A SWORD OVER THE HEAD
 
 
 
written by
 
 
Author
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Address
Phone
E-mail
INT. BLACK
Opening credits kick in.
Credits end.
We hear the sound of a phone buzzing.
CUT TO:

INT. LIVING ROOM (APARTMENT BUILDING) - MORNING (8:33 AM)

The buzzing continues in the background.

Here and there in the room, we see -- a stubbed cigarette...
an empty beer bottle... a solved Rubik's cube... and a
LAPTOP.
AMEER, a man in his early 30s, sits on his couch -- he just
woke up from his sleep.
He has a pale face and puffy eyes -- he hasn't slept well for
a few weeks.
Reveal - his phone's alarm BUZZING.
Ameer's hand stretch to turn off the alarm.
Ameer slightly twitches his neck... grunts... and gets on his
feet.
CLINK. His feet touches the beer bottle on the floor.

INT. BATHROOM - MORNING

Ameer stands peeing inside the toilet.
He yawns.
He stops peeing... closes his pants' zip.

INT. LIVING ROOM - MORNING

CLOSE UP on the LAPTOP. Ameer picks it up and walks towards -
-- the bedroom.

INT. BEDROOM - CONTINUOUS

Ameer enters and sits at a table.
 2.

QUICK CUTS: Ameer places the laptop on the table and inserts
the charger cable into it... He turns on the charger and
opens the laptop.
His laptop wallpaper is a big picture of Quentin Tarantino
with his quote by the side : "If you just love movies enough,
you can make a good one."
The wall in the room is covered with posters of films of
Padmarajan, Quentin Tarantino, Anurag Kashyap, Bong Joon Ho
etc...
CLOSE UP on Ameer's face. He stares blankly at the laptop
screen.
Reveal the laptop screen – A screenplay is opened in MS Word.
The first page reads:
"A SWORD OVER THE HEAD
Written by
Ameer"
Ameer scrolls through the script. There are around 60 pages.
He reaches the bottom of the script and opens a new blank
page.
He stares at the laptop screen.
He types in "INT. CRIMINAL'S ROOM - AFTERNOON"

Ameer stares at the text cursor.

A beat.
In the next line, he types "CLOSE UP on the face of Criminal"
He stares. Clicks his tongue. He deletes the line.
He sighs deeply.
He taps his fingers on the table.
SERIES OF SHOTS:
-- Ameer sits with his finger tips together, rapidly shaking
his legs
-- Ameer slowly feels the keyboard keys with his fingers. He
badly wants to type something.
-- Ameer scratches his chin... he rests his chin over his
hands
 3.

-- Ameer rubs his eyes, he is tired of staring at the laptop

screen.
-- Ameer walks around the room, thinking and rubbing his
palms.
-- Ameer sits clicking a pen. His laptop is closed. Few A4
size papers lie on the table.
AMEER WRITES ON THE PAPER "EXT. RAILWAY STATION"
-- Ameer scratches his head.
-- Ameer tries to fidget his pen, fails.
-- Ameer writes a few sentences. clicks his tongue. He
strikes off everything that he wrote. He crumples the paper
and throws it in the dustbin.
-- Ameer rubs his face.
END SERIES OF SHOTS.
He drops the pen on the table and gets up.

INT. KITCHEN - DAY (9:48 AM)

Ameer, with a toothbrush in his mouth, opens the fridge and
stares inside for a while.
He takes out an egg from the fridge.
He closes the fridge and walks to the kitchen drawer. He
opens the drawer to find a pack of bread slices.
He takes out the pack.
CUT TO:
Ameer breaks the egg into a steel cup -- Some part of the egg
yolk falls outside the cup.
The kitchen sink -- there's a few dirty dishes.
Ameer takes out a plate from the sink, lazily washes it and
places it near.
CUT TO:
The omelette is getting prepared in the stove.
He places a few bread slices on the plate.
 4.

