Fitoor Reviews by Critics

Abhishek Kapoor’s Fitoor, a film that was expected to get rave reviews by the critics, has scored a poor average of 2.3 stars from the 19 review ratings that we have accumulated so far. The average rating is worse than Sunny Deol’s Ghayal Once Again which released last week.

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Fitoor Review by Indicine

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Abhishek Kapoor clearly has grand ambitions. He tries to adapt a story as complex as Great Expectations into an Indian milieu. He mostly gets it right with how he sets the movie but everything else is a hot mess (with a cold setting). The script meanders, takes far too long to come to the point. The story moves ever too slowly and the subplots take away from the main love story. What could have been a passionate love story has almost no love/romantic scenes. A lot of the tonal inconsistencies arise from the loose adaptation of the great material. Maybe, just maybe, Abhishek Kapoor should stick to adapting Chetan Bhagat’s books for the big screen. Fitoor is gloriously shot. It is one of the best looking films of recent times. This is achieved due to the breathtaking landscapes of Kashmir, the fantastic cinematography, the great looking actors, and the lavishly put together costumes. Sadly, the editing lags and lacks any slickness. The film goes on for far too long. Even the music by Amit Trivedi doesn’t make too much of a difference. Amit needs to reinvent his music soon. And he needs to stop choosing his own voice for so many songs. None of the songs make any mark.

Fitoor Review by Bollywood Hungama

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FITOOR’s director Abhishek Kapoor (who is best known for his films like KAI PO CHE and ROCK ON), seems extremely confused in his narrative of FITOOR. While the film does have its moments under the sun, FITOOR turns out to be such a BIG disappointment for all those who really had ‘great expectations’ (no pun intended) from the film. The film is nothing but an amalgamation of senseless, confusing and disjointed screenplay (Supratik Sen, Abhishek Kapoor) and poor direction (Abhishek Kapoor). The screenplay is sorely disappointing, thus making the film look like an arthouse cinema featuring popular stars. What adds to the downfall of the film is also the odd pairing of Aditya Roy Kapur and Katrina Kaif, who lack the much needed chemistry to ‘light up’ a movie of this genre. After a point, the film’s proceedings become way too difficult to comprehend. The makers of the film have focused on every minute detail of the visuals in the movie, however one wonders why they didn’t do the same level of detailing in the screenplay. There are many scenes in the film that do no good to the film, but only land up confusing the viewers. Testimonials to this are in the form of Ajay Devgn’s role in the film, and also the scene wherein Aditya reads a news article about a Begam spending a fortune on her heiress’ wedding, whereas, the so-called ‘wedding’ never seems to take place in the movie. Despite all the flaws and shortcomings, one has to admit that the film looks extremely appealing visually.

Fitoor Review by Saibal Chatterjee on NDTVMovies

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It alternates between the dark and shadowy and the bright and painterly as it captures the many moods of nature in Kashmir. The timeless plot of an orphan who makes it big thanks to a mysterious benefactor is, of course, too well known to deliver surprises. It is the treatment that holds the key. The script (Supratik Sen and Abhishek Kapoor) puts just enough spin on the familiar tale, especially in the second half, to keep the audience guessing.

Fitoor Review by Ananya Bhattacharya on India Today

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Fitoor, for all its spellbinding beauty, fumbles bad. The story meanders and loses way in between, and there seems a certain urgency in tying all the loose ends. Major revelations in this bildungsroman 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.

Fitoor Review by Manjusha Radhakrishnan on Gulfnews

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There are moments in Fitoor which are brilliant, but they are few and far between. But what elevates the film greatly is music composer Amit Trivedi’s haunting score. His potent music makes the young lovers’ yearning real and legitimate. Watch this if you want to see a visually stunning piece of filmmaking, but if you are looking for an intense love story, you are barking up the wrong chinar tree.

