Ismail Merchant chowk in Mumbai
' Sahar' Ismail P. Merchant Chowk, Mumbai. Picture taken by Danish Khan in 2018 On first glance any Mumbai resident with some knowledge of films would assume this chowk to be named after the legendary filmmaker Ismail Merchant. Merchant, a Memon born in Bombay, collaborated with James Ivory under the banner of Merchant Ivory Productions. Together with writer Ruth Prawer Jhabvala they made iconic films like A Room with a view, Maurice and Heat and Dust. Ismail Merchant died in 2005 in London and was buried in Mumbai. He was indeed a Bombay boy; a student of St Xavier's, in love with Bollywood, and one who used his genetic business skills to make Hollywood productions on shoestring budgets. As I quickly removed my phone to capture this image, I was impressed that the city had honoured the memory of a worthy son. But there were some inconsistencies. The pen above the slab, and the inclusion of 'Sahar' before the name did not go with what I had read and heard of Is...
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