Ismail Merchant

Ismail Merchant (December 25, 1936 - May 25, 2005) was an Indian-born film producer, best known for the results of his long collaboration with director James Ivory.

Related Topics:
December 25 - 1936 - May 25 - 2005 - India - Film producer - Collaboration - Director - James Ivory

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Born Ismail Noormohammed Adu Rehman, he was the son of a Mumbai textile dealer. When he was 22, he traveled to USA to study at New York University, where he earned a Master of Business Administration.

Related Topics:
Mumbai - USA - New York University - Master of Business Administration

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In 1961, he made a short film, The Creation of Woman. It was shown at the Cannes Film Festival and also received an Academy Award nomination. At this time, he met Ivory and together they founded Merchant Ivory Productions, which marked the beginning of a life-long partnership. In 1963, MIP premiered its first production, The Householder. This feature became the first Indian-made film to be distributed internationally by a major American studio, Columbia Pictures.

Related Topics:
1961 - Cannes Film Festival - Academy Award - Merchant Ivory Productions - 1963 - Columbia Pictures

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In addition to producing, Merchant has directed a number of films and two television features. For television, he directed a short feature entitled Mahatma and the Mad Boy, and a full-length television feature, The Courtesans of Bombay made for Britain?s Channel Four. Merchant made his own directorial debut with 1993's In Custody based on a novel by Anita Desai, and starring Bollywood actor Shashi Kapoor. It was filmed in Bhopal, India, and went on to win National Awards from the Government of India for Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Costume and Best Production Design. His second directing feature, "The Proprietor," starred Jeanne Moreau, Jean-Pierre Aumond and Christopher Cazenove and was filmed on location in Paris.

Related Topics:
Channel Four - Debut - 1993 - Anita Desai - Bollywood - Shashi Kapoor - Bhopal - Jeanne Moreau - Jean-Pierre Aumond - Christopher Cazenove

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Fond of cooking, he wrote several books on the art including Ismail Merchant?s Indian Cuisine; Ismail Merchant?s Florence; Ismail Merchant?s Passionate Meals and Ismail Merchant?s Paris: Filming and Feasting in France. He also wrote books on film-making, including a book about the making of the film The Deceivers in 1988 called Hullabaloo in Old Jeypur, and another about the making of The Proprietor called Once Upon a Time . . . The Proprietor. His most recent book is entitled, My Passage From India: A Filmmaker?s Journey from Bombay to Hollywood and Beyond.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Merchant and Ivory continued to make films together until Merchant's death. They made close to 40 films together. They have a place in the Guinness Book of World Records for the longest partnership in independent cinema history.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In 2002, he was awarded the Padma Bhushan.

Related Topics:
2002 - Padma Bhushan

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Merchant died in London. He was buried in the Bada Kabrestan in Marine Lines, Mumbai on May 28, 2005 in keeping with his wishes of resting with his ancestors.

Related Topics:
London - Marine Lines - Mumbai - May 28 - 2005

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~