His films might have bagged Oscars, but close friends and relatives remember producer-director Ismail Merchant as one who loved his food as much as movies.Mamujaan, as Merchant was known, will come to Mumbai for the last time on Saturday. As per his wishes, he will be buried next to his mother Hazarabai at the Bada Kabrastan in Marine Lines.Though he completed his education at the New York University and went on to establish himself in Europe and the US as a filmmaker, Merchant’s film career can be traced back to his days as a Sociology student at St Xavier’s College, Mumbai.Classmate Chota Chudasama, a former airline executive, remembers him as the architect of Sangeet Mandal, the college music appreciation group. ‘‘He was able to woo the best singers to perform at our college — free of cost.’’Despite being a British citizen, Merchant held on to his Indian passport and visited Mumbai once every year. Invites to Merchant’s soirees at his Tardeo residence were always in demand.Advertising guru Alyque Padamsee recalls accompanying theatre director Gerson da Cunha to one such party. ‘‘I asked him, why is it Merchant-Ivory and not the other way round? He replied, ‘Well, who wants to be known as an Ivory Merchant’?’’The director of movies such as In Custody and Cotton Mary made 40 films that earned him 31 Oscar nominations, beginning with the first film he produced, The Creation of Woman, in 1961.While hosting a party, Merchant loved assigning exotic names to the most basic dishes. Author Nandita Puri recalls one dinner where guests were asked to look out for rice dumplings in curd. ‘‘We were initially very curious. To our disappointment, it was only dahi vada. He even called daal lentil soup to impress his British guests.’’Merchant also loved Mumbai’s cuisine. Director Zafar Hai, who directed The Perfect Murder, says Merchant loved eating at nondescript joints. ‘‘Whenever we were on the road, he would always look for small places to eat. He adored ‘Bade Miyaan’, which was just below his office,’’ says Hai.First-time visitors were touched by his camaraderie. ‘‘I thought I’d be bored to death when I went to his place,’’ says percussionist Taufiq Qureshi, brother of tabla maestro Zakir Hussain. ‘‘Instead he cracked dirty jokes and talked to me like I had known him for years.’’
