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.

There is so much to admire in Fitoor that it is easy not to be put off by its ponderous pace and lack of contextual detailing.

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

You get style – including six-pack Noor painting shirtless (explains why artists score more – can you imagine writers taking their tops off to work?) – but little depth. To play with a great quote, oh what a tangled web we weave, when we learn to retrieve – in this case, retrieving a classic indeed caused a tangle, albeit one of Pashmina dhaagas.

…devastatingly beautiful, thanks to director Abhishek Kapoor’s portrayal of Kashmir in it. However, underneath all the surreal beauty, this adaptation of Charles Dickens’s Great Expectations falls short of fulfilling the great expectations people had from it.

Alas, Abhishek Kapoor’s ‘Fitoor’ looks better than it feels.

Watch it for its beauty (cinematography by Anay Goswami), music (Amit Trivedi) and a few and far in between tender, touching moments.

Quite simply, it works for you, or it doesn’t. There is no logic. It is about emotions. You sound like a fart verbalising or intellectualising beyond a point. I’m wholly aware of it. So, will rightly desist. Or will try to.

There is certainly a different kind of curiosity which binds the viewers in watching a story unfold on-screen which has been read before. Despite, knowing the basic plot, the director’s vision surprises us in each scene. Fitoor has some power-packed dialogues by Supratik Sen.

Fitoor stands in a shaky space, wobbling between being average and brilliant. There are moments that will blow your mind – the passion is enlivening. You want to invest in the characters, get sucked into the extravagant world of enchanting valleys and the stories that inhabit its nook and corners, alleys and bylanes…with the Persian lyrics of Haminastu in Zeb’s earthy voice echoing in your ears… Sadly, the only love story you would want to celebrate in Fitoor is the director and cinematographer’s love for ethereal beauty of Kashmir and Amit Trivedi’s undying romance with melody. The rest of it is prosaic.

Yes, there are blemishes and the film from nowhere is flawless. Comparing it with the book is something that we would certainly ask you to avoid. It’s slow paced at some points but it’s the grandeur and visual representation that will help you get through those moments. Watch it with a fresh perspective, and it will not disappoint you. We go with a three and a half star for this one where that ½ a star is added just for the love of Kashmir.