Fitoor Review by Raja Sen on Rediff

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Director Abhishek Kapoor might have had a fine idea on paper, given that Dickens’ Great Expectations is almost entirely Bollywood in its narrative — a vintage melodrama about star-crossed lovers, and romance impossible to snuff out — and he does well to make a visually lush film, with opulent production design and cinematographer Anay Goswami conjuring up some enchanting, fable-like visuals.

Review by Sweta Kaushal on Hindustan Times

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Except for a few scenes, Fitoor comes across as a rather superficial affair and a disappointing adaptation of Charkles Dickens’ 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.

Review by Shalini Langer on Indian Express

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‘Inspiration’ Charles Dickens is just the first casualty. Fitoor spares no one, not Kashmir, not Delhi, not London, not Kashmiris, and not even poor Pakistan, which somehow finds its way into this tale essentially about love traversing social divides. Meanwhile, having decided that in a film where all of Aditya Roy Kapoor’s hair is bunched upon his head and all of Katrina’s is plunged in a Chinar-esque red, in the hope perhaps that you don’t notice their blank faces below, Tabu takes it upon herself to act for the entire film. Her overladen, overdressed, overwrought Begum has done a hop, skip and jump (should that even be possible) from Haider and Vishal Bhardwaj to Fitoor and Abhishek Kapoor.

Review by Lokesh Dharmani on Masala

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Aditya Roy Kapoor has a couple of moments where he shows some interest, if not promise. Katrina Kaif is cast in the movie to play the character of Estella who is curt, indifferent and a tease in Dicken’s Great Expectations, but she even fails to swing that curtness that comes naturally to her. The girl who plays the young Firdaus has acted better. Or wait. Even her painting that Noor makes has better expressions. Begum Hazrat is a badly written and (I am sorry, I love you Tabu) equally badly enacted character. Tabu, however, has a couple of intense moments towards the end of the film and she nails it as she expresses Begum’s insecurities and complexes. The music and cinematography elevate an otherwise dull Fitoor.

Review by Manisha Lakhe on Nowrunning

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Abhishek Kapoor who brought you Rock On! and Kai Po Che now brings you this lavishly shot Fitoor which desperately pretends to have literary aspirations but ends up being a ridiculous romance where heroine runs to hero in a really flouncy white dress and brown suede boots. And the journey is so tedious you want the rickety bridge where they meet to blow up by a bomb.

Review by Jaidev Hemmady on Movietalkies

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Aditya has taken his role seriously, but somehow, his angst doesn’t make your heart ache while Katrina, with her Brit accent and haughty demeanor might seem an apt choice to play the Indian version of Estella, but her lack of acting skills prove to be her undoing. The chemistry between the two is negligible and one wishes the makers would have cast actors, who could have convincingly conveyed the pain of doomed love. Aditya and Katrina are totally mismatched and the way he keeps gazing at her with moon eyes, is frankly creepy at worst and irritating at best. Also, the romance between the lead pair has an artificial feel to it-Katrina’s character talks with a British accent, but writes a letter to Noor in pure Urdu. Tabu, who plays Begum Hasrat, is totally in her element as the bitter Begum, who still nurses a broken heart and doesn’t let anyone forget it. The actress simply steals every scene that she is a part of and gives the young ones a run for their money. Ajay Devgn has a cameo appearance and looks quite exhausted and uninterested.

Review by Sarita A Tanwar on DNA India

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The problem lies in the on-screen chemistry between the lead pair. Individually they play their parts well but when they’re together, they seem more like siblings than lovers. The kisses and the intimate scenes appear almost forced and completely bereft of passion. The cameo by Ajay Devgn is just too contrived. It was a very important part of the story but it has zero impact on screen. The problem with Fitoor is that it’s a love story that is not romantically compelling. The climax seems too rushed – it needed more drama and emotional depth but that’s missing.

