Rock the Kasbah Page #6

---

just asking for a chance.

Just asking for you

to give her a chance.

If the ulema

doesn't shut us down,

if the ministry of information

doesn't throw me in jail,

there will be

another season, Mr. Lanz.

Call me later.

There is no later for Salima, or for you...

or your country.

If you let this girl

sing on national TV,

if you let the Afghan people

see her courage...

Stop. Stop!

And to hear her voice...

No! You do not lecture me about courage,

about my country.

Never. Never.

Not you. Not an American.

You people. You talk and talk.

Have been talking at us

for far too long.

Courage?

There are more death threats

on this show than singers.

Touch.

Michael Jackson.

Pink Floyd. The Eagles.

The Bee Gees.

Saturday Night Fever album.

Fleetwood Mac.

Miss Whitney Houston.

They're all giants.

Demigods.

They all crushed... crushed

40 million units or more.

Forty million units.

Now, you work too hard

for me not to say this.

I consider you my new friend

in Afghanistan.

I want you to consider me...

your new partner.

Now, I have an 80-20...

that's been stepped on

by a preexisting 70-30.

But your 15 against my 85...

puts us both in a palace

in the hills, my friend.

And those numbers

can be massaged.

But the first thing...

You got to just

hear the girl sing.

[ SPEAKING DARI ]

Richie, the judges

want to know...

if Salima will be

only singing in English.

That's never happened before.

Well, I'm afraid so.

It's a touching story.

She learned from a seriously

wounded American GI...

who was trapped in her village.

As she nursed him back to health,

he taught her one word a day,

until finally,

the music of the West.

None of that's true. I mean,

apparently there was a soldier.

So only Cat Stevens?

And Jimmy Cliff.

She does the Muslim West.

That's it.

[ THEME ]

[ DAOUD SPEAKING DARI ]

[ APPLAUSE ]

[ SPEAKING DARI ]

What?

What'd that twerp say?

Nothing.

I'm gonna go kill him, just in case.

No, Richie.

All right,

when you're done,

big James Brown finish.

I come out,

throw a hijab around you,

escort you off the stage.

Richie...

You shrug off the shawl,

stroll back to the mike,

go down, a full knee drop.

Nail that last verse one last time.

Ignore him. You be you.

You look like a lady.

You sing like an angel. It'll be enough.

[ MAN SINGING IN DARI ]

He's very good.

[ SPEAKING IN DARI ]

[ APPLAUSE ]

Okay.

Now's a good time

to be sick.

[ APPLAUSE ]

[ SCATTERED APPLAUSE ]

[ GUITAR INTRO ]

Okay. Let 'em hear you.

Now that I've lost

everything to you

You say you want to

start something new

And it's breaking my heart

you're leaving

Baby, I'm grieving

But if you wanna leave,

take good care

Hope you have

a lot of nice things to wear

But then a lot of nice things

turn bad out there

Oh, baby, baby,

it's a wild world

It's hard to get by

just upon a smile

Oh, baby, baby,

it's a wild world

I'll always remember you

like a child, girl

You know, I've seen a lot

of what the world can do

And it's breakin'

my heart in two

Because I never wanna

see you sad, girl

Don't be a bad girl

But if you wanna leave,

take good care

Hope you make a lot

of nice friends out there

But just remember there's a

lot of bad and beware

Oh, baby, baby,

it's a wild world

[ SPEAKS DARI ]

It's hard to get by

just upon a smile

[ CHATTERING ]

Ooh, baby, baby,

it's a wild world

I'll always remember you

like a child, girl

Oh, baby, baby,

it's a wild world

It's hard to get by

just upon a smile

[ ENDS ]

[ RICHIE ] Yeah!

[ APPLAUDS ]

Come on!

Whoo!

[ RICHIE ]

Yeah! Come on!

[ SPEAKING DARI ]

[ MERCI ]

How you feelin', boss?

[ RICHIE ]

They were with her.

I can feel when it's working.

And she had 'em.

They didn't wanna show it,

but she had 'em.

I mean, she was something.

[ SPEAKERS:

MAN SINGING BALLAD ]

She was really something.

What else can a poor boy do?

May I hide from the wind

over here?

[ CHUCKLES ]

[ CONTINUES ]

[ MALE REPORTER SPEAKING DARI ]

We shook hands.

That's a binding contract,

sacred in my world!

Phone calls have been made,

to Dubai!

I've heard the greatest!

I've heard the best!

The way she sang last night,

she could have won it all!

We could have won it all, Dad.

[ TARIQ SPEAKS PASHTO ]

[ DAOUD ] If she goes back

to the village, Richie,

I must remove her name

from the ballot.

[ RICHIE ]

What a beautiful picture.

Miss, would you mind moving?

I'm trying to look at the skyline here.

Thank you.

A**hole.

What time is your flight?

8:
00 to Dubai.

Three-hour layover.

And then I got a direct flight to LA.

Gotta sleep.

I was going to tell you.

Really.

When it comes to men,

I'm usually two steps ahead.

[ RICHIE ] It wasn't supposed

to end this way.

That girl has talent.

She has the gift.

She has the magic. I know it.

How the hell good am I

if I can't break a talent like that?

Honey, I saw the audience.

They did not dig

an uncovered Pashtun girl...

singing Cat Stevens in English.

Sweetness and light.

I watched that crowd.

They wanted to go with her.

They were dying to go with her.

They just weren't able

to go with her because it was in public.

You really believe that?

I sure do.

So?

So...

daddy bear took her

out of the show, and she quit.

Quit? You quit. It was that easy

for you to walk away.

First little bump in the road,

and Mr. Richie's just giving up,

slinking back to his

little Van Nuys world.

I don't think you know

quite what you're talking about.

Nah. I don't know sh*t.

I know, 'cause my daddy

told me that.

"Merci, just shut up.

Put on a tube top.

Go find yourself a rich man

while you still can."

And for a long time, too long,

I believed him.

But you know what,

Richie?

I am not dumb.

I'm gonna walk out of here

with a serious nest egg...

and open my own

real estate agency in Oahu.

Richie Lanz,

I fought to be a winner,

and I do not have time

for quitters and losers.

I am not a loser.

I am a quitter.

If you really know talent,

and you really know that Salima's

gonna win her way into the next round,

then do something.

Figure something out, man.

I don't know.

But win, goddamn it.

God, you are really crazy about me,

aren't you?

I am your partner with this girl,

but I bet on you, Richie.

Not her. You.

And you better

deliver me my 30%.

I got an idea.

Of course you do, hon.

It's a million-to-one shot.

But so...

were the Bay City Rollers.

Hey. As-salaam alaikum.

Alaikum salaam.

What do you say we keep

Salima on the ballot?

What?

Well, who actually knows that she quit?

I mean, officially.

I know.

My staff knows.

Okay, but they don't know,

right?

On TV last night...

there was her name on the ballot

with a phone number to call. Yes.

You know, if you haven't officially

removed her from the ballot, don't.

She's risked her life.

Come on.

It'd be great for her village,

for her family, for her people,

the nation, the world,

women everywhere.

Maybe.

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes