In Custody (film)
Encyclopedia
In Custody/Muhafiz is a film by Merchant Ivory Productions
. It was directed by Ismail Merchant
, with a screenplay by Anita Desai
and Shahrukh Husain
. It is based upon Desai's 1984 Booker Prize nominated novel In Custody.
) position as a professor of Hindi
at a local college is only a means to an end. His first love is the Urdu language and in particular Urdu poetry. Deven's multiple (and often stymied) attempts to interview the great Urdu poet, Nur (Shashi Kapoor
), acts as a metaphor for the clash between modernization and tradition.
vocalists
Merchant Ivory Productions
Merchant Ivory Productions is a film company founded in 1961 by producer Ismail Merchant and director James Ivory. Their films were for the most part produced by the former, directed by the latter, and scripted by Ruth Prawer Jhabvala, with the noted exception of a few films. The films were often...
. It was directed by Ismail Merchant
Ismail Merchant
Ismail Merchant was an Indian-born film producer, best known for the results of his famously long collaboration with Merchant Ivory Productions which included director James Ivory as well as screenwriter Ruth Prawer Jhabvala...
, with a screenplay by Anita Desai
Anita Desai
Anita Mazumdar Desai is an Indian novelist and Emeritus John E. Burchard Professor of Humanities at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology...
and Shahrukh Husain
Shahrukh Husain
Shahrukh Husain , born 28 April 1950, is an author of Pakistani origin who specializes in fiction, non-fiction, and screenwriting. She is also a psychotherapist, folklorist, and storyteller. She currently resides in London.-Select filmography:...
. It is based upon Desai's 1984 Booker Prize nominated novel In Custody.
Plot synopsis
Deven's (Om PuriOm Puri
Om Puri is an Indian actor who has appeared in both mainstream Indian films and art films. His credits also include appearances in British and American films. He has received an honorary OBE.-Early life:...
) position as a professor of Hindi
Hindi
Standard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi...
at a local college is only a means to an end. His first love is the Urdu language and in particular Urdu poetry. Deven's multiple (and often stymied) attempts to interview the great Urdu poet, Nur (Shashi Kapoor
Shashi Kapoor
Shashi Kapoor , born Balbir-Raj Prithviraj Kapoor on 18 March 1938 in Calcutta , is an award-winning Indian film actor and film producer. He has also been film director and assistant director in Hindi Films. He is a member of the Kapoor family, a film dynasty in India's Bollywood cinema...
), acts as a metaphor for the clash between modernization and tradition.
Cast
- Shashi KapoorShashi KapoorShashi Kapoor , born Balbir-Raj Prithviraj Kapoor on 18 March 1938 in Calcutta , is an award-winning Indian film actor and film producer. He has also been film director and assistant director in Hindi Films. He is a member of the Kapoor family, a film dynasty in India's Bollywood cinema...
.... Nur - Sushma SethSushma SethSushma Seth is an Indian film, television, and stage actress. She started her career in the late 1970s, and has been known for playing the mother and the grandmother in movies and television. She is most known as the role of Dadi in pioneering TV soap Hum Log . She is also a theatre actor and...
.... Safiya Begum - Shabana AzmiShabana AzmiShabana Azmi is an Indian actress of film, television and theatre. An alumna of the Film and Television Institute of India of Pune, she made her film debut in 1974 and soon became one of the leading actresses of parallel cinema, an Indian New Wave movement known for its serious content and...
.... Imtiaz Begum - Om PuriOm PuriOm Puri is an Indian actor who has appeared in both mainstream Indian films and art films. His credits also include appearances in British and American films. He has received an honorary OBE.-Early life:...
.... Deven - Tinnu AnandTinnu AnandTinnu Anand is an Indian actor and director from Bollywood, who is most known as the director of Amitabh Bachchan's movies including, Kaalia , Shahenshah , Main Azaad Hoon and Major Saab .He is the son of veteran writer Inder Raj Anand and uncle of director Siddharth Anand.Anand recently...
.... Murad - Parikshat SahniParikshat SahniParikshit Sahni is an Indian film and television actor, who is most known for playing the lead in TV series Barrister Vinod, Gul Gulshan Gulfaam and Gaatha ....
.... Siddiqui - Amjad KhanAmjad KhanAmjad Khan was an acclaimed Indian actor and director. He worked in over 130 films in his film career spanning nearly twenty years. He enjoyed popularity for his villainous roles in Hindi films the most famous being the unforgettable Gabbar Singh in 1975 classic Sholay...
