Letter from Ismail Merchant, New York, New York, to Ruth Prawer Jhabvala, Delhi, India, 1972 January 4 : typescript signed.

Hoping she has received the letter he sent last week; repeating some sentiments from that letter, about his unhappiness at being back in New York; telling her he has been "seeing quite a bit of Erik and Lillian and I enjoy being with them"; noting that Lillian has changed since they met and is now "warm, considerate, and a lot more affectionate"; telling her that Gotham Book Mart has mailed her books, and "Jim has also mailed all your books lwhich [sic] were in the apartment"; saying "the Chaudhri [sic] film looks good" and Chaudhuri himself "comes out very well" in it, and that the BBC will be showing it in February; hoping that "Savages" will work out and find a distributor; describing how he spent his birthday [December 25] with "Dick, Philippa, Jim and Purnima"; saying he has read the introduction to "An Experience of India" and will read "the story Jim likes, A Housewife-- but I like your idea of The Bad Woman to be made in Jodhpur"; asking her to write to Ivory with her thoughts on the latter; asking her to "Please keep writing" and sending love to her and her family.