Gandhi Page #58

Mirabehn is spinning across the room. She lifts her head as

a signal to someone out of shot.

Gandhi's two grand nieces, Manu and Abha, who help Mirabehn

now that Ba is gone, rise quickly at Mirabehn's signal, Manu

to help with his shawl, Abha to hold his sandals so that he

can slip into them.

GANDHI:

I'm your grand uncle but I can still

walk either of you into the ground

and I don't need to be pampered this

way!

It's cross -- he's worried about other things. Mirabehn just

smiles at it. Gandhi looks down at Abha, and taps her sharply

on the top of the head.

GANDHI:

Finish your quota of spinning.

She nods obediently, the flicker of a smile around her mouth,

youthful, irrepressible. The beauty of it almost saddens

Gandhi. He taps her again -- gently -- and goes out.

GANDHI'S ASHRAM - EXTERIOR - DAY

Kallenbach shoos a chicken from the back seat of the Austin

and dusts off the seat. He steps back out.

Gandhi is approaching with Nehru and Azad, Pyarelal trails

close behind. We have seen Azad and Pyarelal come out on the

porch behind Nehru. As Gandhi near the car a Hindu youth

with a black flag calls to him.

HINDU YOUTH:

Bapu -- please. Don't do it!

They are all awed, timid even in his actual presence, and

the mood of their gathering has changed altogether. Gandhi

looks at the youth and the line of others.

GANDHI:

(impatiently)

What do you want me not to do? Not

to meet with Mr. Jinnah?

(Fiercely)

I am a Muslim!

(He stares at them,

then relents.)

And a Hindu, and a Christian and a

Jew -- and so are all of you. When

you wave those flags and shout you

send fear into the hearts of your

brothers.

He sweeps them sternly with his eyes, all his fatigue and

strain showing.

GANDHI:

This is not the India I want. Stop

it. For God's sake, stop it.

And he lowers his head and moves on to the car, where

Kallenbach holds the door for him, Nehru, Azad and Pyarelal

following.

Another angle. As they get into the car, we see the car that

sits by the two trucks that have brought the youths. In the

back seat we see two men, one of whom is Prakash (The bearded

man at Gandhi's assassination).

JINNAH'S DRAWING ROOM - INTERIOR - NIGHT

Jinnah is on the small balcony of this elaborate room. He is

looking down in a slightly supercilious manner. As usual he

is impeccably dressed.

JINNAH:

Now, please, if you've finished your

prayers, could we begin with business.

He has been looking at Gandhi, who sits on the floor of the

large room some distance from him, just lifting his head

from prayers.

Nehru, Patel and Azad are on the same side of the room as

Gandhi. They rise from prayer as Jinnah comes down the steps

to them. Gandhi hesitates, then begins.

GANDHI:

My dear Jinnah, you and I are brothers

born of the same Mother India. If

you have fears, I want to put them

to rest.

(Jinnah listens

impatiently,

skeptically. Gandhi

just glances in

Nehru's direction.)

I am asking Panditji to stand down.

I want you to be the first Prime

Minister of India

(Jinnah raises an

eyebrow of interest.)

-- to name your entire cabinet, to

make the head of every government

department a Muslim.

And Jinnah has drawn himself up. His vanity is too great not

to be touched by that prospect. He measures Gandhi for a

moment to see that he is sincere, and when he is satisfied

with that, he turns slowly to Nehru, Patel and Azad.

Nehru glances at Patel. They have all been taken by surprise

by the offer -- and do not feel what Gandhi feels. Nehru

looks hesitantly at Gandhi.

NEHRU:

Bapu, for me, and the rest,

(his hand gestures to

Patel and Azad)

if that is what you want, we will

accept it. But out there

(he indicates the

streets)

already there is rioting because

Hindus fear you are going to give

too much away.

PATEL:

If you did this, no one could control

it. No one.

It bears the stamp of undeniable truth. Gandhi's eyes sag

with the despair of a man whose last hope, whose faith, has

crumbled around him.

Jinnah smiles cynically, he spreads his hands "See?"

JINNAH:

It is your choice. Do you want an

independent India and an independent

Pakistan? Or do you want civil war?

Gandhi stares at him numbly.

THE RED FORT - NEW DELHI - EXTERIOR - DAY

On a platform in the foreground Mountbatten and Nehru. A

band plays the Indian National Anthem loudly and there is

the roar of a tremendous crowd as the green, white and saffron

flag of India is raised on the flagpole.

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