.... Musician - Mohammed Ali .... The Chief Guest
- Neena GuptaNeena GuptaNeena Gupta is an Indian film and television actress and director-producer. She won the 1994 National Film Award for Best Supporting Actress for Woh Chokri. She is a popular actress in Indian commercial cinema, but it is her work with art filmmakers of India, like Shyam Benegal that got her...
... Sarla
Awards
- 1993 : Tokyo Film Festival in Kyoto (Official Selection) nomination.
- 1994: National Film Award
- Special Jury AwardNational Film Award - Special Jury Award / Special Mention (Feature Film)The National Film Award of India - Special Jury Award / Special Mention - Feature Film winners are:...
: Shashi KapoorShashi KapoorShashi Kapoor , born Balbir-Raj Prithviraj Kapoor on 18 March 1938 in Calcutta , is an award-winning Indian film actor and film producer. He has also been film director and assistant director in Hindi Films. He is a member of the Kapoor family, a film dynasty in India's Bollywood cinema... - Best Art DirectionNational Film Award for Best Art DirectionThe National Film Award for Best Art Direction winners:...
: Suresh Sawant
- Special Jury Award
Musicians and Vocalists
- Sultan Khan - sarangiSarangiThe Sārangī is a bowed, short-necked string instrument of India which is originated from Rajasthani folk instruments. It plays an important role in India's Hindustani classical music tradition...
- Sunil DasSunil DasSunil Das is an Indian expressionist painter. He is popular for his paintings, Bull Series and woman.-Early life:Sunil Das was born in Calcutta, India....
- sitarSitarThe 'Tablaman' is a plucked stringed instrument predominantly used in Hindustani classical music, where it has been ubiquitous since the Middle Ages... - Ulhas Bapat - santoorSantoorThe santoor is an ancient stringed musical instrument, native to Kashmir and Iran. It is a trapezoid-shaped hammered dulcimer often made of walnut, with seventy two strings. The special-shaped mallets are lightweight and are held between the index and middle fingers...
- Ronu MajumdarRonu MajumdarRonu Majumdar is a noted Indian flautist in the Hindustani Classical Music tradition.-Early life and training:Born in Varanasi on June 22, 1963, Ranendranath Majumdar, popularly known as Ronu was trained under his father, Dr. Bhanu Majumdar, and later learned vocal music with the late Pt. Laxman...
- fluteFluteThe flute is a musical instrument of the woodwind family. Unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is an aerophone or reedless wind instrument that produces its sound from the flow of air across an opening... - Fazal Qureshi - tablaTablaThe tabla is a popular Indian percussion instrument used in Hindustani classical music and in popular and devotional music of the Indian subcontinent. The instrument consists of a pair of hand drums of contrasting sizes and timbres...
- Taufiq QureshiTaufiq QureshiTaufiq Qureshi is an Indian classical musician. He is a percussionist and an composer.-Early life:Born in Mumbai, to legendary tabla player, Ustad Alla Rakha. His eldest brother is tabla player, Ustad Zakir Hussain. He received guidance from Ghatam Vidhwan, Pandit Vikku Vinayakram.-Career:Taufiq...
- percussion - Pyush Kanojia - keyboardElectronic keyboardAn electronic keyboard is an electronic or digital keyboard instrument.The major components of a typical modern electronic keyboard are:...
- Zakir HussainZakir Hussain (musician)Zakir Hussain , , is an Indian tabla player, musical producer, film actor and composer.-Early life:Hussain was born in Mumbai, India to the legendary tabla player Alla Rakha. He attended St...
- tablaTablaThe tabla is a popular Indian percussion instrument used in Hindustani classical music and in popular and devotional music of the Indian subcontinent. The instrument consists of a pair of hand drums of contrasting sizes and timbres... - Sadiq Qureshi - duf
vocalists
- Suresh WadkarSuresh WadkarSuresh Ishwar Wadkar is an Indian playback singer. He performs in both Hindi and Marathi films.He has sung songs in some Bhojpuri films and in Konkani.- Early life :...
, Kavita Krishnamurthy, HariharanHariharan (singer)Hariharan , born 3 April 1955) is an Indian playback singer in Hindi, Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada, Marathi, Bhojpuri and Telugu movies, an established ghazal singer, and one of the pioneers of Indian fusion music. His melody is strongly appreciated by the film fraternity...
, Shankar MahadevanShankar MahadevanShankar Mahadevan is an Indian music composer and singer. He is a part of the Shankar Ehsaan Loy trio team that composes for Indian films and a playback singer.-Early life:...