Ismail Merchant was an Indian-born film producer and director, best known for the results of his famously long collaboration with Merchant Ivory Productions which included director James Ivory as well as screenwriter Ruth Prawer Jhabvala. Their films won six Academy Awards.Merchant succeeded as an independent producer in Hollywood for more than 40 years.
Background
Born Ismail Noormohamed Abdul Rehman was born in Bombay, he was the son of Hazra and Noormohamed Haji Abdul Rehman, a Mumbai textile dealer. He grew up bilingual in Gujarati and Urdu, and learned Arabic and English at school. When he was 11, he and his family were caught up in the 1947 partitioning of India. His father was president of the Muslim League, and refused to move to Pakistan. Merchant later said that he carried memories of the "butchery and riots" into adulthood.He studied at St. Xavier's College, Bombay and it was here that he developed his love of film. When he was 22, he traveled to the United States to study at New York University, where he earned an MBA. He supported himself by working as a messenger for the United Nations and used this opportunity to persuade Indian delegates to fund his film projects. He said of this experience that "I was not intimidated by anyone or anything". 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.
Education
After attending St. Xavier's Collegel in Bombay, Ismail learned Arabic and English too.
Career
In 1962, they started a production company named Merchant Ivory Productions, which was responsible for many successful films. The professional relationship between two lasted for more than 40 before it ended with the death of Ismail Merchant.
During the course of the Merchant-Ivory partnership, there were several award winning movies that were made. Ruth Prawer Jhabvala joined Merchant Ivory Productions as a screenwriter. In 1963, they produced a film called 'The Householder' based on the novel by Jhabvala. This movie became the first Indian-made cinema to be distributed by one of the biggest American distributor companies, Columbia Pictures.In addition to production, Ismail Merchant directed a number of movies and television shows. His first directorial film 'In Custody' starred the famous Indian actor, Shashi Kapoor, with a story based on a novel by Anita Desai. This film won a National Award for Best Production Design. After his immense contribution to the film Industry, the Indian Government honored him with the Padma Bhushan.Merchant was known to throw lavish parties with rich delicacies. Since he was fond of cooking, Ismail wrote several books on food. Some of his noted works are Ismail Merchant's Florence, Ismail Merchant's Paris: Filming and Feasting in France and Ismail Merchant's Indian Cuisine. Apart from this, Merchant has drafted works on film making.