What do you say, Maqsood?
Should I try?
Absolutely.
Firstly, I won't get selected.
And even if I do...
I am a Muslim.
They'll make me change my name as soon as I reach Bombay.
Pardon me for saying this, but your job is to embrace new identities.
What's in a name, anyway?
And what if Pakistan is created,
and I'm sent there?
History is yet to be written.
You have an opportunity today.
So live in the present and don't chase the future.
What are you doing?
People in the Shakespearean era didn't wear watches.
Maqsood, what would I...
ever do without you?
I'll always be by your side.
Let's go.
Yes.
All this belonged to Jamshed Khan.
Are there any relatives we should inform?
He was an orphan
and had cut ties with all other relatives.
Sergeant!
Remove Jamshed Khan from the "Missing" list.
-Add it to the register of riot deaths. -Yes, sir.
Where's the body?
Was it burned or buried?
We treated it respectfully.
Anyway,
there's no religion for the dead.
It's a problem for us, the living.
Sergeant, where are you?
Coming, sir.
Jay Khan?
Who is Jay Khan?
Me... I'm J. Khan.
Come.
Sir,
I am Jay Khanna. There must be some mistake.
Hey! What mistake?
-I am J. Khan. -That's not a name!
I am J. Khan! Jehangir Khan.
Hey! Stop it!
I said stop it!
Move!
Move it!
-What happened? -He was fighting inside, sir.
Sign here.
Did you collect the knife?
With his fingerprints?
Yes, sir.
It's tough...
It's tough for young Punjabi boys
in the refugee camp, Officer.
So, sometimes,
they tend to make mistakes.
Mistake?
Your golden boy is accused of attempted murder.
He's only getting bail because Raghu Jhalani didn't press charges.
Give him his stuff.
Pass, please?
Here.
Little girls shouldn't be...
out on their own.
Surinder, I...
You had one job.
And you failed.
Forgive me, brother.
-I didn't rat you out. -That's why you're alive.
Come on.
-Come with me. -Surinder.
You're my brother. Come on now.
Let's go.
Keep walking.
In here.
Raghu!
I'm not here to pick a fight.
I'm handing him over to you.
I just want
some rations in return.
Grab them.
Your dear brothers
just sold you for rations.
Should I spare you today?
Just remember.
I'll settle scores one day.
Don't back out then.
Go. Get lost.
I can see the world in your eyes
You can see the world in my eyes
The world can't see it
in our eyes...
In our eyes...
My heart and soul flutter with love
Your heart and soul flutter with love
See the world
going around.
Going around...
You're a soulful bird
Descended from the silver sky...
Turn it off.
-Madan! -Sir.
Mr. Nanik Jotwani, a very important person.
Madan Kumar, the hero of our upcoming movie.
You can give that to me.
-Thank you, sir. -Come.
How is Sumitra?
She's good.
Take a seat.
Let me show you a song
with Madan and Sumitra.
Play it again.
A song always looks so static.
actors standing like statues...
A song is meant to be heard.
The audience doesn't care about how it looks.
I want to introduce
playback singing in movies.
As in?
Actors are stuck to a spot
because the musicians have to play live on set.
Now, imagine this.
The song is pre-recorded
at the studio.
Then, actors have to just lip-sync.
That gives us much more scope to improve the performance.
Come here.
Suppose this is my actor.
And here's my camera.
He walks around
while singing the song, and my camera follows.
This allows the actors
to move around the set.
I can see the world in your eyes
You can see the world in my eyes
The world can't see it
in our eyes
In our eyes
My heart and soul flutter with love
Your heart and soul flutter with love
See the world
going around
Going around...
-Ticket? -Pydhonie.
-Two annas. -Right.
So many pickpockets these days!
You have to keep your money safe somewhere.
Come in. Don't crowd the door.
Hey!
You asshole! Damn refugee!
Throw the other one too!
I've worked onstage and backstage all my life.
With my father at Khanna Theater Company.
I also have this...
A missionary school certificate.
We have no vacancies at the auditorium.
The kind of work you do is better suited for drama companies.
There's no job here.
Refugees keep barging in here...
And made a mess. Look at these!
They destroyed our chairs.
Refugees?
Who else? Without tickets!
They come to enjoy the fans in here.
Apologies on their behalf, sir.
Listen.
Will you work as an usher?
Hey!
Where are you going?
Hey, man. Usher...
I'm here for the usher job.
Mr. Dinshaw from Parsi Theater sent me.
The manager hired someone already.
Hey, man.
Give me your shoes and sit there.
-How much? -Four new paise.
-What? -Four new paise.
Buddy, I don't have that much.
I have this...
Maybe you can use the leather?
Where from?
Karachi.
No, where did you steal it from?
Haji Ali or Siddhivinayak?
I didn't steal it.
God threw it down to me.
Please be reasonable.
If God himself showered slippers on you,
who am I to bargain?
