Letter from Ismail Merchant, New York, New York, to Ruth Prawer Jhabvala and Cyrus Jhabvala, Delhi, India, [1965] September 28 : autograph manuscript signed.

Describing seeing Ivory off on the train to California, then coming home and changing clothes for a lunch at Trader Vic's with a "Budhi" of his acquaintance, along with Sydney Lumet, his wife, a fashion designer, and a newspaper columnist; observing that "hearing the mechanics of making the film in New York almost seem [sic] impossible, especially for Jim," but they have decided their next film will be "a New York film," hopefully with Lillian Ross; pointing out, however, that he is also in talks regarding a couple of projects to be shot in India; saying he has seen Diarmuid Russell; noting that "Shakespeare Wallah" has done very well critically, and he has been screening the film for potential distributors like United Artists, Fox, and MGM; lamenting how long things take in the States; saying his friend Faie is going to be in India and he is sending some "Wilkinson blades" with her, and asking what Ruth would like him to send for her; sending his love to them, "Nana, Ava, and Pogie."