Editing Ismail Merchant (section)

== Early life and education ==
Born in [[Bombay]] ([[Mumbai]]) , Merchant was son of Hazra ([[née]] Memon) and Noor Mohamed Rehman, a Bombay textile dealer.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.filmreference.com/film/73/Ismail-Merchant.html |title=Ismail Merchant Biography (1936-) |website=Filmreference.com |access-date=2016-06-05}}</ref> He grew up speaking [[Gujarati language|Gujarati]], [[Urdu language|Urdu]] and [[Memoni language|Memoni]] fluently, and he later picked up [[Arabic language|Arabic]] and English while at school. When he was 11, he and his family were caught up in the 1947 [[partition of India]]. His father was the President of the Muslim League{{Citation needed|reason=The list of Muslim League presidents does not have his name|date=January 2025}} and refused to move to [[Pakistan]]. Merchant later said that he carried memories of "butchery and riots" into adulthood.<ref name="CC">cited in ''Cheek of the devil''</ref>
As a child at the age of 9, Merchant delivered a speech about [[partition of India|partition]] at a political rally in front of a crowd of 10,000.

At age 13, he developed a close friendship with actress [[Nimmi]], who introduced him to studios in Bombay (the center of [[Hindi film industry]]). It was she who inspired his ambitious rise to stardom.<ref name="Hirahara 2003 135">{{cite book|last=Hirahara|first=Naomi|title=Distinguished Asian American business leaders|year=2003|publisher=Greenwood Press|location=Westport, Conn. [u.a.]|isbn=1573563447|page=135|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fN7_zps2kQUC&q=ismail%20merchant%2C%20memon&pg=PA135|edition=1. publ.|access-date=27 September 2013}}</ref>
Merchant studied at [[St. Xavier's College, Mumbai]] and received BA degree of University of Bombay. It was here he developed a love for movies. When he was 22, he moved to  USA to study at [[New York University]] where he received an MBA degree. While in New York, he gave up his family name of Abdul Rehman for Merchant.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news|url=http://www.newsweek.com/ismail-merchant-1936-2005-120081|title=Ismail Merchant, 1936-2005|date=2005-06-05|work=Newsweek|access-date=2018-06-24|language=en}}</ref>

He supported himself by working as a messenger for the UN in New York and used this opportunity to persuade Indian delegates to fund his film projects. Of this experience, he said, "I was not intimidated by anyone or anything."<ref name="CC" /> Immersed in a new world of art and culture, it was here that Merchant discovered the films of Bengali director [[Satyajit Ray]], as well as those of European artists such as [[Ingmar Bergman]], [[Vittorio De Sica]], and [[Federico Fellini]].<ref name="Hirahara 2003 135" />
In 1961, Merchant made a short film, ''The Creation of Woman''. It was shown at the [[Cannes Film Festival]] and received an Academy Award nomination.<ref name=":0" />