Merchant died surrounded by family and friends at a hospital in London, Merchant Ivory Productions said.
''It is with great sadness that Merchant Ivory Productions announces that Ismail Merchant, our company founder and beloved producer for more than 44 years, has passed away after a brief illness in a London hospital,'' the production company said in a statement on its Web site.
Merchant, who was born in Bombay but spent most of his life in the West, had been ill for some time and recently underwent surgery for abdominal ulcers, according to Indian television reports.
As an undergraduate, the cinetrix looked at certain Merchant Ivory adaptions of novels for her thesis. A classmate, Sonali, knowing of my work, later regaled me with fantastic stories of Merchant's legendary cooking prowess and the enormous dinner parties he would host. Say what you will about the effect of Merchant Ivory's style on a certain type of art house picture--the cinetrix has always wanted to dine at his table.
