The Householder (1963)

A young Indian newlywed finds his independent wife troublesome and seeks help and advice from his overbearing mother, a supposedly worldly wise friend, an American seeker of enlightenment and a swami.

Director:

James Ivory

Writers:

Ruth Prawer Jhabvala (novel), Ruth Prawer Jhabvala (screenplay),

Stars:

Shashi Kapoor, Leela Naidu, Durga Khote

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Shashi Kapoor	...	Prem Sagar
Leela Naidu	...	Indu
Durga Khote	...	The Mother
Achala Sachdev	...	Mrs. Saigal
Harindranath Chattopadhyay	...	Mr. Chadda (as Harin Chattopadayaya)
Pahadi Sanyal	...	The Swami (as Pahari Sanyal)
Romesh Thapar	...	Mr. Khanna
Walter Woolf King	...	Professor (as Walter King)
Patsy Dance	...	Kitty
Indu Lele	...	Mrs. Khanna
Prayag Raj	...	Raj (as Prayag Raaj)
Pinchoo Kapoor	...	Mr. Saigal
Praveen Paul	...	2nd Lady
Usha Amin	...	1st Lady
Shama Beg	...	Mrs. Raj

Storyline

A young Indian newlywed finds his independent wife troublesome and seeks help and advice from his overbearing mother, a supposedly worldly wise friend, an American seeker of enlightenment and a swami.

---

Plot Keywords:

based on novel

---

Genres:

Comedy | Drama

---

Details

Country:

India

Language:

English

Release Date:

February 1966 (UK)

Also Known As:

Gharbar

Company Credits

Production Co:

Merchant Ivory Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

100 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Did You Know?

Connections

Referenced in The Darjeeling Limited (2007)

User Reviews

Hooray for the ordinary guy!

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.