He gets back to the stove and reaches his hand to the salt
container kept by the side of the stove.
He accidentally touches the edge of the HOT pan. He lifts his
hand, making the pan fall to the floor.
AMEER
Fuck!
He quickly turns off the stove. Then looks at his omelette --
on the floor.
He picks the omelette and places it on the plate.
CUT TO:

INT. BEDROOM - DAY (10:18 AM)

Ameer sits at his table and starts eating bread slices from
his plate while watching an interview of Quentin Tarantino on
the laptop.
CUT TO:
The clock on the wall reads 11:22 AM. The empty plate lies on
the table.
Ameer slouches on his chair, staring at the laptop screen.
A web article about Screenwriting Tips is opened in the
laptop.
He closes the article and opens his script file.
Sighs.
He looks up at a poster on the wall -- of Quentin Tarantino.
He stares at the posters for a few seconds.
On a SUDDEN -- he gets a call on his phone. He looks at the
caller ID. He puts out the cigarette and attends the call.
The person on the other side of the call is JESSIE (30s)
AMEER
Aah.
JESSIE
എടാ നീ ഇ ് free ആേണാ?
AMEER
entha?
 5.

JESSIE
ഞാൻ ഒ ആ മാണി ആ േ ാ office-eenn
ഇറ ം. ന ക് ഒ ് െപാറ േപായാേലാ? To a
restaurant or something.

AMEER
Poratho... Script ezhuthaan und.
JESSIE
Nee oru MAASAM aayitt ezhuthi konde
irikuvalle... You need a break
AMEER
Edi I'm so close. Ee script onnu
theeratte... I don't want any
distractions.
JESSIE
Ninne onnu kanaan vendi alle njan
parayane... enthuvaada nee
ingana... Ninne okke Keri
pranayikaan thonniya enne venam
parayaan
AMEER
Athusheri... Ente script-inu state
award-o national award-o okke kitti
kazhiyumbo ithu thanne
parayanotto...
JESSIE
sarcastic
national award mathiyo? Oru Oscar engilum vende?
AMEER
Onnu podo...
JESSIE
Nee aa room-eenn vellappozhokke
porath erangu. Eth neravum script
enn paranj nadakkalle... There's
more to life.
AMEER
Tsk... I'm fine this way
JESSIE
Nee ingana onnum aayirunnilla
The doorbell RINGS. Ameer turns his head.
 6.

AMEER
Njan pinne vilikaam, aaro door-il
vannittund...
JESSIE
Araa?
AMEER
ariyilla nokatte
JESSIE
Eppa vilikkum?
AMEER
annoyed
Eppozhelum vilikaam!
The doorbell rings again.
JESSIE
Athinu enthina dheshyapedane?
AMEER
Dheshyapettillallo...
JESSIE
Pinne?
Doorbell rings again, twice.
AMEER
Tsk... njan door-ilu araann nokatte
Ameer hangs up the call.
He stands up and walks towards the living room.

INT. LIVING ROOM - CONTINUOUS

Ameer walks to the door.
Ameer checks the peephole - his UNCLE, in his 50s, stands at
the door - an unpleasant surprise for Ameer.
AMEER
Shit!
Ameer goes and picks up the beer bottle on the floor.
He opens the TV cabinet drawer and throws the bottle inside.
 7.

He picks up the stubbed cigarettes and throws it outside the

window.
Ameer goes to the door and hesitantly opens it.
AMEER (CONT'D)
to uncle
aah, maman entha ivide?
UNCLE
Ivade aduthulla oru client-ine
kanaan vannatha... Ninnem koodi
kanditt pokaam enn vachu
AMEER
Ah...
A beat.
AMEER (CONT'D)
va akathu irikaam
UNCLE
Aah.
Uncle removes his shoes and steps inside.
Ameer makes way for him to get in.
UNCLE (CONT'D)
George ippo Germany-ila... M Arch-
inu padikuvaa...
Ameer closes the door.
AMEER
he doesn't care
Oh.
Uncle gets disgusted by the look of the room.
UNCLE
Ninak ee room okke onnu vrithi
aakikkoode?
AMEER
Uh, N-Njan kazhikaan enthelum
edukaam
Ameer walks towards the kitchen.
CUT TO:
 8.

Uncle sits on the couch eating from a bowl of potato chips.

