City of Joy Page #3

Hasari pulls out his little screw of money.

HASARI:

I have only seventy-five, but assoon as I have work...

GANGOOLY:

Give me the fifty, pay the restnext week. You'll find work, I

trust you. Aren't I from Bihar,

too? Yes.

And the money is in his hand. He joins his handstogether.

GANGOOLY:

You are pleased? Then Mr. Gangoolyis pleased. It's how I am.

(CONTINUED)

11.

CONTINUED:

He turns on his heel and he's gone. For a moment, the

Pals are still, swept from the brink of catastrophe tosalvation... and now, as one, they release their sheerand utter joy.

INT. CHATTERGEE STAIRCASE - DAY

Ravi and Veejay leading Max up the grand staircase,

Manubai in the foyer, looking after them.

INT. GUEST ROOM - DAY

Ravi leads the way into a lovely guest bedroom.

RAVI:

I hope this is all right. The

room hasn't been aired or the bed

turned, but -

VEEJAY:

Oh, he doesn't care about that, do

you, Max? Here, look here.

Veejay opens a little cupboard, stocked with liquor.

VEEJAY:

Help yourself. Be comfortable.

Ravi, come on, go, go, let's leavethe young man to himself.

Obediently, Ravi goes. Veejay follows. Max goes to thewindow.

HIS POV:

The beautiful Manubai in the garden.

MAX:

He lies down on the bed. He's found Nirvana.

INT. MAIN ROOM - DAY

It's Hasari who watches now. There's LAUGHTER from Aloka

and Amrita. Joyful SHOUTS from the boys. Hasari is

alone in the main room, on his knees, in front of the

pile of their baggage and bundles. He turns his attention

from the laughter to a just-opened, old suitcase.

He takes out a small tea box. Opens it delicately.

(CONTINUED)

12.

CONTINUED:

It's full of something brown. He pushes his fingers inand feels this bit of earth with a tenderness that's

almost religious, puts a pinch to his nose and breathesit in. The LAUGHTER and SHOUTING from the bathing areais GROWING.

INT. BATHING AREA

Shambu is paddling near the tap. Aloka is bending overthe drain and Amrita is rinsing her heavy, dark hairwith a pot. Manooj is nearby, rubbing himself with anold towel. Hasari enters unnoticed and looks at the

group with tenderness... and with gratitude for theirgood fortune.

A MAN, red with anger, yanks the curtain aside, stares.

The family freezes. Aloka's hair drips unnoticed on hersari.

MAN:

What are you doing here? Who are

you?

HASARI:

My name is Pal, Hasari. Mr.

Gangooly rented this space to -

MAN:

Mr. Who?

HASARI:

Gangooly. You must be his cousin,

Mr. Moti.

MAN:

I don't know any Gangooly and myname is Binal and this is my home-- get out!

The furious Binal, followed by the Pals, goes into themain part of the room. A small crowd has been attracted

by the noise.

HASARI:

But this is true. We paid him adeposit of fifty -

BINAL:

A man goes out because he has towork, and some beggar tries tomove in while his back is turned.

(CONTINUED)

13.

CONTINUED:

This while Binal has begun to throw things out onto thestreet, though this cleansing of his home doesn't stophim from picking up a stick. The odd sympathizer meetswith...

BINAL:

So, should I suffer if they areso stupid to jump into the firstmouth that wants to eat them?

He turns with the stick on Hasari.

BINAL:

You're lucky I don't kill you!

Hasari looks at Manooj, who drops his eyes. They collectthe remainder of their possessions and hurry out thedoor.

EXT. SMALL STREET - DAY

Full of neighbors. There's a suppressed violence in theair. A man pushes Aloka. Sweat streaming down his face,

Hasari confronts the man. A WOMAN pushes the men apart.

WOMAN:

Go to the river. Try to squeezein there.

EXT. VICTORIA MONUMENT - STREET - NIGHT (DUSK)

Calcutta broiling: Buses, vendors, carts, rickshaws,

children beg at car windows. The Pals stand, uncertain,

and for the first time a rickshaw fills Hasari's eye,

carrying two passengers. But now he shoulders his burden

and leads the family toward the river. We HOLD until

they grow small against the setting sun, gleaming redagainst the white domes of the Victoria Monument.

INT. CHATTERGEE'S LIBRARY - TORSO - NIGHT

Moving through the dark, a figure, touching things,

looking at photographs of the Chattergees. We hear

a MUFFLED DIALOGUE mixed with the SINGING a la Dean

Martin of "Everybody Loves Somebody Sometime":

"Goddamn it, boy, what's the matter with you? -"

Everybody loves somebody sometime" -- "Go for it,

son!" -- "Sure, Dad, whatever you say, Dad." -"

Everybody falls in love somehow" -- "You're the dad,

Dad." Now, a humidor. Max opens it, takes out acigar, takes two. Takes five. Senses someone. Turns.

14.

ANOTHER ANGLE:

Ravi in her bathrobe.

MAX:

I'm starving.

He gives her his best saint's smile.

RAVI:

Well, you don't want to eat thoseawful cigars. Come with me, we'll

wake up the cook, she'll fix yousomething proper.

EXT. KITCHEN - WINDOW - NIGHT

THROUGH the window, we see the bleary-eyed cook layingout food as Ravi chatters away at Max, he with a beatificgrin on his face as he feeds himself.

EXT. RIVER BANK - HOWRAH BRIDGE - DAY

The bridge etched against the dawn sky. The corpse ofan indigent is collected and put on a cart.

MANOOJ:

With his eyes open, watching the dead man being removed.

FAMILY:

After their humiliating flight, they found refuge here.

Tiny figures huddled together with their baggage andbundles, near a tree, not far from the steps that dipdown to the smooth water. Hasari's eyes, too, are onthe dead man, that warning. He kneels beside Manooj,

strokes him. The boy's eyes turns to the man's,

wondering if the man can provide for them.

HASARI:

Don't let it frighten you. You

have to be brave. I know we'll

find work today.

Fear and doubt fill Manooj's eyes. He nods.

EXT. DOCKS - DAY

Hasari at the gates, the family huddled together inthe b.g. The man behind the gate shakes his head,

points.

15.

ANOTHER ANGLE:

A line of a hundred men stretches from a door. Hasari

is on the edge of panic, but when he turns to the family,

he's wearing his confident smile. As before, he gathersthe family into the protectorate of his arms and guidesthem onward. As he pushes off into the sea of humanity,

we PULL BACK AND UP, FILLING the FRAME WITH street uponstreet, disappearing Hasari.

FROM STREET - INTO WORKSHOP - HASARI AND OWNER

Two plump men in shirt sleeves look coolly at Hasari.

The elder shakes his head. The younger shows Hasarithe door.

Outside, an increasingly desperate Hasari findsAloka before a small shrine, saying a prayer.

EXT. BARA BAZAR - DAY

Aloka huddled with Manooj and Amrita. Hasari talkingto the owner of a small market stall. Shambu is peeringinto a shop with male mannequins in the window.

INT. MEN'S SHOP - MOVING MIRROR

In the moving mirror we see counters and shelves of men'sclothing.

The mirror stops at Max slipping into a kurta before anaudience of Ravi, Manubai, and a salesman.

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