Arth
Tags: melodrama

Plot synopsis:
Pooja (Shabana Azmi), who grew up as an orphan girl and always dreamt of owning a house, becomes insecure when she finds out that she and her husband, Inder (Kulbhushan Kharbanda), have to leave the apartment they rent. The twist that occurred when Inder gives her the keys of a new house proves to be double-edged, when it is revealed that he is in love with another woman, Kavita (Smita Patil), with whom he earned the money (in the film industry) for the new apartment. While previously giving advice to her maid (Rohini Hattangadi) cheated by her husband, now Pooja becomes herself involved in a similar situation. When Inder deserts Pooja for Kavita, she chooses to leave the apartment for a women's hostel with only ₹2000 that she had when she got married. She is helped by Raj (Raj Kiran) to surpass the difficulties of life as a single person, to find a job and to rely morally on herself. Raj and Pooja become good friends. Gradually, Kavita's mental instability deepens her fears of insecurity, even after Inder requests Pooja to sign the divorce papers.
Raj falls in love with Pooja and proposes to her. She refuses saying she is empty and cannot give him anything. Raj tries to persuade her saying that she cannot spend the rest of her life feeling miserable about the past and that she should try to find a new life for herself. Pooja promises to think about it.
Pooja's maid, whose only aim in life is to secure a good education for her daughter, has saved ₹1000 towards her admission fees. She finds out that her drunk husband has stolen the money. Furious, she searches for him to find him in the arms of his lover after spending all the money. She kills him and goes to the police station and confesses her crime. Worried about her daughter, she calls Pooja who promises to take care of the daughter.
After the insistence of Kavita's mother (Dina Pathak) and her personal doctor (Om Shivpuri), Pooja personally assures Kavita that she is not interested in Inder any more. However, Pooja's attitude only convinces Kavita that breaking Pooja's marriage was a mistake. To escape from her feeling of guilt and insecurity, she breaks-up with Inder. The latter tries to revive his relation with Pooja, but is rejected.
Pooja continues to live with her maid's daughter and refuses to marry Raj saying that she has found a new meaning to life in being independent and being a mother to the child and marrying Raj will only weaken her.

Review: Mahesh Bhatt was one of the finest filmmakers of the 1980s in the Hindi film industry.
Most of his films of that period, whether it's Arth, Saaransh or Kaash, dealt with subjects most people have to deal with in their lives.
Arth is one of his finest works and is perhaps the most famous of his films of that time.
The movie is mainly about marriage, infidelity and divorce, but it also deals with other relevant issues through some of its minor characters.
These issues are handled exceptionally well by Bhatt, who keeps everything genuinely life-like and pays attention to details.
Arth depicts a world which is real and authentic and it captures the urban lifestyle of that time with complete precision.
It has the ability to captivate and enthrall simply because it is very easy to relate to.Arth may particularly inspire women to fight for their rights, but it can equally hearten any individual to never give up, showing that there always is a way of starting everything afresh.
The film's main protagonist, Pooja Malhotra, is a true example of that.
And finally, after coming to terms with herself, she understands the meaning of life and realises her own strength and ability to stand on her own and do it her way without anyone else's support or mercy.
Pooja is a brilliantly written character which is well developed and the viewers highly anticipate the moment she makes a place in the sun.There's one person who owns Arth and makes it the memorable picture it is today.
It is of course Shabana Azmi, who delivers one of the finest performances of Indian cinema.
Despite her heartbreak, Pooja never loses her sense of optimism and is brave enough to summon up the courage and fight for her dignity and for her right to find new happiness in life.
Pooja's pain, suffering, honesty, growth and ultimately her coming of age, are very real and involving, and that's simply because they are portrayed with rare subtlety, depth and sincerity by Azmi, who, by the way, looks absolutely beautiful, authentic and graceful throughout the movie.
Just see Pooja's phone call to Kavita, when she begs the latter to give her husband back to her as she has nothing without him; just see Pooja's devastation and the astonishing pain in her tearful eyes upon seeing her husband with his lover at a party during the poignant Ghazal "Koi Yeh Kaise Bataye"; just see the subsequent scene in which she gets completely inebriated, attacks Kavita and publicly calls her a whore.
Apart from other scenes between Pooja and her husband post their separation, another great scene is the one when Pooja goes to meet Kavita.