UNCLE
Amma enth parayunnu?
AMEER
Njan joli kalanjathinte pinakam
ithuvare mareetilla.
UNCLE
Oh, Avalu parayanathilum karyam
ille? joli kalanjathu mandatharam
anenne njanum parayu.
Ameer doesn't respond.
UNCLE (CONT'D)
well, on the other hand,
kudumbathilu oru filmmaker ollathu
nalla karyama. Pakshe you should be
successful as a filmmaker, allengi
aarkum ninne oru vila undavoola.
a beat
By the way, enthaanu ninte ippothe status? Ezhuthi theraar
aayo?
AMEER
aah first draft theeraar aayi
almost.
UNCLE
katha entha?
Uncle pulls up his legs on the couch to make himself
comfortable.
AMEER
Uh, athu cinema erangumbo you'll
know
UNCLE
alla enikk detail aayitt onnum
ariyanda. Just oru synopsis paranja
mathi.
AMEER
Uh... okay
clears throat
katha oru train yathrene pattiya...
 9.

UNCLE
Train yathra?
AMEER
Aah
UNCLE
Appo cinemede thudakkam thott
avasanam vare ee train yathra
thanne aano?
AMEER
Uh, kind of... Full katha train-nte
akathu vachu thanneyaanu nadakane.
Pinne edakk kurach flashback scenes
okke und.
UNCLE
Oh, okay okay.
AMEER
Randu main charcters und. Oru
criminal-um oru prostitute-um
UNCLE
prostitute-aa?
AMEER
Aah. Ee criminal ee prostitute-ine
train-ilu vacha parichayapedane...
Katheyilu main aayitt ivar thammil
ulla conversations aanu olle. Uh,
ee randu characters-intem different
perspective towards life, uh,
athokke explore cheyaan aanu njan
nokunne...
UNCLE
Oh... Ithu orumathiri Adoor-nte
okke polathe cinema aayi poyi.
Ithokke arelum Kanaan varuvo?
AMEER
Athu saramilla... Kananavar
kaanatte...
UNCLE
Angana allallo. That's a wrong
attitude. Njan parayana kekku...
nee commercial cinema cheyy...
you're sure to achieve success.
nalla paisa undakaan pattum.
(MORE)
 10.
UNCLE (CONT'D)
Allathe ee rand aalkaru train-il
irunna samsaarikana okke kanaan
arelum varoonnu enikk thonnanilla
AMEER
(Sighs) njan ithu paisa undakaan
vendi cheyunnatha alla... It's my
passion.
UNCLE
Ah best... Passion anengi vella part time aayitt cheytha
porayirunno?... Joli okke kalanj ivide Vann irikande karyam
undo? nammal oru joli cheyumbo ath sucessful akaan vendi
venam cheyaan. ippo ente karyam thanne nokku... Enikk school-
ilokke padikumbo padaan nalla kazhivu undaayirunnu. Annu njan
vicharikkuvayirunnu "ho, veluthaayitt venam oru paatukaran
akaan" ennokke... but later I realised I was stupid. Ippo
enne nokku, I have a real job. I have money. I'm successful.
AMEER (CONT'D)
Success is not always about money.
Ente cinema oraalu engilum kand
nallath paranja, ath ente success
aanu.
UNCLE
Yeah I get what you mean, but...
Think practically... Nee paranja
success kond real world-il ninak
survive cheyaan pattuvo? Illa..
athinu paisa thanne venam. Ente oru
parichayakkarante mon und. Ninne
poleyaarnn... joleem kalanj veetilu
vazhakkum ittu 'independent' cinema
pidikaan erangiyatha... Ennitt ippo
enth aayi? Cinemem illa... Joleem
illa... kaashum illa... Veetilum keraan pattatha avastha
aayi... you see what I'm saying?
Ameer doesn't respond. He doesn't like where this
conversation is going.
UNCLE (CONT'D)
Ah, Njan paranjanne ollu... Ninte
ishtam pole cheyy
Awkward silence.
CUT TO:
The clock clicks to 12:44 PM.
 11.

UNCLE (O.S) (CONT'D)
Enna sheri...
Uncle stands out, putting on his shoes.
He puts them on.
UNCLE (CONT'D)
Enna, pinne oru divasam varaam
AMEER
Aah.
Uncle leaves. Ameer closes the door and sighs.

