Lion Page #9

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Saroo, perplexed, glances at Sue.

The minder smiles at Sue. But you can see she’s had a tough

24 hours, and knows there’s something’s wrong with this kid.

AUDIO (B/G, faint): John and Sue make small-talk with the

minder, along the lines of “You have a nice flight?” etc.

But down here at kid level, all of Saroo’s focus is on this

wired boy whose eyes dart crazily, whose hands are scarred

and scabbed. Saroo is basically thinking, “What the hell have

we got here?”

[In Mantosh, we get the visual and behavioral echoes with

Haunted Boy in Liluah too.]

INT. SAROO’S BEDROOM, BRIERLEY HOME - DAY

Saroo stands frozen and freaked out in his own bedroom, eyes

wide open - listening to a great commotion along the hall.

Saroo leans to his open door - peeks out

INT. HALLWAY LEADING TO LIVING ROOM - CONTINUOUS (DAY)

REVERSE of that:
a sliver of the chaos in the living room

-(Saroo’s POV) Sue in silhouette, frozen - as beyond her,

Mantosh screams like a banshee for no apparent reason. A

child’s cricket bat flies across the room, clattering against

the china cabinet - as John lunges to protect it JOHN

Woh woh woh woh! Hang on, sunshine -

Mantosh ransacking his own new toys - Tasmanian devil style.

JOHN (CONT’D)

Careful with the furniture, mate.

Mantosh starts to hit himself, screaming. Losing breath.

Sue and John try to calm him.

JOHN (CONT’D)

C’mon. Breathe. Deep breaths.

40

BACK ON SAROO:
in his sliver of doorway, watching the scene

up the hallway, he simply CLOSES HIS EYES.

CUT TO BLACK.

INT. DARK HALLWAY, INTO KITCHEN, BRIERLEY HOME - NIGHT

We TRACK OUT OF THE BLACKNESS along the hall, into the dark

living room - and the OPEN KITCHEN over there.

A night light in the kitchen illuminates Sue, standing at the

sink. Still. Her arms hanging limp. Exhausted. Mute.

Saroo stands behind her, watching. (She hasn’t heard him.)

He steps beside her. Reaches up, takes her hand.

She snaps out of it, looks down on him. It’s all right, says

the look on his face.

A private communion. The son comforting the mother. Then, as

if remembering her duty to look after him, Sue pulls Saroo

close, cradles his head. They stand there, a silent tableau.

MUSIC (PRE-LAP into next scene) rises over end of this, into

EXT. WINEGLASS BAY - DAY (2010)

Deep blue water, infused with glints of sunlight.

Saroo (now 26) breaks the surface.

Contented. Relaxed. Completely at home in the water, he

floats onto his back, at one with the sea and the sun.

This is paradise...

Super:
25 YEARS LATER

He swims smoothly to the shore. Hauls his sailboard upright.

AERIAL - HOBART STREETS - LATE AFTERNOON/DUSK

We track high above a car as it glides down the freeway

INT. HOBART WATERSIDE RESTAURANT - DAY

Saroo, John and Sue sit in a busy restaurant - glass walls,

wine glasses tinkling, sunlight bouncing off the harbour.

There’s a fourth place-setting, untouched. Clearly this is a

huge moment - their son is leaving. John pours the champagne.

Saroo, observing the ritual. Sue, her eyes sparkling, to

Saroo, re:
the champagne -isn’t this exciting?

SAROO:

It’s only Melbourne...

JOHN:

(jokes)

It’s across the water.

They hold their glasses up. Respect and care in this family.

SUE:

Saroo. Beautiful boy. May this

bring you all you can wish for.

JOHN:

And then some.

SAROO:

Thanks Mum. Thanks Dad.

SUE:

You came into our lives.

SAROO:

- Mum!

SUE:

I’m not finished. You were more

than we ever hoped for.

On Saroo:
Okay, Mum’s getting serious. Head down -

embarrassed, but touched.

