In Custody (1994)

Release Date: 1994-04-15
Runtime: 2h 6min
Production Company: Merchant Ivory Productions
Production Country: India, United Kingdom
Director: Ismail Merchant

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.

4.4