Letter from Ismail Merchant, Mumbai, India, to James Ivory, New York, New York, [1964 March] 31 : autograph manuscript signed.

Acknowledging receipt of Ivory's latest letter, but pointing out it didn't contain the news he was hoping for; quoting Mr. Dutt at the Finance Ministry: "Ismail, as far as the Government is concerned you have a blank check"; entreating Ivory to pressure Columbia in New York over the Indian release of "The Householder"; discussing his and Ruth's opinion of how the character Sanju in "Shakespeare Wallah" should be written, as opposed to Ivory's; expressing frustration with a long distance writing collaboration, "It creates a lot of confusion and the end result is frustration"; begging Ivory to finish up in New York and come to India "without delay," hoping to get "The Householder" released soon after its appearance in the Sidney film Festival in Australia.