-------------Bhagode 2nd draft-----------------------------------------------------

Characters(14)

Zaki- in his 60’s , lanky and slightly tall walks slowly (in the story as he is injured) gray
hair

Namita- in her 50’s average built , in good health wears reading spects, dresses stylishly
ethnic and western(look 2 – in late 20’s pregnant 8 months, disturbed, reactive and
weak)

Partho- in his 20’s – beard and unkept hair, unwashed, khaddar and jeans
, volatile, high pitched and very reactive)

Girl- about 13 , petite, pale yet rigid

Buddha- relaxed contained has a defeated anger about him which he has come in terms
with, has a high pitch and speaks loudly but never yells

Thomas-male 30
Interviewer-female 28ish
Ashish-30ish
Yusuf-early 20s
rioters(3-4)early 20’s

Act 1
----------girl in centre facing a mirror and wielding a hammer------------stage completely
illuminated
girl stares at mirror….at her own reflection which is massive-----and then she lifts the
hammer to break the mirror. She is driving the sledge hammer towards mirror when the
light snaps of and a tubelight buzz sound fills the stage.

Act2
(inside a video projection)

Interviewer: toh kyon nahin tod deti hai wo shesha….

Zaki (on wheelchair): kyon ki sheeshe mein hi sahi, kahin toh uska wazood salamt hai.

Int: par intna zaroori kyon ho jata hai uske wazood ka salamat hona.

Zaki : kahani ka nukhta wazood hai mohtarma, uthaiye toh kahani shuru, rakh dijiye toh
kahani khatam. Uske beech hi toh ye jo bhi ho raha hai, basa hai. Ab vajood hi na ho toh
kidhar se shuru karein kahani aur kidhar khatm Karein.
Int: par uski dikkat isi kahani se hi toh hai, jo auron ki, ya kahein toh ek bade collective
ki kahani mein fit nahin baithti, aur yehi wajah hai ki use apne wazood se dikkat hai.

Zaki: dikkat use wazood se nahin hai, dikkat use us ghutan se hai jo har din use apne
wazood ko ghuta kar hoti hai because of the coercive collective truth.

Int: apki nayika ek lesbian hai, par uski ladai ek collective aur individual ki ladai ki
shakal leti ja rahi hai, jo apki ladai bhi hai. Kahin apka kirdaar dilute toh nahin ho raha.

Zaki: ab hota hai toh hua kare, is dunia se baat karne ke zyada raaste reh nahin gaye hain
mere paas, jitney raaste maine khole, utne unhone band kiye….. aapke ghar mohallo
se...kitabon se..zehen se.......(long pause) dil se hume jhadoo maar kar phenk diya
gaya….as if I was an infestation ...maie jo kaha..jala diya..maine jo likha ..jala dia..maine
jo banaya ..jala diya...mujhe jel mein phenk kar bhaddi galian di...kitna mushkil ho sakta
hai ek alag nazariye ko bas thodi si jagah dena.....kabhi kisi alag nazarie wale ko bhgwan
banaya tha aapne....phir kisi doosre ke haathon mein keelein thok kar use saleeb par til til
kar marne ke liye chod diya…….(pause)...badhiya tareekein hain aapke sahab.

hamein rehne do hamare nazariye ke saath...hamne....kabhi bhi...kabhi bhi aapse kaha

hamein suno....hamein bhagwan banao...shaitan banao...kuch bhi banao....bas apne
nazariye se imandaar rehne ka haq manga tha aapse.....(long pause).this is dangerous …
this cookey cutter one track way of livin life will deprive civilization of whatever
nurtures them and keeps them human….

Int: ham baat kar rahe hain jane mane par behad vivadaspad installation artist aur novel
navis Zaki Rukharyar se.kahin jaayigega mat ham haazir hote hain break ke baad.

(Out of projection)

Rectangle enclosing it all as tv broadcast moves behind, light dims and zaki is on other
side of the frame wit few other people.

