Working title: BASTAR

By
Mohit Priyadarshi

REAL EVENTS

Email:
priyadarshi.mohit@gmail.com
Mobile no. 9654930625,
9650604094
CHAPTER ONE

EXT. DENSE LANDSCAPE JUXTAPOSED WITH EXTRACTION INDUSTRIES

Wide shots of the beautiful and dense landscape of Bastar
contrasted with the mining and extraction industries in the
area. Images with forests in the foreground, and mining
industries in the background.
(Drone footage might also be used for this purpose.)

A visual cue will connect this short sequence with the next
scene in the film.

EXT. ADIVASI VILLAGE -- EARLY MORNING

An Adivasi village in the heartlands of central India. Dense

thickets surround the village.
It is very early in the morning. The whole village is calm
and the only sounds one can hear is of the roosters crowing
and the wind rustling against the trees.
Memory pillars, which are exclusive to Adivasi culture,
protrude together in the foreground of the village, with
self-built Adivasi huts lining up the background.

One of these huts, with a small bulb illuminating its

exterior in the early morning light and a goat tied to one
of its frontal pillars, is where BHAJJU (15) lives with his
father SANGRAM (50) and sister SONI (13).

INT. BHAJJUS HUT -- EARLY MORNING

The entirety of Bhajjus hut is composed of a rectangular
sort of a room, which has bright colored walls and several
posters. Other paraphernalia, including miniature sculptures
of animals like horses and goats, are kept on a table in the
room.
Two cots, placed adjacently to one another, occupy one end
of the room. Soni occupies one cot while the other cot is
vacant. Some posters of film actors, as well as one poster
depicting a beautiful forest landscape, are placed on the
walls nearest to the cots.
In the semi-darkness of the room, Bhajju looks for
something. He picks up a couple of notebooks and packs them
in his handwoven satchel. He is attempting to be as hushed
as possible about his whole business.

(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 2.

Despite this, the noise wakes Soni, who casts a curious

glance in her brothers direction.

(The following dialogues and most of the conversations

between Adivasis take place in the local dialect, preferably
Gondi.)
BHAJJU
So ja.. so ja..

SONI
(still half asleep)
Kya kar raha hai?
BHAJJU
Somari ko leke jaana hai na aaj.
Phir exams aane waale hain.
SONI
(suddenly more alert)
Bapu bola?

At this point, the siblings cast a glance at the other end

of the room, where Sangram is in deep sleep on another cot.
His expression is weirdly comic even though there is nothing
funny about his posture. His snoring pierces the silence in
the room.

By now, Bhajju has found what he was looking for -- his

identity card -- and now having finally found it, he makes
his way out of the room. Soni follows him outside the hut.

EXT. BHAJJUS HUT -- EARLY MORNING

Both Bhajju and Soni emerge out of the hut. Slightly dreamy,
she just stands near the door and watches Bhajju untie
Somari, the goat.

Somari, who was until now calmly chewing on the heap of

grass in front of her, appears unusually fidgety for a goat.
Once she is untied, Soni walks up towards Somari, and
caresses her fondly. Somari appears to have gained some
comfort with this adulation.
Bhajju starts to walk away with Somari as Soni watches him
go.
SONI
Chunari lekar aana bhaiya paise se.
Bhajju walks away from the hut and crosses the memory
pillars, effectively leaving the village behind him.
 3.

EXT. THICKETS/MAIN ROAD -- EARLY MORNING

Following the trail that leads to the main road from the
village, Bhajju makes his way with Somari. The goat is still
not completely calm and keeps moving around, almost as if
wanting to go back to where it came from. But Bhajju
attempts to rein it in as he walks past the dense thickets.
At one point, as Bhajju makes his way with Somari, suddenly
something resembling a nest falls from the top of a tree. A
close-up shows us that it is a nest of red ants. They begin
swarming in all directions as Bhajju turns up to see a
fellow young villager at the top of the tree, who has used a
sickle to cut off the red ants nest.
(Tribals in Bastar make a spicy chutney out of red ants and
their eggs.)

Bhajju waves in the mans direction, with the man returning

the greeting.
It is quite clear that Bhajju is familiar with the landscape
and the trail, as he does not have much problem maneuvering
his way around the forest.
The trail finally leads Bhajju and Somari towards the main
road.

EXT. MAIN ROAD -- MORNING

Bhajju waits with Somari at the edge of the main road with
the thickets visible in the background. Vehicles pass him by
as we watch him from the other side of the road.

A shared auto enters the frame and Bhajju gets on it with

Somari.

INT. AUTO -- MORNING

We see Bhajju sitting slightly uncomfortably between other

passengers in the auto. It is full to the brim with
passengers, most of whom are Adivasis. A popular Bollywood
song jaggedly blares over the music system in the auto.

Somari sits up cozily near Bhajjus feet but other

passengers seem to have trouble keeping their feet away from
her, so Bhajju picks her up and brings her closer to his
lap.
 4.

EXT. SMALL TOWN -- MORNING

The auto arrives in a small town with pucca houses lining up
at least one side of the road. Although it is not entirely a
sophisticated town, the condition of the road and the houses
seem to suggest it is a far cry from where Bhajju lives,
which is a village full of poorer Adivasi folks.
Bhajju gets out of the auto with Somari and hands over the
money to the auto driver.

INT./EXT. HOUSE VERANDAH/PARLOR -- MORNING

We see the door of one of the houses opening from the
inside. A MAN (30s) opens the door to find Bhajju standing
outside with his door. A local Chhattisgarhi song is playing
on the radio.
The conversation between the man and Bhajju is inaudible to
us but Bhajju is invited to sit near the door with Somari.
While the man goes inside the house to get something, a
small girl comes with a glass of water for Bhajju. The young
boy stands up and drinks the water promptly, keeping the
glass back on the tray.
At this point, the man comes back with a bundle of notes and
hands over the money to Bhajju. He gestures the young boy to
tie the goat outside his house.
After doing so, Bhajju makes his way back to where he can
get an auto from.

EXT. SMALL TOWN ROAD -- MORNING

Bhajju, who has kept the money safely inside the shirt,
walks away from the house he has just been to. There is a
sense of foreboding in his eyes. He doesnt seem thrilled at
having been separated from his goat.

As he is walking on the road, a jeep full of police

personnel crosses him. There are in about four people in the
car, with two men in the front and two sitting behind. It
moves ahead of him and leaves the frame only to reverse at a
breakneck speed and screechingly halt itself next to Bhajju.
Before Bhajju can figure out what is happening, S. RAJA
(40s), the man leading the motley but rowdy bunch of
policemen, walks threateningly up to him. The other men
follow him and surround Bhajju.

(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 5.

Bhajju seems to be taking out his school ID card to show to

the policemen but S. RAJA keeps it in his pocket. He then
gestures the policemen to put Bhajju in the car.

Suddenly, all hell breaks loose and the policemen forcefully

try to put Bhajju at the back of the jeep. The young boy,
who is obviously still unable to come to terms with what is
happening, appears to resist but the force is too great.

One policeman launches a series of kicks on his groin before

flattening him on the ground, at which point the others pick
him, stuff his mouth with a pair of socks, and put him
inside the jeep.
The commotion leads some inhabitants of the houses
surrounding the scene to come out and see what is happening.
But nobody speaks a word or even tries to stop the policemen
from continuing rashly.
The jeep then leaves the scene with the bystanders and the
nearby inhabitants left astounded at what has just passed.
The shot lingers before we go to the next scene.
FADE OUT:

INT. AAWAZS OFFICE (EDITORS CABIN) -- DAY

FADE IN:
Editors chamber of Aawazs office. It is a small and
extremely untidy room, reminiscent of run-down businesses
with little financial flex. Stacks of newspapers are piled
all over the place. An old almirah gapes at the camera from
one side while the ancient fan makes the calender on the
wall flutter slowly, making it gasp for its last breath.
Directly below the fan is placed a wooden table, with two
plastic chairs on either side. The table is populated with
some newspaper clippings, some papier-mch, a globe and a
desktop monitor, and some photos of what appear to be
victims of state violence.
On one side of the table sits RAVI (early 40s), the
editor-in-chief of his newspaper. He is a short bald man,
and wears spectacles. The crest of the newspaper is painted
on the wall behind the Editor. On it is written the
newspapers motto: SATTA SE SAWAL
In one corner of the room, placed diagonally to where the
editor is sitting, is an old-school TV. We do not see what
is playing on the screen, but the voice is of a local news
anchor talking about yet another case of "fake encounter" in
an Adivasi village.

(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 6.

The editor, who is poring over an article submitted to him

by one of his reporters, looks exasperated even as the sound
of the TV can be heard in the background.

