Lion Page #15

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SAROO:

Wait. Do you even want me to find

them?

LUCY:

Of course I do. But I’m worried

about you.

(beat)

About us.

He walks into the kitchen. Leaving Lucy stranded.

INT. LUKE’S PLACE - NIGHT

Saroo and Lucy arrive at a party in a terrace house. Loud

music - a narrow, packed hallway - a crush of PARTY GUESTS.

They greet their FRIENDS, including Luke - the host. Saroo’s

all smiles. Loud and cheerful - over-playing it.

Lucy’s aware of his hyped-up mood - concern in her eyes.

INT. LUKE’S LIVING ROOM - CONTINUOUS

A short time later, Lucy is dancing. Saroo’s drinking.

Looking around. Disconnected.

She beckons to him. He ignores her. Wanders out.

She keeps dancing.

EXT. LUKE’S BACK YARD - NIGHT

Lucy searches out Saroo, who - uncharacteristically - has

found a corner to be alone in.

She stands in front of him. He doesn’t look at her. How long

will he actually ignore her?

She moves closer - takes his hands - places them on her body,

under her shirt. He pulls away.

SAROO:

I need a beer.

As he starts to move past her, she loses it. Blocks his path.

LUCY:

(furious)

“I need another beer.” You always

do that -

SAROO:

Stop it, Luce -

LUCY:

-no, you stop it!

There are party guests nearby - Saroo and Lucy keep their

voices low, neither of them welcoming a public drama.

But now Saroo disengages, infuriating her more.

LUCY (CONT’D)

Where are you?

He shakes his head.

LUCY (CONT’D)

What does that mean?

SAROO:

(on the public setting)

I’m not prepared to argue with you.

LUCY:

Talk to me. Be with me.

SAROO:

Can this wait till we get home ...

The more he tries to avoid conflict, the angrier she becomes.

LUCY:

Home? You mean the place I live,

alone? With you - alone - in the

next room?

SAROO:

Luce -

LUCY:

I moved here to be with you.

SAROO:

-this isn’t working.

LUCY:

What isn’t?

SAROO:

Any of it.

He moves past her -

INT. LUKE’S PLACE - CONTINUOUS

- and back into the loud party - and out of here -

- Lucy hot on his heels -

LUCY:

Saroo!

Luke, watching them head for the door.

EXT. STREET OUTSIDE LUKE’S PLACE - CONTINUOUS (NIGHT)

Saroo just wants to get away. Lucy follows.

LUCY:

Don’t do this.

SAROO:

You don’t get it.

LUCY:

You have to face reality.

SAROO:

What do you mean, “reality”?

LUCY:

The reality that you’re ruining

your life! That you’re not even

here!

SAROO:

Do you have any idea what it’s

like, knowing my real brother and

mother spend every day of their

lives looking for me?

LUCY:

(genuinely bewildered)

What?

SAROO:

How every day they scream my name.

(beat)

And I feel their touch. I see their

faces. Can you imagine the pain

they must be in, not knowing where

I am? Twenty-five years, Luce.

Twenty-five!

LUCY:

Why haven’t you ever told me this

was happening?

SAROO:

And we swan about in our privileged

lives. Pretending. It makes me

sick.

Lucy is speechless.

LUCY:

(faint, soft)

I never stopped you ...

It’s as if Saroo suddenly sees her pain properly. And is

brought back to earth. The air in him deflating.

SAROO:

Listen -. Lucy -. I’m sorry -. I

can’t do this -.

(beat)

You deserve more

LUCY:

-don’t! Don’t you dare.

Her eyes fill with tears.

LUCY (CONT’D)

This is on you! Not me.

Saroo can’t deal with her pain. He takes off. This time, she

doesn’t follow.

EXT. HOBART STREETS - NIGHT

Saroo walks the streets like a tormented soul.

He can’t live in two worlds at once. He has to choose.

Slowly, his despair becomes defiance.

He’s made his choice.

IMAGINED MEMORY, KHANDWA STREETS

Kamla wanders the streets, distressed.

KAMLA:

Saroo!

(JUMP CUTS.) She’s beside herself. Searching empty laneways.

KAMLA (CONT’D)

Saroo! Saroo!

Faces everywhere. Kamla looks like a crazy lady.

People peer out from their windows and doorways. She never

stops, the camera always moving.

A mother in panic.

EXT. EMPTY SUBURBAN STREETS, HOBART - PRE-DAWN

First hints of light. Saroo just wandering.

He seems drained. All movement, no thought.

EXT. KHANDWA RIVER - DAY (IMAGINED MEMORY)

Kamla is by the river, amongst the prayer, the smoke, the

chanting.

Kids in the river, swimming. Washing.

She hunts their faces.

KAMLA:

Saroo!

WIDE:
she searches in this enormous landscape - strange,

poetic, haunting - the PEOPLE like ants ...

KAMLA (CONT’D)

Saroo!

Her voice drowned out by the sound of a train, passing over

the river.

FADE TO BLACK:

INT. LIVING ROOM, BEACH HOUSE - DAY

TWO MONTHS LATER. SOUND of the sea. Bright marine light. We

track through the house. It’s virtually empty. The atmosphere

of a squat.

No sign of homeliness, of warmth - of Lucy.

A mattress on the living room floor. A master map of India on

the wall. Piles of print-outs - lists of railway stations -

some marked-up - most still pristine. Images of water towers,

train platforms, under-passes.

Saroo - long hair, beard - has surrendered to his obsession.

MUSIC starts - continues into a series of HARD CUTS:

-Scrolling; waiting for the pixels to resolve.

-A blue “train station” symbol.

-CLOSER IN:
a formless, satellite-image town.

-On Saroo:
studying its features. No, that’s not it.

He stands - grabs a blue pin - sticks it into the map.

- leans back into the screen. Reads the next town -

-enters the name.

-blue train station symbol.

-Another town, the surrounds of the train station.

-He grabs another blue pin - sticks it into the map.

-Scroll. Symbol. Station. Pin.

-Scroll. Symbol. Station. Pin.

It becomes a rapid MONTAGE. Sound of someone hammering on the

front door.

EXT. BEACH HOUSE - CONTINUOUS

Mantosh is at the door. He looks nervous, desperate, standing

there counting coins in his hand. He bangs harder on the

door.

MANTOSH:

Saroo, ya bastard!

Silence. Mantosh, listening.

MANTOSH (CONT’D)

Saroo!

(beat)

Mate, can you lend us fifty bucks?

CLOSE on Mantosh, sweating there at the door. He doesn’t look

good.

Mantosh gives up knocking, leaves.

MANTOSH (CONT’D)

Yeah, whatever, dude.

INT. LIVING ROOM, BEACH HOUSE - CONTINUOUS

Saroo spies out of the window.

As Mantosh heads off down the beach, he’s joined by a DRUGGIE

MATE, who has been lurking somewhere near.

The mate looks to Mantosh, inquisitive, Well? Mantosh just

shakes his head, No go. They walk away.

Saroo turns. Guddu is there, also watching Mantosh.

Saroo and Guddu look at each other.

Saroo returns to his search.

INT. STATIONERY SHOP, MALL - DAY

TWO MONTHS LATER. Saroo - his hair longer, his beard wilder moves

slowly down the aisle of a stationery shop - putting

boxes of COLOURED FLAG PINS into a basket.

He’s out of place in this vivid Charlie & the Chocolate

Factory world.

He stops at the pen section, testing high-lighters. Throws

some different-coloured boxes of those in his basket.

At the counter, as the items are scanned, we study Saroo’s

face. He looks exhausted. Doesn’t notice when the CASHIER

smiles at him.

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