The scene, devoid of clichés, shows both Kavita's conscience and Pooja's forgiving nature, and at the same time we see that Pooja has finally overcome her divorce from her husband and does not hold any grudge.An equally great actress, Smita Patil delivers an incredibly convincing performance as the mentally unstable actress Kavita Senyal, a role that is smaller but even more complex than that of Azmi.
While watching Azmi and Patil share the screen, one can see a competition between the two, a healthy one I mean, not the sort of childish rivalry between the young actresses of today.
They were true actresses and unlike the new girls in the industry who may fight over who's had more hits, they competed to enhance the quality of their performances, and this extracted the best out of them.
Kulbhushan Kharbanda is excellent as Inder, the infidel husband whose own weakness and confusion lead him to self-ruin.The supporting cast--from Raj Kiran who plays the aspiring singer who falls for Pooja to Mazhar Khan, Dina Pathak and Kiran Vairale who play minor parts--is superb.
Given a role of very minimal screen time, she plays a lower-middle class woman who herself is married to a drunkard who abuses and cheats on her.
She manages to convey so much of her character's essence, whether it's her way of accepting her fate, her dreams of building a future for her daughter, or her compassion towards Pooja's state (despite having pretty much the same problems and even worse), that it's hard to believe she is there for only 20 minutes.
there are very few Indian films that confront real situations, without cheating the audience, treating them like children or giving them what they want instead of what they need.
'arth' is one of those few films.the story is a simple and timeless one, yet one that is rarely explored in Indian film.
what makes it so great is that each side of is represented, with two female points of view, another rarity in Indian film.
but the performances are what bring this great story to life.
the acting is superb, especially by shabana azmi and smita patil - two women with excellent performances in the same film, which is yet another rarity.the film is well directed, and mahesh bhatt highlights the emotional impact of the situation very well.
most importantly, each of the main characters is three-dimensional, and the film examines each of these characters and their states of mind very well, rather than having them react to events.the writing, directing, and acting in this film are absolutely perfect and this film is easily one of the best Indian films ever made..
Mahesh Bhatt's 'Arth' is said to be loosely based on his own marriage.
The main story is of a woman coming to terms with life after separation from her husband (who was having an affair with an actress).
It's not a slick fast paced movie but I liked that Bhatt takes his time to let the events unfold as the characters are faced with decisions to make.
It is very much a character driven piece and the film gives us the time to study these intriguing people.
Moreover, Jagjit Singh's ghazals beautifully reflect the inner feelings of the characters.Bhatt tells the story very convincingly and he has put a lot of heart into it.
I liked that he didn't turned Inder Malhotra (the character who's based on himself) into a good guy towards the end and that perhaps his portrayal of his story is honest.
But, whether real or not, that doesn't matter because the story in 'Arth' works very well regardless.
It is clearly one of his best films.Shabana Azmi gives a tour-de-force performance as the heartbroken Pooja.
It is her film all the way and Azmi displays Pooja's growth with élan.
Smita Patil is equally fabulous in a smaller role as Kavita, the tormented actress.
I always love watching these two actresses share the screen and here too their shared scenes are among highlights of the film.
The rest of the cast that include Raj Kiran and Mazhar Khan offer adequate support.'Arth' is a rare gem of the 80s which was known to be the worst decade of Indian cinema..
The best Indian movie about infidelity and the meaning of being a woman.
My bullshit antenna goes up and I end up avoiding such mainstream crap most of the time.The name of the file which I downloaded from the net was "Arth- A Mahesh Bhatt Classic".
Mahesh Bhatt casts Kulbushan Kharbanda as himself, a director of advertisements and movies, who falls in love with an actress.
Smita Patil plays the role of Parveen Babi.
He decides to move in with the actress and leave behind his wife, essayed here by Shabana Azmi.The dialogues ring true.
He has a feel for the feminine mentality and the women characters come across as strong and not cardboard caricatures.The music was composed by the late Jagjeet Singh and the songs include "Tum itna jo...
Azmi gives the performance of a life time as a woman who sees her world go up in smoke.
Good movie by Bhatt.
This is one of the best movies directed by Bhatt.
This slow moving movie is dotted with some excellent Gazals sung by Jagjith sing.
A good performance again from Shabana Azmi keeps the show going.
Arth is supposed to be the most popular 'Art' movie among the masses!