Thomas: how many days do you plan to continue bull shitting them.
Zaki: I’m not very touchy, look this is a ceremony in which no one is interested. They
want to interview me so they are, I am to be interviewed so I am …but I enjoy talking
with the faith that it will go somewhere.
Thomas: I’ll clap to your faith, I’ll clap to anyone’s faith. Its become so difficult to keep
your faith on anything except machines.
Zaki: how is your film going along.
Thomas: funders pulled off. They wanted to make a fresh cinema, the previous one fell
flat. They'd rather save the house than build the church.
Zaki: makes sense. Making money doing what you love doing is tough. To make people
love what you love is even tougher.....chal ad khatam volume badha...
(In the projection)
int: apki is nayi nayika ka koi source hai...koi waqya...koi insaan.
Zaki: kai log hain, its almost like a tribute to people in hideouts, to artistes, expressionists
to anyone who have stuck to themselves, to be who they are, to love who they are, I also
pay tribute to friend and collaborator namita ghosh, poet and artist.she is not a lesbian so
its not about the sexual orientation, but the battle she has faught is not very far from what
my character fights, or what I and so many people fight everyday. It is the act of staying
true, on a moment to moment basis, staying true to the core. Not turning a blind eye to
your body and soul, not hiding it under 'should be' layers to be accepted by a fold which
discourages you from seeking or representing anything different.
Int: but her work is disturbing to a great section of society.
Zaki: that great section loves caging everything, they have a fear with anything free. They
were not sure how they should have dealt with their freedom. They fear the same for
others. I pity them. They will not know what it is to be free. Free to recognize and be
oneself.
Int: and what is to recognize and be oneself
Zaki: to accept who you are, to explore why you are the way you are and to peal off every
layer of any imposed identity until you reach the core and naked you. The way you were
born, the way you feel hunger, the way you feel heat, cold. You know....that is the way
you should know about yourself.and then once you have seen it ….you dont' turn your
face away...you stay with it until you have accepted yourself and then..see the beauty that
is there in your unfinished form......and then seek to fulfill it.

Int: there have been hints about the possibilities of such a character
(sound distortion)
(People Storm in start breaking everything)....
“ Zaki rukharyar murdabaad... murdabaad.....”
“Phenk saale ko utha ke bahar”(people catch hold of Zaki and start pushing him
out.)...people put garland of shoes and try to apply black on his face...
Anchor:Security....mehta ji camera band kijiye....camera band...
one guy hold the coller of anchor....
“ Madarchod, dubara is gandu ko tere show mein bulaya to tera office jala denge..”
tv projection shows disturbance.

Thomas: “ but how is it that they show a completed show”

zaki “they cut it there, I guess only the anchor's signing off part is added”
Thomas “Funny”
zaki “haan....”
Thomas “chalo time to sleep”
zaki tries to get up but howls up in pain
Namita: “leta reh superman,main drop kar doongi usse”

-------------------------------------------------------------

zaki keeps lying in bed...light fades into him.

Dream lighting sequence.....girl with hammer has wings on her shoulder.

Zaki is standing behind the standing girl:
one side voice projection: dumb saale....bewkoof, baap ICS aur beta din bhar kagaz kaale
karne ke alawa kuch nahin kar sakta hai....what'll you bloody do when you grow up.....ye
number hain tumhare..... are'nt you embarrassed with who you are....i surely
am....pathetic bum....
chal ab khada kya hai yahan se....dafa ho...bloody get lost.
(clock tics)
lashes...lashes...papa I am sorry papa ...pappa please...(sound of lashes and yellings
increase....)
Zaki closes his eyes...hugs the girl with wings and sledgehammer....” ek din is chardiwari
se ek khidki khulegi, taiyaar rehna....apne pankh failana …..aur dooor ud jana, bahar ki
dunia bahut khoobsurat hai....bahut khoobsurat hai , bahut masoom, tumhari banayi hui
dunia....kal ka intezaar karo ...kal aayega...

(lights fade off...)

Kock on the door...knock on the door repeats....door opening sound... “ jis din daroo piyo
us din koi nahin poochta , jis din na piyo saare signals par breath analyzers lagate hain....
Ashish “Namita theek to ho”
Namita “ Thak gayi re Ashish, Zaki kaisa hai, did he have his pain killers”.
Ashish “ pata nahin main bhi abhi aaya, Yusuf baitha hai”.
Namita “ aaj practice sound room mein kar le...uski tabiyat bahut kharab hai, shor hua toh
shayad jag jaye”.
Ashish “ tension mat le, aaj kisi ka mood nahin hai practice ka...specially jo hua uske
baad”.
Namita “ Ashish you need to get thick skinned, itna senti hua toh kaise chalega, chal load
mat le main dekhti hoon soya ya nahin”.
“ok”.
Climbing steps sound.
Zaki in bed, sleeping. Yusuf sitting next to him, sees Namita and comes to her .
“ He's gone to sleep”.
“ Theek hai, tu ja”. Namita goes and sits next to him.
(small pause)
Zaki “gaya kya”.
Namita “ei, tu jaga hua hai”.
Zaki “haan yaar, dar ke maare aankh band kar ke leta tha, bahut pakata hai woh”.
They laugh...
Namita “Pain hai”
“Nahin”
Namita “chal sone ki koshish kar”
Zaki folds into his blankets and tries to sleep.

