The Householder

This is a very sensitive and well directed first film by James Ivory, made two years before his famous Shakespeare WALLAH (1965, see my review). Both films star Shashi Kapoor, who had already been acting for some time, as he was aged 25 by this time, though looked younger. The film is based upon a novel by Ivory's future long-term screen-writer collaborator, Ruth Prawer Jhabvala, and she also wrote the screenplay. The cinematographer is Subrata Mitra, the brilliant cinematographer of Satyajit Ray's APU trilogy and numerous others of Ray's best and most famous films, and who was to work with Ivory again on Shakespeare WALLAH. There is no doubt that part of the reason for Ivory's early success was having Mitra at his side, and that the powerful camera work, framing, and lighting were essential to the mood and conviction of the films. Ismail Merchant was the producer, and the music of Ali Akbar Khan and three subsidiary composers is very powerful and evocative of mood as well. The film is made entirely in English. It is an extremely sensitive portrayal of a young Indian couple, living a traditional life on a small income, who have had an arranged marriage and are trying to get along with one another. The film shows how they begin by bickering and mutual annoyance, tinged with dislike, and gradually grow to love one another. It has often been said that Indian couples tend to fall in love after rather than before marriage, and if there be any truth in that, this film shows how it can happen. The young wife is played by the actress Leela Naidu (1940-2009), a beautiful young woman who was at one time Miss India and who had a wonderful acting talent. It is a pity she made so few films. This exquisitely sensitive performance may be her finest lasting testament. Kapoor plays a struggling young teacher, and there are some amazingly comic and poignant scenes in the school where he teaches. The story involves 'the mother in law from hell' turning up to live with the young couple. Brilliantly played by Durga Khote, this self-absorbed, bullying, intolerable creature tries her best to ruin the marriage. For an insight into life in India at this time, and to a large extent today as well, this film is uniquely informative and should be seen by anyone interested in the subject. There are so many fascinating characters, who are so wonderfully portrayed, such as a swami who sits in a grove of trees just like Prince Siddhartha the Buddha once did, and is frequented by people seeking wisdom. There are some crazy, phoney and annoying Americans seeking 'enlightenment', and Ivory, who was himself an American, must have had fun ridiculing those of his compatriots in India who most irritated him. Really, this film is a must-see for anyone interested in these things, and it is a genuine work of art. It heralded what was to turn into the brilliant joint cinematic careers of James Ivory, Ruth Prawer Jhabvala, and Ismail Merchant, who together made many of the most memorable classic films in the entire history of world cinema, encompassing stories set in India, Britain, America, France, and Italy, and immortalizing many of the Henry James and E. M. Forster novels for the screen.

The Householder (1963) was directed by James Ivory, produced by Ismail Merchant, and written by Ruth Prawer Jhabvala. This movie has a relatively simple plot, but in some ways the themes are universal. The well-know Indian actor Shashi Kapoor plays Prem Sagar, a young college professor who is bullied by his employer, his colleagues, and his students. His young wife, Indu, is portrayed by the beautiful Leela Naidu, a former Miss India. She is beset on all sides--by Prem's inadequate income, his comparisons of her cooking with his mother's superior cooking, and by what he perceives as his new wife's lack of intelligence and social skills. Then, to compound the problems, his mother (Durga Khote) comes to visit and dominates the lives of both young people.

Prem seeks advice from a friend to whom he looks for guidance, and from an American hippie, who takes him to visit a holy and virtuous man. The remainder of the plot consists of Prem's attempts to bring order and harmony to his life.

This film is almost 50 years old, shot in black and white, with low production values. It's worlds away (literally and figuratively) from the later Merchant/Ivory/Jhabvala movies. However, even if it's not slick, it has real merits and is worth seeking out and viewing.

We saw the movie on the TCM channel, as part of a series of Merchant/Ivory films. It worked well on the small screen. See it and judge for yourself.

The Householder is a bit dated--filmed in the early 60s--but it bears a message that's rarely seen.

The movie begins with Prem and his young wife discussing a wedding they'll attend. At the wedding, Prem notices that the bride groom seems fretful. He tells the groom that there's nothing to worry about and proceeds to tell the story of his first year of marriage. His memories are shown in flashback and make up almost all of the rest of the movie.

Prem is married to Indu in an arranged marriage. The newlyweds have a difficult time adjusting to married life. Prem faces a host of problems--a low-paying job in which he's bullied by practically everyone, a drunken landlord, a contentious relationship between his mother and his new wife, and impractical advice from his best friend.

Along the way, Prem befriends the aptly-named Ernest, an American spiritual seeker. (Take note of what Ernest is doing when he's introduced--it's a really funny visual pun!) Prem has a lot to sort out, but in the end, he finds happiness.

I saw this one a few years ago.Shashi Kapoor is at his charming best. This one is funny and poignant of the nuances in any marriage. Leela Naidu looks stunning in this movie. Durga Khote is the quintessential overbearing mom. Although a little predictive, anyone who likes Jane Austin and the likes will enjoy the movie.

Prem (Shashi Kapoor), an immature young teacher recently married, is not happy with his even younger wife, Indu (Leela Naidu). She doesn't do things the way his mother does, is more outspoken than he would like, and neither of them have any idea of how to form a working relationship. In a fit of childishness, Prem telegraphs for his mother (Durga Khote) to come, and what seems to spell doom for the marriage, instead works an amazing change.

Based on the novel Gharbar by the movie's screenwriter Ruth Prawer Jhabvala, the Householder is a gentle, beautiful movie, with natural acting and a fully immersible plot. This Merchant Ivory Production was the pair's first collaboration, and yet it shows their now famous style fully formed from the beginning. This character study is a charming drama well worth watching.