Arth

Arth is a pleasantly surprising movie, a great cinematic experience. It's one of those few movies that makes us live the journey of the main character, and make us believe the decisions and path of the cast. It's a well acted, edited and directed movie with a powerful screenplay. It will be unfair to not appreciate the cast especially Sabhana Azmi. It's a philosophically satisfying conclusion. A strong ending and a feel good vibe. It's a must watch movie. Highly recommended.

One of the finest movies of India, Good acting, nice background score, and very good directing is the bonus point of this movie. The story of this film is also realistice. Amazing movie.

My Rating : 9/10

I've seen this movie twice now and thoroughly enjoyed it both times. 'Arth' is one of Mahesh Bhatt's finest and captivated me from the start.

If you don't mind slow-burning drama, certainly seek this out, it is semi-autobiographical (about Mahesh Bhatt's extramarital relationship with Parveen Babi) and with great performances from everyone.

Moving, riveting and simply a classic of parallel Indian cinema. Absolute Must-See.

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. not a single shot is wasted and the story unfolds at a perfect pace.

at no point is 'arth' clichéd or predictable, and it tells the story as it should be told. the ending was one that would have made so many other films excellent, yet the storytellers were afraid to tell it. this is the thing i admire most about this film, it never cheats the audience and treats the situation as realistically as possible. 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). The theme is quite simple and so is the execution but Bhatt gives it a raw but realistic and authentic look. While many have complained that 'Arth' is slow moving, the pace wasn't problematic for me. 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. It's one of the strongest portrayals by an actress. 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. Kulbushan Kharbanda holds his own in a woman-oriented 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.