At this point, the door to his cabin opens and a stocky

young man, PRABHAT (34), enters the room. He is a reporter
who has been summoned by Ravi.
As soon as Prabhat enters the room, Ravi goes full throttle,
angry at a report he has written.
(All through the following conversation, the voice of the TV
news reporter continues to come from the background.)
RAVI
Kya hai ye? Kya hai YE? Hum akhbar
chala rahe hain, Prabhat sahab.
(dismissingly) Hum bina police
version ke ise nahi chaap sakte.
PRABHAT
(defending himself)
Par sir, main victim ke ghar walon
se mila hoon. Gaon waalon ka
interview liya hai. Chaar alag
sources liye hain. Ek reporter ka
kaam to sach dikhana hai na, sir.

RAVI
(mocking Prabhat)
Sach dikhana hai na, sir?

Theek hai, aap dikhayiye ki humari

police apni hi junta par kitna
atyachar karti hai. Sab kuch shauk
se dikhayiye. Aur phir ek din is
office ko bhi jalta hua dekhiye.
(gathers strength to keep
himself calm, speaks the next
line with a straight face)
Tum khud bhi jail jaoge Prabhat,
aur mujhe bhi jail mein bhejoge.
PRABHAT
Aap editor hai sir, yeh aapka
akhbaar hai. In thullon se kya
darna? (Pointing towards the crest)
Aapko toh satta se sawaal karna
hai.

Ravi loses his cool as Prabhat says this. Brimming with

anger, he picks up a pen and throws it in the direction of
Prabhat. The reporter manages to dodge the pen and casts a
disbelieving eye at his editor.

(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 7.

Before Prabhat can reply, his phone begins to ring. Ravi

stares on helplessly as Prabhat signals to him that the call
is urgent. He picks up a phone and mutters a few words into
the speaker and then hangs up.

PRABHAT
Ravi sir, ek bahut zaruri story ke
liye call aaya hai. Mujhe nikalna
padega.
RAVI
(picking up the report in his
hand)
Aur is story ka kya hoga?
But Prabhat has already left the office, leaving Ravi
red-faced.

EXT. RICE FIELD -- NOON

Wide angle shot of Prabhat arriving near a field where
Sangram is hunched over, working on the harvest. Soni is
carving something on the tree. A lunchbox wrapped in a piece
of cloth is placed near her.
Prabhat arrives on his motorcycle. He walks close to where
Sangram is hunched over, but the latter hardly pays any
attention. He continues working in the field but Prabhats
arrival has caught Sonis attention, although she does not
say anything yet.
PRABHAT
(to Sangram)
Tum Sangram Budhia ho? Bhajju
tumhara beta hai?
Close-up of Sangram. His expression becomes tense even
though he does not say anything. His hands stop moving. At
this moment, Soni, knowing that Prabhat has uttered Bhajjus
name, comes towards him. She speaks in Gondi.
SONI
Bhajju mera bhaiya hai.
PRABHAT
(talking to Soni but speaking
to Sangram)
Police waalon ne utha liye tumhare
bhaiya ko. Aaj subah kahan gaya tha
woh?

(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 8.

SONI
Subah Somari ko lekar Kirandul gaya
tha. Bapu usko Somari ko bechne k
liye bola tha.

Sangram, evidently irritated, finally straightens himself.

But while it appears that he might now address Prabhat, he
actually meets his eye before going towards the tree and
opening the lunch box to feed himself.
SONI
(a little helplessly to her
father)
Bapu, Bhajju bhaiya ko police le
gaya.
When Sangram still does not speak, Soni says "Bapu" in an
almost beseeching tone.
SANGRAM
Wapis aa jaayega Bhajju.
PRABHAT
Itna aasan nahi hai. Uska koi
chakkar hai kya?
When Sangram does not speak, Prabhat continues. Soni is
listening intently and casting curious glances at her
father.

PRABHAT
Is gaon mein naxali aate hain?
Bhajju kabhi gaya hain camp mein?

SANGRAM
Mera beta naxali nahi hai.
Prabhat, realizing there is not much more to be gleaned from
there, casts one final look at Sangram before deciding to
return. Soni stops him in his tracks.

SONI
Kahan ja rahe ho? Bhajju bhaiya
kahan hai?
PRABHAT
Mujhe nahi pata. Tumhara naam kya
hai?
SONI
Soni.

(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 9.

PRABHAT
(speaks loud enough for
Sangram to hear)
Shayad police station mein rakha
hoga.

SONI
Main bhi chalungi.
Before Prabhat can say anything, Sangram gets up and walks
menacingly towards Soni. He takes her by the arm and tells
her she is not going anywhere.
SANGRAM
Kahi nahi ja rahi hai tu. Tu ghar
ja, main tere bhai ko lekar aata
hoon.

Soni does what her father tells her to do and heads towards
the village.

INT. POLICE STATION -- LATE NOON

Interior shots of the police station. It is one of the newly

constructed police stations, which are more like houses than
administrative buildings. One Adivasi and one Muslim
prisoner somewhere in the frame. They appear disheveled and
traumatized, as if they have been subjected to torture.

S. Raja, the police officer who picked up Bhajju in the

first scene, is talking on the phone to a senior police
officer. We do not hear the other side of the conversation,
but only Rajas.

S. RAJA
(flattering his senior)
Haan sir.. bas sir, usi pe kaam kar
rahe hain.. Aap bilkul tension mat
lijiye, woh sab hum dekh
lenge..Theek hai sir, theek hai..
Aap bas thoda mera bhi dekh lijiye
sir..
At this moment, Sangram and Prabhat enter the police
station. Prabhat leads Sangram. The latter is too nervous on
entering the police station, and casts a hopeful glance
around the police station looking for Bhajju. But his son is
nowhere to be seen.
Prabhat takes the seat in front of Raja, but Sangram appears
worried. Prabhat gestures Sangram to sit next to him.

(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 10.

PRABHAT
Namaste sir. Yeh Sangram Budhia
hai, inka beta hai Bhajju. Usko aaj
subah police ne Kirandul se utha
liye. Usi ke silsile mein puchtach
karne aaye the.
RAJA
(ignoring his question)
Kya re Prabhat. Aaj kal bahut bada
aadmi ban gaya hai. Suna hai tere
kaam ke charche Dilli tak ho rahe
hain?
PRABHAT
Kya bol rahe hai Raja sahab? Hum
toh chote se patrkar hai, main toh
bas jo dekhta hoon wahi likhta
hoon.
RAJA
Humare baare mein kya likh raha
hai, bhai.. aur bhi patrkar hain
yahaan par, bas tu hi jisko police
ka koi kaam nahi dikhta.
PRABHAT
Sir, main toh bas Bhajju ke baare
mein puchne aaya tha. Garib log
hain sir yeh log, ek hi beta hai
unka. Usko chor dijiye.
At this point, Sangram folds his hands and leans forward,
almost as if begging Raja to let his son go.

SANGRAM
Ek hi ladka hai, sahab.
RAJA
(sniggers mockingly)
Humare chaar jawaan mare the na IED
blast mein. Prabhat, tujhe toh pata
hoga yaar? (Pause) Ek hi bomb tha.
A constable who is standing next to Raja chuckles under his
breath but when Raja turns to look at him, he stops
immediately.
PRABHAT
Sir, is ladke ka us blast se kya
lena dena?

(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 11.

RAJA
Woh toh tum batao Prabhat.. Tum
patrkar ho..
Now, Sangram almost leaps to Rajas feet. Raja pushes him
away, although not too violently.
RAJA
Chalo, chalo.. kya hai yeh sab?
Prabhat helps Sangram get back to his feet and takes him
away from the police station.

INT. POLICE STATION -- EARLY EVENING

Raja walks towards the store room in the police station.
There is a small corridor which is dark as sunlight doesnt
penetrate so deeply into the police station. Here, a
dilapidated door stands shut. Raja pushes the door open with
a heavy swing of both his hands.
Inside, folders are gathering dust and the evening sunlight
makes them appear ageless. There is a lot of other junk in
this room.
Here, with the light only partially revealing his face, sits
Bhajju. He has his head tilted downwards, almost in
exhaustion. But as the door is opened, he looks up to see
who has come.
We follow Raja as he moves between the shelves towards
Bhajju. He walks slowly.
He grabs a chair and sits right in front of Bhajju. There is
a clear sense of intimidation that pervades the following
conversation.
RAJA
Tujhe milne ke liye tera baap aaya
tha. Tch.. tch.. bechara budha ho
raha hai. Tujhe uski koi parwah
nahi hai kya?..
Acha yeh bata, kaun log shaamil the
is plan mein?

BHAJJU
(confused)
Kaun sa plan sahab?

(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 12.

