SPECIAL FOCUS ON FAVOURITE GENRE OF OUR CINEMA!

Shashi Kapoor as Urdu poet in 'Merchant-Ivory Productions' 'Muhafiz' (1993).

I admire the culture of Muslim Social genre and specifically Urdu language & shayari is my favourite!

So my forteenth picture is about a tragedy of veteran Urdu poet who used as metaphor for showing clash between modernization & tradition in.. film 'Muhafiz!

In 1993..internationally famous 'Merchant-Ivory Productions' made this film which - was based on novel 'The Custody' written by Anita Desai. She also wrote it's script with Pakistani screenwriter Shahrukh Husain! Then Ismail Merchant directed this film very sensibly! Lovleen Bains designed costumes for it. Larry Pizen did the cinematography and Roberto Silvi edited the film!

Sushama Seth, Shabana Azmi & Shashi Kapoor in film 'Muhafiz' (1993).

This film shows one renowned Urdu poet Nur who is living (retired) comfortable life surrounded by well-wishers, relatives and wives. One this language and shayari lover professor Deven comes to visits him in Bhopal for writing article about this veteran! And what he sees is..this overweight poet's boring lifestyle and complex situation..in which poet's third wife selling his poems as her own!

Shashi Kapoor & Om Puri in film 'Muhafiz' (1993).

Merchant Ivory's favourite our legendary actor Shashi Kapoor portrayed Urdu poet Nur in it! And..Sushama Seth, Shabana Azmi & Neena Gupta played the roles of his wives. Great Om - Puri acted as professor Deven! Apart from these main artists there are other supportives like Parikshit Sahni, Tinu Anand & Amjad Khan played special role as musician!

Two maestros..Zakir Hussain & Ustad Sultan Khan!

This film was musically royal. Tabla maestro Zakir Hussain and Sarangi maestro Ustad - Sultan Khan composed music 
of it. Artists with instruments involved in it were..Sunil Das (sitar), Ulhas Bapat (santoor), Ronu Majumdar (flute) & Sadiq Qureshi (duf). Vocalists were.. Hariharan, Suresh Wadkar, Shankar Mahadevan & Kavita - Krishnamurthy!

This internationally acclaimed film was specially screened at 'Tokyo Film Festival'. And this film won two national awards includes..'Best Art Director' to Suresh Sawant and 'Special Jury Award' to.. Shashi Kapoorji!

- Manoj Kulkarni