SUE (CONT’D)

More work, that’s for sure.

They laugh.

SUE (CONT’D)

From the moment we first saw you -

She takes John’s hand.

JOHN:

Those great big eyes

Sue and John smile at each other.

SUE:

And now look at you - just look at

you...

JOHN:

You’re a good lad, Saroo.

SUE:

We’re proud of you, and excited for

you, for this new chapter.

JOHN:

(toasts)

To success.

At this moment the WAITER comes up.

WAITER:

(on the unused setting)

Are you still waiting on someone?

Or can I take this away?

SAROO:

You can take it away.

SUE:

You can leave it, thanks.

SAROO:

No, take it.

The waiter, uncertain.

SUE:

(tight)

I’d like to keep it, thanks.

Beat. Well, that decides it.

SAROO:

You don’t really think he’ll turn

up, do you?

JOHN:

Just let it be, son.

Sue puts on her brave smile. Takes another sip of champagne.

SUE:

(to John)

This is a nice one, love.

John puts his hand on her hand.

Saroo looks lovingly at Sue. She’s brave and beautiful.

I/E. MAZDA / RUN-DOWN HOUSE - AFTERNOON

Saroo pulls up at a run-down shack that sits alone in a huge

eucalyptus forest by the sea - an isolationist’s dream.

EXT. (THROUGH TO INT.) RUN-DOWN HOUSE - SECONDS LATER

We follow Saroo as he steps through the open front door into

Mantosh’s forlorn home.

SAROO:

Mantosh?

As Saroo walks straight through to the back door - it’s not a

big house - we take in the bare-bones, rundown interior -

-Saroo notes, in passing, all the messy drug paraphernalia

on the “coffee table” (an old door on two milk crates) -

EXT. BACKYARD, RUN-DOWN HOUSE - CONTINUOUS (AFTERNOON)

-through to the back - and there, in a patch of sunlight in

the unkempt, scrappy yard, sits ADULT MANTOSH on a log.

Smoking a hand-rolled cigarette, drinking instant coffee.

Saroo comes over. Wariness between the two. Mantosh: wiry,

edgy, nervy. Static electricity comes off this guy.

MANTOSH:

Yeah, sorry I didn’t make lunch.

Beat. Saroo, edgy.

MANTOSH (CONT’D)

What’s the course again?

SAROO:

Hotel management.

MANTOSH:

So you’re gonna learn to, what -

manage a hotel?

(beat)

Well, have fun.

Saroo doesn’t answer.

SAROO:

Any bills you need to pay?

MANTOSH:

Some cash’d be good.

This is not even taken seriously.

SAROO:

You’re on your own now.

MANTOSH:

I’m good at that.

(beat)

Hey, you can give me a job when you

come back.

SAROO:

Cut the sh*t. Just - please, could

you not do anything while I’m gone -

MANTOSH:

- yeah, yeah

SAROO:

-that’s going to make mum even

more unhappy.

MANTOSH:

(incredulous)

Mate. Why do you think I stay away?

AERIAL - HOBART AIRPORT - AFTERNOON

MUSIC. CLEAN POV of a TARMAC, falling away as we lift off.

HIGHER AERIAL - TASMANIA - AFTERNOON

High above this luscious island. The green wilderness of

Tasmania. The ocean, coming into view.

INT. QANTAS DOMESTIC FLIGHT - AFTERNOON

CLOSE on Saroo:
at his window, looking down over that ocean.

Reflective. The nomad, off again. He pulls the window blind

down. Then up. Down. Up. Didn’t he do that once long ago?

FADE TO BLACK:

SUPER:
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA

INT. RMSHM AUDITORIUM - DAY

Well-lit stage. An impressive, modern feel. Mid-address, the

PROVOST welcomes 100 NEW STUDENTS to an elite course at the

Royal Melbourne College of Hotel Management.

PROVOST:

You’ve been selected from around

the world. A world that’s opening

up faster than we could ever have

imagined.

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