RAJA
Tujhe nahi pata? Kis division mein
kaam karta hai re tu?

BHAJJU
Sahab, main kisi division mein nahi
hoon. Main daswi class mein padhta
hoon...

RAJA
Dekh, seedhe seedhe bata de, tere
naxali doston ne sab kuch ugal diya
hai, samjha?
BHAJJU
(defiantly)
Mera koi naxali dost nahi hain.
Just as Bhajju says this, Raja slaps Bhajju violently across
the face. It is a sudden outburst from a man pretending to
be friendly to someone he does not like.

After slapping him, Raja again assumes his polite demeanor,

as if he is trying to cajole Bhajju for the latters
benefit.
RAJA
Dekh, tu abhi chota hai. Mujhe pata
hai ki tujhe lagta hai ki naxaliyon
k saath reh kar desh mein kranti aa
jaayegi. Par aisa kabhi hua hai
kya?
(pause)
Isliye bol raha hoon, tu mujhe sab
sach sach bata de. Tujhe kuch nahi
hone doonga.
BHAJJU
(almost crying now, helpness)
Sahab, maine kuch nahi kiya hai
RAJA
(getting up)
Tu aise nahi maanega.

Saying this, Raja walks back to the door and calls out his
constables. Two of them enter the room and walk menacingly
towards Bhajju.
CREATE FEAR: Use hammer, show some other way of scaring
Bhajju into confessing.
They strip him naked and charge him with lathi blows. Bhajju
howls in pain.
 13.

EXT. VILLAGE MARKET -- EVENING

It is almost evening now. We see Prabhat and Sangram
arriving at the market in a long shot, with the journalist
dropping Sangram there. Prabhat rides away.

There is a lot of noise in the market. This is the weekly

Adivasi market, where tribals from neighboring villages have
come to buy their things. Lots of local tribal art as well
as idols of tribal gods are being sold, while handmade lamps
are also on display.

Sangram, who looks utterly depressed, walks towards the

mahua/sulfi sellers at the market. He buys some sulfi for
himself and moves away from the market drinking it.
Through a series of shots, we see him moving away from the
busy market street and towards a denser landscape, all the
while drinking from a plastic bottle.

INT. SUBURBAN FLAT -- EVENING

The living room of a suburban flat in a two-tier north

Indian city like Raipur. There are a lot of books neatly
stacked on the bookshelves in the living room. The place is
very orderly and beautifully bathed in yellow light, giving
a warm feeling to the inhabitants.

A few friends sit at a dinner table. Among them is SAIRA

(28), a human rights lawyer, who sits at one end of the
table.
One of the men narrates an interesting anecdote about the
time he spent researching on the aboriginals in Australia.
In the anecdote, he talks about the stolen generations of
aboriginals and how during a trip he met a person who had
not known till 50 years of age that he was actually an
aboriginal, and not an Australian. The story ends with a
bizarre twist, leaving everyone gasping towards the end.

At this point, Sairas phone begins to ring. We see it is

Prabhat calling her. She picks up the phone and excuses
herself from the gathering. The camera follows her as she
walks past the corridor into the bedroom, and then into the
balcony.

We can hear Prabhats side of the conversation, as we cut to

where he is talking from.
 14.

EXT./INT. AAWAZS OFFICE -- EVENING

Wide handheld shot of Aawazs office building with the name
of the newspaper and the motto.
PRABHATS VOICE
Raja se mila main thana mein. Ek
number ka chutiya hai woh.
The shot cuts to the interior of the office, where Prabhat
is ferociously typing away at his desktop computer. He is
talking to Saira, typing and lighting up a bidi
simultaneously.
SAIRAS VOICE
Uska parivar gaya tha thane?

PRABHAT
Haan, uska baap gaya tha mere
saath.
Saira madam, aapko kal aana hi
padega, nahi toh pata nahi ladke ke
saath kya karenge.

INT. BALCONY -- EVENING

Saira tells Prabhat that she will come first thing in the
morning. After hanging up, she puts her hands on the balcony
railings and looks out into the city. The camera tracks into
her as she lets out a sigh when someone from inside calls
out her name. She goes back to join the gathering.

INT./EXT. BHAJJUS HUT -- NIGHT

Soni, who has been waiting for her father to return with her
brother, has dozed off. She suddenly hears strange noises
from outside approaching the hut and rushes to see if they
have returned.
But what she sees outside shocks her.
Two village men are trying to bring her father Sangram under
control. Sangram, who is evidently drunk now, is shouting
abuses at the police while the two men are trying to calm
him down. He speaks in the local dialect and is very
animated.
SANGRAM
Madarchod, mere bete ko pakad ke
rakha hai. Saale samajhte kya hain
(MORE)
(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 15.

SANGRAM (contd)
yeh police waale apne aap ko.
Bhajju..
He collapses as he says this. Soni runs towards her father
to see if he is okay. The two men are trying their best to
bring him to the hut but he keeps screaming, rending the
quiet night air. But Sangram has a few more things to say.
SANGRAM
Bhajju wahin pe hai.. Main uska
baap hoon..
Naxali.. naxali bolte hain humko
madarchod. Aur saale bachchon ko
maarte hain.. Mere bete ko pakad
liya.. Usne kya bigada hai kisi
ka..
FADE OUT:

EXT. LOCAL MARKET ROUNDABOUT -- MORNING

Wide shot of the local market. The market is full of village

folk who have come out to sell their forest produce. The
sellers include Mahua brewers, basket weavers, firewood
sellers, and potters exclusive to the Gond culture, among
many others. A few women are present in their everyday
Adivasi attire, while the men throng the village folks
buying Mahua.
We see Prabhat waiting for someone, constantly checking his
watch to see the time. He smokes a bidi. After a few
seconds, a bus arrives on the dusty road. The foreground of
the image is covered with dust.
Saira descends from the bus. After initially looking around
the market, she finally spots Prabhat and walks towards him.
Prabhat hurriedly stubs his bidi and shakes Sairas hand.
She has a backpack with her and a folder in her hand.
Both of them on the motorcycle and head east.

EXT. ROAD SURROUNDED BY THICKETS -- MORNING

Shots of the two riding through the roads surrounded by

trees on both sides. Rice fields interspersed with sal and
mixed forests mark the landscape.
 16.

There is an unusual amount of police and military presence

in the area. The beautiful green landscape is dotted with
police barricades, underlying a deep tension which forever
hangs in the air in these areas of southern Chhattisgarh.

INT. SAIRAS OFFICE -- MORNING

The two of them reach Sairas office, which also doubles up
her as home whenever she is working in the area. It is a
two-storeyed building in a quiet part of the town.

Prabhat and Saira ascend the stairs. It appears like the

building is mostly unoccupied, because of the quietness that
pervades the building.
A lock hangs on the door of Sairas office. There is a small
sign that spells out her name, and of one of her colleagues,
and the legal aid group that they work for.
Saira opens the door and both of them enter inside. Straight
up is a corridor, with a big room on one side, which is
separated by a glass door. On the other side are two other
doors, with one of them containing a bed while the other is
the bathroom.
They enter the big room which is basically a makeshift
office for Saira. There are two tables placed almost
identically, with both of them containing one chair on
either side. There is a huge window right in the middle of
the room which brings plenty of sunlight to the room. If one
looks out the window, one can see the main gate of the house
and the road that leads to the marketplace.
It is a dry looking office with lots of folders kept in a
wooden almirah, the door to which is slightly ajar. Saira
closes the almirah door before seating herself at one of the
tables, while Prabhat sits in front of her.
SAIRA
Prabhat, mere khayal se Bhajju ko
illegally detain kar rahe hain aur
us se kuch confess karane ki
koshish mein bhi honge.
Main apne kuch colleagues ko bolti
hoon ki SI, SP aur IGP ko bhi phone
karke uski suraksha ki guarantee
maange. Tum apne patrkar doston se
bhi keh do ki woh police waalon ko
call par call kar pareshan kar de.

(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 17.

PRABHAT
Theek hai, madam.
SAIRA
Aur agar usse bhi kuch nahi hota
hai toh phir Article 97 ke tahat
application file karenge lower
court mein. (checking something in
the phone directory, drafting an
appeal on her computer.)

We can read what is being written. The text says "URGENT

APPEAL! A young Adivasi boy, 16, from Darbha has been picked
up in Kirandul. We know he is being illegally detained by
the police, although we dont know exactly where he is being
held. We request you to call the SI, SP and IGP and ensure
his safety. Their numbers are attached below."

SAIRA
(looks up as she sends the
email)
Aur Shashi se mile the tum?

