By its virtue, 'betrayal' is an act of deliberate disloyalty that emotionally drains the victim - it may well be a lifelong suffering. It’s something words can’t articulate. Director Abhishek Kapoor’s Fitoor, an adaptation of Great Expectations, tries to explorethe phenomenon of betrayal and its repercussions on the victim. And he doesn’t put a foot wrong.
From an irresistibly uncluttered screenplay to Tabu’s sturdily poignant performance of a bitter woman with nothing to lose, Fitoor vividly captures the fears of love.
The movie revolves around the mercurial Begum Hazrat (Tabu), ravishing Firdaus (Katrina Kaif) and charismatic Noor (Aditya Roy Kapur).
Begum is an unpredictable woman who has been denied and betrayed in love by a companion, whom she dearly revered. Begum's character is rippling with melancholy that goes on to shape the lives of Firdaus and Noor.
Abhishek Kapoor and Supratik Sen have eloquently penned the screenplay of Fitoor by keeping in mind the original text - with only a few positive changes. Kapoor and Sen, with their fine writing, transport you to an aura that's aesthetically soothing. The best thing about their writing is that they haven’t reduced their actors to mere caricatures. Bravo!
TABU, TABU AND TABU
Tabu’s performance is magnificently textured. The rampant hauteur in Begum keeps her dark side afloat for a long time until you get to know the layers underneath - covered with angst, fear, pity and self-doubt.
Tabu gives a sumptuously autumnal performance brewed in shades of deserted yearnings and betrayal. It is a divinely depicted, deeply felt act that brings out each nuance of its own characters’ inner conflicts with breathtaking loyalty.
Having earned a best actress National award twice for her work in Maachis and Chandni Bar, Tabu gives another performance that merits a lifetime recognition.
In Fitoor, she reconfirms her status as one of contemporary cinema’s most gutsy actress. The delicacy of Begum’s emotions is finely calibrated through subtle instances without a raised voice. It’s hard not to love her by the end of the movie. Her piercing sorrow melts your heart. It’s not a performance, but a triumph.
AND THE REST
For Katrina Kaif, it’s all about her gaze that turns from passionate to manipulative, even as she retains a certain degree of composure and poise.
Kaif’s performance is absorbing, well-crafted and aptly studied. On the other hand, Aditya Roy Kapur maintains great self-control and gives a full realized performance that is bound to win him a lot of praise. Together, Kapur and Kaif are dynamite. Their chemistry is richly palpable.
I particularly want to laud Sheikh Mohammed Abrar [little Noor] who manages to move you with the complexity of his gestures and vividness of his emotions. Outstanding!
Kapoor’s deliciously sumptuous Film Fitoor offers even the minutiae with a delicately observed and richly nuanced style - wonderfully brought to life by Anay Goswamy. The costumes, the furnishings, the wall-hangings, the snowflakes and the jewelry are all exquisitely designed.
Fitoor is just jazz and poetry.Kapoor avoids excessivemelodrama by maintaining a stylized visual language. But, it doesn’t mean that Fitoor doesn’t shake you emotionally. Tabu's multi-layered performanceplays havoc with your emotions and bewilders youwith its entrancingartistry.Marvelous!
I went into a trance after watching it.
Rating: ★★★★★
