Letter from Ruth Prawer Jhabvala, Delhi, India, to James Ivory, Kassauli, India, [1964 September 21] : autograph manuscript signed.

Assuming that, by now, Ivory will have worked with "Didiji and Manjula" [actors Praveen Paul and Madhur Jaffrey] enough to have an opinion about whether they are working in their roles; musing that Praveen Paul reminds her of Amina Kar; relating that Kabir [N. (or N.S.) Kabir, former child actor and production manager on "Shakespeare Wallah] has told her that they are badly pressed for space in the Alasia Hotel, and hoping that Ivory can find space for she and Jhab and the children to visit that weekend; saying that part of the reason she wants to visit is to get away from the premiere of "The Householder" in Delhi; begging Ivory to dissuade Merchant from coming to Delhi for the premiere, to concentrate on "Shakespeare Wallah," and to "please somehow try and make room for us; one small room for the 5 of us would be quite all right"; observing that Kabir still looks like a child actor; asking about a rumor that someone in Kasauli has offered the use of his house to Merchant and that Merchant is "tempted"; saying Ratna has returned but Jhab refuses to see her, and Ruth is planning to sneak her into the house when Jhab is out; lamenting the fact that Ratna does not confide in her the way she once confided in Jhab, so there will be no "curdling, pornographic tales"; relating in detail a visit from broadcaster and author Mehra Masani and her elderly parents; relating her surprise at discovering her name on an invitation-- as "one of the 6 people with whose compliments the invitation was sent"-- to a reception for the Indian Friends of Israel.