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. When he confesses about his affair to Pooja and leaves, she is heartbroken. 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. However, her luck turns for the better when an acquaintance who had helped her when she was in a hapless state, gets her a job and later falls in love with her. 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. There are questions raised during the movie about the institution of marriage and the role of women as wives. The movie is a blend of old-fashioned and contemporary– extramarital affair is a familiar issue while female emancipation is more uncommon. 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. This moment is crucial because it is after this that we learn about Inder's infidelity. 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). Instead of Pooja calling and importuning Kavita not to damage her marriage, Pooja directly meets her with Inder at a party and vituperates her. Pooja doesn't leave her apartment but searches for a job to meet her expenses. She also becomes close to Raj during this time and finds a new reason to live. On the other side, things get murky when Kavita has mental issues, but rather than devoting a few scenes to Inder and Kavita, the scenes would keep alternating with Pooja's eventual bloom and Inder and Kavita's marital decay. Inder resorts to drinking and can't do much for Kavita; Kavita gets pregnant but she gets an abortion due to anxiety. The maid commits a fatal act and Pooja now takes care of her child. 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. The melodrama in the beginning is a tad overwrought because of the repetitive scenes of Shabhana and Smita pleading and crying. 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. There are a couple of hammy actors too – Dalip Tahil to name one, who gives a stereotype of an arrogant producer. I also disfavored a cardboard cutout performance by him in the Indian rendition of Sound of Music (with nothing being Indianized except the actors) about two years back in Mumbai and his epically embarrassing act in Raavan. Here too he failed to impress me. 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

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 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. The dialogues, the characters and the situations are very simple and realistic. That may be the main reason Arth is so moving and riveting. 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 story shows consistent development and is very interesting to see, particularly because its realism allows the viewer connect to the story. The film's main protagonist, Pooja Malhotra, is a true example of that. She is first a dependent wife who cannot even imagine her life without her husband, then a broken woman who mourns his betrayal and abandonment, still hoping to get him back. 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. The power of her portrayal seems to come in equal parts from her understanding of the character, and of course from the fact that she does not just act, but becomes. With ease and conviction she transforms into a simple woman who deals with problems in her life. 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. Azmi utterly dominates her scenes, and some of them are unforgettable. 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. These scenes show emotional conditions few actresses could master. 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. Patil is amazing, performing the most difficult of scenes with unsettling intensity. She displays something very disturbing within her, and yet balances it with naturally played feelings of guilt and moments of sanity. 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. But the one who stands out is Rohini Hattangadi, who plays Pooja's nameless housemaid. People often overlook Hattangandi's role, but she is pretty much a reflection of Pooja. 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. And she does it with great skill, getting the mannerisms, the dialect and the hopes of people of her region and class exceedingly well. 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. Truly a remarkable feat.Arth is a fascinating picture about realisation, relationships, and the power of the overcoming human spirit. It proves the talent of all those who were associated with it, and the ending is terrific. A classic gem which deserves the highest of praise, that's it.

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. But personally, I felt the story to be a little dragging. Arth is supposed to be the most popular 'Art' movie among the masses! Strictly recommended for hearing the songs!!