PRABHAT
Haan madam. Usko bhi bahot torture
kar rahe hain.
Aap toh jaanti hi hain, humara
parivar bhi ek dusre ke kareeb hai.
Tu uski behen aksar ghar aati rehti
hai. Par main kya bolun? Humko toh
is sarkar ne goonga kar diya hai.
(lost for words)
Jo journalists apna kaam karte
hain, woh jail me sar rahe hain.
Nahi toh wahi nanga naach. Bache
humare jaise log, toh unko toh
darane ki koshish jaari hi hai.
SAIRA
Par tum toh nahi daroge?
PRABHAT
Kya hi darein? Ab toh is jung mein
jhulus hi rahe hain.

EXT. FOREST THICKETS NEAR VILLAGE -- MORNING

Soni collects firewood from the forest. Some other villagers
are also doing the same. Soni seems to be very aggressive
with the way she is cutting wood, and almost hurts herself
on one ocassion.

(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 18.

She picks up the firewood on her shoulders and leaves with

the other women who had also assembled to carry wood. One of
them is even carrying a child.
It is the synchronized process of collecting firewood
without harming the grove which is something tribals are
adept at, and that must be brought to attention. They all
walk back together, watching each others backs.
Just then, three or four CRPF personnel who are "combing"
the forest area, come in the groups direction and begin to
pass lewd comments at the women in Hindi. The women do not
react and continue about their business, but the CRPF
personnel continue to mock them, touching their bodies with
the tips of their guns.
They do not even spare the children in the group, with one
CRPF personnel even touching the upper parts of Sonis torso
with his gun. Soni does not know how to react, and her whole
body shudders with shame and rage.
The woman carrying the child, realizing that the scene could
get nasty, comes to Sonis aid and leads her away. A
trembling Soni is finally taken away as the group moves away
from the forest. The CRPF personnel can be seen watching
them in the background, making bizarrely obscene gestures to
each other.

INT. IGPS OFFICE -- NOON

The IGs office in Bastar. It contains all the usual
paraphernalia: photo frames of Gandhi and Nehru, globe, pen
stands, paper weights, the list of previous IGs in the
region, tables, chairs, almirahs.
The landline phone at the IG office rings. But nobody picks
it up. It rings several times, nobody picks up the phone. It
is unusually quiet in the room except the phone ring.

We cut from a wide shot to a close-up of the phone, as the

ringing grows louder.

INT. DUSTY ROOM -- NOON

We cut to the next scene with the phone still ringing.

Although it sounds like it is a little away from where we
are, which is a dark and dusty room, completely unlike where
we saw Bhajju earlier.

(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 19.

The phone continues to ring. After establishing where we

are, we take an extreme close up of Bhajjus face, which is
exhausted, papery, and almost dead. He opens his eyes at the
camera, and it is the first time we realize there is still
life in them.

FADE OUT:
CHAPTER TWO

TITLE TEXT ON BLACK SCREEN:

A MONTH LATER

EXT. DISTRICT COURT -- MORNING

FADE IN:
The Dantewada district court. It is very different from the
courts one sees in the cities. They are fewer people here,
while the building is also spread out because of the space
available in these semi-urban districts. The quietness of
the court contrasts with the violence of the everyday life
here.
It is sunnny, but it is still pleasant. A few men in lawyer
robes can be seen entering in and out of the main entrance.

A police van enters the premises containing the accused of

the case. Bhajju is also one of them. Soni and Sangram are
standing near the entrance of the court. They see each other
and Soni comes towards Bhajju with quick steps. There is an
exchange of glances between them but they do not stay there
for long. Sangram stays where he is.
The constables take Bhajju away. We cut to the inside of the
court for the next scene.

INT. ADJS COURT -- MORNING

An additional district judges court.
The judge presides over the court. He is an old man who
appears slightly restless and a little disinterested in the
proceedings. He is also overweight, and it is only natural
that he is feeling hot and sweaty. It is a sunny day
outside.
The announcer states the case: Case no 65, Kirandul Police
Station, Bhajju Budhia

(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 20.

Two constables bring Bhajju to the court. SI Raja is there

too. Soni and Sangram sit with the rest of the small crowd.
RAVISH THAKKAR (late 40s), the polices attorney, is also
present. He is a middle-aged bearded man with sharp eyes and
a low cheekbone, which gives him an air of ominousness.

Saira makes a case for the transfer of Bhajjus case to the

juveline board.
SAIRA
Sir, the police say that Bhajju
Budhia is a 30-year-old "dreaded
Naxali." But look at him.
We see Bhajju, who appears nonchalant, but a couple of scars
can be seen on his neck.

SAIRA
Not only has this 16-year-old been
subjected to intense torture ---
Ravish, the polices attorney, objects.

RAVISH
Objection, my honour. The accuseds
lawyer has just cooked up this
accusation. The accused was never
tortured.

JUDGE
Objection sustained. Saira ji,you
cannot make up things without
proof.

SAIRA
But sir, I am not making it up. It
is right there for all to see. Look
at the scars on his neck. His body
is full of them.

JUDGE
(waving )
All that has already been accounted
for. Please refrain from using the
word "torture" again.

Saira is definitely perturbed, but she continues

nonetheless.
SAIRA
Sir, but the boy that the police
says is 30-year-old is actually a
(MORE)
(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 21.

SAIRA (contd)
school going boy who was due to
appear for his 10th exams. To prove
this, I would like to call the
principal of Bhajjus school,
Somnath Raju, to the witness stand.
JUDGE
Call Somnath Raju to the witness
stand.

SOMNATH RAJU (50s), the school principal where Bhajju

studies, is called to the witness stand. He is an old man
with greying hair, and has a very calm aura about him. He
appears unperturbed.
Now and then during the questioning, the judge repeats the
information to the clerk who transcribes the proceedings for
achival purposes.
We also cut to Bhajjus expression now and then
SAIRA
Somnath ji, please state your
profession.
SOMNATH
I am the principal of Darhbha
Madhyamic Vidalaya.

SAIRA
How long have you been the
principal of the school?

SOMNATH
8 years.
SAIRA
Is Bhajju a student of your school?

SOMNATH
Yes.
SAIRA
Which class does he study in?

SOMNATH
10th
SAIRA
So that means he would have
appeared for the 10th Boards this
year had he not been arrested?

(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 22.

Ravish again interjects, arguing that such a line of

questioning is done to elicit an emotional sympathy in the
judge.
RAVISH
Your honour, this is not relevant.
Why conjecture about what the
accused would have been doing had
he not been arrested? It is merely
done to elicit an emotional
response.

SAIRA
There is no conjecture, this is the
truth. I dont know what the
prosecuting attorney is going on
about.

JUDGE
Ravish ji, I dont see any reason
for Saira ji not to ask that
question. You may continue, madam.

SAIRA
Thank you, sir. (turning back to
face Somnath) So Bhajju would have
given his 10th exams if he was not
arrested?

SOMNATH
Yes.
SAIRA
Somnath ji, how can say that with
certainty?
SOMNATH
I have submitted the relevant
documents, including his admit card
for the exams.

Saira submits the aforementioned documents, including

Bhajjus board admit card and his school identity card,
which prove that Bhajjus age at the time of the incident
was 16 years.

The judge goes through them and asks his clerk to note down
the important points.
SAIRA
What kind of a student is Bhajju?

(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 23.

SOMNATH
He was hard-working. He did well in
school.
SAIRA
Did you ever have a feeling that he
was mixing with what the police
call "naxal" elements?
SOMNATH
I dont even know what that means.
But I have never seen Bhajju mixing
up with many people. He usually
stays to himself and his family.
SAIRA
Thank you, Somnath ji. Thats all,
your honour.
The judge asks Ravish if there is anything that he wishes to
address, but Ravish simply nods in the negative after
exchanging a glance with SI Raja.

JUDGE
You may now descend from the
witness stand, Somnath ji.
Somnath Raju descends from the stand and takes his seat in
the crowd of people watching the proceedings, and they are
not many.
SAIRA
Your honour, it is amply clear this
is a case of mistaken identity. The
police were looking for someone
else, who they claim to be
30-year-old. Bhajju is not that
person. Not only is his fathers
name different, we have proved that
he was a 16-year-old at the time of
the incident who was preparing for
his Board exams. So I please pray,
your honor, to transfer his case to
the juvenile board.
JUDGE
Ravish ji, do you have something to
say?
RAVISH
Sir, we cannot ascertain the
identity of the individual in a
sensitive case like this with such
(MORE)
(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 24.

RAVISH (contd)
ease. Naxalis have a very shrewd
way of getting out of trouble, and
it is evident that this juvenile
drama is just a means for the
accused to escape police custody.
So I request you to let his case be
tried here instead of the juvenile
board.
The judge, after pondering over the documents and the
arguments for some time, reads out his decision.

