Celluloid Page #4

---

the people who act in movies.

Would l also have to wait to see you

just as people wait...

...by the roadside...

to see the Maharani?

lt's your luck, Rosamma.Only you

have that chance from among us.

They are making a movie in this

Malayalam land for the first time.

And this Rosamma is its actress.

lsn't it said that a cinema actress

has to be very good-looking...

Malu, am l that beautiful?

''l never knew this...''

''sweet colorful cuckoo...''

''Do l have the

beauty of the moon?''

''Do l have the beauty of the lotus?''

''Do l have the

beauty of the rainbow?''

''Do l have the beauty of

the graceful rain?''

''Have l put on earrings?

Have l put on the bindi?''

''l never knew this...''

''sweet colorful cuckoo...''

''The kavalam bird tells in my ear''

''don't you need a wee

mascarain your eyes?''

''Hums the wind

who brings flowery...

- fragrances in his cupped hands...''

''Don't you need black bangles?''

''Hard to say why...''

''Hard to Know why...''

''l never knew this...''

''sweet colorful cuckoo...''

''Do l have the

beauty of the moon?''

''Do l have the beauty of the lotus?''

''The dazzling

white tenderjasmines talk of...''

''...theirturn to girdle your hair.''

''Says too the blooming elangi''

''...let me scent your body

with sweet perfumes!''

''Hard to say why...

Hard to know why...''

''You stand with no word...

even as you know...''

''these are just delusions...''

''Do l have the

beauty of the moon?''

''Do l have the beauty of the lotus?''

''Do l have the

beauty of the rainbow?''

''Do l have the beauty

of the graceful rain?''

''Have l put on earrings?''

''l never knew this...''

''sweet colorful cuckoo...''

Here's where they shoot the movie.

Didn't l tell you about Daniel?

He is the one who is making this movie

and spending all the money...

which means he is the producer,

director and everything.

You didn't get it, did you my child?

ln other words,

he is the overlord of this movie...

The cinema was invented

by the white man.

Get down.

Wait here. l will tell Daniel.

Pillai, what are you doing?

l am trying to figure out

how l am going to hold my face...

before the camera.lt's not the

accustomed performance.

This is not kathakali, Pillai.

Just hold yourface straight.

Rosamma has come.

Come in.

Come.

There is no cast divide

and untouchability in cinema.

Mr Daniel, the film is loaded.

We are ready.

All right, Mr Lala.

This is our actress Rosamma.

This is the cameraman.

This is the camera.

The movie is shot with this.

Did you understand?

You didn't understand anything,

Rosamma, did you?

Everyone here is like Rosamma,

isn't it, Pillai?

How is she?

A black girl?Will she be

suitable for your character?

Does she look like

an upper caste girl?

Well, at least in cinema...

...we should not be thinking

of caste and color.

l will join you shortly, Mr Lala.

Come.

Rosamma, please sit down.

Don't fear, do sit down.

This is my wife, Janet.

Sit down.

Please sit down, Rosamma.

Rosamma has acted as Parvathy

in the kakkarashi play, right?

You don't act from start to end

in cinema, unlike in plays.

Certain parts will be taken

from time to time.

You must act as l tell you.

ls that so?

Daniel, that's what

l can't understand,

no matter how many

times you tell me.

How will the expressions

come to my face...

if l act without continuity,

disregarding beginning and end?

Even if Pillai doesn't understand,

Rosamma does, right, Rosamma?

One or two scenes each day,

so, your portions

will be shot in 10 or 12 days.

You will be paid wages of Rs5 daily.

lf you act well and Daniel likes it...

you will be given a hike.

Rosamma, you are a Nair girl

in this story:
Sarojini.

Sarojini has a brother.

They are children

when the movie begins.

A man named Bhoothanathan, ...

a plantation supervisor in Colombo...

...happens to see her brother playing

in her courtyard one day.

He must have been barely

five years old then.

The fiendish

Bhoothanathan kidnaps

- the child and takes

him to Colombo.

Our Johnson is playing Bhoothanathan.

ln Colombo, Bhoothanathan puts

the child through severe hardship...

forcing him to work

in the plantations.

Many years pass by.

Sarojini is now a young woman.

That's where your

part begin, Rosamma.

A young man, Vishwamohan Thampi,

is courting Sarojini.

That part is enacted by Pillai.

lt is then that

a person called Jayachandran...

comes to live in the neighborhood.

Jayachandran and Sarojini see

each otherfrequently.

They fall in love.

lt is Daniel

who will act as Jayachandran.

True.

lt is then that

Jayachandran has to go...

- to England for professional matters

He goes to England via Colombo...

where he is looted

by Bhoothanathan and his gang.

Unable to proceed,

and forced to stay in Colombo...

he gets acquainted

with Chandrakumar...

as he was looking for a job.

Chandrakumar is a young man now.

One day, having escaped from

the hands of Bhoothanathan...

- Chandrakumar and

Jayachandran return home.

Bhoothanathan comes

searching for them.

They fight with each

other on the way.

Jayachandran reaches

Sarojini's neighborhood.

Sarojini sees Chandrakumar.

Accidentally, seeing the black mole

on Chandrakumar's back...

Sarojini recognizes him

as her long-lost brother.

Jayachandran marries Sarojini.

Everyone lives happily ever after.

Rosamma, did you like the story?

We will start taking

Rosamma's parts today itself.

First, you will have

to change your costume.

The mundu and rowka

you are wearing now is...

...not appropriate for Sarojini.

l will give you the costumes.

Here's the mundu

and jumper.Don't know

- if the measurement is right.

Pachu Annan here, who is our tailor,

stitched them based on speculation.

Do you know how to

wear it, Rosamma?

lsn't it in the style of

upper caste ladies?

l have seen it.

Wear it on your neck and ears.

These are my ornaments.

How can you wear the

ornaments after l wearthem?

Aren't we of a lower caste?

lt doesn't matter.

These are not worn by Rosamma,

but by Sarojini,

who belongs to a rich Nair family.

Next change your hair style and add

a little bit of color on your face...

and you will be Sarojini herself.

What do you say, BhaskarAnna?

- Sure.

So hurry up.

- Sit here, child.

Sit down, Rosamma.

l will stand here.

Sit here, child.

Now, Rosamma

has become Sarojini.

So, shall we start?

This is Sarojini's house...

see, the front side...

Rosamma should come now,

from inside, with a lit lamp...

and keep it here in the veranda.

Then, Jayachandran,

that is myself, will come...

Rosamma should then look at me,

wondering who l could be?

Did you understand, Rosamma?

l have a doubt.

The lamp is usually lit in the evening.

Now, it's only noon.

Night and day appears

the same in a movie Pillai.

Cinema can be shot only in sunlight.

Yea... yea

So, shall we start, Mr Lala?

- Yes, please.

Come, Rosamma.

Let us start.

Go and stand near the door.

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes