Why Is He Famous?
Born in India, Ismail Merchant is a director and producer of
international repute. The Duo of Ismail Merchant and James Ivory have
made several internationally acclaimed movies. The Merchant Ivory
Productions has continued as one of the most productive collaborations
in cinema. It has produced films such as The Europeans, Quartet, Heat
and Dust, A Room with a View, Mr. and Mrs. Bridge, Howard's End, The
Remains of the Day Jefferson in Paris and Surviving Picasso. Besides,
Merchant has also directed two films for TV, "Mahatma and the Mad
Boy" and "The Courtesans of Bombay" for Britain's Channel
Four.
In his long carrier of more than 30 years, Merchant has made over 40
feature films. He has worked with the likes of Vanessa Redgrave,
Isabelle Adjani, Christopher Reeve, Anthony Hopkins, Paul Newman, Emma
Thompson and Paul Newman. Ismail Merchant is not only a filmmaker of
international repute but also a renowned chef. He has authored a number
of books on cookery. Some of them are Ismail Merchant's Indian Cuisine;
Ismail Merchant's Florence; Ismail Merchant's Passionate meals, Ismail
Merchant's Paris, Filming and Feasting in France. Besides, he has also
authored several books on filmmaking.
Background
Ismail Merchant was born in Mumbai on 25th December, 1935. His original
name was Ismail Noormohamed Abdul Reh. He graduated from St. Xavier's
College, Bombay and then moved to the west. Merchant earned his Master's
degree in Business Administration from the New York University. The
Merchant Ivory team finds its name in the Guinness Book of World Records
for the longest partnership in independent cinema. Ismail Merchant is
also an Honorary Doctor of Arts at Bard's College, New York. Merchant
was also honored by the Mayor of New York and received the Marie des
Paris for his outstanding contribution to cinema in France. Merchant
Ivory's most recent autobiographical book is entitled, My Passage from
India: A Filmmaker's Journey from Bombay to Hollywood and beyond. In
2002 Merchant was conferred the Padma Bhusan by the government of India.
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Indians Abroad |
