The Householder (film)
Encyclopedia
The Householder (1963) is a film by Merchant Ivory Productions
, with a screenplay by Ruth Prawer Jhabvala
and James Ivory
, and direction of James Ivory
. It is based upon the 1960 novel of the same name
by Jhabvala.
This was the first collaboration between producer Ismail Merchant
and director James Ivory
, a documentary filmmaker till then. They went on to make nearly forty films together, many of which were written by Ruth Prawer Jhabvala
, who also adapted many adaptations of literary classics for them, like The Europeans (1979) and The Bostonians (1984), E.M. Forster‘s A Room with a View (1986), Howards End
, leading to The City of Your Final Destination
(2009).
The film was shot entirely on location in Delhi
, Mehrauli
and Ghaziabad. Satyajit Ray
exerted an important influence both on Ivory and Merchant, as well as on this film.
In an uncredited assist, legendary filmmaker Satyajit Ray
supervised the film's music production and re-cut the film for Merchant and Ivory. He also lent his cameraman, Subrata Mitra
, as the director of photography, and as a result the film is infused with the fluid, restrained lyricism that characterizes Ray's work.
), a teacher at a private college in Delhi, is married to Indu (Leela Naidu
) in an arranged marriage recently and is still learning ropes of relationships, when the arrival of Prem's mother (Durga Khote
) spells doom to their budding relationship. Indu, unable to handle her interference in the marriage, leaves Prem to return to her family. Prem searches for answers from a variety of people, including a Swami (Pahari Sanyal
), who reveals the secret of a successful marriage, as a result, he finally gains the maturity to love his wife.
review called it, “a low-key but rewarding character piece”, “an artful social satire and also a quietly affecting love story”, while New York Times was rather dismissive.
Mike Clark, of USA Today
, called it "...A charming comedy of marital discord...", gave it, 3 out of 4 stars.
Merchant Ivory Productions
Merchant Ivory Productions is a film company founded in 1961 by producer Ismail Merchant and director James Ivory. Their films were for the most part produced by the former, directed by the latter, and scripted by Ruth Prawer Jhabvala, with the noted exception of a few films. The films were often...
, with a screenplay by Ruth Prawer Jhabvala
Ruth Prawer Jhabvala
Ruth Prawer Jhabvala, CBE is a Booker prize-winning novelist, short story writer, and two-time Academy Award-winning screenwriter. She is perhaps best known for her long collaboration with Merchant Ivory Productions, made up of director James Ivory and the late producer Ismail Merchant...
and James Ivory
James Ivory (director)
James Francis Ivory is an American film director, best known for the results of his long collaboration with Merchant Ivory Productions, which included both Indian-born film producer Ismail Merchant, and screenwriter Ruth Prawer Jhabvala...
, and direction of James Ivory
James Ivory (director)
James Francis Ivory is an American film director, best known for the results of his long collaboration with Merchant Ivory Productions, which included both Indian-born film producer Ismail Merchant, and screenwriter Ruth Prawer Jhabvala...
. It is based upon the 1960 novel of the same name
The Householder (novel)
The Householder is novel by Ruth Prawer Jhabvala that was written in 1960. It is about a young man named Prem who has recently moved from the first stage in his life, a student, to the second stage of his life, a householder...
by Jhabvala.
This was the first collaboration between producer Ismail Merchant
Ismail Merchant
Ismail Merchant was an Indian-born film producer, best known for the results of his famously long collaboration with Merchant Ivory Productions which included director James Ivory as well as screenwriter Ruth Prawer Jhabvala...
and director James Ivory
James Ivory (director)
James Francis Ivory is an American film director, best known for the results of his long collaboration with Merchant Ivory Productions, which included both Indian-born film producer Ismail Merchant, and screenwriter Ruth Prawer Jhabvala...
, a documentary filmmaker till then. They went on to make nearly forty films together, many of which were written by Ruth Prawer Jhabvala
Ruth Prawer Jhabvala
Ruth Prawer Jhabvala, CBE is a Booker prize-winning novelist, short story writer, and two-time Academy Award-winning screenwriter. She is perhaps best known for her long collaboration with Merchant Ivory Productions, made up of director James Ivory and the late producer Ismail Merchant...
, who also adapted many adaptations of literary classics for them, like The Europeans (1979) and The Bostonians (1984), E.M. Forster‘s A Room with a View (1986), Howards End
Howards End (film)
Howards End is a 1992 film based upon the novel of the same title by E. M. Forster , a story of class relations in turn-of-the-20th-century England...
, leading to The City of Your Final Destination
The City of Your Final Destination
The City of Your Final Destination is a novel by American writer Peter Cameron. Most of the story takes place in a small town in Uruguay. However, the Uruguay of the novel bears little relation to the geography or culture of the real country...
(2009).
The film was shot entirely on location in Delhi
Delhi
Delhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...
