The South Asian Studies Unit (SAS) at IIS, in collaboration with the South Asian Cinema Foundation (SACF), hosted a screening of Merchant Ivory Film Wallahs along with the book launch of A Biographical Dictionary of Merchant Ivory Film Wallahs, at the Aga Khan Centre on 23 July 2025. Over 100 film enthusiasts, scholars, policy practitioners, and students from the IIS and AKU-ISMC gathered for an insightful evening, where the film director and both authors of the book interacted with the audience.
The event began with Hussain Jasani, Head of SAS, delivering an engaging presentation titled “Two Ismail Merchants and the Ismaili Connection”, clarifying the intriguing confusion between two individuals, both named Ismail Merchant, who once lived within a kilometre of each other in Mumbai. There is a crossroad in Mumbai, named after the Ismaili poet Ismail Merchant, who wrote under the pen name “Sahar” and resided at Aga Hall-Wadi. Recently, the Mumbai municipal corporation added a statue of a cameraman and a clapper board at this location, confusing Sahar with the Merchant Ivory filmmaker Ismail Merchant, a Sunni Muslim who lived nearby in Nagpada. Jasani, a scholar of South Asian Ismaili history, provided historical context and a biography of the poet Sahar.
Dr Kusum Pant Joshi, lead researcher and co-author of A Biographical Dictionary of Merchant Ivory Film Wallahs, elaborated on the research and creative journey behind SACF’s ambitious Merchant Ivory project. Dr Joshi has led Merchant Ivory archival and documentary projects and actively curated the Merchant Ivory Heritage screenings. Her presentation was followed by a compelling documentary by noted filmmaker Lalit Mohan Joshi, detailing the journey of the legendary filmmaking trio: producer Ismail Merchant, director James Ivory, and screenwriter Ruth Prawer Jhabvala. Lalit Mohan Joshi, a respected former BBC journalist and founder-director of SACF, has previously garnered acclaim for documentaries like Beyond Partition and his recent semi-autobiographical film Angwal (Embrace), 2023, which premiered at the BFI South Bank.
Highlighting the event’s broader societal significance, the UK’s Minister for Migration and Citizenship, Seema Malhotra MP, linked cultural exchange and filmmaking with contemporary themes of migration and identity. Minister Malhotra, who oversees immigration policy, emphasised the continued relevance of inclusive storytelling in fostering cross-cultural understanding.
Dr William Hofmann served as the emcee for the event. The evening concluded with the book launch and an animated onstage conversation featuring both authors and renowned playwright and screenwriter Farrukh Dhondy, known for his influential multicultural programming at Channel 4 and films such as “Salaam Bombay” and “Bandit Queen.” Charles Drazin, a famous biographer and film historian, joined Dhondy and the Joshis in an insightful dialogue reflecting on the legacy and continued impact of Merchant Ivory films. Their conversation elegantly bridged historical scholarship, creative expression, and policy reflection — highlighting Merchant Ivory’s inclusive vision.
The event concluded with a tea and coffee reception, allowing guests to mingle with the speakers, enriching an evening dedicated to cultural dialogue, cinematic history, and inclusive storytelling.