Lights diminish until a focussed spot remains at Namita.

“ tumhe dard nahin ho sakta namita, kyonki tum mehsoos nahin karti ho”.
“kyon Partho, dard hona tum jaise mahan logon hi bapauti hai”
pause....
“ main bahas nahin karna chahta....mujhe bahut kaam hai”.
“ aur ghar ka kaam, you know I am bloody pregnant, mujhse gehoo, daal , chawal dho
kar nahin laya jata. Pocha nahin laga sakti main, tumhare poore kunbe ke liye khana
nahin bana sakti”.
“ toh aur kaun banayega...”
“samanti ho tum....brahman ho kar farmer liberation ki baat karna aasan hai tumhare liye
kyonki usse tumhari mahanta tapkegi....aur ghar mein ek aurat ke saath barabari ka rishta
nahin bana sakte...”
“ dimag mat kharab karo namita warna mera haath uth jayega”.
“ ...mujhe ye baccha nahin chahiye tha....zabardasti ki tumne....tumhe, tumhe apna pilla
chahiye tha jo partho number 2 mahan krantikari ban sake, aur aaj jab i'm pregnant with
your child toh tum ek zimmedari nahin uthana chante....u self centered bastard”.

Partho slaps her, pushes her on the floor and starts to kick her.

“maar kamine …..aur karega bhi kya bhadwe...”

Partho: “chup kar saali warna kaat dalunga, aankh neeche kar ...neeche kar haramzadi”
(screem)(light shifts back to current namita)(she has placed hand on her stomach)

namita: “zaki...”
zaki: “ hmm....”
namita “ har ek falsafa kitna limited hota hai...aur hamesha sochte hain jaise hamare
haath ek jadu ki chabi lag gayi hai....isse dunia ke saare tale khul jayenge”.

Zaki “ wo chabi bhi cheen logi toh insaan karega kya....jiyega kaise. Jeene ke kai
bahanon mein thoda glamorised bahana hai idealistic hona. Bina romantic hue jeena
mushkil hai, aadmi ko kuch toh chahiye, chand taare, farq, majhab, kisi bhi ism ka
thappa, ghar , gadi, bada ghar, badi gadi, bada ism.....sab maya hai”

namita “ aur tum dilaoge moksh”

zaki “ nahin yaar....kisko moksh chahiye, mujhe nahin chahiye...is sapne ke paar pata
nahin kaisa sach hoga. Jahan hoon wahan se aaj toh uthne ki himmat nahin hoti. Bahut
maara saalon ne, khair kuch bhi ho jaye apne kirddar se daga baazi nahin karoonga”.

Namita “ aur kaun hai tumhari kahani mein us ladki ke alawa”.

(story graduating into fantasy)

Zaki “ ek buddha hai....ek buddha hai bhooka hai aur nanga hai... had se bhi zyada ganda
hai....chupa diya hai usko shehar ne neeche naale mein, macchar hai wahan suwar hai
wahan aur band hai buddha talon mein”.

Namita “ kisne buddhe ko band kiya”

buddha appears on stage with a flash light and a video camera....he flashes the lights
towards the audience as he grabs their image on the camera, camera projects the images
on the wall.

Buddha, “kaun hai wahan”

pauses.

“ mujhe dikh gaye hain tumhare chehre, salon, bahar nikalo. Bahar nikalo mujhe yahan
se.....(pause) ek minute, bahar nikal ke main jaunga kahan. Wahan jahan se ye gutter
shuru hota hai”.

“ aur tum be...peeli shirt wale. Kal fir se tumne apni car ke sheeshe chadha liye honge.
Tumhara bas chale toh poori gadi mere upar se nikal do. Ghar se office, ofice se mall,
mall se spa aur spa se phir ghar. Beech mein kabhi ek aadh club , gym, golfcourse
wagairah aa jate hain. Aankh pe chashme kya chadhaye ek poora manzar hi gayab kar
diya”.

Zaki “ tum kaise aa gaye yahan, tum jaise logon ke liye nahi hai”

buddha “ hum jaise logon par hai sahab, aksar aisi cheezein jo hum logon par hoti hain ,
hamare liye nahin hoti. Hame ya toh bhagwan dikha kar paap punya ke circus mein daal
dete ho, ya deshbhakt bana kar naare lagwate ho ya koi mast masala picture laga kar
dimag pe dhakkan thok dete ho”.

