Basmati Blues Page #2

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-[stammers]

- It's okay.

Your father must be

so proud of you.

This is my son,

William J. Patel.

I will be your government rep,

and don't you worry.

We will turn this Mogil mess

right around, Dr. Watt.

Linda. You can call me Linda.

Linda.

- Please.

- Oh, great.

- Oh, 1--

- I'll get-

[driver] Please, let me.

Just, um... It's okay.

[Linda] Thank you.

Of course.

Believe we're riding

in mama's limo.

He is. He's in the

Agriculture Ministry.

Who's his new

American girlfriend?

[girl] Ah. Does my brother

have a crush?

[Rajit's father] Come on,

get on with it! [trills]

- Hiiii!

-[man 1] What's the rush?

If we're late your mother's

abandonment issues

will make her cook

a lot of food.

And if we don't eat all of it,

then her irrational fears will

cause a persecution complex.

What?

Psychology programs

on the radio.

Don't ask.

Come on, Freud, Jung,

get on with it! Ahh!

[grunts] Chromosome!

Oh, you're awake.

Am I? Where am I?

Um, your home. We're here.

[William] Have a seat.

[soft chatter]

So, tomorrow I will show you

the wonder of Bilari.

Uh, no, I can't.

I've never done anything

like this before,

so I really need to focus

on getting ready.

There's just the one wonder,

really.

Thank you, but I have over

100 specimen slides to prepare.

Your plan is to show slides

to farmers?

Mm-hmm.

Linda, these are simple men...

Honey, we're glad you've come

to drag these savages

-out of the Stone Age.

- Oh, but I don't think--

Farmers are the feet on which

the nation stand.

I know.

I know that.

I'm with you.

[chatter resumes]

[rooster crows]

When tomorrow comes a'

Face the dawning a'

When tomorrow comes a'

Embrace the dawning 4'

I wander through

These doubts a'

For some sign or reason a'

And wonder if the road a'

Will know the way a'

-. Where's the future r

- Good morning, Rajit.

I thought would be dawning a'

Wake up, Rajit.

And when's the moment

Night is followed by day a

Tomorrow has begun 4'

What now is to be done a'

When tomorrow comes a'

-:
Today a'

-:
When tomorrow comes a'

Tomorrow comes

Face the dawning a'

The million miles uncharted a'

And uncertain I'

The future used to be

So far away a'

-. Now's the moment it seems I

-[father] Good morning!

Though alone

With just these dreams a'

To believe in a'

I'll find

The strength within a'

And let the future begin r

To believe in a'

Break on through the night

Take in the light a'

For a season

Break into the day a'

And make your way

Through believing a'

Break on through the night

Take in the light a'

For a season r

Well, tomorrow has begun a'

What now's to be done a'

When tomorrow comes a'

Today I

When tomorrow comes a'

a' Tomorrow comes r

Face the dawning a'

When tomorrow comes a'

a' Tomorrow comes r

Face the dawning a'

[indistinct]

[cell phone rings]

Dad!

YES.

The lab is equipped.

There's rice,

and air circulation

and people who hang things

on the walls.

It's perfect.

Ish.

[glass shatters]

[gasps]

[Linda] That was nothing.

Just a little deviation

from the norm.

Sorry.

[sighs]

I can't believe

I'm back to this. I--

[grunts loudly]

It's a stem borer egg.

You know they'll kill

half the crop.

I was studying a stinkweed

called hyzarium geranus

that would have killed these.

Ah. I told everyone

you went away on a vacation.

Yeah, you just plant them

between the rice rows

and you don't need any

expensive pesti--

They thought I was on vacation.

You know how they are.

"Your son is very smart.

He found a way

to get out of working."

[grunts]

Sorry.

Not smart enough to figure out

how to pay for college.

They mock you out of insecurity.

I want to know how this

makes you feel.

Trapped.

Suffocated.

Ooh.

Wait.

I might have enough money

to buy stinkweed plants.

People will line up to buy them.

Wait, wait. Come back!

This is my ticket back

to college.

Come back!

We were making real progress.

[beeps, powers off]

Not possible.

I had this thing charging

all night.

Never say impossible.

The power was out all night.

You know what, take me home.

I will order the slides

from the house phone.

And you can charge your phone

in the car.

[hums]

[shouts]

[chuckles]

Don't leave me here.

I'll get the part,

drive you home.

You can order new slides.

No problem.

[man sings to self]

Patel, make sure this new rep

stays sober.

[laughs] You don't have

to worry about Linda, sir.

Linda?

Don't even think about

trying anything with her.

No, sir, of course not.

Look, the Indian farmers

really need this.

- Yes, sir.

- Hope you're your father's son.

The farmers loved him.

You'll take her to 35 cities

in 20 days.

She lectures and inspires,

you handle the contracts.

Yes, sir.

I won't let you down,

Director Kapoor. Thank you.

No. Thank your mother.

[chirping]

[cawing]

[lows]

[chuckles]

Hello.

[Rajit] Hi.

Do you speak English?

English?

Yes, lady memsahib.

I'm speaking English many.

Please, thank you.

Are you going into town?

Yes, lunching.

Monkey masala today.

Monkey masala?

Very bad monkey.

Monkeys many hungry.

Very chewing.

Cooking long times. [laughs]

Oh.

Oh, is that for rice?

No.

It's for killing monkeys.

Come, watching.

- I haven't seen any monkeys.

- Shh. It's good weapon.

Uh, this how we making hello.

Hello.

[laughs]

A traditional greeting.

[laughs] We don't do this

where I'm from.

But we should.

It's fun. [laughs]

- Hello.

-[Rajit chuckles]

Hello.

Hello.

[Rajit] This is a monkey bridge.

[Linda] Listen, it's impossible

to catch jet lag.

But the man back there

said you can.

- Hi.

- Linda. What a surprise.

Hi. I met these guys.

This is Rajit and this is Buddy.

Yeah. Um...

I want you to meet

a village elder from the shrine.

Shri Barshlam.

- Linda.

-[mutters]

Greet him.

Oh.

Oh!

[goat bleats]

[speaks foreign language]

[aHlaugh]

Oh...

[laughter]

Um...

He says you must learn

to ride a horse.

Oh. [chuckles]

- Thank you.

-[mutters]

[William] Let's get out of here.

[laughing]

-[grunts]

- Crazy.

What?

Amused?

- Yeah.

- Mm, little bit.

- Kind of.

-[laughs]

You may think this is very

funny, but as a rice farmer

she is the most important person

in your life.

[Buddy] Oh, look at this.

Suddenly, Prince William

knows all about farming.

Hey, Buddy's goat is the most

important thing in his life.

One day, know what, our love

won't be forbidden.

[aHlaugh]

What does she know

about farming, huh?

She thought a hoe

was for killing monkeys.

And her fingertip,

did you notice?

It had no callus.

It was soft as ghee.

It was pretty soft.

- Hmm.

- Hmm.

- Monkey masala?

- If you're buying.

- Yeah, I can buy you some.

- Thank you, sir.

[William] I always wanted to see

a Broadway show.

The Empire State Building.

Maybe go to a Yankee game.

I know I only ran into you

because your phone died.

- And your car died.

- Mm.

But I'm glad it did.

Yeah, I'm glad too.

You rescued me.

I can't save you

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