In Custody: From written text to audio-visual discourse through a postcolonial lens

Abstract

Comparing the novel In Custody, written by , and the film adaptation In Custody (1993), directed by Ismail Merchant, provides an interesting opportunity to examine how literary texts are transformed into audio-visual works, through different discursive techniques. A written text is taken from the page to live on a screen, and thus focusing on the main content the literary author created becomes a challenge for screenwriters, filmmakers and translators. In the case of In Custody, the inclusion of English subtitles in the film allows for its internationalization while respecting the language of the novel. This approach enables audiences to appreciate the sounds of Hindi and Urdu poetry, and in doing so, they become custodians of these rich literary traditions.