The world of Ghazals and Shaayari is mourning the sad demise of the one and only Jagjit Singh.
However Mahesh Bhatt's Arth (1982) is different in the sense that Jagjit Singh not only sang the Ghazals and Nazms but he only composed their music also.
The music director of Arth is none other than Jagjit Singh himself.
Though he had composed the music of Prem Geet also, Arth is his unique contribution to Bollywood music because in addition to composing the music, he and his soulmate Chitra sang all the Ghazals and Nazms included in the movie and all are invaluable gems for the lovers of music and Shaayari.
I pay my tribute to him through review of this movie which was considered quite bold at the time of its release.Arth (meaning) is the story of extra-marital relationship of Inder (Kulbhushan Kharbanda) and Kavita (Smita Patil).
Inder is married to Pooja (Shabaana Azmi).
Inder leaves Pooja for the sake of mentally insecure and unstable Kavita but finally Kavita also discards him.
However Pooja decides to search an identity for herself in the world, independent of the support of any male.Mahesh Bhatt used to direct average movies prior to Arth (Manzilen Aur Bhi Hain, Lahu Ke Do Rang, Vishwasghaat etc.).
He always blew the trumpet that Arth was inspired by his own life-story (Parveen Babi being the abnormal other woman in his life).
Whether it has anything to do with his life or not, Arth is an admirable movie.
A good story was taken and the climax made the announcement of the true woman-lib, i.e., liberation from the shackles of dependence on men.Arth boasts of power-packed performances of all the three principal actors - Shabaana Aazmi, Smita Patil and Kulbhushan Kharbanda.
However I say about Kulbhushan Kharbanda that it is definitely one of the best ever performances of this underrated actor.But the trouble lies in the fact that Mahesh Bhatt painted all these three characters with very thick colours.
And his over-enthusiasm did not allow the movie to become a classic or a masterpiece.
What Kavita realized later (that when Inder could leave Pooja for her, he could leave her too for someone else), could have been (and should have been) realized by her earlier too.
Inder returns back to Pooja (after he has been discarded by Kavita) like a beggar.
It does not match his basic Character.Raj Kiran as the Ghazal singer has performed even better than the main threesome and he has impressed the most because his character has not lost its natural flavour like the other three.
That's why Shabaana's refusing his love in the end does not appeal to the audience because independence from men does not mean a life devoid of love.Other than Raj Kiran, the other supporting characters also performed very well.
And it's the performance of the supporting cast which elevated the movie by a few notches.
The performance of Rohini Hattangadi as the maid of Pooja deserves special mention.Ultimately, it's the music composed by Jagjit Singh, using the Shaayari of Shabaana's father and the great Shaayar - Janaab Kaifi Aazmi which makes this movie an unforgettable one.
Jagjit Singh with his God-given voice perfectly suiting Ghazals and Nazms, only could do it as far as the songs of Arth are concerned.
Many great songs in a single movie with an intense story.
A masterpiece from Mahesh Bhatt.
One can easily relate this movie with anyone or with their life at any point of time..
The best part of the movie are the three songs and the music by Jagjit Singh.
I was hooked to these songs from the very first time I heard them couple of years ago.I would give this movie a 7/10 on an absolute scale..
Arth is a brilliantly made film.
I guess no other director in Bollywood, other than Mahesh Bhatt, had the guts to portray their real life relations on screen.
By deciding to portray his relationship with actress Parveen Babi on screen, Bhatt comes up with a timeless masterpiece that rests on the shoulders of two of its able performers: Shabana Azmi and Smita Patil.
Arth is the story of a woman (Shabana Azmi) who is trying to come to terms with her separation from her husband (Kulbhushan Kharbanda) who is having an affair with a schizophrenic actress (Smita Patil).
Bhatt intelligently weaves a grand saga of emotions because he is aided by nothing other than his own life's story.
Azmi leaves no stone unturned in trying to convey the turmoil within her as she is dealing with the separation from her husband.
Patil, despite a shorter role compared to Azmi's, leaves a great impact as a depressed, disillusioned actress.
Rohini Hattangadi lends ample support as a maid whose life mirrors the life of Azmi's character in the film.
Raj Kiran is good too as Azmi's admirer in the film.The editing is brilliant.
The memorable soundtrack by the Ghazal duo, the magnificent Jagjit Singh and Chitra Singh leaves an everlasting impact on the hearts of the viewers.
