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The Mystic Masseur
With Ismail Merchant
Director
Monday, May 13, 2002; 11:30 a.m. EDT
A bittersweet fable about a writer's quest for his place in the world, "The Mystic Masseur" is the latest literary classic to be adapted for the screen by Merchant Ivory Productions. Based on the book by Nobel laureate V.S. Naipaul, the film is a celebration of the power of literature to enrich, ennoble and tranform lives.
Director Ismail Merchant will be online Monday, May 13 at 11:30 a.m. EDT, to discuss his new film, his career and the art of adapting literature for the screen.
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Scene from "The Mystic Masseur"
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Merchant served as director on this project, instead of his usual role as producer. He met James Ivory in 1961 and agreed to form a partnership. Merchant Ivory's past literary adaptations include Oscar winning "Howard's End," The Remains of the Day," "A Room with a View," and "A Soldier's Daughter Never Cries."
The transcript follows.
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over Live Online discussions and choose the most relevant questions for guests and hosts; guests and hosts can decline to answer questions.
washingtonpost.com:
Mr. Merchant, thank you for joining us today. Your new film, "The Mystic Masseur," is an adaptation of the novel by V.S. Naipaul. What about this story attracted you?
Ismail Merchant: Well the story, the main character Ganesh -- who is such an amazing and emotionally gratifying character, his humble beginning and rise to fame as a healer and politician and writer and realizing what he had stood for was good writing. So I thought that was very interesting and endearing. So that really drew me to the novel and humor of it -- it was very very funny and the aunt and the father-in-law. So I was very lucky to have the opportunity to draw on these marvelous characters. WE're just lucky there are books like that available to make into films.
Alexandria, Va.:
Are you an Indian filmmaker, or a Western one who perhaps came from India?
Ismail Merchant: Well I'm an international filmmaker. I don't see the boundaries. Filmmakers -- Latin American or Chinese -- you are a filmmaker who has a certain sort of artistic ability to speak a language in terms of cinema. The characters are very international. The American genre or French comedy or Indian musical, yes, but human emotions once uncovered are all the same. Certain things affect us, certain things draw us -- there is hatred and love in all of us which reflect hhuman beings. And I think cinema is the biggest reflection of human emotions.
Arlington, Va.:
There seems to be a surge of "period" films in recent years -- "Gosford Park," "The Ideal Husband," "The House of Mirth," "The Importance of Being Earnest." Do you feel that your work with James Ivory and the acclaim that your films have gotten has helped open the way for these films and for audiences to be more open to going and seeing them?
Ismail Merchant: Well, our work has opened up what you call good and civilized cinema and if we pioneered that I'm very glad -- that there are people like Robert Altman and Ang Li taking up a book or time and place and make it into films. It's a very good sign.
Alexandria, Va.:
Was this your first directoral role?
Ismail Merchant: No, this is my fifth film as director. I made 'Courtesans of Bombay." Then "In Custody" and then "The Proprietor" with Jeanne Moreau and "Cotton Mary" with Greta Schacchi. It's a post-independence and about the effect of colonialism. And this is the fifth.
Washington, D.C.:
I saw a profile of you on CBS "Sunday Morning" a while back -- Martha Teischner focused a lot on your cooking for the casts and crews of your films. Did you cook for everyone on this film? How did you begin doing this? Bad experience with the craft services people?
Ismail Merchant: Well, I cooked during the filming in Trinidad twice, because most of the time the food came and was prepared and it's difficult to direct and cook. But on "The Golden Bowl" I was producing, so that was a bit easier. But I did cook twice.
Arlington, Va.:
Indian immigrants living in Trinidad is such a specific and unusual population that is brought to light in this movie. And one, I have to admit, I had no idea existed until I had read Naipaul's book. Did the actors have to do much speech training to get the accent?
Ismail Merchant: Well, we had a very good teacher there who has a theater company and he was very helpful to all our actors. We made a tape and the actors listened and got the diction and the wonderful way of speaking. The actors enjoyed it. And by the time I ended the movie I was speaking in the accent.
Washington, D.C.:
What is it about American audiences or the film industry in America that makes it so difficult for international films to be seen and known? You mentioned being an "international filmmaker." Do you see the tides turning a bit as more films that would have been strictly art house movies seem to creep into the mainstream? "Monsoon Wedding," for example, comes to mind.