Review by Tushar P Joshi on Bollywood Life

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It’s not just the pace, but the treatment of the subject that plays the spoilsport. Abhishek seems a tad bit confused on where he wants to take his characters. Does he want to take them to a dark place and bring out the worst in them or does he wants them to be beacons of hope ? Unlike the book, his version of the story is haywire and all over the place. Firdaus and Noor’s romance goes from intense, to cold, to nothing. So much that the climax fall flat because the build up to it took so long. Also Begum’s back story comes a little too late in the second half. using Tabu’s voice for Aditi who’s playing the young Begum was a bad idea. Ajay Devgn’s cameo act is not only random but also disconnected from the key plot of the film. Abhishek starts unravelling traits of his characters at such a rapid pace towards the climax that it becomes hard to keep track of their intentions. There is a lot of Urdu and heavy dialoguebaazi that creates a dreamy atmosphere but doesn’t add value to the plot.

Review by Srijana Mitra Das on The Times Of India

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The film also looks gorgeous – but opulence takes over substance, chinars, minars and lace dominating grip, passion and pace. For a love story, Fitoor lacks heat – you wish there was less hair-styling and more hair-pulling, more rupture and less cheesecake-like smoothness. This is problematic because Dickens’ Great Expectations rises and falls, exploring terrible, tantalising class, social climbing, sharp snobberies, love, hate and shame. Fitoor doesn’t dive beyond the surface though, its story’s shikara paddling along pretty Kashmir, but never tearing its way to its violent, wailing heart like Haider, its art stuck in a banal Mediterranean restaurant-like world, never conveying the lonely powers of love.

Review by Ritika Handoo on Zeenews

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Aditya has portrayed his ‘Fitoor’ with utmost conviction and shown what it feels like to love in volatile situations. His chemistry with Katrina will not disappoint you—a fresh pair after a long time. Special mention for the brilliant execution of art work and cinematography by Anay Goswami and art direction by Mayur Sharma. There’s Ajay Devgn, Aditi Rao Hydari and ‘Hina’ fame actor Rahul Bhat to keep your excitement level as high as ever while watching this art piece on reel.

Review by Kusumita Das on Deccan Chronicle

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What shines through the 130 minutes is Anay Goswami’s painterly cinematography and Amit Trivedi’s velvety soundtrack. Fitoor doesn’t lack pace, it lacks the finesse and the depth. And we are left with not much to do except marvel at the white beauty of Kashmir, while the real Pip, Estella and Miss Havisham remain buried under that thick blanket of snow, perhaps occasionally stirring in their graves.

Review by Shubha Shetty-Saha on Mid-Day India

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‘Fitoor’ had all the ingredients to make it a grand love story to be remembered. Stunningly beautiful backdrop of Kashmir, a premise for a passionate love story and of course some mesmerising moments. But only if those moments were strung together with a lot more confident execution and little less confusion in the script, this could have been a far better film.

Review by Martin D’Souza on Glamsham

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Aditya Roy Kapoor and Katrina Kaif do not really light up the fire in their romance. Their chemistry is a little below the halfway mark on a scale of 1-10. It’s more studied, and less spontaneous. If you have watched TAMASHA and seen Ranbir Kapoor and Deepika Padukone you will know what Chemistry means! On the other hand, Aditi Rao Hydari, who comes on as Tabu’s past is dynamite in her small role portraying the angst of a forlorn lover. That fire was missing in the two protagonists. Tabu for her part, makes the screen her own whenever she comes on. Vintage performance! The background score is of international standard and the music pleasing. FITOOR packs in a lot visually (DOP – Anay Goswamy) and held out a promise to be Danielle Steel’s The Promise. However, it remains just that, a promise!

Review by Sonia Chopra on Sify

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If you love Great Expectations, keep no expectations from this one. Else, be prepared to entranced by the visual splendor of the movie, and be disappointed by the lack of emotional connect.

