Letter from James Ivory, London, England, to Ruth Prawer Jhabvala, Delhi, India, 1968 June 2 : typescript signed.

Assuming she is now "installed in your houseboat" in Kashmir; relating the story of his visit to her mother and then her brother's family, bearing gifts from the Jhabvalas, with a brief sidebar about problems with his hired car (paid for by Fox); saying Merchant will be arriving with Madhur on Tuesday; describing rumors he has heard regarding Fox green-lighting "Passion," or at least being interested in developing it; admitting he has changed his opinion of Michael York and now thinks "he's one of the nicest, most gentlemanly, perfect persons I've had to deal with in all of our three films"-- however, he still dislikes York's wife Pat and is concerned she "will pull [Michael] down, bring out what is weak and bad in him ... and in the end Michael wil suffer a change for the ill"; comparing the Yorks with Shashi and Jennifer, who "took up Shashi ... brought out all that was good in him, strengthened his character, molded him, exerted a moral influence"; admitting having come to a slightly less negative opinion of Terry Bicknell, Rita Tushingham's husband; saying Utpal agrees with him that Bicknell is "nice to observe if kept within some framework"; providing news of Dorothy Strelsin's arrival and completing the dubbing of her lines-- saying he will describe their experience at a "seer's" home for dinner when he sees her, as "I could spend pages on that alone"; hoping she received his telegram telling her to visit Gulmarg, and that she will go; describing a Kashmir-set scenario in detail [this "first story" and the "second story" that follows appear to be part of the idea for "Passion"]; saying he's not sure about an outline for a "second story" that she previously sent him, as it seems to go over some of the same ground as "Shakespeare Wallah," and detailing his take on it; saying he is now "off to see the Hodgkins."