City of Joy Page #20

HASARI:

I'm going on the streets tomorrow.

This gets everyone's attention. The pullers shake theirheads, they're worried for him.

MAX:

Listen. I don't want you to thinkI'm crazy, but I don't think thattruck was an accident.

(MORE)

(CONTINUED)

104.

CONTINUED:

MAX CONT'D)

I think Ashoka was after me. You

can bet he'll be after you too.

HASARI:

I'm going to speak to his father.

MAX:

Can I go with you? I'll go with

you. Can I go with you if I shutup?

A beat... and Hasari gives him a small nod.

EXT. GODFATHER'S HOUSE - DAY

Ghatak is literally carried out of the house by anorderly and placed into his car. There's a driver

and there is the Goonda. They start down the street.

We're WITH the car. Suddenly, the driver slams on thebrakes and from:

ANOTHER ANGLE:

We see Hasari and Max blocking the street with the newrickshaw. The Goonda jumps out of the car, comesthreateningly at Hasari.

HASARI:

Babu, please, I beg you, hearmy words!

As the Goonda is about to land on Hasari we hear a

feeble...

GHATAK:

Wait.

The Goonda backs off. The Godfather waves Hasari and

Max close. Hasari brings his gleaming rickshaw to thewindow of the car, Max at his shoulder.

HASARI:

May I say first, Babu, I wish youlong life and good health.

GHATAK:

Acha! They take me now to thescientists. They stick needles inme, take pictures of my insides,

study them, and then tell me whatI know.

(CONTINUED)

105.

CONTINUED:

The Godfather stares at Hasari, flicks his eyes at Max.

Waits.

HASARI:

When you gave me work, I swore Iwould be as your youngest brother.

Your son thinks I have been

disloyal. He took my rickshaw.

With my friend, I have remade this

one. I beg you to let me go againonto the streets. I have my family.

The old man looks at the rickshaw, at the obvious care

that went into its renovation, at this unlikely teamof refurbishers. He reaches a shaking hand out toward

a shaft.

shaft.

Hasari brings it close. The old man rubs the

GHATAK:

It is very beautiful.

HASARI:

Thank you, Babu.

GHATAK:

If I may say, it has an allure.

HASARI:

An allure, Babu -- thank you.

The Godfather stares at Hasari, then at Max.

GHATAK:

The world is chaos. We struggleto build something permanent,

then our bodies betray us, our sonsbetray us.

(to Hasari now)

Yes, you may take your rickshaw

out. If you can face up to my son.

The Goonda gets back into the car and the car pulls awayand we are left with Hasari and Max as moment.

EXT. SKELETON WAREHOUSE (MITRA & CO) - DAY

Hasari enters.

INT. MANAGER'S OFFICE - DAY

The manager stares at Hasari, as he consumes a pot ofrice and vegetable curry. Gangooly hovers like a crow.

Hasari stares at the contract before him.

(CONTINUED)

106.

CONTINUED:

HASARI:

If a man dies and he's not burned,

what do you think becomes of hissoul?

The manager turns his palms up, continues chewing.

Hasari stares through the window at the row of skeletons.

HASARI:

I must provide for my family.

GANGOOLY:

Oh, it's a noble fate. If indeed

your wheel ceases to turn, you willhelp educate somewhere in thisgreat world a fine doctor.

Hasari bends to the contract and laboriously signs his

name.

EXT. GODFATHER'S HOUSE - DAY

Hasari arrives to an outcry of anger. There are several

dozen rickshaws. Among the passersby, we see umbrellas,

as the people on the street try to combat the incredibleheat.

HASARI:

What's going on?

CHOMOTKAR:

The Godfather ill! The son is

raising the rent!

Ashoka is on his front steps with a loudspeaker before agrowing crowd of pullers. He's backed up by the Goondaand a dozen of his thugs. The loudspeaker liftsAshoka's voice above the anger.

ASHOKA:

Do you know how much it costs tochange the spoke in a wheel? Or

how much baksheesh I have to paythe police?

Impulsively, Hasari moves forward. Cries from pullers:

"Who will be the victims of this madness? You?" "Hell

no!" "You don't need the six rupees each old cratebrings you per day to fill your belly! For us, it means

death!" The street is so packed with rickshaw andpullers now that cars can't get through. A chorus

of HORNS HONK; drivers scream.

(CONTINUED)

107.

CONTINUED:

RAMATULLAH:

We haven't been breaking ourbacks between the shafts of our

rickshaws in order to weep foryou!

Hasari continues forward, his eyes on Ashoka.

CHOMOTKAR:

The only thing that matters is thebundle of rupees we take to themunshi each month to feed and to

answer the daily needs of ourchildren!

RASSOUL steps up on a telagarhi with a loudspeaker.

RASSOUL:

Listn to me! Listen now! Listen

to me!

(when the pullers

quiet)

Friends! I ask you to vote for anunlimited strike. Inkalabad

zindabad! Long live therevolution! Rickshaw Workers Union

zindabad!

A strike? No income at all? The slogan is taken upby a small percentage of the assemblage. Fear and

doubt on many faces.

ASHOKA:

That's what I thought. All

right, get to work! Customers

are waiting!

ON HASARI:

Something detonates in him and he jumps onto the telagarhi

and grabs the microphone from Ashoka. Police

arrive in vans.

HASARI:

Friends! The Godfather at least

is a caring man! This one,

though, the son -

A signal from Ashoka and one of the thugs knocks Hasaridown.

(CONTINUED)

108.

CONTINUED:

ASHOKA:

We helped this man! We gave hima job, a place to live! This is

how he shows his gratitude. Get

on the streets now! Or turn in

your machines!

Hasari gets up and tries to speak.

HASARI:

Friends -- don't! If we stand -

He gets hit again. A number of the pullers come forwardand a riot starts. The police move in, beat and arrestmany of the demonstrators. Ramatullah and Chomotkar

try to help Hasari, but they are descended on by copswho hurl them aside and beat Hasari senseless until

the:

SCREEN GOES BLACK.

FADE IN:

INT. BONSAL COURT - DAY

Birds flying below ceiling. The room has a barred cagerunning all around its edge; the cage is filled to nearoverflowing. Hasari stands before the JUDGE, his face

covered with blood, his body a mass of aches and welts.

At the back of the room, Max and Aloka; elsewhere,

Ashoka, the Goonda, and several of his thugs.

HASARI:

The life of a rickshaw puller isnot one a man would choose if he

had a choice. Our feet blister

and burn up from the boilingasphalt, our noses burn from thefumes of countless motor cars and

buses, our backs curve permanentlyfrom the loads we carry hour afterhour, day after day. But I am

proud to be one of the human horseswho carry my countryman from placeto place and I am thankful for theopportunity to make a living. But

I will not keep silent anymore andI will not be cheated and

threatened anymore. Life is hard

enough. No more.

Ramatullah starts to applaud. Rassoul follows suit.

The Judge bangs his gavel.

(CONTINUED)

109.

CONTINUED:

JUDGE:

Silence!

(when it's silent)

This man will be permitted touse his rickshaw without let or

hindrance. And I will make a

restraining order against Mr.

Ghatak.

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