JUDGE
From the facts on hand, it appears
probable that the police has made a
mistake in determining the right
age of the accused. Although it
cannot be said with any guarantee
that Bhajju is not responsible for
the crimes charged against him, the
court believes that he was a
juvenile at the time of the
incident. So I order, with the
powers vested in me, that Bhajjus
case be transferred to the juvenile
board.
As the judge says this, a sense of relief washes over
Sairas face. She stands up, collects her things, and looks
at Bhajju in an affectionate manner. Bhajju returns his
gratitude with a slight smile, although he is not overtly
expressive about it.

EXT. COURT -- AFTERNOON

The judge walks past the sunlit columns outside the court.
S. Raja is waiting, pinned to one of the pillars. He
suddenly makes himself visible to the judge, almost
surprising him. Saira, Soni and Sangram can be seen in the
background while Judge and Raja and have a conversation in
the foreground.
JUDGE
(mocking tone)
Kanoon maana andha hai par bakri ko
gaaye mat banaya karo tum log.
Humari kuch toh izzat rakho.
Raja is feeling embarrassed, but he is raging inside because
his incompetence to even formulate a fake case conclusively
has been identified by the judge.

(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 25.

RAJA
(suppressing his anger)
Sorry sir.
JUDGE
Tumne kuch kaam hi nahi kiya is
par. Bas soch liya ki hai hum hai
toh ho jaayega.
The judge leaves after saying this. Raja stays there for a
couple of seconds watching him go, and then turns to leave.
He walks with a stride that betrays his anger. He is
obviously embarrassed and raged with what has happened in
the court.

INT. DESI THEKA -- EVENING

A desi theka where some locals are drinking. It has a long

rectangular sort of a setting with a thatched roof. Plastic
tables and chairs are placed close to each other. It is
evening time and the theka has some lights attached to the
holders, hanging from the ceiling.

Raja is also there drinking, and it seems as if he has had a

few drinks already. He has a few local snacks placed in
front of him, and once he finishes his drink, he throws them
to the group with a violent movement of his hand. Some of
the others in the theka look in his direction.

Raja then strides out of the theka, and starts his bike

INT. JAIL -- NIGHT

Interior of the jail where Bhajju is being held with other

prisoners, mostly Adivasis and all males. He is quietly
lying in one corner, as if waiting to be released.
The door opens, and for a second there is a glitter in
Bhajjus eyes, possibly because he believes this is the
moment that he will be taken away from this hostile
environment. But instead it is Raja, raucous and stormy, who
enters the room with a purpose. The SECOND CONSTABLE stands
at the gate, possibly fearful of what his superior might do.
This is also the first time that we see some sort of human
empathy among the policemen.
Raja picks up Bhajju by his hair and drags him -- with the
boy screaming -- to a room in another part of the jail. He
ties Bhajjus hand using two huge nails attached planted on
the walls the walls, in a way that it looks like he is being
crucified.

(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 26.

Then Raja goes looking for something and empties a complete

drawer. Several things fall out, and he picks up some more
iron nails from there and a hammer and moves in Bhajjus
direction.
RAJA
Saale tujhe lagta hai tu bach gaya.
Juvenile home jaayega,
behenchod? Main tujhe abhi maar
dunga aur teri Saira madam ki choon
tak bhi nahi niklegi. Tujhe pata
hai ki mere upar kiska haath hai?
Raja is in a menacing mood. He points his finger upwards in
answer to his own question.

RAJA
(pointing up, whispers)
Madarchod, Bastar ko naxal-mukt hum
banayenge.

BHAJJU
Sir...
Bhajju screams in agony as Raja inserts the iron nail under
his nails and then pushes them with a hammer.

At this moment, we cut to the close-up of one of the

constables outside. With every scream of agony that emerges
from inside the closed door, we see him shuddering in fear.
This is too much for even him to take, who is often witness
to grilled maulings.

EXT. SAIRAS HOME -- NIGHT

Saira works at her office. There are thick hardback law
books in front her on the table. Some of them are to do with
Adivasi rights, the Fifth Schedule and the others are about
past cases where the accused has been charged of acting
against the state. She is going through the books and making
notes when suddenly a stone shatters the window behind her,
which has earlier been shown to be placed in the middle of
the wall. The stone lands on the table, or on the floor.

Saira, obviously shocked with what has just passed, turns to

see who threw the stone. She can see two men starting a bike
at some distance from the main gate of her office, although
she cannot see their faces. They are attempting to rush
away. They have tied handkerchiefs on their faces. One of
them has an orange bandana on his head.
Saira looks at the stone. It is wrapped up in paper. She
unwraps the paper. It has a message for her.
 27.

MAOISTS AND THEIR DOGS WILL BE THROWN OUT OF BASTAR.

INT. JUVENILE BOARD COURTOOM -- NOON

A juvenile board courtroom. It is unlike a real court, and
it is basically just a small room with a set of chairs and
tables to seat everyone. A table is placed in the center
near one of the walls for the magistrate, and a long
adjacent table is meant to seat the social workers. Another
table is placed on the opposite side, where sits the typist
who notes down the proceedings.
Near the door, two more tables seat the clerks, who have
several folders placed in front of them. They seem to be
preoccupied with something.

A few plastic chairs are also placed to seat the relatives

of the accused or other people who would wish to attend. But
hardly anybody ever comes to attend these cases, except
maybe the interns of the lawyers who are defending the
accused.

In a juvenile court, the atmosphere is more relaxed than in

a real court. Since it is not believed to be a criminal
trial, nobody wears formal clothes, from the judge to the
lawyers to the poilce officers. They all sport casual
clothes to give an air of amiability to the proceedings.

But there is something unusual about the court. The

magistrate is not there.
We follow two social workers as they come from outside
having just finished tea and who are chitchatting with each
other. They take their seats as the others are indulged in
their preoccupations.
The first social worker is RABINDRA (40s) while the other is
GOPALAN (also 40s). Rabindra has broad shoulders and speaks
impeccable Hindi while Gopalan is a south-Indian, and seems
to have some trouble speaking Hindi as well as Rabindra,
although he understands everything that his colleague says.
RABINDRA
(smiling)
Bahut maza aaya.. tch.. bahut
zyada.. Kya batayein sahab aapko?
Ek toh wahan ka vatavaran bahut
suhana hai.. ekdum jannat hai
janaab.. aur kamre bhi saste mil
jaate hain..

(MORE)
(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 28.

RABINDRA (contd)
ek andar ki baat batayein aapko..
Hume toh biwi ne kaha ki har saal
ek chakkar to lagana hi chahiye..
The second man keeps nodding, smiling.
RABINDRA
(cringing)
Par ek mushkil toh thi. Khana sahi
nahi milta.. Pata nahi kya ul-zulul
khate hain yeh log.. Kya bolte
hain.. P0-RK.. maine bola bhai suar
bolo.. (laughs animatedly)

At this moment, a clerk arrives to inform these two that the

magistrate will be unavailable.
CLERK
Sir, madam nahi aayengi aaj. Unka
aathva mahina chal raha hai..

RABINDRA
(dismissing him with a wave of
his hand)
Haan, haan.. theek hai.. (to his
colleague) isliye toh main kehta
hoon, kachari aur maskari.. in dono
ka kamaan sirf mardon ke paas hona
chahiye.. (smirks)
Rabindra gets up. He announces to the court that the
magistrate wont be available and that they should begin
their proceedings.
Bhajju enters the court and is made to stand in one corner.
Saira is already there, but Prabhat, Sangram and Soni are
not to be seen.

RABINDRA
Madam, shuru kariye.
Saira gets up from her seat and walks to the center of the
room, addressing the social workers.

SAIRA
Sir, mere client ko court se
juvenile home transfer karne ka
order paas kar diya gaya hai. Par
phir bhi Bhajju ko adult jail mein
hi rakha ja raha hai. Main aapse
nivedan karti hoon ki Bhajju ko
juvenile home shift kiya jaaye.

(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 29.

RABINDRA
Madam, yeh humare haath mein nahi
hai. Hum kaise transfer kar sakte
hain jab mananiya judge sahab ne
writing mein kuch nahi diya hai?

SAIRA
Sir, par jab case juvenile board
transfer kar diya gaya hai toh
Bhajju ko jail mein rakhne ka kya
matlab banta hai?

This is the first time that Gopalan speaks, seeing as he is

that his colleague is having trouble formulating the
argument. He speaks in English.
GOPALAN
No, no.. We cannot do anything
about that.. we are merely meant to
advise the court, not pass
judgements in the absence of the
magistrate.. you can discuss that
with the magistrate once she is
back.. Okay?
Saira is irritated with this response but does not pursue
it. Instead, she says that bail be granted to her client.
SAIRA
Sir, I would like to submit an
application for bail.
RABINDRA
Saira ji, aap kaise bail ke liye
prayer rakh rahi hain?
SAIRA
Sir, humne ADJ court mein already
prove kar diya hai ki yeh mistaken
identity ka case hai. Police kisi
aur Bhajju ke peeche hai aur yeh
woh ladkha nahi hai. Uski umar 30
saal batayi gayi hai charge-sheet
mein. Upar se dono ke naam bhi alag
hai. Yeh Bhajju Budhia hai jabki
police ko kisi Bhajju Shyam ki
talash hai.. Police ke khud ki
charge-sheet se maalum hota hai ki
yeh Bhajju nirdosh hai, sir.
Aur juvenile cases mein bail
mandatory hota hai, toh main past
precedents ko dhyan mein rakhte hue
(MORE)
(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 30.

SAIRA (contd)
(she will read out actual
precedents on this instance), aur
iske parivar ki haalat ko bhi
dekhte hue, aapse narm nivedan
karti hoon ki Bhajju ko bail grant
kiya jaaye.
GOPALAN
You are talking about past
precedents, madam, but do you
realize the political sensitivity
of this case? This boy is charged
with killing our CRPF jawans. He is
charged with KILLING soldiers who
make this country safe. Those
soldiers who guard you and
me. (emphasizing) This boy is
charged with acting against the
Union of India, madam. By all
accounts, he could be a terrorist
with ulterior motives. And you are
asking us to grant him bail?

SAIRA
(defiantly)
Sir, with all due respect, we are
here to discuss whether or not he
committed the crimes charged
against him, on top of him not
actually being the guy that police
are looking for, so it is highly
irresponsible for you to attach the
term "terrorist" when nothing has
been proved yet.
Gopalan is on the back foot, so Rabindra takes charge.
RABINDRA
Saira ji, ek second. In sab baaton
se pehle mudda kuch aur hai. Law
toh aapko bhi pata hai. Bina social
inspection ke bail nahi milta. Kal
jaakar yeh ladka kisi Naxali ko
humare jails ke baare mein
information dega aur phir woh log
kuch karte hai, toh uski zimmedari
kaun lega?
Saira is about to speak, but Rabindra stops her from
speaking.

(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 31.

RABINDRA
(continues, shaking his head)
Nahi.. nahi madam.. bail milna itna
aasan nahi hai. Yeh bahut serious
charges hain.. Juvenile or no
juvenile, this boy is bh-ery
dangerous.
SAIRA
(continues sternly)
Sir, I request you once again not
to charge the boy guilty without
anything being proved yet. I
request you to conduct the social
inspections mandated by the rule of
law in such cases.

RABINDRA
Impossible... im-poss-ible.. Aapka
request jo hai woh poora nahi ho
sakta. Yeh ladka bahut andar ke
gaon ka hai jo naxali prabhavit
area hai. Wahan pe jaana kisi ke
liye bhi khatre se khaali nahi
hai.. Humare liye udhar social
inspection team bhejna asambhav
hai..

SAIRA
Sir, par aisa karna dereliction of
duty hoga.
RABINDRA
(getting irritated)
Madam, please apne dayre mein
rahiye. Humari duty hume nahi
samjhaye toh behter hoga. Ulta aap
yeh samajh lijiye ki agar Bhajju
nirdosh bhi hai, toh uske liye jail
mein rehna zyada safe hai..

Saira is left speechless by this comment.

SAIRA
Aap kehna kya chahte hain?

GOPALAN
He is saying that considering that
this boy comes from a sensitive
area which has long been infested
by Naxals, it will be better he
stays in jail.

(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 32.

SAIRA
This does not make any sense---
RABINDRA
Yeh discussion next hearing mein
continue karte hain. Abhi hume
kahin jaana hai..
SAIRA
Par sir--

Saira is again cut short.

GOPALAN
Madam, lets continue later.. The
date for the next hearing is set at
two weeks from now.

The social workers get up and Saira is left helpless. She

does not know what to say.

INT. JAIL -- NIGHT

Bhajju is brought back to the jail by the guards to his cell

where some more Adivasis are being held up for years.
A tired Bhajju goes off to sleep. A little later that night,
Bhajju hears a lot of noises emerging from the other side of
the jail. Adivasi women can be heard singing protest songs
in Gondi.
Bhajju is all ears now. He tries hard to overhear the
conversation between two guards near him. He can hardly see
them, but he realizes what the women prisoners agitation is
about.
GUARD 1
Yeh janani log khana nahi kha rahi
hai. Behenchod bhook bhi nahi lagti
kya inko?

GUARD 2
Inki bhook toh hum hi mita sakte
hain..

The first guard sniggers, and then both of them break out
laughing. Meanwhile, the protest songs continue while the
voices of women also ring through the jail, getting stronger
and firmer as the night progresses.
A little later, the guard comes to open the cell gate to
give the men food. But while others accept their plates of

(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 33.

food, Bhajju flat out refuses. This creates some

consternation for the guard who has come to give him food
but this is Bhajjus way of expressing his solidarity with
the fighting women in the jail.

After looking at Bhajju refusing to eat his food, some

others also feel guilty and leave their plates full, not
eating. They all throw away their plates and begin chanting.
The women return the chants. The solidarity is complete. It
is an extremely poignant moment for all the inhabitants in
the jail.

INT. BHAJJUS HUT -- NIGHT

The kitchen space in Bhajjust hut, just outside the
rectangular room we have seen earlier in the film. Soni is
cooking a soupy broth. The fire burns from the wood that she
has brought from the forests.
Sangram, who has only now returned from a local festival
preparation, enters the hut. He is tipsy and hums a Gondi
song. He looks at Soni and asks her if the food is ready.
SONI
Baith ja Bapu, bas ho hi gaya hai.
Sangram does not say anything and sits next to her, waiting
for his food. Soni puts the broth in a bowl and gives it to
him.
SANGRAM
(drunk, not pleased with the
food)
Yeh kya hai re?
SONI
Toh ghar mein aur kya hai? Tu mahua
kam peeyega toh khane mein kuch
hoga.

Sangram throws the food with a wave of his hand and mutters
something incomprehensible, betraying his disgust. The broth
splashes across the walls, with a few drops also landing on
Sonis face and hands. It is hot, but Soni does not say
anything.

Instead, she gets up and begins to clean the clayed floor.

Sangram notices her cleaning but does not say anything.
SANGRAM
Ja, thodi mahua aur le ke aa. Khane
se acha toh wahi hai.

(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 34.

SONI
(still cleaning)
Khud le ke aa. Hamesha bas peeke aa
jaata hai.

Tera beta jail mein hai, bapu, aur

tujhe aur koi kaam nahi hai.
SANGRAM
Toh kya chahti hai tu?

Kya woh akela adivasi hai jo jail

mein hai?
Soni, now irritated, throws everything she has picked up on
the floor and addresses Sangram directly.

SONI
Bapu, jab maa mari tab bhi tu yahi
bolta tha. Aaj Bhajju jail mein
hai, kal main rahungi. Tu bas aise
hi daaru peekar baithe rehna...

Soni strides inside after saying this. Sangram, whose male

ego has been evidently hurt, does not say anything but just
looks down at his feet. He buries his face in his arms. His
body shakes as he whimpers in the darkness.

EXT. JUVENILE BOARD COURTROOM -- MORNING

A car with blue flasher lighting enters the court premises.
The court premises are basically a small building, which is
more like a house than a government building.

The MAGISTRATE, a middle-aged woman wearing a yellow sari,

who looks refreshed, gets out of the car and enters the
court. As she makes her way to the juvenile board courtroom,
some people who pass her fold their hands in their
gratitude, while some local workers congratulate her for her
newborn son.
She also crosses Sangram, Soni and Prabhat on her way to the
courtroom. Sangram also folds his hands as she makes her
way.

INT. JUVENILE BOARD COURTOOM -- MORNING

The magistrate has taken her place, while all the rest are
already there, including Saira, the two social workers and
Bhajju. S. Raja is also present in the courtroom in plain
civilian clothes.

(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 35.

The magistrate is examining some relevant documents. It is

apparent that Saira has already made her case in front of
her. After a while, the magistrate accepts that Bhajju is
mistakenly been held in the jail and that he should
immediately be transferred to the juvenile home.

MAGISTRATE
After examining the relevant
documents and upholding the order
passed by the Honorable District
Judge, it is clear that Bhajju
should have been transferred to the
juvenile home and not kept at the
Central Jail.
Bhajjus lawyer had pointed out
this to the court-appointed social
workers at the last hearing, but it
was not acted upon.
At this point, the magistrate casts an incriminating glance
at the social workers, who appear embarrassed.

