Ismail Merchant's feature directorial debut addresses a subject close to his heart: the expressive Urdu language of Northern India, in danger of extinction as political trends and modernization obscure its contributions to Indian culture. Merchant 's treatment is wry and good humored , as his characters - an aging Urdu poet (Shashi Kapoor) and a worshipful young college lecturer - clash despite their shared passion for the beauty of words.
| Directing | Ismail Merchant | Director |
| Production | Wahid Chowhan | Producer |
| Production | Donald Rosenfeld | Executive Producer |
| Sound | Zakir Hussain | Music |
| Writing | Shahrukh Husain | Writer |
| Editing | Roberto Silvi | Editor |
| Sound | Ustad Sultan Khan | Music |
| Writing | Anita Desai | Writer |
| Writing | Anita Desai | Novel |
| Camera | Larry Pizer | Director of Photography |
