British actor Julian Sands died while hiking on a Southern California mountain. But how is the British actor's death more grievous news to the literary firmament than among the mourners from the film fraternity? We will come to that in subsequent paragraphs.

Having more than 150 credits in a span of a 40-year career, Sands has played significant roles in Oscar-nominated and highly acclaimed movies. The English actor is best known for his breakthrough role in ‘A Room with a View’ with the Merchant-Ivory productions in collaboration with Ruth Praver Jhabwala as a screenwriter. Adapted from E.M. Forster’s 1908 eponymous novel, the movie won three Academy Awards, five BAFTA and a Golden Globe.

As the name E.M Forster is unique to India, so is the American director, James Ivory; Indian producer, Ismail Merchant; German-born novelist and scriptwriter, Ruth Praver Jhabwala, and the late British actor, Julian Sands. Together they reached creative heights that created as well as broke several records. Though, the Merchant-Ivory production had several spinoffs on Forster, Henry James and Jhabvala herself, ‘A Room with a View’ has enjoyed a special place in the mind of readers.

Julian Sands will remain a mighty star in the earth and the sky as we mourn his death.

P.S: The Merchant-Ivory production had several other Indian names associated with it. One such name was Shashi Kapoor. Also, if dug further, you will know how the foundation of Prithvi Theatre was laid.