Mahesh Bhatt’s classic Arth remade in Pakistan

Director Mahesh Bhatt’s cult romance drama Arth has been remade in Pakistan — the first Hindi movie to be officially reproduced in the neighbouring country.

The new movie, titled Arth 2, stars Shaan Shahid, Humaima Malick, Uzma Hassan and Mohib Mirza. It has been made with a local and indigenous narrative suited to local conditions, with reports saying the remake is a contemporary retelling of the original story and will be set in Lahore.

According to reports, the idea for Arth 2 materialised after Shaan met Bhatt in 2015 and expressed his desire to remake the film for Pakistani audiences. “Arth is the first film with the DNA of an Indian story to be set in Pakistan. If we want to strengthen film trade between our countries, Arth’s model is a great way of collaborating,” Shaan had said.

An Indian newspaper report confirmed that Bhatt had given the story and screenplay rights to Shaan without charging any money.

And Pakistani cinema lovers can’t wait to see the film, especially after Bhatt himself praised the remake.

“A stunning looking film shot with passion. Thank u @mshaanshahid for bringing the film that hurled me into history to a whole new audience,” Bhatt tweeted. He also complimented Humaima for her spark and power-packed performance, to which, Humaima responded by posting: “Shukriya these words of yours are my win.”

Talking to local media, Bhatt said, “Shaan sahib is remaking a film that I started my career with, and that makes me very happy. I am very keen to see how he will interpret it. Every filmmaker has his own worldview, and he has complete freedom to reinterpret it however he wishes.”

He also dismissed rumours which said he was against the idea of his work being remade, saying he doesn’t believe the film or its legacy will be tampered with. “In no way do I feel that it will taint my work. On the contrary, I take the fact that he (Shaan) thinks my film is worthy of a remake as a sign of respect,” he said.

The original movie, which was released in 1982, starred Shabana Azmi, Smita Patil, Kulbhushan Kharbanda and Raj Kiran. In the movie, a filmmaker (Kharbanda) has an affair with an actress (Patil) and leaves his wife (Azmi). The plot follows the wife’s search for her identity.