Arth and Inkaar: A Comparison Unworthy but Inevitable

Arth; a 1982 movie by Mahesh Bhatt based on real life incidents and Inkar; a 2013 feature by Sudhir Mishra deal with women's issue. Arth precisely showed the dilemma of a woman who experiences turmoil in her married life. Inkar on the other hand raises the issue of dilemma of a career oriented woman who faces turmoil and feels harassed at her work place. While, I watched the climax of Inkar unfolding with a love story, a comparison unfolded in my mind. 30 years ago, if a director had the courage to showcase a climax where a Indian woman decides not to behave like a 'patni' and refuses to give in to his apologetic and remorseful husband. The woman protagonist not just refuses to get back to 'subah ka bhula sham ko lauta' husband but rejects a proposal from another man who feels attracted to her and had indeed helped her during her troubled times. The end tries to give a message that woman in herself can be complete. Three decades and we have progressed (or regressed perhaps) to a point where the woman protagonist finds her weak, weak enough to go and try to sexually please her boss to not lose her job. It is now prerogative of the man to sacrifice everything because he thinks that he was wrong in doubting her love interest like Rama who cannot be with Sita despite his love and belief in her. The woman felt guilty enough of making her lover's life miserable to finally leave the job. If the two cinemas are in anyway reflections of India society then in the last 30 years we have been able to bring woman to our offices but have hardly been able to give her space to chart her own path. She still has to be given the tag of 'weaker gender' that needs help to move ahead in life. The biggest problem however is the message Inkar tries to give; a woman may not be professionally successful without a man's help. A sense of acceptance when it comes to harassment and discrimination against woman at work place. Arth was much ahead of Inkar; with a message of woman being complete in themselves.