MAGISTRATE
So I accept that this court made a
mistake in not allowing Bhajju to
be transferred to the juvenile
home, and I direct the police to
shift him immediately. He will no
longer remain in the jail.
We see Bhajjus face as the Magistrate says this. His face
lights up and he looks immediately at Saira and nods his
head in gratitude. Saira returns her affection with a smile.

They all head out and Bhajju meets Sangram and Soni. Saira
tells them what has just happened. As she is saying this, S.
Raja crosses them and congratulates her in a sarcastic
manner.

S. RAJA
Congratulations, madam. Ek aur
naxali ko bachane mein aap kaamyaab
hui. Aap jaise log agar is desh
mein hain toh koi dushman ki kya
zarurat hai!?

Raja wants to say something but stops himself. He then

leaves. Prabhat watches him go and turns to Saira, and makes
a gesture at Saira, mocking the SI.
 36.

INT. JUVENILE HOME -- DAY

The juvenile home class. It is a dilapidated building, worse
than the government school. A few boys and girls -- all of
different ages -- are sitting on the floor.

There are huge posters of Rama (from the serial Ramayana)

and Hanuman, Savarkar, and Vivekananda in the room where
this class is taking place.
A man gives them moral lessons in chaste Hindi. He appears
to be a Brahmin man who resembles Narada.
JUVENILE HOME MAN
Bhagwan Raam purusharth ki antim
paribhasha hain. Unhone Sita maiya
ko bhi nahi apnaya kyunki woh
Raavan ke saath reh chuki thi. Har
mard mein yeh himmat honi chahiye,
nahi toh humara jeena vyartha hai.
Akhand Bharat mein sirf aise hi
mard chahiye.

Aur humari bachchiyon ko Savitri se

sikhna chahiye. Woh pataal bhed
aayi Satyavan ke liye. Aaj kal ki
aurton mein woh baat kahan?

Tum log jab yahaan se nikoge toh

Raam aur Savithri jaise ban ne ka
prayas karna. Tabhi humare desh ki
tarraki sambhav hai.

INT. SAIRAS OFFICE -- NOON

(This scene is under consideration and we are exploring
other options to structure it.)

Saira, Prabhat, Ravi Shukla and Sairas colleague, Sujata

(40s), are sitting at Sairas home and talking to some
interns who have arrived to intern in the area. They are
young students of either law or journalism who have traveled
to Bastar to work on stories or cases about Adivasi
exploitation. Sujata talks to them.

(The dialogues here needs to be worked on, made very precise

which sums up the situation in the region.)
SUJATA
Before any you of you decide to
work in Bastar, let me make
(MORE)
(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 37.

SUJATA (contd)
something very clear to you. This
is an extremely difficult place to
work in, and it comes with its fair
amount of risks. You dont even
have to side with anybody to become
a target.. If you seek justice for
the Adivasis, you risk incurring
the wrath of the police, courts and
the state. It is an inhuman system
which will crush your soul.. And
you are vulnerable (smiles wryly,
casts a glance at Sairas
direction), trust me on that. You
dont even know and people are
following you. You will face
intimidation, you will get thrown
out, and your personal life will be
a mess.
I can see some of you twitching
nervously as I speak.

The interns are listening to her attentively. One of them is

filming Sujata speak.
SUJATA
(continues)
But your troubles are nothing
compared to that of the Adivasis.
Tribals are being killed and raped
almost every day here. In villages,
in jails, everywhere... Their lands
are being plundered, their homes
are being burnt, and they are being
subjected to the most inhuman forms
of torture. Young boys spend years
in jail before being acquitted.
Their lives and careers are ruined.
Young girls are raped by several
men while in custody. Stones.. iron
rods are inserted into their
vaginas. And all of this is
happening (raises her hands to
gesture quotation marks) in a
"democratic" country. Why? (pause)
I think we all need to ask that
question to ourselves.
Before I list out some cases that
we have dealt with in the last few
years, let me introduce you to
Ravi, the editor of Aawaz and who
(MORE)
(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 38.

SUJATA (contd)
has been working tirelessly in the
region.
She gestures Ravi to come speak.

RAVI
Aap logon ko toh Sujata madam ne
dara hi diya.
Bits of nervous laughter can be heard among the interns.

RAVI
(continues)
Par yeh sach hai. Main aapse kehna
chahunga ki hum bahut gambhir samay
mein reh rahe hain. Aur agar aap
waqt ki gambhirta ko samajhte hain,
tab hi aap ko yahaan par kaam karne
ka sochna chahiye..
Yahaan par internship kiya, aur
nikal gaye, usse na toh aap kuch
sikhenge, aur naahi Adivasiyon ki
zindagi mein sudhar aayega. Baaki
aap sab kaafi samajhdar hain. Mujhe
ummid hai ki aap dridha nischay
lekar hi kaam karna chahte hain.

Main ek patrkar aur editor hone ke

naate bas itna kehna chahunga ki
humare desh ko bahut saare nidar
patrkaron ki sakht zarurat hai..

Ravi begins to cough at this point, and Saira gives him a

glass of water. We stay with Ravi as he takes a few sips
from the bottle, shuts the cap and keeps it on a table near
him. Before he begins again, we go to the next scene.

EXT. BUS STAND -- MORNING

Sangram and Soni wait for the bus. The bus comes and they
get on it. In the bus, the conductor asks them for money.
Sangram takes out all his money and we see most of it is in
coins. The conductor gets irritated and shouts out to the
driver, asking him to stop the bus. He forces Sangram and
Soni get out of the bus, despite protestations.
We see Sangram and Soni walking on the main road towards the
city abjectedly.
 39.

INT. JUVENILE BOARD COURTROOM -- MORNING

(Here, Saira speaks out of passion. However, her arguments
are grounded on legal aspects related to the case and
rhetoric. So it will need to be edited still.)

Bail hearing day.

The same juvenile board courtroom from the earlier scenes.
All the usual suspects are present in the court.

Saira stands up, walks to the middle and makes a long and
passionate speech about the absolute need to grant Bhajju
bail.
SAIRA
Your Honor, for the last few weeks
we have heard several police
witnesses say in court that none of
them have any memories of the IED
blast of which Bhajju is accused.
There is not a single witness who
has been able to corroborate the
polices statements that this young
boy was present during the blast.
I want to bring your attention to
the way Bhajju has been targeted,
unfairly detained, and beaten up in
police custody. We have proved that
he was a minor at the time of the
incident already. He is a
meritorious student whose academic
rigor has been substantiated by the
principal of his school himself. If
not for all this, Bhajju would have
given his 10th exams. He would be
helping his father and sister eke
out a decent living by helping
them. Instead, he has spent such a
long time in jail, and now
languishes in the juvenile home
where not even his family members
are allowed to meet him. The
process of law has been completely
circumvented in his case. He has
not been given bail on more than
one count despite being a juvenile,
while not a single social
inspection was carried out as is
necessary. Instead, in this very
court grillings of his family
members have been conducted. In
(MORE)
(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 40.

SAIRA (contd)
which court would such contempt for
the rule of law be tolerated?
Your honor, I was told in your
absence that Bhajju would be safer
in jail. When I persisted to know
why, I was told Bhajju would be
safer in jail because Bastar is a
naxal-affected area. Please tell
me, your honor, shouldnt the whole
of Bastar be in jail then? Lock up
all the Adivasis -- all men, women
and children -- throw them all in
jail, and then maybe then the
police administration will believe
that Bastar is safe? But is this
how even the court will treat the
people of its own country?
Soni and Sangram enter the court at around this point.
SAIRA
(composing herself)
Your honor, we have continually
wronged the Adivasis. We have
sought to take away their lands and
build mines instead of forests. We
have taken their resources and
filled up our coffers. We have made
them servants in their own homes.
But they have lived here for longer
than we can remember. They have
saved their dignity through ages,
and will continue to do so. But we
do not like that, so we destroy
their homes, rape them, kill them.
We take away children like Bhajju
away from their homes to intimidate
them, but the Adivasis wont
succumb.

The magistrate intervenes.

MAGISTRATE
Saira ji, please stick to the case.
You are wandering off
unnecessarily.

(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 41.

SAIRA
I apologize if you think so, your
honor, but Bhajjus is not an
isolated case. He is just one
victim of this vicious system.
Please dont perpetuate this
inhuman system by putting this
innocent boy behind bars for long.
He has already lost a good part of
his early life in jail. Not
allowing him bail will be a slap on
our --
MAGISTRATE
Listen, Saira ji, thats enough. I
dont want a lecture on Adivasi
rights in the court. I can read a
book if I want to do that.
SAIRA
But, your honor...
MAGISTRATE
I said I have had enough. My ears
are aching now. Please leave the
court right now.
When Saira persists, the Magistrate tells her to leave the
court more sternly.

