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

Describing the relative length of scenes in the current cut of "The Guru," and where there seem to be some problems; describing the excellent suite he was first placed in at the Taj when he returned from London, then the "dark prison on the 4th floor" Merchant moved him to for budgetary reasons; admitting, however, that Merchant installed "a 6000 rupee air conditioner" in their edit suite, though he suspects Merchant intends "ultimately to install it in Motlibai Street [at Merchant's house]"; mentioning "a disease" he suspects he caught from a dirty glass, and hoping the rash on his upper lip isn't "some dread Indian venereal disease"-- "Wasi says it is. Shafi says it isn't"; saying Fox has not in fact approved "Passion" yet, "they want to see the Guru first, naturally"; discussing some possible structural changes for the project; saying that David Brown (at Fox) liked the script for "A Lovely World" [the "Shakespeare Wallah" sequel], but no one at Fox will agree to make it until they see "The Guru," and Filmways has backed out of it; expressing surprise at how Paramount has shown "almost a gentlemanly streak" by allowing the rights to "Vertical and Horizontal" to revert back to Lillian; describing a meeting with "our old friend Don McConville, from Columbia," and a fruitful shopping trip to Chor Bazaar; describing the awful road conditions in Bombay and the chaotic emotions driving there evokes in him, especially in Merchant's car; meditating on American attitudes toward Western-standard poverty and the extreme poverty seen in other countries, on the motivations of the Rockefellers in founding the Asia Society, and wondering if he is just insensitive now; breaking the news that "Merlie has sold Alida's house."