In Custody
Ismail Merchant's feature directorial debut addresses a subject close to his heart: the expressive Urdu language of Northern India, in danger of extinction as political trends and modernization obscure its contributions to Indian culture. Merchant 's treatment is wry and good humored , as his characters - an aging Urdu poet (Shashi Kapoor) and a worshipful young college lecturer - clash despite their shared passion for the beauty of words.
- genus: Drama, Comedy
- Studio: Merchant Ivory Productions
- keyword: tradition, poetry, progress
- cast: Shashi Kapoor, Om Puri, शबाना आज़मी, Neena Gupta, Sushma Seth, Tinnu Anand
