Letter from James Ivory, New York, New York, to Ruth Prawer Jhabvala, Delhi, India, [1967] March 2 : typescript signed.

Thanking her for the "long, detailed, and very useful analysis" of the script for "Vertical and Horizontal"; going on to address each of her points in great detail; asking her to answer Lillian's Ross's recent letters in such a way as to smooth things over with her; explaining that he has discovered why, "when you were here ... she was suddenly so cross and sullen and suspicious"-- the answer being that she was put out that they hadn't invited her to dinner along with Ved Mehta and Wally Shawn; calling it "one of those stupid misunderstandings which friends have"; asking Ruth to ask Jhab to "find out why Ismail doesn't favor Dilip Kumar for the Ustad [in what will become "The Guru"]"; also asking her to inform Jhab that there was an error in the first financial statement for "Shakespeare Wallah" [see MA 23840.282a]; pointing out another misunderstanding he has had with Ross regarding a remark he made about Indian culture; expressing shock at what he has heard that Merchant said to Shashi recently, and partially explaining it in light of frequent "barbs" from Shashi and Jennifer; pointing out how well Merchant can hold a grudge, and using his behavior toward Prayag as an example; describing the enclosed article-- "It should make you laugh"-- and making fun of some of the language the writer uses; asking her what cuts the censors requested in "Shakespeare Wallah"; pointing out that "Herb Golden says we should be suing Bansal instead of paying him off"; saying in a handwritten postscript that "Tonight Mr. Shawn, Peter [Reilly], myself, and a girl named Valerie Reardon ...are going on a prowl of Village and East Village haunts to find a Zero Inn" [a setting in "Vertical and Horizontal"].