Muhafiz | The Critique

Merchant Ivory films set in India are perfect mélange of colonial aesthetics and Indian emotions. Muhafiz or In Custody is a fine example. Muhafiz was Ismail Merchant’s first feature and was backed with over three decades of world class filmmaking. The outcome justifies the burden. Ismail Merchant deliver a world class film. Starring Shashi Kapoor, Om Puri, Shabana Azmi and Sushma Seth in lead roles, Muhafiz explores the decline of Urdu in India with industrial development and globalization.

Deven (Om Puri) is a Hindi teacher whose first love is Urdu. His passion for Urdu poetry is admired by an editor friend of his who asks him to interview one of the living legends of Urdu Poetry – Noor Shahjehanabadi played by Shashi Kapoor who had gone past his best age and shape but his diction and mannerism were as good as they were in his best days. Noor has two wife – first wife is practical and trying to work out life for the family while second wife who is not only young, she believes that she writes well. However, everyone doubts that she passes off Noor’s poetry as her own. Deven wants to interview Noor but faces troubles from all directions – Noor’s falling health, his friends, his wives and budget. There are some moments where you feel that Deven is putting too much on stake for a fanciful idea. But the conviction Deven has in his passion is exemplary. He is frustrated but not done.

Muhafiz shows a brilliant contrast in Old World and New World – how meaning of life has changed. Noor is metaphor for the Old World being adored by a present (Om Puri) and ignored by New World (many other characters). Ismail Merchant blends music with brilliant performances and weaves out an exceptional film out of a rather average story.

Written By: Sujoy Ghosh

Shakespeare Wallah | The Critique

I don’t remember any other movie where story was largely based on a family/set of people and they acted in it. Do you remember any movie? Shakespeare Wallah, loosely based on Kendal family, is one such example. Bollywood knows this family by virtue of their strong bond with the Kapoors. Jennifer – wife of Shashi Kapoor – was a Shakespeare Wallah. A Merchant Ivory movie, directed by James Ivory, is sort of a folklore in India Crossover Cinema.

 

Movie is about a family of English actors – Buckinghams - who stage plays in India. Story showcases an evolving India where a nomadic family tries to accommodate themselves. Story has an pivotal plot of family’s daughter falling in love with an Indian, played by Shashi Kapoor, who is in a romantic relationship with a Bollywood actress. Largely autobiographical, film achieves a lot in terms of storytelling and performances. Movie highlights the downfall of theatre culture in India and rise of Bollywood.

 

Shakespeare Wallah will be remembered for many things. Satyajit Ray’s music will be one of them. Infact, a large part of the crew was Ray’s and that includes a familiar name – Subrata Mitra. Story is brilliantly carved by Ruth Prawer Jhabvala. Her being close to Kendal and Kapoor added the realism such movies demand. Like typical Ivory movies, movie is subtle statement of filmmaking.

 

Sometimes I feel, we have ignored Merchant Ivory movies a lot. Many of them are more Indian than what we make here.

 

Written By: Sujoy Ghosh