In Custody (1994)

Highly Overrated But Still Good

Entertaining from beginning to end, it maintains the spirit of the franchise while establishing it's own seal with a fun cast

An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

It is an exhilarating, distressing, funny and profound film, with one of the more memorable film scores in years,

In Custody is Ismail Merchant's beautiful retelling of Anita Desai's novel about the death of a language and a culture as reflected in the decline of one individual. Om Puri and Shashi Kapoor play men watching, with varying degrees of remorse and resignation, the death of the Urdu language, a language of poetry, erudition and courtliness. Shabana Azmi, as Nur's (Kapoor) second wife, a courtesan and singer of ghazals, is a bridge between what is passing and the rash future. Their performances are sensitive and subtle and quietly heartbreaking. The cinematography is exquisite, making the film visually rich and haunting. There are many strong performances, and the secondary characters are well-cast. The film is more theme-driven than plot-driven, so probably not suited to every taste. One of my very favorite Ivory-Merchant offerings.

While this directorial debut from Ismail Merchent leaves most westerners cold and thinking this movie to be about the dying language of Urdu its a actually the study of two characters who put their love of art above everything else and their smoldering passion is captured perfectly.Important here is to note that while the subject chosen has been Urdu poetry it could have been replaced as easily by say Indian classical music and the movie would have worked just as well. Merchent tries to capture the situation of the artist and his ardent followers juxtaposing the touching sincerity of Om Puri with that of the the poet Nurs(played by Shashi Kapoor) bunch of sycophants. The film contains many local nuances which may be missed by non Indian audiences which is what makes this work a true labor of love as Merchent never tries to simplify the context or the complexity of the characterization.Great script, wonderful overall performances by the actors and a movie that truly enlarges ones world view! I am reminded of Milan Kunderas quote about Pargue -that the city is disappearing like a poem written on piece of burning paper. Merchent captures remnants of that disappearing poetry and the movie is like a slow burn on celluloid!

The movie is loaded with metaphors depicting the death of Urdu poetry. The decaying mansions, the poet's failing health, his fall from grace all add up. The poverty has desensitized the college youth from being able to nurture a taste for poetry. They prefer to get diplomas in "japanese electronic gadgetry". Its grim. But its unavoidable. Urdu was cherished by the elite and rarely accepted by the masses. It was a medium of flattery, romance and also of unabashed obsequiousness. Poets almost ask for poverty unless they have a gracious benefactor. Like a lot of other artifacts of the past, it evokes wistfulness. The art though lives on in isolated pockets of the country.

Another recent DVD through the Merchant & Ivory Collection. A fair movie at best with some notable talent from a fine actor, Om Puri. The comedy picks up towards the end of the movie which is a god send since the rest of the movie is pure farce. Sadly, age has not been kind to Shashi Kapoor or Shabana Azmi and their roles are two dimensional and uninspiring. India yet again steals the show with the beauty of its architecture, glorious sunsets, and colorful people. The direction works well, and the camera seems to capture the mood eloquently. The poetry in Urdu is glorious to listen to even of delivered by Shashi Kapoor. Maybe good for a rainy day when you wish to be alone with a beer.