: 'Fitoor' is a win-lose but Tabu is a win-win

While critics share mixed views on the Katrina, Aditya starrer, they stand united on Tabu's stellar performance

Ever since the first look of Fitoor was unveiled, we couldn't wait to watch this visual masterpiece.

The adaptation of Charles Dickens' classic novel Great Expectations stars Katrina Kaif as Firdaus (Estella) alongside Aditya Roy Kapur (Pip) as Noor. While, ace actor Tabu essays the role of Katrina's mother Begum Hazrat (Miss Havisham).



The story revolves around young Noor who falls in love with his wealthy employer's (Begum) daughter. Due to class differences, Begum jilts Noor by manipulating Firdaus.

As Fitoor hits theatres Friday morning, critics shared mixed views on the romantic drama. We present excerpts from reviews from some of India’s top film critics:

NDTV:


A visual tour de force, Abhishek Kapoor’s exquisitely crafted Fitoor holds on to the soul of Great Expectations and imbues it with the spirit of Bollywood without letting the essence of one dilute that of the other. It is packaged brilliantly but in respect of context, it falls well shy of perfection.

Fitoor is much more an ode to love, longing and loss than just another boy-meets-girl romance propped up by routine narrative tropes.






The director extracts a dazzling performance from the star of the show – Tabu as Begum Hazrat Jaan who makes the moody Begum her very own, interpreting the volatile character’s gradual descent into insanity with a superb sense of balance.



Go for it because there might not be too many better films than Fitoor this year.

The New York Times:

Based, sometimes loosely, sometimes carelessly, sometimes pointlessly, on Great Expectations, Fitoor is at all times more Bollywood than Dickens.

It doesn’t get much political resonance out of its Kashmiri setting, though the wintry sadness of the first scenes has power. Nor does it get much resonance out of class differences between Noor and Firdaus.





It’s left to Tabu to give the movie some emotional punch or any real connection to Dickens. She may not be at her finest here, as she is in Maqbool or Haider. But with her great tragedienne’s face she can express loss with just a gaze, a melancholy reminder of how the weight of the past warps the present.

Hindustan Times:

Fitoor comes across as a rather superficial affair and a disappointing adaptation of Great Expectations. For one, there is over-dramatisation of situations. The screenplay flags and fails to engage the audience despite heart-breaking performances by Aditya and Tabu, undoubtedly the best bets in Fitoor.

The film captures Kashmir’s gorgeous exquisiteness in all its details. Each frame involving the lead pair is laden with romance and his intense, lovelorn facial expressions lend much weight.



However, it remains so till the time the focus is on Aditya but you lose interest the moment the camera shifts to Katrina. Not just because her character is least interested in Aditya, but because her dialogues sound fake and Katrina’s one-dimensional acting fails to bring across the passion even in the most intimate of scenes.

Scroll.in:

Fitoor’s plot has no central motor to power it through its twists and turns, and no discernible big idea to replace the critique of privilege and entitlement.

It saddles Katrina with more emotionally heavy moments than the actor of limited means can handle. Her equally miscast co-star also struggles to convey his inner turmoil. The scenes between the pair are dead on arrival, and there is no mistaking them for anything but two wooden oars rowing in different directions.



Tabu’s pitch-perfect Hazrat Begum has none of the evocative deterioration described by Dickens. She is no “waxwork and skeleton”, and her madness emerges very late in the movie. Tabu shines in all her scenes, but the London takedown is particularly delicious.



While critics share mixed views, Bollywood stands united on their choice:
https://twitter.com/karanjohar/status/697871827339575296
https://twitter.com/karanjohar/status/697872077999636480

#Fitoor powerful obsessive love story packed with intensity and shot magnificently !!#AdityaRoyKapur #KatrinaKaif and #Tabu are exceptional!

— Sidharth Malhotra (@SidMalhotra) February 12, 2016

Just watched one of the best adaptations of Great Expectations. #Fitoor everyone just make ur weekend plans right away.It's #Fitoor #Fitoor

— arjun rampal (@rampalarjun) February 10, 2016

Aditya just blew my mind. #begumtabu is the best actress in the entire universes. Totally in love with her.

— arjun rampal (@rampalarjun) February 10, 2016

#Fitoor is awesome!!! Katrina,aditya and tabu r simply amazing....katrina looks beautiful:):):):) @Abhishekapoor u have a winner!!!

— Maniesh Paul (@ManishPaul03) February 11, 2016

Off to watch #Fitoor ... Welcome back to the screen Katrina.. I missed your radiance😘

— Mini Mathur (@minimathur) February 11, 2016

https://twitter.com/ShirishKunder/status/698028289030402049

Masterful interpretation of a classic. #Tabu is tremendous. Congrats @Abhishekapoor @AdityaRoyKapur #KatrinaKaif. #Fitoor

— Nikkhil Advani (@nikkhiladvani) February 11, 2016