FITTRAT

Cast: Krystal D’Souza, Aditya Seal, Anushka Ranjan, Anu Krishansh Verma, Divya Seth, Kitu Gidwani, Kaizaad Kotwal, Aditya Lal Director:Santosh Singh Developed & Produced By: Tanveer Bookwala Platform: AltBalaji, Zee5

Rating – 3.5/5

12th Sept 2020, Preeti Ramesh

We open to a scene where a young girl bids adieu to a painting of her mother. She is initially indignant at the painting being sold but agrees to part with it if the buyer agrees to pay 10 times the cost. When asked whether she wants to be successful like the man she says no, she wants to be his begum and looks determinedly at a graceful black gloved hand resting carelessly on the car window sill. The girl goes to the poshest school in the area, where she is dismissed by all the classmates for being middle class except for one girl, who scoots to the other side of the bench to give her a spot to sit. Thus begins the friendship of ambitious gold digger Tarini Bisht(Krystal D’Souza) and the rich but gold hearted Amrita Sareen (Anushka Ranjan). 

Fast forward to years later, where we find Gold Medalist in Journalism, Tarini setting out to Delhi. Though, it is not to make the most of her brains or capabilities, but to try her luck in finding a rich husband. Her father, who she fondly calls Alok tries to draw her to the merits of earning her own keep, he tries to get across the satisfaction one feels in doing so and that the gold she seeks is within herself.

Veer is handsome, smart, talented and rich. On surface, a seemingly perfect guy and perfect boyfriend. Perhaps too perfect.Veer and Tarini’s first meeting is electrically charged and flirtatious. Tarini abandons thoughts of Veer soon after she discovers he and Amy are engaged; though Veer is adamant and unabashed in his pursuit of her. He makes audacious offers to Tarini, who although open about her thirst for money draws a line when it comes to betraying her best friend. 

Veer pretends to backtrack only when Tarini threatens to expose him to the Sareen’s. Her rejection is a huge blow to his ego and he returns the favour by framing her for betrayal. Tarini is heartbroken and she makes it her ambition to ruin Veer.

A lot of our childhood experiences makes ground for our agenda later in life. Tarini and Veer share a likeness here, that gives ground to a potential angle, that Veer’s pursuit might not be just an obsessive attraction. We can forgive his Out Of Character decisions/potrayal by attributing it to him eventually falling in love. Because even stubborn, manipulative and ambitious people can fall in love..!? Indeed, buying that painting and displaying it in your house for the entire world to see is perhaps not the smartest decision that a person wanting to keep his obsession secret makes, or risk his life’s ambition and father’s lifetime of work over attaining a girl out of bounds. And only love could keep a smart, talented and beautiful woman hellbent on revenge instead of seeking success.    

Fittrat is dramatic, sensual, bold, but above all it is a tribute to friendship. For me the highlight is the last scene between Taarini and Amy. The sweetest part of the story was Tarini’s reply to whether she ever loved Veer. She says she has always only loved Amy. Amy who made place for her on the school bench, who always cared for her and accepted her the way she was: Impatient, insecure, greedy. Tarini does not choose friendship over love.She did choose love as her feelings for Veer are purely an attraction (as per her admission).

Fittrat is an interesting watch, for it’s anti-hero; its portrayal of a not perfect heroine and perfect ending. Balaji would be right in shelving a sequel, as the story is well rounded in its conclusion. Hauling it for a different ending with treatment that they are famous for giving their serials, would ruin the aftertaste.