Ismail Merchant: Well I think that our films, "Heat and Dust" which we made -- and that was very mainstream successful film.
As the Internet and television and cable make this more accessible, people are getting more curious and this is healthy, so we're moving in the right direction and I'm pleased about that.
Pennsylvania:
Do you think the concept of a faith healer being elected to Parliament may relate differently in various cultures? In America, there is a strong separation of church and state, and we know that religious leaders would never get involved in politics and that... oh, never mind.
The serious question is: Are there parts of the movie that you expect will be viewed differently in America than in other countries, and does this bother you, or, perhaps, may be interesting as cultures get to learn how others view things?
Ismail Merchant: I think every society and culture has its own strengths. And I think that Billy Graham -- who is a religious leader -- is involved in politics. He may not stand for office, but they are in politics indirectly. So I think its the same thing you apply whether you're the head of the Catholic church or Protestant or Jewish -- they're all involved.
It's the kind of thing where indirect involvement and influence is used.
And state and religion always played a very important part in the minds of the people. Arthur Miller's "Crucible" is a perfect example.
Alexandria, Va.:
Are you a Parsi? Have you ever thought about doing a film on Zarathustra, the founder of the Parsi/Zoroastrian faith?
Ismail Merchant: Well I'm not a Parsi, I'm a Muslim from Bombay and Zoroastrians are fascinating and the Parsi religion is an extraordinary way of looking at life and people. They have very strict codes they follow. I used that in "A Perfect Murder" where this man who is dying and priests are brought to chant and its a fascinating world. THere's a very good writer who lives in Canada who's written many books about that world in Bombay.
Washington, D.C.:
As a former college classmate of Aasif Mandvi's, I just wanted to tell you how excited I was to find out he was the lead in "Mystic Masseur"! I can't wait to see it -- how did you cast him?
Ismail Merchant: Well, Aasif was in New York and I saw his one man show in New York and he was just riveting. I saw it and went and saw him backstage and asked him to play Ganesh in the film and he thought I was joking. I sent him the script.
Baltimore, Md.:
What is your process in selecting material to bring to the screen?
Ismail Merchant: I think first of all something that appeals to you personally and you are drawn to the characters. That is really the main reason and purpose and i'm very drawn to it, like "In Custody," so I wanted to make a statement about Hindus and Muslims sharing the love of the same poetry, so that was a very important subject.
And then of course a reflection of some of the novels like E.M. Forster -- such amazing characters. Our latest film "Le Divorce with Kate Hudson and Glenn CLose" is a modern story set today. SO some come from your own personal experiences, all of that is a very helpful sign.
Washington, D.C.:
Mr. Merchant, great to talk to you. Are you and James Ivory pairing up on any future projects?
Ismail Merchant: Well, this is the project which was written by Diane Johnson and the characters are so funny and interesting, particularly the main character and the sister Isabel played by Kate Hudson, comes to help her. And there are other things that happen to this family along the way. So there's this intermarriage of these two different worlds and the comedic aspects are wonderful. So, expect this in April.
Washington, D.C.:
Hello Mr. Merchant,
I read "The Mystic Masseur" many years ago and have yet to see your film. My question is: What were the most difficult aspects of adapting this novel for film? Do you feel a personal philosophy to remain "true" to the author's vision?
Thank you.
Ismail Merchant: Well, we've always been very faithful to the vision of the author, but obviously you ahve to add things to make it more dramatic and interesting for film. So I think that particular freedom you have to have as a filmmaker. So, for example, when Ganesh becomes a healer and people flock to his Mystic Hut he then makes this woman eat who can't eat, then the man who wants to fly and the man who constantly makes love to his bicycle -- so those things were added and not in the novel. And his rise and political campaigning and of course the narrator when he meets him in the station. We made that much more than in the book. So that kind of a think you have to do.
But the spirit of Naipaul is still very much there.
Arlington, Va.:
Thanks for promoting the subcontinent in film and being a lively host and entrepreneur.
Ismail Merchant: That's nice. Thank you very much.
Harrisburg, Pa.:
What made you decide to take the more active role of directing this movie? Did you enjoy the more direct contact with the filming of the movie?
Ismail Merchant: I think because I've worked so closely with James Ivory, it is a very creative collaboration so it is wonderful. And our company is now 40 years old. So working as a producer and director you have two hats, whether it is difficult -- to give in to the passion of the director or the producer.
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