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Ismail Merchant dead

LONDON: India-born filmmaker Ismail Merchant, who with partner James Ivory became synonymous with classy costume drama, died in a London hospital, surrounded by friends and family, on Wednesday, a spokesman at Merchant-Ivory's London office said.

Indian television news reported that Merchant had been unwell for some time and he recently underwent surgery for abdominal ulcers.

Bombay-born Merchant and Ivory, an American, made some 40 films together, including ``A Room With a View,'' ``The Remains of the Day,'' ``Howard's End'' and ``Heat and Dust.''

Merchant generally served as producer, the business mind behind the collaboration, while Ivory directed.

The pair won six Oscars since their famous partnership began in 1961 with Germany-born screenwriter Ruth Prawer Jhabvala. Their hits, especially E.M. Forster adaptations such as ``Room With a View'' and ``Howard's End,'' helped to revive audiences' taste for well-made, emotionally literate period dramas.

In an interview with Associated Press last year, Merchant said Merchant-Ivory films worked because they captured great stories. ``It should be a good story — speak about a time and place that is permanent,'' he said. — AP

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