, Mehrauli
Mehrauli
Mehrauli is a neighbourhood in the South West district of Delhi in India. It represents a constituency in the legislative assembly of Delhi. The area is located close to Gurgaon.-History:...
and Ghaziabad. Satyajit Ray
Satyajit Ray
Satyajit Ray was an Indian Bengali filmmaker. He is regarded as one of the greatest auteurs of 20th century cinema. Ray was born in the city of Kolkata into a Bengali family prominent in the world of arts and literature...
exerted an important influence both on Ivory and Merchant, as well as on this film.
In an uncredited assist, legendary filmmaker Satyajit Ray
Satyajit Ray
Satyajit Ray was an Indian Bengali filmmaker. He is regarded as one of the greatest auteurs of 20th century cinema. Ray was born in the city of Kolkata into a Bengali family prominent in the world of arts and literature...
supervised the film's music production and re-cut the film for Merchant and Ivory. He also lent his cameraman, Subrata Mitra
Subrata Mitra
Subrata Mitra was an Indian cinematographer. Acclaimed for his work in The Apu Trilogy , Mitra is often considered one of the greatest of Indian cinematographers....
, as the director of photography, and as a result the film is infused with the fluid, restrained lyricism that characterizes Ray's work.
Synopsis
Prem Sagar (Shashi KapoorShashi Kapoor
Shashi Kapoor , born Balbir-Raj Prithviraj Kapoor on 18 March 1938 in Calcutta , is an award-winning Indian film actor and film producer. He has also been film director and assistant director in Hindi Films. He is a member of the Kapoor family, a film dynasty in India's Bollywood cinema...
), a teacher at a private college in Delhi, is married to Indu (Leela Naidu
Leela Naidu
Leela Naidu was an Indian actress who starred in a small number of Hindi and English films, including Yeh Raaste Hain Pyaar Ke , based on the real-life Nanavati case, and The Householder, Merchant Ivory Productions' first film...
) in an arranged marriage recently and is still learning ropes of relationships, when the arrival of Prem's mother (Durga Khote
Durga Khote
Durga Khote was an Indian actress, starting as one of the foremost leading ladies of her times, she remained active in Hindi and Marathi cinema, as well as theatre, for over 50 years, starring in around 200 films and numerous theatre productions....
) spells doom to their budding relationship. Indu, unable to handle her interference in the marriage, leaves Prem to return to her family. Prem searches for answers from a variety of people, including a Swami (Pahari Sanyal
Pahari Sanyal
Pahari Sanyal, born Nagendranath Sanyal, was a stalwart Bengali character actor whose status was as towering as that of others such as Chhabi Biswas and Kamal Mitra....
), who reveals the secret of a successful marriage, as a result, he finally gains the maturity to love his wife.
Cast
- Shashi KapoorShashi KapoorShashi Kapoor , born Balbir-Raj Prithviraj Kapoor on 18 March 1938 in Calcutta , is an award-winning Indian film actor and film producer. He has also been film director and assistant director in Hindi Films. He is a member of the Kapoor family, a film dynasty in India's Bollywood cinema...
- Prem Sagar - Leela NaiduLeela NaiduLeela Naidu was an Indian actress who starred in a small number of Hindi and English films, including Yeh Raaste Hain Pyaar Ke , based on the real-life Nanavati case, and The Householder, Merchant Ivory Productions' first film...
– Indu - Durga KhoteDurga KhoteDurga Khote was an Indian actress, starting as one of the foremost leading ladies of her times, she remained active in Hindi and Marathi cinema, as well as theatre, for over 50 years, starring in around 200 films and numerous theatre productions....
- The Mother-in-law - Achla Sachdev - Mrs. Saigal
- Harindranath ChattopadhyayHarindranath ChattopadhyayHarindranath Chattopadhyay was an Indian English poet, an actor, and a member of the 1st Lok Sabha from Vijayawada constituency. He was the younger brother of Sarojini Naidu.-Life:...
- Mr. Chadda - Pro Sen - Sohanlal
- Romesh Thapar - Mr. Khanna (The Principla)
- Indu Lele - Mrs. Khanna
- Pincho Kapoor - Mr. Saigal
- Prayag Raaj - Raj
- Shama Beg - Mrs. Raj
- Patsy Dance - Kitty
- Walter King - Professor
- Ernest Castaldo - Ernest
- Pahari Sanyal - Swami
Crew
- Music: Ustad Ali Akbar Khan
- Incidental Music
- Jyotirendera Moitra
- Vanraj BhatiaVanraj BhatiaVanraj Bhatia is an Indian music composer, who is best known for providing music for most of Shyam Benegal's films, and for his private albums with Music Today....
- Costume Design - Bettina Gill
- Production - Bhanu Ghosh
- Hindi dialogue - R.G. Anand
Reception
A Channel 4Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
review called it, “a low-key but rewarding character piece”, “an artful social satire and also a quietly affecting love story”, while New York Times was rather dismissive.
Mike Clark, of USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
, called it "...A charming comedy of marital discord...", gave it, 3 out of 4 stars.