Zaki “ magar yaar tumhe lekar ye kahani kahan jayegi, us ladki ka kirdaar ton ban nahin
raha hai, tumhein kahan dalun, kahani agar faila di toh sametoonga kaise”,

buddha “ kahani ka anjaam hai kaha jana, failna ya sametna nahin, baho zaki, baho aur
kaho....kin chakkaron mein fase ho mere yaar”.

Zaki(to audience) “ kitna ziddi hai, dikhna chahta hai....har jagah hota toh hai....dikhta bhi
hai , par hum dekhte nahin....kya karein iska....waise aap bhi kya karte hain iska...sheeshe
chadha lete hain ...shhh....window roll(he winds his hands and a sheet of glass comes
between him and buddha and buddha keeps rubbing himself on the sheet.....gradually
lights get dim and projections of marginalized images collage start happening on the
glass sheet.......

zaki “ are uspe kya dhyan de rahe hain.....wo toh roz hi dikhta hai....chaliye thoda dance
ho jaye(plays hip hop/rave ).... stops....nahin toh khate hain.....gets chips......shopping
chalte hain......accha ye (looks at the projection).remote toh hai.....band karte hain saale
ko....closes remote.....pata nahin kya karein iska......lights dim out

zaki “ zehen mein toh hai, par kagaz mein aane se pehle kahin theher jata hai
buddha.....usne aa ke bhi dekha , na aa ke bhi dekh liya....koi fayda nahin.....buddhe ko
koi nahin padhega...”
namita “ kahani bhi hai ya sirf kirdaar hai”.

Zaki “ yehi hai jo hai. Adwait hai ye.....atom ….isko baant kar kya fayda....hum aur tum
kya hain...kirdaar ya kahani.....wo sab log jo hamari tumhari zindgi mein the, shayad
hamari kahani ke kirdaar the par apne aap mein ek kahani hi the, ek narrative ka
motivation”.

Namita “ shayad yahi wajah hai hi aap unko maaf kar sakte hain, aapko pata hai ki wo
insaan aisa kyon hai aur wo aisa kyon karta hai, history makes the world a more liveble
and safe place...(pause)..coffee piyoge”.

Zaki “ haan banao”

Namita leaves

angel girl comes from another side of the stage, takes zaki by hand and brings him to
another side of the stage (people bashing on the door). Zaki opens the door

“ kyon be , ladkiyan late ho flat pe”.

“matlab”.
“dhandha bana ke rakkha hai, kya chalta hai yahan sab maloom hai”
“dekhiye zaroor kuch galat fehmi hui hai aap logon ko”
guy coming from background
“ accha beta galat fehmi hamein hui hai, ladkiyon ki nangi tasveerein banate ho , ye
sanskar hain tumhare....... kal tak ye flat khali chahiye ….samjhe.”
“ji, ji.....theek hai, kal tak khali kar dunga”
“ ye sharma , kaise kaise ghatia logon ko flat deta hai, zyada kiraya diya hoga sale ne”
“ kal baat karte hain usse, ye sharif logon ki society hai sahab, we want a clean place to
live”
“ kal tak khali chahiye hero....aaspaas bhi dikhe uske baad to pit jaoge”
“ji”.

(people bang the door while going out)

Girl turns to him “ you didnt say a single word, sar jhuka kar sab suna aur ghar khali kar
diya....what the fuck... painter ho ..nudes banate ho..big deal”

zaki “ ye pehli baar nahin tha,..bolkar kya fayda....kya karta..kafi alag log hain.....itni
dooriyan hain cheezon ko dekhne, sochne ke nazariye mein.....kahan se tay kar sakta ye
rasta. Alag alag shakl wale, kabhi mera baap, kabhi apne aap ko gentry kehne wale
padosi.....aur kal wo log jinhon studio mein badtameezi ki

girl: badtameezi nahin ki, peeta aapko, mukkon se, laton se. hum kyon nahin peet sakte.
Kyon nahin, ek adim, premitive ki tarah ek jagah apna jhanda gad kar ye ghoshit kar dete
ki ye hamari zameen hai, yahan wo hoga jo humko accha lagta hai.
Zaki: hamari sensitivity alag hai......aur shayad aisa kia hai isliye aaj jab bhi hamare raste
milte hain, joki milenge, jab bhi, ek bawal hota hi hai.....shayad hamare liye aise hi space
banega.