INT. BEDROOM - AFTERNOON

Ameer comes and sits in front of his closed laptop, then
sighs.
He opens the laptop, opens his script, and stares at it.
He keeps his fingertips together, closes his eyes and thinks.
JUMP CUT TO:
Ameer stands in the middle of the room, thinking while
staring at the wall.
JUMP CUT TO:
Ameer slouches on the chair, staring at the ceiling.
JUMP CUT TO:
Ameer rests his head on the table.
JUMP CUT TO:
Ameer rubs his eyes and gets up from his chair. Then he walks
out of the room.
JUMP CUT TO:
Ameer walks back in.
JUMP CUT TO:
Ameer sits, staring at the laptop screen.
SNAP! An idea struck Ameer's head.
Ameer slowly starts typing and doesn't stop.
 12.

After a beat, is phone rings- Ameer stops typing and checks

the phone.
The caller ID reads "Amma".
Ameer puts the phone in silent mode and gets back to the
laptop.
He continues to type....
Suddenly, the doorbell rings - Ameer turns his head and
clicks his tongue, annoyed.

INT. LIVING ROOM - AFTERNOON

Ameer opens the door to reveal - a 9 year old boy. He has a
transparent lunch box in his hands. We can see a few fish
cutlets in it.
KID
Fish cutlet. Ammem njanum
undakiyatha
Ameer fakes a smike.
AMEER
Aah
The boy hands over the box to Ameer.
AMEER (CONT'D)
Ah, thanks.
KID
paathram thirich thanne...
AMEER
Ah
Ameer walks into the kitchen.
The boy notices something in the room - the solved Rubik's
cube.
The boy enters the room and picks up the cube. He looks at it
in awe.
After a beat, Ameer returns from the kitchen with the empty
box.
KID
Aa Rubik's cube araa solve cheythe?
 13.

AMEER
Uh, njanaa
KID
Solve cheyaan ariyuvo?
AMEER
Ah.
KID
Ente veetilum und. Pakshe enikku
solve cheyaan ariyathilla...
AMEER
Oh...
Ameer just wants him to leave.
Ameer hands over the box. The boy keeps the cube back.
AMEER (CONT'D)
enna sheri..
The boy nods and walks out.
Ameer closes the door.
CUT TO:
1:19 PM.
Ameer sits in front of the laptop.
He starts typing slowly... picks up speed... starts typing as
if he is a machine.
We get different shots of him typing. A smile grows on his
face as he is typing.
CUT TO:
The clock ticks to 3:48 PM
Ameer has reached the last page of his script. He types "THE
END".
Ameer, with a big smile on his face, takes a deep sigh of
relief and lays back on his chair.
CUT TO:
Ameer stands in the middle of the room. He dials a number on
his phone. The phone rings. The person on the other side of
the phone is HARI (30s)
 14.

HARI
through the phone
Ahda para
AMEER
Nee therakilaano?
HARI
Alla alla, entha karyam?
AMEER
Eda ente script-nte first draft
finish aayi. Nee onnu vayichitt
engana undenn parayaamo? Njan ninak
mail cheythittund
HARI
excited
Nice, nice... I can't wait to read. Njan vayichitt vilikaam
AMEER
Aah. Pattoongi innu thanne vayichu
theerkane...
HARI
Aahda, sure.
Ameer hangs up.
Ameer dials another number. Phone rings. It's Jessie on the
other side.
JESSIE
Hello entha?
AMEER
Aah... I was thinking of going out
with you today
JESSIE
Wait... sherikum? Appo script
ezhuthande ninak?
AMEER
Script-nte first draft ippa ezhuthi
theerthe ollu.
a beat
So... you coming with me?
 15.

