In Custody (novel) - Revision history

Mdfaisalahmed121: quick cleanup structure per sources and cleaned formatting

2026-03-08T16:02:39Z

quick cleanup structure per sources and cleaned formatting

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			{{short description\|1984 novel by Anita Desai}}
	{{distinguish\|Custody (novel)}}		{{distinguish\|Custody (novel)}}
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			{{infobox book \| <!-- See [[Bharatpedia:WikiProject Novels]] or [[Bharatpedia:WikiProject Books]] -->
	\| name = In Custody		\| name = In Custody
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	'''''In Custody''''' (1984) is a [[novel]] set in [[Delhi]], [[India]] by [[Indian Americans\|Indian American]] writer [[Anita Desai]].<ref>{{Cite web\|url=http://vle.du.ac.in/mod/book/view.php?id=10088&chapterid=16681\|title=Indian Writing in English: Desai, Anita : In Custody (Theme of Politics of Language )\|website=vle.du.ac.in\|language=en\|access-date=2018-01-03}}</ref> It was [[List of winners and shortlisted authors of the Booker Prize for Fiction\|shortlisted for the Booker Prize]] in 1984.		'''''In Custody''''' (1984) is a [[novel]] set in [[Delhi]], [[India]] by [[Indian Americans\|Indian American]] writer [[Anita Desai]].<ref>{{Cite web\|url=http://vle.du.ac.in/mod/book/view.php?id=10088&chapterid=16681\|title=Indian Writing in English: Desai, Anita : In Custody (Theme of Politics of Language )\|website=vle.du.ac.in\|language=en\|access-date=2018-01-03}}{{Dead link\|date=August 2025 \|bot=InternetArchiveBot \|fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> It was [[List of winners and shortlisted authors of the Booker Prize for Fiction\|shortlisted for the Booker Prize]] in 1984.

	==Plot summary==		==Plot summary==

	Deven earns a living by teaching [[Hindi]] [[~~literature~~]] to [[college]] students. As his true interest was in [[Urdu]] poetry, he jumps at the chance to meet the great Urdu poet, Nur. Under the advice of his friend Murad, an [[Editing\|editor]] of a periodical devoted to Urdu literature, Deven procures a secondhand tape recorder so that he can help [[Transcription (linguistics)\|transcribe]] Urdu's early poetry, as well as conduct an [[interview]] or even write the memoirs of Nur. However, things do not happen as he expects them to.		Deven earns a living by teaching [[Hindi language]] [[literatures]] to [[college]] students. As his true interest was in [[Urdu]] poetry, he jumps at the chance to meet the great Urdu poet, Nur. Under the advice of his friend Murad, an [[Editing\|editor]] of a periodical devoted to Urdu literature, Deven procures a secondhand tape recorder so that he can help [[Transcription (linguistics)\|transcribe]] Urdu's early poetry, as well as conduct an [[interview]] or even write the memoirs of Nur. However, things do not happen as he expects them to.