Saira is speechless. She cannot do anything but leave the

court. She finally departs before glancing in the direction
of Bhajju, Soni and Sangram. Bhajju appears even if he does
not fully understand what is happening. Saira appears
dejected. She leaves the court premises.

EXT. LAKE/STREAM -- EVENING

Saira sits alone near a scenic location. We see her smoking
a cigarette for the first time in this scene. The way she is
smoking the cigarette betrays that she is not a regular. Her
phone rings and although we do not hear the conversation, we
can sense something important has been said because Saira
rushes away after hanging up.

EXT. JUVENILE HOME -- EVENING

Saira approaches the court room with quick steps. She is
going towards the courtroom when the Babu of the court stops
her to congratulate her. She is informed that Bhajju has
been granted bail.
 42.

Saira cannot believe the news and her face is a sea of

emotions. She calls someone as she rushes away.

INT. SAIRAS OFFICE/HOME -- EVENING

Saira enters her office. Bhajju, Prabhat, Sujata, Soni and

Sangram are all already there. Sangram is sitting on the
floor and Prabhat is helping him get up and sit on the bed.
They are all having an animated -- nonetheless relaxed --
conversation with cups of tea as Saira enters.

SUJATA
Saira, kahan thi tum? I have been
trying to reach you for such a long
time.

Even as Sujata speaks, Soni rushes to Saira and hugs her.

Their mutual affection is palpable, as Saira hugs her
tightly.
SAIRA
Main.. mujhe nahi laga ki bail
denge..
Sangram stands up, holding his hands in gratitude, and Saira
wraps her hands around his folded palms. Bhajju also stands
up, but he does not say anything. Saira looks at him and
then back at Prabhat and Sujata. They are all smiles.

They have a pleasant conversation. The mood is so different

from the earlier court scenes, which were tense and shot
dryly. Here, the camera attempts to partake in their
appearance, and we cut quicker too, from one face to the
other. A sense of muted celebration pervades the whole
scene.
FADE OUT:
CHAPTER THREE

EXT. BHAJJUS VILLAGE -- NIGHT

The following text appears on the screen: FOUR MONTHS LATER

(The following scene needs to be choreographed in detail.)

The scene begins with a late night wide shot of a village
meeting, taking place in an empty space in the middle of the
village. The villagers seem to be engaged in a discussion
about planning a future festival. There is a sense of ease
and timelessness about the proceedings.

(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 43.

Suddenly, sounds of several footsteps can be heard. The

villagers slowly begin to get up and look in the direction
of where the sounds are emerging from. First, one, and then
a few of them walk towards the sounds.

At this point, several men (belonging to security forces)

invade the scene (village) with guns. They first walk slowly
within the group but then quicken their steps, and the
villagers know something untoward is to happen. Before we
know it, violence is unleashed on the village. There are
screams and protestations, but the barrel of the gun keeps
the villagers at bay.
The security personnel break pots, throw away utensils and
other belongings which they have brought from the house. The
goats and crows are untied and set free, leaving everything
helter-skelter. It is total chaos, a far cry from the
beginning of the scene, which seemed almost idyllic.
The security personnel invade different houses and bring out
young men and girls. They are dragging some people by the
hair while others are beaten up on the screen. All this,
despite the village elders protesting and shouting at the
forces. Amidst all this chaos, Sangram attempts to shield
his children but both Bhajju and Soni are dragged by the
security personnel. He runs after them, shouting
incoherently.
Before leaving the scene, two of the security personnel burn
the haystacks kept near one of the houses. The fire grows
bigger as the security personnel, after destroying several
things and picking up several men, leave the scene. The
villagers follow them in tandem, waiting to see what they do
with the people they have picked up.

INT. SAIRAS HOME -- DAY

Next day. Saira is brushing her teeth. A soundtrack of raga
vibhas is playing at a low voice in the background. Her
phone starts to ring. While still brushing her teeth, Saira
turns and leaves the bathroom to see who is calling. She
picks up the phone even as the toothbrush is still in her
mouth.
We dont hear the conversation but we see Sairas expression
change gradually. A few seconds pass. She listens very
intently.
Then, suddenly the phone drops from her hand. She paces
slowly in the room before finally leaning against a wall and
crouching down.
 44.

We see a wide shot of Saira crouched against a wall, which

has nothing on it except a huge Chhattisgarh map. There are
some cardboxes placed asymmetrically in front of the wall.

INT. POTA CABIN -- DAY

Soni is at a POTA cabin. It is like a dormitory for
teenagers and young adults. A row of similar cots line up
the huge hall on both sides. The hall is symmetrical in the
way it has been arranged. In one of the cots, a nonchalant
Soni sits looking straight onto the wall in front of her.
A middle-aged woman supervisor appears at one of the doors.
Once she places Soni, she asks him to join the others in the
daily chores.

SUPERVISOR
(slightly rudely)
Aey ladki, jab se yahaan aayi hai
aise hi baithi hui hai. Chal, baaki
logon ke saath kaam karna shuru
kar.

VILLAGE EXTERIOR -- DAY

We cut to a close up Adivasi village priest who is shaking
his upper body violently as if a spirit has possessed him.
He is shaking his body to the sound of a pungi-like Adivasi
instrument which is playing off screen.
Then, a wide shot shows us what has happened. A body lies in
the foreground of the image. We can only see the feet of the
body.

In the background, Sangram sits hunched, with his expressive

face betraying angst coupled with helplessness.
Other villagers also stand near the body. Two villagers, one
of them being the person who earlier in the film brought
Sangram home when he was drunk, force him up.
Yet another villager brings a tray made of bamboo (called
soop in northern India) and which is full of flower petals
and leaves. He begins scattering the petals and leaves on
Bhajjus body (his face is covered) and begins to circle
him. He then passes the soop to the man behind him and so on
and so forth. Sangram also eventually picks up the soop and
begins to scatter the petals on the dead boys covered body.
We again cut to the violent shaking of the priest as the
pitch of the pungi instrument goes higher.
 45.

EXT. PROTEST SITE -- DAY

Same day. Local villagers take out a small protest against
the brutal police action in their villages.
While the campaign is not for Bhajju per se, the villagers
have taken to the streets under the supervision of a local
Adivasi leader to protest the recent killings arguably
carried out by the local police.
A local Adivasi speaker addresses the audience about why
they must unify if they want any coherent answer from the
local administration. After the short but fiery speech
(preferably by a woman Adivasi leader), a small group of
young women sing a protest song at the March.
We cut to Prabhat who is observing the entire proceedings.

INT. PRINTING PRESS SCENE -- DAY

Static shots of newspapers being printed. We can see
Prabhats report in the newspaper, which says that the
police have shot down a young boy in a "fake encounter."

LAST TRACK SEQUENCE

This is going to be a montage of the various things that the
main characters, including Saira, Prabhat, Soni and Sangram
accomplish in the days following Bhajjus death.
The following images will appear on the screen, giving us a
sense that the battle for the indigenous people is still
being fought by the main characters.

It is complimented with a soundtrack which starts slowly but

then builds up to a crescendo. The music in the background,
although it has a dark undertone to it in the beginning,
makes way to a more uplifting, even aspiring climax.

(The soundtrack should roughly last for 2:30 minutes. This

is the only time we use a musical score in the film.)
Parallel cutting will be used for the following sequence.

Soni can be seen seen stiching something with a group of

other young women in a big sort of a room at the POTA cabin.
Prabhat can be seen going around the village in a
fact-finding team, talking to villagers, riding his bike,
writing furiously at his desk, and visiting his colleagues
in jail.

(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 46.

Saira can be seen working at her desk, filing affidavits,

arguing in court, talking to other victims from the
villages, addressing small public seminars about her
experiences representing Adivasis, talking to her
colleagues.

Sangram can be working at the fields, at the forests,

selling forest produce at the Adivasi weekly market. He
crosses by a group of people sitting under a tree. They are
having mahua and call out his name, but he just waves back
at them, telling them he will carry on with his work.

The parallel cutting scene will end with Soni attempting to

flee the POTA cabin. In the semi-darkness of early morning
when everyone is sleeping, she tries to find a way out but
the first door she encounters is shut, and so is the second
one. She spots a window and wrangles herself out through it,
and lands a few feet below on the ground. She gets up, wipes
the dust off her clothes, and begins to quicken her steps.
She turns back to see if someone is following her, and once
certain that she is safely out of the premises, begins to
run for her life. We have a LONG tracking shot of Soni
running away from cabin and onto the road. At one point, she
falls, but then gets up again and continues running, never
turning back.
THE END
END CREDITS ROLL