Letter from Ismail Merchant, Mumbai, India, to James Ivory, New York, New York, [1964] February 2 : typescript signed.

Writing at 1AM, after dinner at the Bhavnagars'-- "the most fruitful and constructive evening"; telling Ivory to disregard some of the points in his previous letter, as they were "written in a terribly depressing mood"; describing the arrangement he has agreed to with the Bhavnagars, who are temporarily short of cash-- starting a company called Apsara Films to serve as a distributor and financer for MIP, and produce three films-- "The Bard's Anniversary" ["Shakespeare Wallah"], "a real quickie", and "The Widow"; describing the "real quickie" as an Indian version of "Some Like It Hot," to star Shashi Kapoor, Geeta Bali, and I.S. Johar, be directed by Prayag Raj, and be shot at the Lake Palace Hotel in Udaipur; saying they will go to Bhavnagar on February 21 to scout locations for the actors film ["Shakespeare Wallah"] and if Ivory can join them, he will arrange passage; saying Ivory has all he needs to finalize things with Columbia, including the Reserve Bank letter, but if he cannot, they will release through Kine; telling Ivory to forget about the stationary for Taher Doctor, but to get some designed and printed for the Apsara Cinema, and for Apsara Films; begging Ivory to come soon, to "hand over the Delhi film to Asia Society if they can't arrange a screening between now and 16th [sic]"; asking in a postscript for Ivory to send Merchant's letterhead-- "it is important."