JESSIE
ezhu mani
AMEER
Ok poli. See you at seven.
WOMAN
Yeah... varuvallolle?
AMEER
vannirikkum!
Ameer hangs the call.
CUT TO:

INT. LIVING ROOM - EVENING (5:37 PM)

The TV plays Alfred Hitchcock's Rear Window
Ameer lies on his couch, eating potato chips and watching the
TV.
Ameer's phone rings. He turns off the TV and picks up the
call in excitement.
AMEER
Hello
HARI
through the phone
Eda njan vayichu..
AMEER
Engana und?
HARI
Basic premise kollaam. Pakshe kore
prashnangal und. aadhyam thanne,
nee ithu kurachu koodi engaging
akaan nokaamo? Ninte kathakku oru
shokam feel aanu. I mean, I get
what you're trying to do here. Ithu
oru sad story aanu, I get it. But
it's not engaging. Kurachu fun
moments okke kondu vaa. No one's
gonna pay to watch a sad,
depressing film.
Ameer's excitement fades away.
 16.

AMEER
Oh.
HARI
Pinne, ee characters-inu ninak
enthelum peru koduthoode? Ella
eduthum 'criminal' 'prostitute'
'criminal' 'prostitute' enn
vilikumo... it's weird.
AMEER
Eda actually.. uh, it was an
artistic choice
A beat.
HARI
Eh?
AMEER
Eda... (sighs) To be honest I
thought it'd be cool for them to
not have any names...
HARI
Oh... Enna nee oru karyam cheyy.
nee dialogues-ilu avarde peru onnum
mention cheyanda.. but script-ilu
avare refer cheyaan aayitt enthelum
oru peru koduthekk... vayikanavarde
elupathinu...
AMEER
Aah... Athu njan sheri akaam
HARI
Aah, Pinne ee criminal-nte thalede
melil oru sword float cheyunna aa
scene ille?
AMEER
Ah, athu njan oru metaphor aanu
udheshiche...
HARI
Aah, athu manasilaayi. But aa scene
kurach out of place alle ennoru
samshyam.
AMEER
Aano?
 17.

HARI
Ah, enikk angana aanu thonniye.
and... aa brothel owner-nte
charcter ille. Ayaalu kurach
unrealistic aayitt aanu enikk
thonniye. He's just bad because
he's bad. That's not how people are
in real life. Aa charcter-inu
kurachu koodi depth kodukku...
AMEER
Oh.
HARI
And one last thing, ninte ending
nalla shokam aanu. There's no
resolution. There's no character
arc. There's nothing. Ending-ilu
sherikkum work cheyaan und. I was
expecting more from you dude.
a beat
By the way, no offense tto. I was just sharing my thoughts...
AMEER
Eyy... I'm not offended.
But we can tell he's offended
thanks for the feedback. I'll make it better.
HARI
Yeah. and ninte katha mosham annenn
onnum alla njan parayane... It has
potential. Work on it and make it
better. You can do it. All the best
AMEER
Ah, thanks.
Ameer hangs up the call. He is upset.

INT. BEDROOM - EVENING

Ameer sits in front of his laptop, staring at the first page
of his script.
He raises a cigarette to his lips, lights it and smokes.
He begins to type.
 18.

Suddenly, the laptop CRASHES - Ameer tries moving the mouse

cursor and pressing different keys -- it isn't responding.
AMEER
Fuck. Shit.
He SLAMS his hand on the table.
He hits the side of the laptop screen to see if it works -
nop.
CUT TO:
Ameer turns off the laptop.
CUT TO:
Ameer tries to restart the laptop, but a message appears --
"Working on Updates. Don't turn off your computer"
AMEER (CONT'D)
Myru
Ameer stands up from his chair. He throws the cigarette on
the floor, steps on it. Then he folds his fist PUNCHES the
wall.
CUT TO:
The clock reads 7:06 PM
The laptop is working fine now. Ameer stares at the script.
His phone rings. Ameer checks the phone.
AMEER (CONT'D)
Oh shit!
Ameer picks up the call.
JESSIE
through the phone
Nee erangeele?
AMEER
Edi... njan athine kurich maranne
poyi... I- I'm really sorry. Pinne
ente script-il kurach koode work
baaki und. So... Enikk varaan
pattilla. I'm really really sorry.
Silence from her side for a while.
 19.

