Music : life (short film in the making)

A short film script, influenced by some Good classical music & a Neellohit story.  

This is still a base idea which needs development of the characters and few more scene to get some story in place. 

Well that is some time letter.

Villa - outdoor Village - Early morning - Extreme Long shot to mid shot - trolly 

1. Red sky, Morning. Fields, narrow elevated road, poor tattered, disorganized village. In the big open fields there is a white house with a low compound surrounded by bushes and plant. Picturesque. Two young male, Rajesh and Nitin are hiding behind some bushes, looking at the house. A sense of suspense and ominous. One old person - Khan shab comes out with white beard, anxiety and impatient.

Nitin

Can you recognize him ? see carefully.(whisper)

Rajesh

(guessing)

No. Must be some criminal?

Nitin

you don’t know Khan shab, he is the best classical singer living. Is n’t that a surprise (exited) 

Rajesh

Oh! thats why you made me walk so much and getting bitten by mosquitos. (accusing and forceful)Come lets meet him. 

Nitin

No No..don’t disturb him(protesting, as Rajesh tries to drag him)

2. Villa verandah - Outdoor village - Morning, slanting sun light - Mid shot

All of them seating on the char-poi,  servant serving tea, followed by Paratha & Kebab. R & N are eating and looking at K with awe & jaw dropping respect, responding to k’s question with silent and slow gesture.   

Khan Shab

(Sipping tea with closed eye) so you are from Pune? (pause) you are the teacher in this village?.(pause, a bird call in the distance) K mimics the bird call (like talking to the bird - playfully) ...do you teach music also...(more bird talking) ...  Anwar cooks great Kebab ... Are you people married ... No!...Recites a urdu shairy about the greatness of marriage .... I am the lucky man with 2 live & 1 dead Begam and 4/5 girl friends ..ha ha (loudly)... Anwar, lets take bath... 

3. Villa room - Interior - Evening - Mid shot and close ups

K is seating on a old regal easy chair, R & N are seating on the floor, relaxed. leaning on the wall. lots of insect hovering on the light. Busts of wind coming from the window.  

Nitin

(whispers to R) khan shab must be drinking the Peer babas well water. It has great medicinal power to treat chronic stomach pains. Lot of people come to the village for treatment  

Rajesh

Khan shab, is the peer baba’s water any good..(little loudly to catch K’s attention)

Khan Shab

Urdu shairy (about how even God can’t cure the pain of love lorn heart but only drinks can (he takes a sip from the dark glass placed on the arm of the easy chair)... hums a slow tune... You both must come and meet me at Pune, I will be going there next.

(there is a loud thunder very near) khan shab sings a Raag mimicking the noise... more thunder...k sings mimicking rain... tip tap rain comes from the window 

4. Old Pune House - Noon - exterior  - Long shot 

Old Pune peth area, N & R walking and crossing the road to entre the house. The 3 storied house is old but beautiful. Things are kind of quite, intermittendly there is a crow crowing, noiesy auto passing, steel utensills falling in the far some where. Bright Sun. 

5. Old Pune House - staircase  - Shadowy Interior  - moving camera 

Long and wanding stairs, lots of old doors. All kind of people  are talking loudly, cant see them only can hear them through the door. 2-3 small children are loughing, playing and running up and down the stair. It has less light, suffocating and lots of noise. There is every kind of shoe laying all over. N & R jumps over the shoes and peeps through the door to find K. They keep going from one room to another, rather amused.

6. Old Pune House - room interior  - Strong shodow  - Mid shot 

Lots of people seating around K, some on a big bed, some on a mat on the floor, some are standing. There are lots of people in the room. Everyone is relaxed and chit chatting. Some mobile phone ringing. The door opens and N & R enters, every one looks at them.

    

khan Shab

(loudly) Where did you both vanished... having fun without me... wait in the balcony

Rajesh

(talks to a middle age fair lady) Did it happen pratima tai ?

Pratima tai

Noko re! He says I am his student but he teaches nothing to me...I am hanging around for 2 weeks...he is not even singing...forget teaching 

Rajesh

You are too patient Tai, you will make it (pulling leg)...hang around...the room will be very dull without you 

Khan sahab

(Talking to some event organisers, who is trying to fix a date for K’s programe, with a open chaque book in hand) Jorur hoga!, Manager Rao will call you... many people trying to persuade K, who is saying the same thing over and over.(we can see this from far through the people seating around.) 

Rajesh

(talking on the Phone- giving diraction of this house to some one. suts the mobile and winks at N.) Surprise for you my boy, big surprise.

7. Old Pune House - Balcony of the same room  - Strong light - Mid shot 

Some young people are seating on the balcony, K is seating on a small stool, seating with head thrown back listining to a headphone.

Nitin

(whispering angrily to Rajesh) what are you trying to do? patch up? It is all over, she is not interested in me, we are always fighting... 

Khan shhab

(with eyes closed, little loudly) what you call this, rap, ahaaa! I like it...shaking head with the music beat.

Rajesh

(A young girl, dark complexon, long skirt, oddly dressed, attractive, shy,  enters the room) Come this way... we are all here.(She comes looks at N, gives a look to R and walks away & stand near the railing)  

Khan shhab

Who is this lady, whose angry girlfriend?

Rajesh

(pointing to N) they are child hood friends but now they are in Viraha, Nisha is a trained classical singer, Khan sahab pl ask her...

8. A large car/van - interior of car - Evening - Koregaon road - Mid shot 

K is next to driver, Nisha is singing a bhajan, many people are stuffed in the car. Through the window one can see the glass houses and developed cityscape. Suddenly Nisha stops singing.

Prativa tai

Sing sing... you realy sing well... you are too moody... Khan shab is listining to you... 

Khan shab

Anwar stop. Ok girls, time to go home, now we boys are going for  all night adventure (turns back and winks to Rajesh) 

Prativa Tai

This is very unfair...I want to stay...we are having such a fun... You havnt listened to me yet, my turn hasnt yet come...(and reluctantly all girls get out of the car)

Khan shab

She (Nisha) has a potential but she does not practice. Ok you play your sharod...(N picks up the sharod from his lap and started playing, a happy and energetic tune...) 

9. An expensive sociEty - Gate - Sun is setting - Long shot 

The car enters the society through the security gards

10. An expensive society - Room interior - Sun is setting - mid shot 

Rich home, expensive interior foreign type, mood lighting - kind of gloomy, people are seating on a large sofa. An middle age leady is seating on the next to K’s feet. There is a large photo of K on the wall, a tanpura & tabla  lying on a fancy table. 

Khan shab

Radha, sing malkosh...I have got all these people to listen to your malkosh. (Radha doesn’t sing...she just looks down and cryes silently. pause) Dont be angry Radha, I know I have not visited you for many many years...my ears are thirsty for your voice...(one elderly gentle man who was standing near the door speaks) 

Gentle man

She doesnt sing, You took too much time. She cant even speak any more.(pause) It pains and blood comes out. Last stage of throat cancer. (in a halting, soft and sad tone)you should have come early. The last song you tought naver completed, she waited...

(K seems stuned, puts her hand on radhas head and tears comes out... and he sings  half of a song - malkosh / slow and sad. song ends. K gets up and slowly goes out naver looking back.)

END