The Mystic Masseur Producer Jun 2026

Merchant had never directed a feature alone. James Ivory (co-producer and editor) remained on set for first 2 weeks to advise, then left Merchant to finish.

| Challenge | Merchant’s Solution | |-----------|---------------------| | Limited budget | Shot on location in Trinidad with incentives; self-catered. | | Unfamiliar territory | Hired local crew; built relationships with government. | | Directing without co-director | Leaned on producer’s skills (logistics, casting, tone) over “pure” direction. | | Distributor pressure for subtitles | Fought for authentic dialect; won. | | Post-production delays | Editor (Ivory) worked remotely while Merchant raised finishing funds. | the mystic masseur producer