Ismail Merchant | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Ismail Noor Muhammad Abdul Rahman (1936-12-25)25 December 1936 Bombay, India |
| Died | 24 May 2005(2005-05-24) (aged 68) London, England |
| Resting place | Mumbai, India |
| Alma mater | University of Bombay New York University |
| Occupation(s) | Film producer, director |
| Years active | 1960–2005 |
| Partner | James Ivory (1961–2005; Merchant's death) |
Ismail Merchant (bornIsmail Noor Muhammad Abdul Rahman; 25 December 1936 – 24 May 2005) was an Indian film producer. He worked for many years in collaboration withMerchant Ivory Productions which included film director (and Merchant's longtime professional and domestic partner)James Ivory as well as screenwriterRuth Prawer Jhabvala. Together they made film adaptations from the novels ofE.M. Forster andHenry James. Merchant received theBAFTA Award for Best Film forA Room with a View (1985), andHowards End (1992). He receivedAcademy Award nominations forBest Live Action Short Film forThe Creation of a Woman (1959) and forBest Picture forA Room with a View (1985),Howards End (1992), andThe Remains of the Day (1993).
Born inBombay (Mumbai) , Merchant was son of Hazra (née Memon) and Noor Mohamed Rehman, a Bombay textile dealer.[1] He grew up speakingGujarati,Urdu andMemoni fluently, and he later picked upArabic and English while at school. When he was 11, he and his family were caught up in the 1947partition of India. His father was the President of the Muslim League[citation needed] and refused to move toPakistan. Merchant later said that he carried memories of "butchery and riots" into adulthood.[2]As a child at the age of 9, Merchant delivered a speech aboutpartition at a political rally in front of a crowd of 10,000.[citation needed]
At age 13, he developed a close friendship with actressNimmi, who introduced him to studios in Bombay (the center ofHindi film industry). It was she who inspired his ambitious rise to stardom.[3]Merchant studied atSt. Xavier's College, Mumbai and received BA degree of University of Bombay. It was here he developed a love for movies. When he was 22, he moved to USA to study atNew York University where he received an MBA degree. While in New York, he gave up his family name of Abdul Rehman for Merchant.[4]
He supported himself by working as a messenger for the UN in New York and used this opportunity to persuade Indian delegates to fund his film projects. Of this experience, he said, "I was not intimidated by anyone or anything."[2] Immersed in a new world of art and culture, it was here that Merchant discovered the films of Bengali directorSatyajit Ray, as well as those of European artists such asIngmar Bergman,Vittorio De Sica, andFederico Fellini.[3]In 1961, Merchant made a short film,The Creation of Woman. It was shown at theCannes Film Festival and received an Academy Award nomination.[4]
Merchant met American movie directorJames Ivory at a screening in New York of Ivory's documentaryThe Sword and the Flute in 1959. In May 1961, Merchant and Ivory formed the film production companyMerchant Ivory Productions. Merchant and Ivory were long-term life partners.[5][6] Their professional and romantic partnership lasted 44 years, from 1961 until Merchant's death in 2005.[5] They were both also involved with the gay composerRichard Robbins, with whom they collaborated on several films.[7]
TheGuinness Book of World Records says theirs was the longest partnership in independent cinema history.[8] Until Merchant's death in 2005, they produced nearly 40 films, including a number of award winners. NovelistRuth Prawer Jhabvala was the screenwriter for most of their productions.
In 1963, MIP premiered its first production,The Householder, based upon a novel by Jhabvala (who also wrote the screenplay). This feature became the first Indian-made film to be distributed internationally by a major American studio,Columbia Pictures. However, it wasn't until the 1970s that partnership "hit on a successful formula for studied, slow-moving pieces ... Merchant Ivory became known for their attention to tiny period detail and opulence of their sets".[9] Their first success in this style was Jhabvala'sadaptation ofHenry James'sThe Europeans.
In addition to producing, Merchant directed a number of films and two TV features. For TV, he directed a short feature entitledMahatma and the Mad Boy, and a full-length feature,The Courtesans of Bombay, made for Britain'sChannel Four. Merchant made his film directorial debut with 1993's In Custody based on a novel byAnita Desai, and starringBollywood actorShashi Kapoor. Filmed inBhopal, India, it won National Awards from the Government of India for Best Production Design and Special Jury award for lead actor Shashi Kapoor. His second directing feature,The Proprietor, starredJeanne Moreau,Sean Young,Jean-Pierre Aumont andChristopher Cazenove and was filmed on location in Paris, France.Of his partnership with Ivory and Jhabvala, Merchant once commented: "It is a strange marriage we have at Merchant Ivory ... I am an Indian Muslim, Ruth is a German Jew, and Jim is a Protestant American. Someone once described us as a three-headed god. Maybe they should have called us a three-headed monster!"[10]
Merchant was fond of cooking, and he wrote several books includingIsmail Merchant's Indian Cuisine,Ismail Merchant's Florence,Ismail Merchant's Passionate Meals,[11] andIsmail Merchant's Paris: Filming and Feasting in France. He also wrote books on filmmaking, including a book about the making of the filmThe Deceivers in 1988 titledHullabaloo in Old Jeypur, and another about the making ofThe Proprietor calledOnce Upon a Time ... The Proprietor. His last book was entitledMy Passage from India: A Filmmaker's Journey from Bombay to Hollywood and Beyond.[12]
Merchant died inWestminster, England[13] aged 68, following surgery forabdominalulcers.[14] He was buried inBada Qabrastan Mumbai inMarine Lines,Mumbai, India on 28 May 2005, in keeping with his wish to be buried with his ancestors.
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1974 | Mahatma and the Mad Boy | short |
| 1983 | The Courtesans of Bombay | docudrama |
| 1993 | In Custody | feature debut |
| 1995 | Lumière and Company | segment: Merchant Ivory, Paris Co-director withJames Ivory |
| 1996 | The Proprietor | |
| 1999 | Cotton Mary | |
| 2001 | The Mystic Masseur |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1963 | The Householder | Minor Role | uncredited |
| 1965 | Shakespeare Wallah | Theater Owner | uncredited |
| 1969 | The Guru | Master of Ceremonies | |
| 1970 | Bombay Talkie | Fate Machine Producer | |
| 1989 | Slaves of New York | Party Guest | uncredited |
| 1995 | Jefferson in Paris | Tipoo Sultan's Ambassador | |
| 2023 | Merchant Ivory | Himself |
In 2002 he was awarded thePadma Bhushan, the third-highest civilian award in theRepublic of India.[16]He was also a recipient of The International Center in New York's Award of Excellence.
| Year | Association | Category | Film | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960 | Academy Awards | Best Live Action Short Film | The Creation of a Woman | Nominated | [17] |
| 1985 | Best Picture | A Room with a View | Nominated | [18] | |
| 1992 | Howards End | Nominated | [19] | ||
| 1993 | The Remains of the Day | Nominated | [20] | ||
| 1983 | British Academy Film Awards | Best Film | Heat and Dust | Nominated | [21] |
| 1985 | A Room with a View | Won | [22] | ||
| 1992 | Howards End | Won | [23] | ||
| 1993 | The Remains of the Day | Nominated | [24] | ||
| 1985 | Golden Globe Awards | Best Motion Picture – Drama | A Room with a View | Nominated | [25] |
| 1992 | Howards End | Nominated | [26] | ||
| 1993 | The Remains of the Day | Nominated | [27] | ||
| 1992 | Producers Guild of America Award | Best Theatrical Motion Picture | Howards End | Nominated | [28] |
| 1993 | The Remains of the Day | Nominated |
