Letter from Ruth Prawer Jhabvala, Delhi, India, to James Ivory and Ismail Merchant, New York, New York, 1967 March 28: autograph manuscript signed.

Beginning, "God, Ismail, it's dull and empty without you"; wishing Merchant was back in India, then reversing that wish, as "India is too small for you"; asking why, since Ivory has written that Merchant has been complaining about the food in India, Merchant opted for dal over "mem khana" [literally "eat in"-- i.e. going to a restaurant] when she offered; commenting on the details of his return stay in London, commiserating over his having to stay far out in Wimbledon, but noting that was not as bad as the Maestro [Satyajit Ray] having to stay with Marie Seton; asking if "Shakespeare Wallah" has opened in Bombay, since "no trickle of news has seeped through here yet"; giving news from Hamid Sayani and David Swope in Bombay; abruptly switching to a discussion of the characters in the "Shakespeare Wallah" sequel; asking if they are really thinking of submitting "Esmond" to the CBS films division for consideration, and repeating her conviction that the project is "too restricted in interest, it's too India-orientated," but that the Ustad project ["The Guru"] is better suited; offering to write a synopsis to use to try to raise funds for that film; switching subjects abruptly once again: "Yesterday Jhab fainted again"; describing the aftermath and another visit to another doctor, who also pronounced it "probably nothing"; telling them Madhur hopes to come back to New York at the end of April, and describing her mood, and the state of her career in India, and sypathizing with her desire to return; moving on to examine and compare Jennifer's situation, with a happy family life but a stalled career; telling them that "Catherine is very pleased with the results of the SW premiere-- Rs. 50,000, she says"; concluding, "Well, we've done our bit for Bihar, I feel" [the premiere was a benefit for famine relief in Bihar] and commenting on news reports of rain in that state, which are said to have "spoiled the crops"; asking "What crops?"