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The Producer
Like many young artists, Merchant moved to New York City where, in 1960, he completed his first short film, The Creation of Woman. It was also in Manhattan that Merchant first met James Ivory, at the screening of Ivory's short film called The Sword and the Flute. Later that year Merchant and Ivory agreed to collaborate on an adaptation of Ruth Prawer Jhabvala's book The Householder. Thus was born Merchant Ivory Productions, which, through the years, has been the engine behind such art-house standards as Shakespeare Wallah and Mr. & Mrs. Bridge. The critically acclaimed A Room With a View, adapted from E.M. Forster's classic novel, and Howards End were Oscar winners, and The Remains of the Day, based on a novel by Kazuo Ishiguro, received nine Oscar nominations. Merchant Ivory's latest project is Le Divorce, set in modern-day Paris and based on Diane Johnson's novel. It will mark the team's 44th production, upholding their Guinness world record for the longest partnership in independent filmmaking. Producing four decades' worth of small-budget movies demands rigorous cost controls. Merchant has shown a knack for getting such established stars as Paul Newman and Uma Thurman to work for a fraction of their usual fees. "Actors tend to get handed a lot of run-of-the-mill stories," says Merchant, "They'll work for less if they see a good script."
When Merchant is not producing a film, writing a book or preparing a meal, he is involved with the Merchant Ivory Foundation, which he established in 1992 to provide grants to artists from all disciplines. Every year, for instance, the foundation offers a $10,000 award to a promising young filmmaker at the Telluride, Colo. Film festival. And in 1994, the foundation underwrote - at a cost of nearly $1 million - a meticulous restoration of famed Indian director Satyajit Ray's nine most noted films. Behind the scenes, Merchant relies on his Merrill Lynch Financial Advisor Govind Singh to help manage the foundation. The two met 10 years ago at a New York Film Festival screening of Jefferson in Paris. Singh, who also grew up in India, moved to the U.S. in 1970 and has been with Merrill Lynch for more than 27 years. "If there's one thing I've learned in life," says Merchant, "it's the value of personal contacts." But there were other reasons why the business-minded Merchant turned to Singh to help manage the foundatoin. First, Merrill Lynch hosts forums for clients involved in running foundations, an ideal networking opportunity. Second, Merrill Lynch has a dedicated South Asian business development effort focused on supporting the diverse needs of the South Asian community.
And although Singh and Merchant agreed to place a large portion of the endowment in a variety of fixed-income and cash vehicles, Merchant likes working directly with professional money managers selected through Merrill Lynch Consults® service. "Ismail has a clear plan: to continue to grow the endowment, albeit conservatively, to nourish fresh artistic ideas," says Singh. Merchant is also turning to Singh to realize another long-standing dream: opening a combination movie theater-Indian restaurant. "The décor would feature black-and-white photos of nineteenth-century nabobs and maharajahs," says Merchant. "Indian music would play in the background, and the menu would include various culinary fusions, including French-Indian and Italian-Indian." He has even picked a name: Atma. Say Merchant, "It's an Indian term that roughly translates to ‘soul.'" |
As a boy in bustling
Bombay, Ismail Merchant learned early to follow his dreams. His father,
Noor Mohammad,
had hoped his son would become
doctor or a lawyer. But Merchant preferred spending every spare hour
at the local movie houses. His favorite actress was Nimmi, an Indian
diva of the 1940's. "I would skip school to visit her on
the set," he recalls. "It's really how it all began."
Or, it seems,
if they get a good meal. Once a week Merchant cooks for the actors
involved in his productions. "It's a great
motivator, allowing the cast to bond and work out various creative
glitches," says Merchant, who, in 1999, published 40 of his recipes
in Ismail Merchant's Paris: Filming and Feasting in France.