Peepli Live Page #6

(Deepak) Come down!

Where did he go?

Hurry up! Jump!

(Nandita ) You are a cop and you

don't know? What were you doing?

(Policeman ) l had gone for a sh*t

and was walking back.

Everyone was running so l ran too.

- Who was running and where?

- Everyone, madam, everywhere.

- What happened to Natha?

- Don't know, he ran away.

- What?

- Yes!

The media is out in full force.

The police have taken positions.

This is an absolutely

shocking turn of events.

Natha Das Manekpuri has gone missing.

ls it a political conspiracy?

Or was Natha under pressure?

ls this police negligence?

Will he or will he not commit suicide...

Hello. Hello.

Yadav calling, sir.

Nobody has a clue

as to where he is.

More importantly,

has he changed his mind?

Natha missing. ls he dead or alive?

Only C.M. Yadav can tell us

where Natha is.

Missing? Or forced to disappear?

We are waiting

for the High Court orders.

What does this say

about safety in Mukhya Pradesh?

We'll investigate.

People go missing!

We'll find Natha within 7 2 hours.

We are waiting

for the High Court orders.

in his mission,

and 7 % hold America responsible.

All Communist parties strongly condemn

the State and Federal Government.

Unemployment, starvation, poverty,

America and all other issues.

We are waiting

for the High Court orders.

lf you look closely

you 'll see Natha's footprints.

Whether escape or abduction,

here's where Natha perched himself

for the last time.

And here's the fruit of his toil,

his faeces,

commonly known as sh*t.

Take a close look.

Do not cringe at the sight,

for, as long as we live,

we will continue to sh*t.

Psychiatrists claim that faeces

reflect our mental state.

The complexion of our sh*t

is a window to the inner self.

But here we see

a mixture of hues.

Therefore, before reaching

any conclusions

we need to bring in experts

as Mr Natha was no ordinary man.

For Bharat Live this is Kumar Deepak

live from Peepli.

l feel we have to do something, sir.

Law suits have been filed.

Sir, these Central Government schemes

do not cover farmers who are still alive.

Our schemes cover only those

who are already dead.

Try this. Launch a programme,

the Natha Card Programme.

Dedicated to Natha.

This card will be given to families

below the poverty line

or whose members

wish to commit suicide.

But we can't afford that.

and at least half of them

are below the poverty line.

We don't have funds for it.

We're merely making

the announcement.

lmplementation is the problem

of the State Governments.

Damned if they do,

damned if they don't.

Let the music begin.

Hey?

Wearing father's sweater again?

( Sobs )

Why are you hitting him?

All your fault.

You started this whole thing.

You think he's dead?

Even if the God of Death himself

came to fetch him, he won't go.

He must be hiding somewhere.

Left us in a lurch.

The government says you get no money

until you produce the corpse.

Happy now?

l've three children.

How do l provide for them?

Go on, you slut!

Gobble him up too,

swallow him up!

You keep shut.

Had it not been for your medicines,

we'd have never taken the loan.

( Amma ) Look! Now she is cursing me.

l've had enough.

Now you put in an application to die.

Are you mad?

- My death will bring nothing.

- Of course it will!

By now even l know that.

lf you die,

your mother gets the money.

- Don't talk rot.

- l'm not.

Take this sheet,

lie down and die!

God! This witch will kill him too.

You luckless whore, sorceress, witch.

l curse you to death!

- What happened?

- Hori died.

- The one who used to dig?

- Yes.

- How?

- He was weak to begin with.

And then, the hard labour.

He was found dead in his pit.

With me is Ms Biniya, who is from

Natha's wife side of the family.

Can you tell us where Natha could be?

Do you know if he is alive?

(Baby cries )

This is not working, Sandip.

Rakesh...

Where are you ?

Tell me, how hard is it

to find one decent person

l can talk to, huh?

Why is Natha so important to us?

Natha...

You 're talking about Natha?

OK...

A farmer is committing suicide

because he's in debt.

You don't think that's important?

Yes, it's important. But there

are other farmers too in this village.

Aren't they equally important?

You don't just abandon

a story midway, Rakesh,

and move on to something else. No.

You 've got to follow it

right to it's conclusion.

There was a farmer in this village

called Hori Mahato.

His farm had been auctioned.

So he used to dig up earth

from fallow land and sell it.

For his labour,

he made about 20 rupees.

What's your point, Rakesh?

He was found dead in his own pit.

People say he died of hunger.

ls this not important?

Fine, if it makes you happy,

we'll send a reporter,

we'll do an entire feature on him.

But he's dead.

Let me try and explain this to you .

Research shows our audience

is interested only in Natha.

Do you know why?

Because he is

the original live suicider.

Do you have any idea

how big this is?

Would finding Natha

solve all problems?

No. No.

No solution is going to be found.

Some people choose to become doctors,

some engineers.

We're journalists

and this is what we do.

lf you can't handle this

then you 're in the wrong profession.

Hey, Natha!

Natha?

Hey, Natha!

What's up?

What's happening?

Eat.

'The government has launched

a new programme

'dedicated to Natha Das Manekpuri.

'Farmers desiring to commit suicide

will be given a Natha Card.

'More than 65,000 farmers

have already applied for this card.'

Bhaiji, take my advice.

Let's strike a deal with Mr Salim

and give Natha to him.

That will put C.M. and Pappulal in a fix.

You 're right, Gudda.

No, Mr Salim,

this has nothing to do with money.

lt's about honour.

Yes, l'll give you Natha.

Then you decide whether

you want murder or suicide.

Welcome, please come.

All of Peepli will be at your service.

Mr Salim, you 're a man of style.

You have brought glamour

to even the Agriculture Ministry.

Your true fan is me.

Leave your party and join us.

Very well.

Bhai Thakur, that scoundrel!

Playing games with me!

Mr Salim had recommended

an American company.

What was it called? Sonmanto?

Yes.

Give them all the government contracts

for seeds.

- But sir. . .

- Do as you 're told.

Yes, sir.

Organise a press conference tonight.

ln Peepli.

Welcome, Rakesh sir.

How are you ?

Your shop is going well.

All thanks to you .

- How about some food?

- Right away.

Boy, set a plate.

ln a minute. Let me first

pack Gudda Babu 's dinner.

What's up? Has Gudda Babu

stopped going home?

He's ordering a take-away every night.

- He's at the warehouse these days.

- l see.

Come quickly!

Wait, Mr Rakesh, it's done.

Get up! We're taking you home.

l don't want to, l'm OK here.

But we aren't OK with that.

Let go.

Gudda Babu , get him off me.

Hey, listen Natha.

- We all have to return home, my dear.

- But l don't want to. l'm fine here.

Don't! No marks.

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