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.

Ghazal maestro Jagjit Singh has passed away. The world of Ghazals and Shaayari is mourning the sad demise of the one and only Jagjit Singh. Ghazal singing has never been a profession for him. He always took it as the worship of the Lord. His soulmate Chitra stopped singing after the demise of their the only son - Vivek in an accident in 1993 but Jagjit did not stop it. Can a devotee stop worshipping the Almighty in any condition ? No. Hence Jagjit Singh continued, suppressing and trying to forget the grief in his heart.

Jagjit Singh always sung from the heart. And he always chose Ghazals and Nazms of very high literary quality for singing. That's how he became instrumental in popularizing Ghazals as a form of light music. He sang for Bollywood movies too. The Ghazal, Nazm and songs of Saath Saath (1982) and the immortal love song - Hothon Se Chhoo Lo Tum (Prem Geet - 1981) are a few illustrations. 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. Pooja is heartbroken whom Raj (Raj Kiran) tries to console through his love for her. 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.). Arth was a milestone in his directorial career after which he never looked back. 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. I won't try to show lamp to the sun by saying anything about the leading ladies who were the pillars of the parallel cinema movement of the seventies and the eighties. 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. So thick that they lost their naturalness and turned from flesh and blood human-beings to lifeless portraits on the canvas. Mahesh Bhatt could not restrain himself in certain matters and went for exaggeration. 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. His performance in the song - Tum Itna Jo Muskura Rahe Ho is simply lovable. 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. You can forget the movie, not its songs. Whether it's the Ghazals - Tum Itna Jo Muskura Rahe Ho and Jhuki Jhuki Si Nazar Beqaraar Hai Ki Nahin (both sung by Jagjit Singh himself) and Tu Nahi To Zindagi Mein Aur Kya Reh Jaayega (sung by Chitra Singh) or it's the heart-piercing Nazms - Koi Ye Kaise Bataaye and Tere Khushboo Mein Base Khat Main Jalaata Kaise, every piece is enchanting for the listener. Jagjit himself sung the songs because no other voice could do justice to the lyric and the composition. Ghazal word has been derived from Ghazala (female deer) and the painful sound coming from its throat is known as Ghazal. And that's why the true Ghazal singer is one who is able to convey the Soz (pain) inherent in the words. 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. The music of this movie is an invaluable jewel in the treasure of Bollywood music.

I recommend this sentimental movie with a strong message to the people interested in watching meaningful cinema.

I am mortally afraid of works of art which are proclaimed as classics by critics and the public. 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". The nomenclature got my hackles up and I was all ready to tear this apart with my words. I wasn't prepared for the emotions which were about to be unleashed by this cinematic piece of art.

This is a semi autobiographical movie. 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. It seems as if Mr. Bhatt had a small recording device with him when he was having huge rows with his wife and mistress. The direction is excellent. Mr. Bhatt never allows the drama to go over the top and become mawkish. 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... ', lines which have since become immortal.

The acting is the strongest forte of this seminal classic. Azmi gives the performance of a life time as a woman who sees her world go up in smoke. She is vulnerable,teary eyed and then graceful.

This is a must watch for lovers of great drama. You would be blown away by what has increasingly become a rarity these days, an ultimate Hindi movie.

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.

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.