Letter from James Ivory, New York, New York, to Ruth Prawer Jhabvala, Delhi, India, 1967 June 17 : typescript signed.

Saying that Ruth's letter from Simla and his sister's letter from California, both postmarked June 14, arrived on the same day, and Ruth's letter "lifted me out of the slough of despond my sister's letter had plunged me into"; admitting that he will "have to go to Dinuba one of these days to help dispose of our house" after his father's death, and lamenting the fact that he has no room to store anything in 400 East 52nd; replying to Ruth's comments on Simla; describing his initial underwhelm at the landscape, which he found similar to vistas in the western United States and therefore not terribly unusual, and his initial bad impression of the social life, then how his opinion softened when he returned during a quieter season; musing on how he wants to do a historical film, and wondering if it might be set in Simla; imagining a ghost story set there; commenting on some ideas and possibilities for the plot of the "Shakespeare Wallah" sequel that Ruth has suggested; pointing out a part he'd like Saeed to play, and musing again about David Warner; asking about her work on the Ustad film synopsis ["The Guru"], noting she met sitarist Vilayat Khan, and asking if she questioned him "about his interesting marital set-up"; describing in detail a visit out to his elderly friend Alida's home on Long Island, sweltering in her house and walking at night in the garden; remembering a scene a few years earlier when they all watched an eclipse in the garden; describing admiringly how Merchant was the only one bold enough to broach the subject of a live-in nurse to Alida, who said "she will 'consider' the possibility"; telling her Merchant is in a better mood these days, having taken "Vertical and Horizontal" back from Paramount, and Al Strelsin is "back from his mud baths"; describing the preparations in their home for the arrival of Satyajit Ray, who will be visiting soon from Los Angeles where he was signing Peter Sellers for his projected science fiction film, and the "vast dinner" being planned in his honor, to be attended by William Shawn and Lillian Ross, among others; panicking at the thought of sharing a bathroom with Ray; assuming Marie Seton-- "the old carion [sic] crow"-- will "snare" Ray at the airport in London; describing Seton "tellng Madhur on the plane how much she hated Shakespeare Wallah. But she appeared on T.V. in London with Foo and Ismail and gushed all over the place"; saying he is enclosing a clipping about Jhab's mother [not present], and that he likes "the idea of Bapnu Ghar [a charitable women's organization]"; describing meeting Anthony Lukas and liking him.