Letter from Ismail Merchant, Mumbai, India, to James Ivory, New York, New York, [1964] February 1 : typescript signed.

Espressing deep frustration and depression over the situation with the Indian government and Columbia over the Indian distribution of "The Householder"; telling Ivory that the financing for "The Bard's anniversary" ["Shakespeare Wallah"] is delayed as their main financer, the Maharaja of Bhavnagar, has all his cash tied up in the not-yet-open Apsara Theater in Bombay; lamenting the fact that the delay in distributing "The Householder" has led other potential financers to assume the film has been shelved; lamenting other issues with creditors and the looming expense of his sister Rashida's wedding; threatening again to pull the Indian distribution from Columbia and either give it to Kine or do it through MIP; saying that Ivory might as well start another documentary for the Asia Society as they are so insolvent, and Merchant will "do some Indian quickie" to raise money for a bigger film; discussing the logistics of shooting "the Actors film" in color; enumerating some debts and other money matters; asking Ivory to forward any bills he receives; saying again that he will start a comercial project in April or May; saying in a postscript that he assumes Ivory has received the letter from the Reserve Bank.