1 OVER BLACK 1

TEENAGE BOY (O.S.)

Kartik Desai... Sachin Ambekar...

2 EXT. MUMBAI - MORNING 2

A series of hyperlapse shots capture the daily hustle

of Mumbai. A living, breathing Hieronymus Bosch
painting that packs 20 million people – the entire
population of the state of New York – into a space no
bigger than Manhattan.

An unrelenting, unforgiving, megalopolis that hasn’t

slept since the first morning the sun rose above it.

TEENAGE BOY (O.S.)

Shivaji Kumar... Samuel Joseph...

Bodies, millions and millions of them, like an ant hill

infestation, move about - in and out of streets, office
complexes, train stations, shopping malls, slums and
apartment complexes. All spread as far as the eye can
see.

TEENAGE BOY (O.S.) (CONT’D)

Mehul Gori...

The time-lapse shots narrow their focus, slowly moving

closer, into the waves of people rapidly surging
about...

... Finally landing on a MERCHANT amidst a crowded

shopping district - the shot slows down to super slow
motion - SNAPS to black and white as if it were a
portrait of the young merchant (think Motorcycle Diaries).

TEENAGE BOY (O.S.) (CONT’D)

Sahil Malik...

SERIES OF SLOW MOTION B&W PORTRAITS:

- A young lanky STUDENT outside a University, about to

go to class.

TEENAGE BOY (O.S.) (CONT’D)

 Advik Patel...

-A SWEATY WORKER in his mid 30s, takes a breather from

his busy back-breaking work at the shipping port of
Mumbai.

TEENAGE BOY (O.S.) (CONT’D)

Rajan Parkash...

- A BLUE COLLAR WORKER, holding onto his satchel bag as

he hurries out of a packed Victoria Terminus train
station.


TEENAGE BOY (PRE-LAP)(CONT’D)

Devit Sethi...

CUT TO:

3 INT. SLUM QUARTER. DHARAVI, MUMBAI - MORNING 3

CLOSE UP of a wiry 15 year-old PACHPAN (the Hindi word

for number 55), who intently stares at his own mirror
reflection. The intensity of his light brown eyes’
unblinking gaze belie his post-pubescent boyish frame.

Pachpan finally blinks, as if arriving at a

conclusion. He turns to an ID card he’s holding - it’s
Devit Sethi’s - the man we just saw at the train
station.

Pachpan flips to the next ID card in the stack he’s

holding like a deck of playing cards.

PACHPAN
Rustam Vania.

Pachpan stares long and hard at the ID image of an

old wrinkly man in his 60’s, and then back at himself
- shakes his head. This too is not him.

CHIYASI (O.S.)
Aur tera naam kya hai?

Pachpan turns to find CHIYASI (number 86), a scrawny

kid no older than 11, who’s been silently watching the
morning ritual from outside the slightly ajar door.
 Pachpan turns back to his id cards.

PACHPAN
Kabse khade hoke dekh raha hai?

Chiyasi, chewing on betel nut, way too wise for

an 11 year old, calmly steps inside. He picks up
the I cards.

CHIYASI
Ek saal se… Dekh raha hun kaisa
tu yeh faaltu naatak mein bheja
tal raha hai apna.

Pachpan doesn’t respond. Gestures to return his cards.

He keeps staring at him quietly. Chiyasi gives up and

returns the Id cards. Begins to walk away. Pachpan turns
around.

PACHPAN
Tera naam kya tha? Idhar aane se pehle?

Chiyasi scoffs. Chiyasi rolls up his sleeve, revealing a

crude blue tattoo of number “86” branded on his shoulder.

CHIYASI
Mera naam Chiyasi hai. (lifts up Pachpan’s
sleeve) Aur tera Pachpan. Aage ka, peeche ka,
gaya Bhutan.
(beat)
Haramiyon ko ek number mil gaya, bohot hai.

Pachpan smiles. digests Chiyasi’s bitter perspective .

PACHPAN
Par naam ka alag mazaa hai.

CHIYASI
Haan bol na kya naam chahiye?

Pachpan doesn’t respond, just sniggers.

CHIYASI
Akshay? 30000 toh Akshay honge
Bambai mein. End mein toh number
hi hai na sab?
 PACHPAN
Jaane de. Tujhe nahi samjhega.

Pachpan collects his stash of ID cards, methodically

twists a rubber band around them till they are firmly
secure...

CHIYASI (CONT’D)
Sagar Bhai ko bhi nahi
samjhega. Unko pata chalega toh
samajhne nahi baithenge. Seedha
ungliyaan todenge.

Chiyasi watches as Pachpan hides away his cards carefully.

CHIYASI
Unka Tendulkar hai tu. Bohot
maante hain tujhe. Hum log tabele
ki tarah ek mein 6 sote hain,
akele tereko poora kholi diya.

It’s obvious Pachpan and Chiyasi are not just

fellow pickpockets but close friends too.

PACHPAN
Haan toh tu idhar aake hi reh
na. Mujhko nahi chahiye poora
kholi.

Chiyasi smiles at the unintended irony of Pachpan’s words -

a tinge of envy seeping into his eyes.

CHIYASI
Woh baat nahi hai re lawde. Baat
yeh hai ki jitna mila na, uska roz
subah uth kar shukr manaane ka.
(looks at the ID cards again)
Yeh Roz roz doosre ka zindagi
dekhkar khud ko lalchaana… bhaari
paap lagta hai.

The door swings open and NAVASI (number 89), a boy around
Chiyasi’s age but a few pounds heavier, sticks his head in...

NAVASI
Mota baasket mila hai… Patkan tsala.