	Devens' old friend Murad visits Deven unexpectedly with an offer for him to interview a great Urdu poet Nur Sahjahanabadi who lives in Chandni Chowk, Old Delhi for his magazine. Deven is fond of Urdu poetry. He accepts the offer. At first, he thinks that he is getting a chance to sit before a great Urdu poet but after reaching his house he notices the unbearable condition of Nur's house. When he meets Nur, he refuses to give an interview by saying that Urdu is now at its last stage and soon this beautiful language will not exist. But he shows some trust in Deven. But Deven gets annoyed by the condition of Nur's house and drops the idea of interviewing Nur. Murad again convinces him to interview Nur with the help of tape recorder so that it can be further used for audio learning by Urdu scholars. Deven, who is a poor lecturer, asks for money from the college for a tape recorder. He goes to a shop to buy, where the shopkeeper, Jain, offers him a second hand tape recorder. At first Deven refuses to purchase it but later Jain convinces him that it is a machine with good quality and his own nephew Chikua will help them to operate it while recording the interview. Unwillingly, Deven agrees to purchase it. Nur's first wife promises Deven that she can arrange a room for Deven if he gives her some money. Deven arranged the money for the payment to her by the college authority with the help of his colleague-cum-friend Siddiqui.		Devens' old friend Murad visits Deven unexpectedly with an offer for him to interview a great Urdu poet Nur Sahjahanabadi who lives in Chandni Chowk, Old Delhi for his magazine. Deven is fond of Urdu poetry. He accepts the offer. At first, he thinks that he is getting a chance to sit before a great Urdu poet but after reaching his house he notices the unbearable condition of Nur's house. When he meets Nur, he refuses to give an interview by saying that Urdu is now at its last stage and soon this beautiful language will not exist. But he shows some trust in Deven. But Deven gets annoyed by the condition of Nur's house and drops the idea of interviewing Nur. Murad again convinces him to interview Nur with the help of tape recorder so that it can be further used for audio learning by Urdu scholars. Deven, who is a poor lecturer, asks for money from the college for a tape recorder. He goes to a shop to buy, where the shopkeeper, Jain, offers him a second hand tape recorder. At first Deven refuses to purchase it but later Jain convinces him that it is a machine with good quality and his own nephew Chikua will help them to operate it while recording the interview. Unwillingly, Deven agrees to purchase it. Nur's first wife promises Deven that she can arrange a room for Deven if he gives her some money. Deven arranged the money for the payment to her by the college authority with the help of his colleague-cum-friend Siddiqui.
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	*[http://www.penguinbooksindia.com/Books/BookDetail.asp?ID=2810 Book Review]		*[http://www.penguinbooksindia.com/Books/BookDetail.asp?ID=2810 Book Review]
	{{Anita Desai \|state=expanded}}		{{Anita Desai \|state=expanded}}

			{{Authority control}}

	{{DEFAULTSORT:In Custody (Novel)}}		{{DEFAULTSORT:In Custody (Novel)}}
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	[[Category:Novels set in India]]		[[Category:Novels set in India]]
	[[Category:Heinemann (publisher) books]]		[[Category:Heinemann (publisher) books]]
			[[Category:American English-language novels]]
			[[Category:British English-language novels]]

2406:B400:D1:C50C:6D3C:224E:9CFA:39FF at 19:07, 19 May 2021

2021-05-19T19:07:46Z

New page

{{distinguish|Custody (novel)}}
{{infobox book | 
| name = In Custody
| title_orig =
| translator =
| image = Incustody.jpg
| image_size =
| caption = First hardback edition cover.
| author = [[Anita Desai]]
| illustrator =
| cover_artist =
| country = United Kingdom
| language = English
| series =
| genre =
| publisher = [[Heinemann (book publisher)|Heinemann]]
| release_date = 8 October 1984
| english_release_date =
| media_type = Print ([[Hardcover|Hardback]] & [[Paperback]])
| pages = 208 pp (first edition, hardback)
| isbn = 0-434-18635-X
| isbn_note = (first edition, hardback)
| oclc= 11284150
| preceded_by =
| followed_by =
}}

'''''In Custody''''' (1984) is a [[novel]] set in [[Delhi]], [[India]] by [[Indian Americans|Indian American]] writer [[Anita Desai]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://vle.du.ac.in/mod/book/view.php?id=10088&chapterid=16681|title=Indian Writing in English: Desai, Anita : In Custody (Theme of Politics of Language )|website=vle.du.ac.in|language=en|access-date=2018-01-03}}</ref> It was [[List of winners and shortlisted authors of the Booker Prize for Fiction|shortlisted for the Booker Prize]] in 1984.

==Plot summary==

Deven earns a living by teaching [[Hindi]] [[literature]] to [[college]] students. As his true interest was in [[Urdu]] poetry, he jumps at the chance to meet the great Urdu poet, Nur. Under the advice of his friend Murad, an [[Editing|editor]] of a periodical devoted to Urdu literature, Deven procures a secondhand tape recorder so that he can help [[Transcription (linguistics)|transcribe]] Urdu's early poetry, as well as conduct an [[interview]] or even write the memoirs of Nur. However, things do not happen as he expects them to.

