Ok so yesterday I had decided to write a review of Arth and look at the chance happening, the movie came on d TV. That is one reason why I still love DD, movies there are not just for entertainment n advertisements.
So Arth is a moving and heart warming 1982 film. The film like many of Mahesh Bhatt film's draws quite closely from his own personal life. it is a semi-autobiographical film, often touted to be Bhatt's own confession of his extramarital affair to actress Praveen Babi.
So Arth is a moving and heart warming 1982 film. The film like many of Mahesh Bhatt film's draws quite closely from his own personal life. it is a semi-autobiographical film, often touted to be Bhatt's own confession of his extramarital affair to actress Praveen Babi.
Arth is a movie about an orphan girl Pooja, who grew up with a dream of owning a house, and is married to Inder who is a film director. Inder and Pooja have bought a new house, but it is soon revealed that Inder bought this house out of his own guilt due to the on going affair he is having with an actress Kavita. The time when Inder comes clean to Pooja about his affair and leaves her to go and stay with Kavita, Pooja's life falls apart. She is guided in her journey out of the faulty marriage and to independence by singer Raj, and her friend and her husband.
The best thing is that all d characters of d film are well defined and beautifully etched out both artistically and realistically.
The three central characters are so complex and beautifully portrayed- Shabana Azmi as Pooja, Kulbhusan Kharbanda as Inder and Smita Patil as Kavita.
What I like most about the character of Kavita is that that even though she is the ‘other woman’ in the story, you don’t feel any negative emotions towards her. You feel a sense of sympathy for her at every point. She is a woman suffering from schizophrenia, a woman who teeters on an edge all the time.
The three central characters are so complex and beautifully portrayed- Shabana Azmi as Pooja, Kulbhusan Kharbanda as Inder and Smita Patil as Kavita.
What I like most about the character of Kavita is that that even though she is the ‘other woman’ in the story, you don’t feel any negative emotions towards her. You feel a sense of sympathy for her at every point. She is a woman suffering from schizophrenia, a woman who teeters on an edge all the time.
Even when she has got what she wanted, the man she loves, her guilt and her illness don't allow her to be free in enjoying that as well. She is a woman who loves a man with so much of passion that even she herself is unable to control. I think the most beautiful portrayal of this character comes out in the scene where she in one of her moment of illness, blames Pooja for scattering her mangalsutra beads all over the house in bid to hurt Kavita. This scene best exemplifies the edge on which the character is walking, and her guilt. Also worth mentioning, is the final scene between Kavita and Inder, where she decides to leave him forever. All this comes after Pooja has met her an d even forgiven her for wreaking her marriage, but maybe that real interaction is enough to push Kavita out of her guilt and in realization of what is right and what is wrong.
Next is the character of Inder. A man trapped in his own feelings for two women. He is a character trapped in his own ego issues. Inder is a character that can't hear rejection. When the client rejects his ad film he gets into physical fight with him, when his secretary rejects him by handing over his resignation letter he shouts at him and tears the letter, when Kavita rejects him he gets mad at her and makes his last attempt to return to Pooja.
There are two most defining moment of this character. One is the scene where he confesses his illicit relationship with Kavita to his wife Pooja. During the scene you see his main concern is to prove that he is not the one who is wrong, he is the one who is stuck between two women. And second scene is one where he comes to meet Pooja at her hostel with divorce papers. Here also we see how hard Inder tries to tell Pooja that he is getting a divorce just for Kavita’s sake and no other reason.
And Shabana Azmi plays Pooja, a woman whose life is torn apart by her husband's affair. She tries to be strong but her emotions take over her every now and then during her journey from moving out of the safety of her breaking home to the world of independence outside it.
A character governed by realistic highs and lows. Often what happens is that at times directors make their female characters unrealistically strong and surrealistic.
Another good part of the film is its side characters, esp. the character played by Raj Kiran and by Rohini Hattangadi as the bai.
Raj plays a happy go lucky singer, who strives by just with a good voice and luck. It is he who helps Pooja in her journey; he becomes his friend and confidante in d outside world. He is a silent admirer, who loves Pooja even after she has dismissed him after he openly declares his feelings for her.
