City of Joy Page #8

ASHOKA:

Neigh! Like a horse.

Ashoka pulls back his lips, shows his teeth and imitatesa neigh: "Ne-igh! Ne-igh!"

HASARI:

Well, yes, Babu, I can do that.

Would you like me to imitate ahorse?

Finished with the pimple, Ashoka wipes a finger on hisshirt and takes a helping off a plate of sweetcakes

as...

38.

ANOTHER ANGLE:

Behind him, The Godfather walks up to the desk, puttinghis glasses on. He barely glances at his son, butwaves him out of the chair.

Ashoka doesn't like it, but he steps aside. As he does,

he turns a look of hatred on Hasari. Through no fault ofhis own, Hasari has made an enemy. Ghatak chews on a panand casts a benevolent eye on Hasari.

GHATAK:

Lift your longhi.

Hasari does. The Godfather looks at his legs and thighs.

GHATAK:

The wise men of our nation say thatnirvana is the attainment of a

state of supreme detachment. For

me, nirvana is counting eachevening, one by one, the rupeesearned by my two thousand andforty-six rickshaws.

Hasari doesn't know whether to respond. A glance atRam tells him not to. Ghatak gestures for Hasari tolower his longhi.

GHATAK:

You are with family?

HASARI:

I have a wife and three children,

Babu.

GHATAK:

And they must eat, heh. The

world is full of open mouths.

He chews on this a moment, then opens a drawer... andholds a small, tinkling rickshaw bell toward Hasari.

Hasari understands that, incredibly, he has a job. His

breath is so shallow, he can barely utter his gratitude.

He takes the bell.

HASARI:

I shall be eternally grateful to

you. From now on, I shall be as

the youngest of your brothers.

GHATAK:

Stay loyal. These days, it's acrop nobody plants.

The Godfather turns his beatific and Godlike smile on

Hasari Pal.

(CONTINUED)

39.

EXT. MATTRESS SIGN - DAY (EARLY EVENING)

Transitor MUSIC. The Pals load the rickshaw that stands

at the road with Ram in it. There are embraces with the

bruised Arun and his family.

EXT. SQUARE - NIGHT (EARLY EVENING)

We hear the BELL TINKLING as the rickshaw, pulled byHasari, carrying Ram and Aloka (holding Shambu) arrives(Amrita and Manooj trotting beside their father). Surya,

Selima, other neighbors greet them as they come. The

Pals glance into the school at Joan, who's teachingan evening class.

WITH PALS:

Reverentially, they follow Ram inside as Joan watches.

INT. RAM'S HUT - NIGHT

A door opens. Moonlight. Faces peer through the door.

Ram lights an oil lamp. In the glow, the family looksaround their tiny space. Hardly able to suppress smiles.

HASARI:

Someone has blessed us. A job, a

roof, a school. Soon I'll be able

to send money home...

(looking at Amrita)

... and put away a little bit for

your dowry.

In their excitement, the boys run.

OUTSIDE:

and up to the roof, under the stars. We LOOK UP WITH

them and:

DISSOLVE TO:

EXT. GREEN ACRES - ON SKY - NIGHT

PAN DOWN TO Max on his balcony playing his trumpet as wecontinue to

DISSOLVE TO BLACK.

40.

FADE IN:

EXT. SQUARE AND STREET (CITY OF JOY) - DAY

About twenty tattered street kids faces shining with enjoyment.

They run and shout as they pursue somethingjust out of frame.

WIDE SHOT:

The cause of the excitement is Hasari running TOWARD us,

feet flying, as he pulls the rickshaw, loaded with a hugesack. Manooj and Shambu are clinging to the sides of themachine.

Ram stands in the center of the square. He shouts a

command and Hasari struggles to bring the rickshaw to a

stop. It's not easy and Sunil -- who's arriving -- has tojump out of the way to the accompaniment of apologies fromHasari and Ram and hoots of laughter from the children.

Outside the clinic, a line of perhaps seventy-five waitpatiently, watching as Hasari takes off again. The wheels

of the rickshaw hit a rut. Hasari loses control, the sack

tips back and Hasari is lifted into the air, feet kickingas he tries to regain his balance. Aloka and Amrita,

sitting near the bawling Ram, can't hold back theirlaughter.

EXT. SQUARE - HIGH ANGLE - DAY

The square is set with obstacles. As Ram shouts instruction,

we see Hasari negotiate them with much increasedskill. He stops in front of a small group. It's his

family, plus Joan and Surya. With an exhausted smile, he

signs to Aloka and Amrita to get in. They do, and Hasaritakes them triumphantly around the circuit.

HIGH ANGLE:

Hasari's triumphant ride continues and we:

DISSOLVE TO:

EXT. PARK STREET - DAY

Hasari rubs the moonstone in his ring on the shafts, thentouches his heart and his forehead. A SCHOOL GIRL in

uniform, approaches the rickshaw stand. We also see

several other pullers, Rassoul, Chomotkar, Ramatullah.

SCHOOL GIRL:

Rickshaw wallah!

(CONTINUED)

41.

CONTINUED:

RAM:

Let Hasari go!

The line of rickshaw pullers turns to Hasari. The other

pullers wish him well as he comes forward. His heart

pounds; ever so politely, he helps the School Girl intohis carriage. She gives him the address of the St. PiusSchool.

HASARI:

I'm sorry, I don't know where thatis. You're my very first passenger.

SCHOOL GIRL:

Really. Well, I hope I bring youluck.

She gives him a sweet smile.

SCHOOL GIRL:

That way, and then to the right.

His moment has arrived. He looks at Ram... and thrusts

his hips forward, setting off into the insanity of thetraffic, eyes flicking left and right. A HORN RAILS at

him and a taxi tries to run him down, calling and laughing

as Hasari jumps in terror.

RAM:

(calling)

Feed the police!

Other pullers laugh, call after Hasari... and as heapproaches the first corner, he manages to pull out arupee and deposit it into the hand of the impassivetraffic policeman and then turn right.

EXT. ST. PIUS - DAY

The School Girl hands him a slip of paper.

SCHOOL GIRL:

This is my home address. Pick me

up promptly at seven each morning.

HASARI:

Yes, thank you, you can depend on

me.

The girl runs into the school yard, met immediately byfriends. Hasari looks around at the clean, bustlingschool, at all the children in their crisp uniforms anda look of great yearning comes over his face.

42.

INT. SMALL RESTAURANT - DAY

Max is trying to explain to the waiter what he wants.

MAX:

Beef. You know -- cow? Minced,

little salt, pepper, slap it flatlike this, throw it on the grill,

flip it.

Now, though, he just glimpses the shiny gas tank andengine of a motorcycle around the hip of the waiter.

He leans out.

ANOTHER ANGLE:

Ashoka, astride his motorcycle, GUNNING the ENGINE as aboy runs out of a store with an armload of cassettes.

WITH MAX AND WAITER

MAX:

Put it on the grill, I'll be rightback.

WITH ASHOKA:

He pulls the boy's ear, REVS the ENGINE to go... andsenses someone close. He turns to find an American

hovering at his shoulder.

MAX:

You know, I have to say youreally don't look Jewish. I

believe that's mine.

He reaches for the necklace with the Hebrew letter.

Ashoka recognizes Max. Looks around for help. There is

none.

ASHOKA:

Don't touch me. No one touches me.

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