Mission to Make ëMasseurí Director ëIdentifiedí With Protagonist in Naipaul Novel by Ky N. Nguyen Director Ismail Merchant was determined to obtain the film rights to ìThe Mystic Masseur,î the first novel written by Indian Nobel laureate V.S. Naipaul. The author had rejected past offers to translate his books into films, but in the end, Merchantís tenacity prevailed. The director recalled, ìIt wasnít easy. We were given a four-year runaround. Finally, I wrote Naipaul a letter that I wanted to see him directly. I had known him personally for some years as well. Naipaul replied, ëThere is no reason to come to meet me here. I know your persuasive powers are legendary.í He granted me permission.î The details were then left to their lawyers. The result of Merchantís effortsóìThe Mystic Masseurîówas just recently released on home video. Born in Bombay, Merchant is primarily known as a producer in the celebrated 40-year-old Merchant-Ivory partnership with director James Ivory, which created such films as ìHowardís Endî and ìThe Remains of the Day.î In the 1960s, Merchant and Ivory started out making features in India financed with rupees from Hollywood studio accounts frozen by the Indian governmentóexcept for investment in new productions in India. As both directors became very commercially successful, Merchant began to direct projects about which he was passionate: ìIn Custody,î ìThe Proprietorî and ìCotton Mary.î Nevertheless, the director never lost appreciation for his producing talents. ìMostly I see myself as a producer, an organizer who gets things done and accomplishes the impossible,î Merchant said. ìAs a director, I must focus on the story and its challenges, which of course, artistically speaking, is often an attempt to accomplish the impossible as well.î Long-time Merchant-Ivory screenwriter Ruth Prawer-Jhabvala recommended writer Caryl Phillips to adapt ìThe Mystic Masseurî for the screen. Merchant praises that choice: ìCaryl Phillips has read Naipaul extensively. He was very familiar with the Trinidadian dialect and the cultural mix of Indians and Africans. He had a tremendous sensibility about the Trinidad culture and speech patterns. Also, from long experience of working with Ruth Jhabvala, I learned that original fiction writers make very good screenwriters. They are able to independently create new scenes and extend characters and imagine subtexts.î Merchant had read the book during school and revisited it decades later upon the recommendation of a friend. ìThe theme in ëMystic Masseurí is very close to my heart,î Merchant said. ìIt is the story of a man who knows that he has greatness inside himself. When he comes to believe in himself, he becomes greatóeven if it is a crazy greatness. That is fineóours is a crazy world.î Merchant calls the protagonist, Ganesh, ìan ambitious and formidable character with great reserves. You can identify with his ambition, his tenacity, and his zest for life. He is an idealist and fully intends to ëstand at the center of English literature.í Of course, he doesnít actually achieve that goal. But it is always there very prominently. I liked the self-invented nature of his character. Perhaps I subconsciously identified with this trait of Ganesh.î After seeing Aasif Mandvi in the off-Broadway production of ìSakinaís Restaurant,î Merchant immediately offered the Bombay-born actor the role of Ganesh. Merchant remembered, ìI was instantly drawn to his talent. I never thought of anybody else for the part. He was the perfect Ganesh for me. In ëSakinaís Restaurant,í he played many parts, rather like Ganesh: teacher, writer, businessman, local celebrity and politician, switching effortlessly from one to the other.î The local Trinidad theater scene provided other actors for the film. Merchant noted, ìMrs. Cooper, the landlady, is local and so is Leelaís sister. Trinidad has a thriving theater, and it was good to use the locals. The people are so hospitable and their enthusiasm was great.î Merchant strived to accurately portray the Trinidadian Indian people, whose accents were quickly picked up by the non-local cast. The director added that ìthe Indians there actually speak in a mix of the local patois and their indigenous accent, and we reproduced that in the film. It was interesting to see how the Indian community lived in Trinidad. Many of them are originally from U.P. [Uttar Pradesh] and Bihar. They came there after the mutiny in 1857. The women still wear saris worn in the traditional style, and you almost feel you have been transported to a village in India.î Ky N. Nguyen is the film reviewer for The Washington Diplomat.