"MYSTIC MASSEUR" UNDER PRODUCTION BY MERCHANT IVORY

The Mystic Masseur, scripted by Caryl Phillips and based on the novel of the same title by famed author V.S. Naipaul, is the current project under production by Merchant Ivory. This film will represent the first of his acclaimed literary works that Mr. Naipaul has permitted to be translated to the screen.

V.S. Naipaul's remarkable first novel, is set during the mid 1950's in his native Trinidad where black, white, and Indian people make up the multicultural melting pot of the island. The story is rooted primarily in the Indian community, and it deals with the thwarted ambitions, frustrations, and ultimate triumphs that are possible in this 'restricted' part of the world. It is a story that is marked by its humor, its pathos and its warmth.

The film is directed by Ismail Merchant, produced by Nayeem Hafizka and Richard Hawley and executive produced by Paul Bradley. Shooting has begun since the fall of 2000 on location in Trinidad.