City of Joy Page #14

There's still dissension, but somewhat more support.

Said makes a fierce, unintelligible supportive sound.

Surya sighs again. Eyes flick at the old man.

SUNIL:

Sister Joan, what do you think,

really?

JOAN:

Well, I think Max has hit on the

heart of what we're trying to buildhere: a self-help society. Each

of us has to decide for himself.

As for me, I suppose I think,

really, that if the bastards aregoing to suck us dry, I'd like toget in a couple of good lefthanders

before I turn the other

cheek.

SALLADIN:

But who will rent to us!

Surya clucks his tongue and shakes his head; everyoneassumes he is preparing a heated refutation of theresisters. His sighs, though, have been a buildingcommitment.

(CONTINUED)

73.

CONTINUED:

SURYA:

I have a property I will rent you

for two hundred rupees a month,

and not a rupee less. As for

protection... you are on your own.

Many of the faces are uncertain -- Hasari's notable amongthem.

MONTAGE - INT./EXT. COWSHEDS - DAY

A) Two cows are shooed out of the ramshackle building asbustling activity on the new clinic begins. Cleaningthe place. Debris being torn out, hurled into apile in the street.

B) Said, with the strength of three men, holds up a heavybeam while Hasari tries to secure it. Max, hot,

smelly, and hating the place, stands in the middle ofthe room, wishing he were elsewhere. The beams starts

to slip. Max leaps to Hasari's side.

C) We see that Max and Hasari are thrown together againin some carpentering task in uneasy camaraderie. A

finger pokes Max on the back. He turns to find

Poomina holding out two cups of tea.

D) The whole group shares a meal, prepared under thedirection of Selima, though the lepers remain separatefrom the normals. Anouar leads the lepers in singing

a song. Joan and Margareta pick it up, as do severalother of the normals.

E) Equipment from the old school/clinic being moved fromthe square down here.

F) Max and Aloka do one of those dances where two peoplewith arms loaded try to go around each other. Finallyhe says he'll stand still and she should go aroundhim. They both laugh. Hasari watches.

G) As Max puts medicine into a cabinet, Ram peeks in,

nods his approval, "helpfully" passes Max somethingMax can reach just fine himself, shows Max an enormoushole in his shorts and hits Max for ten rupees.

H) A small truck carrying a charitable organization'slogo on the side is being unloaded of powdered milkand various other things.

(CONTINUED)

74.

CONTINUED:

I) UPSTAIRS AND STAIRWELL

Hasari and Max move the last cot upstairs and intoplace beside a window that will come into play at theend (It looks down on the street). Hasari nods to Max,

indicating he should look.

J) THEIR POV

Everyone gathered as Shanta and Ashish put a bannerabove the door: "You are invited to the festival of

this world and your life is blessed." The assemblageapplauds and embraces.

K) UPSTAIRS

Hasari smiles at Max, brings his hands together, butdoesn't embrace the doctor.

EXT. CLINIC - NIGHT

Everyone lingers, adults and children. Max plays histrumpet, accompanying Surya on his zither. Manoojhovers over Max.

MANOOJ:

Doctor Big Brother, aren't yougoing to smoke your evening cigar?

Max points at his trumpet, continues playing.

MANOOJ:

Please.

Max indicates his pocket. Manooj takes out a cigar and aclip. Clips the cigar, holds it out to Max, who indicates

Manooj should light it, and keeps playing. Manoojlooks at Hasari, who nods. Shambu holds a match to it.

Everyone watches as if this were a major event. Manoojtakes a puff, chokes, offers the cigar to Mehboub, whotakes it, puffs, passes it. Everyone relaxes, enjoys thepeacefulness of the smoking and the aroma wafting upward.

Ram taps at Max's elbow.

RAM:

It has come to me tonight to writea letter to my wife.

Ram produces a mangled one piece letter -- envelope.

RAM:

Please.

(CONTINUED)

75.

CONTINUED:

He thrusts the paper at Max. Max takes a pen from hispocket.

MAX:

Okay -- shott.

RAM:

Yes -- what is the word -- that

word -- when land is watered...

with canals?

MAX:

"Irrigation"?

RAM:

Yes, yes, that word, I want thatword in the letter.

Max looks at him, nods, waits. Ram stares at Max; waits.

MAX:

Well?

RAM:

Well?

MAX:

What would you like to say toyour wife?

RAM:

I don't know, Max Daddah. If I

knew what to say to my wife, I'dnever have left home.

Everybody laughs, though Ram's remark hits Max on adeeper level. Manooj slides in beside him.

MANOOJ:

Why do you have to go home, DoctorBabu?

ALOKA:

Because he doesn't live here,

Manooj. This is not his home.

A look between Max and Aloka; Hasari's eyes flicking atboth of them... as Aloka's eyes come to Hasari. The

cigar reaches Ram. As Max starts to write, Ram takes

a large puff and blows a huge ring out of his mouth. We

FOLLOW it.

76.

ABOVE:

A whole row of faces on rooftops enjoying the cigar.

This as we:

DISSOLVE TO:

EXT. GREEN ACRES - THROUGH RICKSHAW WHEELS - DAY

THROUGH the WHEELS we see Max come briskly out of thehotel carrying his doctor's bag. He's met by the sightof Hasari between the shafts of his rickshaw and Anouar

and Meeta perched on the seat.

MAX:

On no! Lepers! Lepers in myneighborhood!

ANOUAR:

Sshh! Doctor Big Brother,

please, we are pretending notto be lepers.

MAX:

Oh, oh, I didn't get the concept-- of course, not lepers. I think

you're going to fool a lot ofpeople. I have only one question:

Why are you here?

ANOUAR:

We've come to take you to thedispensary in grand style on thisspecial day, haven't we, Hasari?

HASARI:

Yes.

MAX:

Na, I'll just trot alongside Hasari.

HASARI:

No, please, get in.

Max climbs into the rickshaw beside the two lepers andHasari pulls away.

ANOUAR:

Meeta's very excited by this ridethrough Calcutta. You see, she's

never been sightseeing before.

Meeta, of course, is blind. Max, Hasari, Anouar laugh.

MAX:

You're incorrigible, Anouar.

(CONTINUED)

77.

CONTINUED:

ANOUAR:

Yes, yes, I know, thank you verymuch.

As the rickshaw disappears into the sea of people andvehicles, we hear Anouar and Max LAUGHING.

EXT. SIDE STREET - DAY

Margareta, Manooj, Shambu, Shoba, several other kids and,

at the end of the line, Poomina, all carrying water ontheir heads toward the City of Joy. Suddenly, someonewhispers to Poomina. One of Ashoka's thugs. She glancesafter Margareta and the other kids who are turning acorner and steps into:

ALLEYWAY:

Where Ashoka waits.

ASHOKA:

You taking that to the clinic?

(as she nods)

You like it there?

(as she nods)

And they love your smile, don't

they?

She's fearful now and doesn't respond. He grabs her,

the water pitcher crashes to the ground, he puts hisknife into her mouth and lays her face open on both sidewith his knife.

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