Girl: kahan ban raha hai space. Pehle se zyada sikud gaya hai, assersion ho raha aise
values ka jo log bas ek symbolic level pe consume kar rahe hain, sanskriti ka popcorn
bana kar apni mutthi mein jakad lete hain....

zaki: jab tak lage nahin ki chin rahi hai tab tak sanskriti nahin hoti. Wo bas chin ne ke
liye hi surface par aati hai....kamal ki baat hai ki iske chin ne ka dar bas unlogon ko hai
jinka sanskriti se bas ek mudde ka wasta hai, jo na use banate hain na use jeete hain. Bas
uski pehredaari karte hain. Jaise nadi pe bandh bana kar use gher liya jata hai. Pani ka
bahav rokoge to pani sadega........

Girl: kis se bol rahe ho, mujhse ya apne aap se.....kya fayda bitching karne ka. Jo sun rahe
hain, unko pata hai aur jo sun nahin rahe unko sunane jao toh dhunai ho jati hai......
(pause)....to kya kar sakti hoon main, space banao ya chup chap hothon ko sil kar jiye jao,
fall in the bloody line.......ya koi teesra rasta bhi hai?

Zaki: nah, do chhor hain ye, teesra rasta nahin hota …

girl : to kya karun....main

zaki: main kaise kahun....mujhse kisi ne nahin kaha, aaj mere paas bhi iska koi jawab
nahin hai.....

girl: kya ye space ek bade space se juda nahin hai...samaj, rastra , dunia....aur kya unko
ek stance nahin lena.....

zaki (laughes.- towards audience.)- apni tabiyat ke maare ….man ke bacche.....apni

zaban ke khariz hone ke goongepan se joojhte....roz...us pul par aa baithte hain.....pul ka
dava hai wo jodega zindgi ke do sire.....ummed ki laash par tane is lohe ke makbare se
poocho......kitni pushtein gumraah ki hain isne....jhoothe wadon se.
(lights dim and black out).

Light on zaki's bed

“ Namita , yaar main skeptic hota ja raha hoon, aisa pehle nahin tha”.

“ are ab din hi kitne bache hain, jo hota hai ho ja, (pause) chai”.

“pila”

Pauses and gets up.

“kyon lag raha hai aisa ke kafi skeptic hote ja rahe ho”.
“pehli baar aisa lag rag raha hai ki bhag jaun”
“nah, ho hi nahin sakta”
“…pehle bhi laga tha, sach hai, par ye thoda alag hai. Is baar ye pehli baar lag raha hai ke
ye saari cheejein maine apne andar internalize kar li thi. Jo mera baap , mere aas pados ke
log, mere dost …shayad kahin na kahin mujhe lagne laga tha ki main galat hoon, aur har
baar jab unki ungliyan mujhpe uthti to mujhe lagta ki shayad ye hona tha , ye tareeka
hai…..”
“aaj kaisa lag raha hai”
“ lag raha hai k eek line me….salon ko khada kar ke …goli maar doon…apne liye nahin ,
tumhare liye nahin…..apne kirdaar ke liye…apni bacchi ke liye. Uska bharosa nahin raha
hai….wo hone mein jo wo hai, wo banne mein jo wo ban sakti hai”.

“unka hona hamare hone ke liye zaroori hai zaki….pata nahi, par shayad agar hum band
nahin hote to parinde nahin hote….fir shayad khane ke liye udte, ya ghar banane ke
liye….udne ke liye nahin….”.

“shayad….chalo time to sleep…kal milte hain”

Light fades in
(wall projection)
-----------……---------------------…..--------------------…..---------------------….----------------
Tv screen news anchor: jane mane kalakar zaki rukharyar ab hamare beech nahin rahe.
Kal der raath hridaygati rukne se unki mrityu ho gayi. Unke sahyogi ise unpar kiye gaye
hamle ka nateeza batate hain…pesh hai d news ki taraf se unko ek bhavbhini
shrandhanjali….
Wall projection of video

“unke sahyogi yusuf raza hamare beech hain, unki pratikriya janna chahenge.”

“abhi kya bolun, mujhe nahin pata kisi ko koi zyada farq pada hoga uske jane se, hum
kuch logon ko pada hai, hamara bada bhai lagta tha. Baki aapke liye hum toh tab bhi
wahi the….tamashewale, aaj bhi wohi hain…hum hi apni aukat bhool gaye the…sochne
ki liberty le li humne, gustakhi maaf. Aur kisi ko mat mariyega …bahot chota parivaar
hai hamara….hum chup rahenge.

(on the stage)

namita switches off the tv

“chaliye sir, bas itna hi tha aaj….kahani khatam paisa hajam.

Spot follows her out and then a second spot comes on zaki’s empty bed as her spot moves
on a rocking chair next to her bed

Spots fade out.

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