Autobiography of a Princess

Autobiography of a Princess
Directed by	James Ivory
Produced by	Ismail Merchant
Written by	R. Prawer Jhabvala
Starring	James Mason Madhur Jaffrey Keith Varnier Diane Fletcher Timothy Bateson
Music by	Vic Flick
Cinematography	Walter Lassally
Edited by	Humphrey Dixon
Distributed by	Contemporary Films Ltd. (UK)
Release dates	5 October 1975 (New York Film Festival)
Running time	60 minutes
Language	English

Autobiography of a Princess is a 1975 film by Merchant Ivory Productions (directed by James Ivory, written by Ruth Prawer Jhabvala and produced by Ismail Merchant), starring James Mason and Madhur Jaffrey.

Plot

An Indian Princess (Madhur Jaffrey), long-divorced and living in self-enforced exile in 1970s London, spends time with her father's ex-tutor, Cyril Sahib (James Mason), watching film footage of Royal India and talking of a past world. There is a great deal of fascinating real-life footage and interviews with India's royalty: the Maharajas' of India and the end they faced due to the 1960s socialist reforms introduced by India's then Prime Minister Mrs Indira Gandhi.

Revival

In 2014, the Oregon Cartoon Institute brought James Ivory to Portland, Oregon, to appear in person at the Hollywood Theatre, to present two films he had personally chosen from the dozens he had directed. On October 11 it was Autobiography of a Princess (1975), shown in 35mm. Mr. Ivory introduced the film to the audience.

External links

• Autobiography Of A Princess at IMDb
• Merchant Ivory overview