In Custody(1993)
'In Custody' (1993) is a Hindi drama film directed by Ismail Merchant. It stars Shashi Kapoor, Om Puri, and Shabana Azmi. The story follows a Hindi professor who travels to Old Delhi to interview a legendary Urdu poet. The professor finds the poet living in a chaotic household with two feuding wives. The film explores the decline of Urdu language and the gap between artistic ideals and reality. It was nominated for the Booker Prize as a novel and won the National Film Award Special Jury Award for Shashi Kapoor. The film was released in New York in May 1994 and in London in June 1994.
Quick Facts
- Theatrical Release
- 1 January 1993
- Director
- Ismail Merchant
- Language
- Hindi
- Runtime
- 2h 6m
- Rating
- 3.9/10
Storyline
A shy Hindi professor named Deven gets his dream assignment. He must interview Nur, a famous but aging Urdu poet. But Nur's home is pure chaos. His two wives fight constantly, and the poet is too drunk to talk. Deven struggles to record even one clear poem.
“Saving a poet from himself.”
Film Details
Parental Guide
Vibe & Tags
Cast & Crew
Reunion Meter
Frequent partnerships reunited for In Custody
Cast reunions in this film: Tinnu Anand & Om Puri (6 films together), Om Puri & Shabana Azmi (6 films together), Neena Gupta & Shabana Azmi (4 films together), Sushma & Shashi Kapoor (3 films together), Tinnu Anand & Parikshat Sahni (3 films together), and Om Puri & Neena Gupta (3 films together).
Trivia
- This was the only feature film directed by Ismail Merchant, who was famous as a producer.
- The film is based on a novel of the same name by Indian author Anita Desai.
- Shashi Kapoor, who played the poet, was seriously ill during filming and performed while on oxygen between takes.
- The movie was mostly filmed in the historic town of Bhopal, using its old palaces and neighborhoods as sets.
- It was entered into the 1994 Cannes Film Festival, competing for the prestigious Palme d'Or award.
- The script heavily uses Urdu poetry, with verses from real poets like Mirza Ghalib featured in the dialogue.
- Despite critical praise, the film had a very limited commercial release and is not widely known by mainstream audiences.