Another important side character in the film is that of the Bai. She is one who represents a story like Pooja's only but within a different class structure. She is someone who too faces troubles in her life mainly due to her drunkered and unfaithful husband. She is a strong woman, even being from a very low background, she is quite independent and her only aim is that her daughter sud receive a good education and a claim to a better future than her own.
I think it is when the bai kills her husband is in fact quite a moving scene. When she sees her husband threatening her daughters future she retaliates by killing him. I think it is the jolt of physical killing of one unfaithful threatening husband that leads to Pooja's actually freedom in mind.
Music is a wonderful and very expressive part of the film. Every song represents the state of mind of characters present in it. Every song has an identity of its own. It is as of if the words fail to express what the characters are going thru that is where the songs come in. All 3 beautiful songs in d film have been picturized on Raj and have been sung by Jagjit Singh. Jagjit Singh's voice is so encapsulation and engrossing that it just reaches your heart and strike a chord with emotions directly.
Jagjit Singh, even despite attaining a status of being a gazhal exponent, never attained any significant mark in the mainstream bollywood industry.
This is undoubtedly one of the finest performances ever by Shabana Azmi. She perfects the character of Pooja with her marvelous acting. No doubt that she won many accolades for her performance in Arth, and her second Nation Award for the same.
And Shabana Azmi plays Pooja, a woman whose life is torn apart by her husband's affair. She tries to be strong but her emotions take over her every now and then during her journey from moving out of the safety of her breaking home to the world of independence outside it.
A character governed by realistic highs and lows. Often what happens is that at times directors make their female characters unrealistically strong and surrealistic.
Another good part of the film is its side characters, esp. the character played by Raj Kiran and by Rohini Hattangadi as the bai.
Raj plays a happy go lucky singer, who strives by just with a good voice and luck. It is he who helps Pooja in her journey; he becomes his friend and confidante in d outside world. He is a silent admirer, who loves Pooja even after she has dismissed him after he openly declares his feelings for her.
Another important side character in the film is that of the Bai. She is one who represents a story like Pooja's only but within a different class structure. She is someone who too faces troubles in her life mainly due to her drunkered and unfaithful husband. She is a strong woman, even being from a very low background, she is quite independent and her only aim is that her daughter sud receive a good education and a claim to a better future than her own.
I think it is when the bai kills her husband is in fact quite a moving scene. When she sees her husband threatening her daughters future she retaliates by killing him. I think it is the jolt of physical killing of one unfaithful threatening husband that leads to Pooja's actually freedom in mind.
Music is a wonderful and very expressive part of the film. Every song represents the state of mind of characters present in it. Every song has an identity of its own. It is as of if the words fail to express what the characters are going thru that is where the songs come in. All 3 beautiful songs in d film have been picturized on Raj and have been sung by Jagjit Singh. Jagjit Singh's voice is so encapsulation and engrossing that it just reaches your heart and strike a chord with emotions directly.
Jagjit Singh, even despite attaining a status of being a gazhal exponent, never attained any significant mark in the mainstream bollywood industry.
This is undoubtedly one of the finest performances ever by Shabana Azmi. She perfects the character of Pooja with her marvelous acting. No doubt that she won many accolades for her performance in Arth, and her second Nation Award for the same.
Also I feel Smita Patil played the character of Kavita, the ‘other woman’, really well. She understood and embodied all the complexities of the character perfectly in her portrayal. Her performance moves you with so many emotions at the same time. You want to dislike her as a home wreaker, but you also sympathize with her to be a passionate woman in love who is suffering from schizophrenia.
Arth is a story about a woman's journey to independence and freedom. Freedom of mind and soul. And as the last words of the film point out 'palat ke matt dekho pooja. Palat ke matt dekho. Jao'. It is about a journey forward into a new beginning for the character.
Arth (1982)
Director: Mahesh Bhatt
Starring: Shabana Azmi, Samita Patil, Kulbhushan Kharbanda, Raj Kiran, Rohini Hattangadi
Producer: Kuljit Pal
Music by: Jagjit Singh, Chitra Singh
Cinematography: Pravin Bhatt
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