Review by Rajeev Masand on IBNLive

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The key to remaining invested in Fitoor ultimately comes down to whether the lead pair works for you. As far as I’m concerned, I was pleasantly surprised. Aditya Roy Kapur is unmistakably earnest, and nicely brings out Noor’s wide-eyed sense of wonder and his boyish innocence despite being repeatedly manipulated. The stunning Katrina Kaif, for her part, often singled out as a weak link in movies, is a shrewd choice to play the impenetrable Firdaus. For a character whose motivations and mind are meant to be hard to read, she reflects that mystery convincingly. Her Anglicized accent still jars, but when called upon to throw herself into it – like a scene in which she confronts Begum – Katrina doesn’t disappoint. Kapoor ditches many of the overarching social themes of Great Expectations to focus on what is primarily the story of star-crossed lovers and a complex romance. Fitoor isn’t perfect, but it’s a skillfully made film that’s easy on both the eye and the ear. In these times of fast-paced, hyperactive storytelling, you can appreciate the film’s dreamy, moody pace.

Review by Kunal Guha on Mumbai Mirror

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Director Abhishek Kapoor, best known for helming films like Rock On and Kai Po Che, seems to be too occupied with visual technique and presentation as this one is little more than a visually stunning bore. Loosely infusing themes of terrorism and cross-border peace, along with this story of one-sided, he is mostly accountable for reducing a classic to a sappy tale that induces sniffles, but only when you check how much you paid for the ticket.

Review by Meeta on Wogma

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Except for the first half hour, where our protagonists are growing up, the story is fragmented. You don’t know why these people are so madly in love with each other. Love at first sight and puppy love? Sure, I will take that as a given and enjoy the intensity of obsessive love. Despite this acceptance though, the details are sorely missing. Fitoor comes across as an extremely superficial view of the couple’s love for each other – both in longevity and intensity. Similarly, the political angle is touched upon rather perfunctory. It’s like the writers knew, the love story wouldn’t be enough by itself and needed some other meat to hold the viewers’ interest. Fitoor is Vishal Bharadwaj’s eccentrity combined with a Sanjal Leela Bhansali’s visual acumen. And yet that doesn’t end up being a compliment. Maybe a case of too many influences spoil the broth?

Review by Subhash K Jha on Bollyspice

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There is something unreal even about the dialogues that the characters speak to one another. Every line strains for effect. While Tabu and to a far lesser extent, Lara Dutta, Aditi Rao Hydari and Rahul Bhatt (making an impact bigger than Aditya Kapoor in his brief cameo) and Akshay Oberoi (drawing a character out of a seriously malnourished role) speak their meagre dialogues with conviction, Katrina Kaif and Aditya Roy Kapoor struggle with their copiously florid lines trying to make sense of the bombast.

Fitoor Review by Indiaglitz

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There are cinematic liberties taken as far as the story is concerned. The movie starts on a slow note and keeps moving on a snail pace. There is hardly any moment in terms of screenplay in the first half followed by a boring, confusing, half-baked and pseudo intelligent second half. The whole soul and purpose of the film is missing. The characters looks like beautiful mannequin without any life in them. Aditya Roy Kapur’s character suffers the most due to half-baked script. Rahul Bhatt overacts. Akshay Oberoi, Lara Dutta, Talat Aziz and Ajay Devgn are wasted.Director Abhishek Kapoor fails to do justice to this film like he did in case of ‘Kai Po Che’, which was a brilliant adaptation of a weak novel.

Average critic ratings of other movies released in 2015 – 2016

• Ghayal Once Again – 2.4 stars
• Sanam Teri Kasam – 1.6 stars
• Saala Khadoos – 2.6 stars
• Mastizaade – 1 stars
• Airlift – 3.7 stars
• Kyaa Kool Hain Hum 3 – 1 stars
• Wazir – 2.5 stars
• Dilwale – 2.5 stars
• Bajirao Mastani – 3.2 stars
• Hate Story 3 – 1.7 stars
• Tamasha – 3 stars
• Prem Ratan Dhan Payo – 2.7 stars
• Pyaar Ka Punchnama 2 – 2.6 stars
• Jazbaa – 2.6 stars
• Singh Is Bling – 2.3 stars