Just LIKE this pagehttps://www.facebook.com/MovieReviewByYunusIrshad.Arth (A) Hindi --------- my Rating : 4/5 stars VERY GOODIt is a slow pace classic family drama.....VERY GOOD: *Performances : shabana azmi deserve to win awards....
*No adult contents except few words....FINAL VERDICT: It is a worth watching family drama with full of emotions......Arth (Hindi: अर्थ, in English: Meaning) is a 1982 film directed by Mahesh Bhatt, starring Shabana Azmi, Kulbhushan Kharbanda, Smita Patil, Raj Kiran and Rohini Hattangadi.
It features a memorable soundtrack by Ghazal duo, Jagjit Singh and Chitra Singh.
The semi-autobiographical film was written by Mahesh Bhatt about his extramarital relationship with actress Parveen Babi.[1] It is one of the 25 Must See Bollywood Movies as compiled by Indiatimes Movies.
Pooja Malhotra shifts to a new apartment along with her actor husband Inder, who hands her the keys willingly .
The reason is that Pooja may soon be the sole resident of the apartment soon as Inder plans on staying with his illicit lover and co-star Kavita Sanyal.
Things get worse for the young lady when she gives up her home when Inder tells her it belongs to Kavita, and moves to a women's hostel, moneyless and jobless.
On the other side, Inder and Kavita's life together becomes sour as Kavita develops paranoia and anxiety disorder.Arth is translated as 'meaning' or 'reason' in Hindi; as Pooja's life undergoes these changes; she finds a new meaning of life and independence.
The decision taken by Pooja towards the end is bold and courageous and Bhatt deserves credit for not following a traditional ending.But the film does the mistake of stretching it's plot to 136 minutes and including some sub-plots that take away much of the focus on the core issue in the film.
To me, the shot from the beginning of the film which stayed in my head is of Inder handing the keys to Pooja.
When Inder leaves Pooja, the house is all hers, meaning she is independent.
But in the film, she sacrifices it in the first hour itself and moves to a hostel; I would have rather written my script in a slightly different manner albeit with the same characters and themes: 'Pooja and Inder shift to a new apartment bought by Inder and not Kavita.
Inder has sexual relations with Kavita and he tells Pooja he is leaving her.
Pooja lives with the maid and her child while Inder moves in with Kavita (I would have made her character slightly saner than she was in the movie, at least in the beginning scenes so that her degeneration is gradual).
Pooja doesn't leave her apartment but searches for a job to meet her expenses.
When Kavita rejects Inder, the hapless actor tries to make amends with Pooja.
Pooja gives Inder the same keys he had given her in the beginning, and tells her that she is leaving with the girl and living with Raj; she does this so Inder can realize and repent on the mistakes committed by him'Also some questions are left unanswered, for example, How did Inder and Kavita cope with the professional breakdown since both are actors and have to deal with the industry and press?
Mahesh Bhatt leaves out certain matters that I would, had I been a director/writer, have included and some things from the movie that I would've changed (my version of the script above).
People hail this as a product of realism in movies, but Arth still holds the Bollywood-ish feeling at times, unlike the movie Ankur, which is very crystalline in depicting human nature.
Also, the focus was dominant on Pooja rather than giving equal emphasis on both sides of the story.Shabhana, Smita, Kulbhushan and Raj pull through with impressive performances, especially from the ladies and Raj. Had Kulbhushan's character been written with more clarity and consistency, he would've interpreted his character in a better way.
Azmi can do better and has done considerably better in Honeymoon Travels, and she seems to have those facile hand movements commonly seen in theatre at times, but she plays her character with sincerity and conviction.
Patil can get screechy and painful at times but she plays her dramatic scenes with forceful intensity.My Rating: 6.9/10.
Mahesh Bhatt got noticed once he made ARTH the film was based on his own love story with Parveen Babi.
The film has ample dramatic scenes, emotional scenes and it's well handled by Bhatt.
Im not sure whether the film is entirely real but yet one must not ignore that a film will have cinematic liberties.Direction by Mahesh Bhatt is splendid Music is decent, Tum Itna Jo is a superb song by Jagjit Singh other songs too are goodKhulbushan Kharbanda is superb in his role, Shabana Azmi is good but the scene stealer is Smita Patil who excels in her role, Raj Kiran is decent rest are okay