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.

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  Shashi Kapoor

  Nur
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  Om Puri

  Deven
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  Shabana Azmi

  Imtiaz Begum
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  Neena Gupta

  Sarla
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  Sushma Seth

  Safiya Begum
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  Tinnu Anand
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  Prayag Raj
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  Parikshat Sahni
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  Sagar Arya
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  Veerendra Saxena