Director: Mahesh Bhatt
Sensitivity meter: In every sense, it was a film way ahead of its time. The semi autobiographical film dealt with several issues simultaneously. At one level, it does speak of issues relating to marriage and infidelity, while on the other hand, it sends across a strong message on gender quality. The viewers see Pooja's (Shabana Azmi) character grow from a dependant woman, who is shattered after her husband cheats on her, to a strong and an independent, emancipated person who finds her place under the sun. The tactful handling of real issues is what made this film a masterpiece.
Hit or not: Arth was a box-office hit and won Shabana Azmi a National Award for her power-packed performance.