Letter from James Ivory, New York, New York, to Ruth Prawer Jhabvala, Delhi, India, 1974 February 20 : typescript signed.

Revisiting-- at Madhur's prodding-- the issue of a servant for the princess [in "Autobiography of a Princess"] and asking her to write "a line or two" of explanatory dialogue; gently chiding her for "say[ing] we do not need a star [for the film]"; explaining that the financing for the film from Channel 13 and Volkswagon is contingent on casting known name in the role of Cyril Sahib; agreeing with her that "the biggest star appearing in such a film will not make the program any more popular. But Channel 13 and Volkswagon think [underlined] it will, and that is what counts"; pointing out that, while he [Ivory] also has misgivings, James Mason has been in some good films "and in one he was superb" and their financiers will be "enchanted to hear we were working with him"; noting with suspicion that "The Wild Party" "is chugging along without mishap so far" and promising to send the synopsis "[i]n a day or so"; telling her his "French friends" Francis and Annick Wacziarg will be arriving in New Delhi and hoping she sees them.