My passage from India

by Ismail Merchant

"My Passage from India describes Ismail Merchant's extraordinary journey from his start as an aspiring filmmaker in Bombay, scraping together a meager production budget for his first short film, to his triumphant arrival at the Oscar podium." "His story begins in India where he grew up. At the age of thirteen, sharing a triumphal gala entrance with Nimmi, a family friend and Indian film star, he had his first taste of cinema's allure and realized that he would spend his life making movies.". "In 1958, the young Indian filmmaker arrived in New York to pursue a master's degree at NYU. While landing a job in advertising, he kept his focus on his dreams, winning a place at the Cannes Film Festival for his first short film, Creation of Woman. His passion for film was relentless, helping him leap over obstacles with humor, guile and infectious enthusiasm. In 1961, he was introduced to a kindred spirit, James Ivory, and together they established Merchant Ivory Productions. Along with Ruth Pra