JESSIE
I think we should break up
AMEER
Eh? Athinum mathram entha undaaye?
JESSIE
Onnum undayille? Nee thanne aano
porathu povaann paranje? Ennitt
ippo "marannu poyi..." "Script-ilu
work cheyaan und..." Ellam ninte
ishtathinu aano ivide nadakkane?
AMEER
Njan sorry paranjille
JESSIE
"Sorry".. enne kond onnum
parayippikarithu... Nammal thammil
avasanmaayitt neritt kandeth
eppazhanenn orma undo ninak?
AMEER
Athu, uh, etho... etho oru Sunday
nammal kandathalle?
JESSIE
Etho oru Sunday alla. Rand aazhcha
mumbathe Sunday. Athum NJAN aanu
ninte veetil vanne... Nee ente
eduthekk eppozhenkilum vannittundo?
Atleast ingott oru call engilum
cheythoode ninak? Ninte eduth onnu
maryathakk kurach neram
samsaarikaan polum pattoola...
you're always preoccupied. Entha
ninte prashnam? Enik vendi spend
cheyaan ninak kurach samayam polum
illa... Enikk vendi mathram alla,
onninum ninak samayam illa...
AMEER
(Sighs) Njan oru important aaya oru
karyam aanu ivide cheythond
irikane...
JESSIE
Ninak mathram aano important aayitt karyangal olle?
Ellavarkum important aayitt karyangal und. But they are not
fucking obsessed like you
Ameer and Jessie talk over each other:
 20.

JESSIE
ninakk eppozhum ninte karyam
mathramu important -
AMEER
over
Nee oru mathiri kochu pillere pole avalle -
JESSIE
nee entha ithra selfish aayi behave
cheyane?
AMEER
Njanaano selfish? NEE aanu selfish.
Nee orikalum ente feelings
manasilaakan shremichittilla. You
just want my attention. Njan joleem
kalanj veetilu vazhakkum ittu ee
apartment-il vannu thamasikana
ninak UNDAAKAAN ALLA...
A beat.
JESSIE
Fine, Ini njan ninne vilikoola.
Let's end it here.
Ameer realizes he messed up. Jessie hangs up the call.
AMEER
whispers
Shit.

INT. KITCHEN - NIGHT

Ameer stands in front of the open fridge.

He takes out a beer and closes the fridge.

INT. BEDROOM - NIGHT

Ameer comes and sits in front of the laptop.
He takes a sip from the beer.
Silence.
Ameer drinks the remaining beer in a single chug.
He keeps the bottle on the floor and gets to his laptop.
 21.

He stares at the screen.

CUT TO:
8:38 PM.
Ameer is still staring at the
screen. His eyes are tired. He is
sleepy.
Suddenly he becomes nauseous. He is about to puke.
PRELAP: the sound of Ameer puking.
CUT TO:

INT. BATHROOM - NIGHT

Ameer is bent over the bathroom sink... He PUKES.
He raises his head. sighs. Wipes his mouth.
CUT TO:

INT. LIVING ROOM - NIGHT

Ameer stands, drinking from a jug of water.
He keeps the jug back and takes deep breathes.

INT. BEDROOM - NIGHT

Ameer closes the laptop and lies on the bed.
He stares at the ceiling.
A beat.
He closes his eyes.
INT.
(next day, kid comes
again, with rubick's cube
in hand.)
KID
Ithu solve cheyaan padipikkuvo?
(Stares at the kid. Slams the door.)
He tries to put the bolt on the door but HURTS his finger in
the process.
 22.

AMEER
Fuck!
Blood squirts from the finger... he holds the finger in pain.
CUT TO:

INT. BATHROOM
The faucet is on. Ameer stands, rinsing the wound on his
finger. He turns off the faucet. Then, takes the bathroom
towel and gently wipes his finger.
He covers the wound with a bandage.
He sits on the toilet.
headaches.
(insanity scenes)
(rage + punches air)
Contrasts
beginning:
Rushes as he makes noodles. Burns hand. Washes.
Doesn't answer mom's call
Always inside room
Ending:
Makes noodles, he's calm. Enjoys the process.
Calls mom.
Gazes outside through the balcony... Enjoys the view.
Next day - Break up from J.
Rage, breaks laptop. But actually was thinking.