Devens' old friend Murad visits Deven unexpectedly with an offer for him to interview a great Urdu poet Nur Sahjahanabadi who lives in Chandni Chowk, Old Delhi for his magazine. Deven is fond of Urdu poetry. He accepts the offer. At first, he thinks that he is getting a chance to sit before a great Urdu poet but after reaching his house he notices the unbearable condition of Nur's house. When he meets Nur, he refuses to give an interview by saying that Urdu is now at its last stage and soon this beautiful language will not exist. But he shows some trust in Deven. But Deven gets annoyed by the condition of Nur's house and drops the idea of interviewing Nur. Murad again convinces him to interview Nur with the help of tape recorder so that it can be further used for audio learning by Urdu scholars. Deven, who is a poor lecturer, asks for money from the college for a tape recorder. He goes to a shop to buy, where the shopkeeper, Jain, offers him a second hand tape recorder. At first Deven refuses to purchase it but later Jain convinces him that it is a machine with good quality and his own nephew Chikua will help them to operate it while recording the interview. Unwillingly, Deven agrees to purchase it. Nur's first wife promises Deven that she can arrange a room for Deven if he gives her some money. Deven arranged the money for the payment to her by the college authority with the help of his colleague-cum-friend Siddiqui.
He then goes to Delhi with Chiku for recording, but he fails to record the interview. Now, he not only has no recording but also has to bear the expenses like payment demanded by poet, his wife, nephews of Jain, etc.

==Characters==

# Deven Sharma – a Hindi professor in Mirpore in Lala Ram Lal Collège, who is tired of his mundane life. He loves Urdu and is a hero-worshiper to Nur, a famous Urdu poet. He also gets the opportunity to meet Nur. He is very naive and seems to live in a world of his own, full of innocence and childhood dreams which gets him in a vulnerable zone. Too simple thus usually manipulated.
# Nur Shahjenabadi – a famous Urdu poet who laments the loss of a beautiful language(Urdu), and thereby a culture. He is a man of age and experience. He lives in misery and confusion as both his wives are constantly involved in a rivalry.
# Murad – a cold and calculating friend of Deven who owns a publishing house in Delhi (editor of Awaaz). He exploits Deven and deceives him throughout the novel. He is a bully and is very selfish but a rich kid (of sorts) which gives him an upper hand against Deven, the son of an impoverished widow .
# Siddiqui – Deven's fellow lecturer of Urdu, is a figure of the decline of the language and culture for which he stands.
# Imtiaz – Nur's second wife; she is a jealous and calculating woman who is trying to steal the limelight off Nur. She is hungry for fame and wealth.
# Sarla – Deven's wife; she seems to be controlling Deven. She has some (smallish) dreams of refrigerators and household help thereby her marital life is not a happy one.

==Film==

The 1993 film adaptation of the novel by [[Merchant Ivory Productions]] ''[[In Custody (film)|In Custody]]'' was directed by [[Ismail Merchant]], with a screenplay by [[Shahrukh Husain]]. It stars the noted actors [[Shashi Kapoor]], [[Shabana Azmi]], and [[Om Puri]].

==References==
<references />
*Baena, Rosalía. “The Condition of Life and Art in Anita Desai's In Custody.” ''Commonwealth Essays and Studies'' 22.2 (2000 Spring): 59-68
*Landow, George. [http://www.postcolonialweb.org/india///desai/custodyov.html In Custody on the Postcolonial Web]
*Sen, Sharmila. “Urdu in Custody.” ''South Asian Review'' 22 (2001): 57-70

==External links==
*[http://www.penguinbooksindia.com/Books/BookDetail.asp?ID=2810 Book Review]
{{Anita Desai |state=expanded}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:In Custody (Novel)}}
[[Category:1984 British novels]]
[[Category:British novels adapted into films]]
[[Category:Novels by Anita Desai]]
[[Category:Novels set in India]]
[[Category:Heinemann (publisher) books]]