Sit there. I'll fix it.
I appreciate it, sir.
Here.
Tea?
Forget it, it's too hot.
Give me the priciest liquor.
It costs more than that.
That's a tip for you.
And where's my tip?
Ma'am?
Make me a drink,
and tell me who the bigwigs are here.
What do they do?
Their marriages, kids, mistresses and so on.
There are so many here.
Soda or water?
Just tell me about the men.
Don't waste my time with gossip about women.
First one neat, and the second on the rocks.
Over in that corner...
Mr. Dodhia.
Owns a cotton mill.
Table at the front...
Mr. Khan and Mr. Dutt.
Movie producers.
And...
with them is their financer, Shamsher Walia.
Oh, innocent mister
This world is fake, sir
Start being a little sly
This world is twisted, sir
Oh, innocent mister
This world is twisted, sir
Baby, twist around a little
Oh, innocent mister
The world is a ball, sir
Swing your bat around
This is your only chance, sir
Oh, innocent mister
This world is a ball, sir
Come, hit a boundary
Come!
The ones who call you
from shiny windows
Will pull the shutter down
and run away themselves
The ones who call you
from shiny windows
Will pull the shutter down
and run away themselves
The ones who distract you with vibrant butterflies
Will turn off your light and wake up themselves
Oh, innocent mister
Bombay is like a bomb blast
Light a match
Become an exploder, my friend
Oh, innocent mister
Bombay is a bomb blast
Become a Bombay guy, my friend
Tell your heart
to stop its incessant beating
Falling in love, my love, is a crime...
"Shaved head of Ratto..."
"Roasted a wafer on it"
Good job, kids. Once more!
Come on!
"Kuhu kuhu cuckoo..."
"Rattey with earrings..."
"Shaved head of Ratto..."
"Roasted a wafer on it"
Once more!
"Kuhu kuhu cuckoo..."
"Rattey with earrings..."
"Shaved head of Ratto..."
"Roasted a wafer on it"
Should we do a new one now?
Why didn't you join? You would've enjoyed it.
That's what I was afraid of.
I would feel worse when I get rejected again tomorrow.
Oh!
How poetic.
Listen, now. I'll tell you a story...
I was my father's best student.
Storytelling,
singing, performing...
He taught me everything.
Why did you leave it?
We lost the theater company.
Our storytelling haven.
Father doesn't care.
He can turn any street
or corner into a theater company.
You know what's great about some people?
If someone refuses them their rightful place,
they grab it and make it their own.
They don't become slaves.
-They die fighting. -They die fighting.
MADAN KUMAR'S INTRODUCTION
Bengali mister!
Madan Kumar, motherfucker!
Hey, brother!
I want to meet Mr. Binod.
One look at a turban and you start speaking Punjabi.
You have an appointment?
He gave me 5 rupees once.
I'm here to return it.
Give it. We'll pass it on.
Brother, shouldn't debts be paid in person?
I'll just go.
Mr. Binod's loss...
Thanks to you.
Hold on!
Wait a second.
What's your name?
Jay Khanna from Karachi.
If I find out that you distributed photos inside,
I'll break your legs!
Hey, man, look at my face.
Do I look like an actor?
Motherfucker--
Ma'am, not you. Someone's here to meet Mr. Madan.
Bengali mister!
Jay...
Hey, I'm not a ghost.
I was luckier than Jamshed.
So, what brings you here?
I came to clear my debt.
From Lucknow, in the train...
I don't have the money.
But...
If you get me a job, I'll repay you little by little.
How can I find you a job?
I'll do anything.
My entire family
is in a refugee camp.
We really need money.
Come on.
Three rupees a month. And one meal per day.
Works?
Does that work?
Absolutely!
Jackpot!
I have a request, though. I hope you don't mind.
Pay me 2 rupees.
-Two rupees? -Actually, 1 rupee and 8 annas.
Jay?
What's this bargain?
If you can give me extra bread
and extra vegetables, lentils, with my daily meal,
I'll take it to my family.
One rupee 8 annas per month and extra food.
Add that to my account.
-One second. -What?
I'll ask him to pay you 10 paise each month to pay my debt in a few years.
When I need it, I'll take it with interest.
Jay?
Take this home.
Feel free to come over whenever you crave home food.
He'll keep visiting, now that he works at Roy Talkies.
-Congratulate him. -Congratulations!
-Thank you, miss. -It's boudi.
"Bodi"?
"Boudi."
-Boudi. -Yes.
-Boudi. -Boudi.
The food is excellent, boudi.
Should I leave some for Mom and Dad?
They won't eat it.
They've sworn off meat until we go back to our house in Karachi. You eat!
Leave some for me.
-Look there. -Yes.
Naren!
-Mr. Madan. -Oh!
How are you?
-I'm great. What a party! -Yeah.
Hey, "bodi"!
-"Baudi." -Baudi...
-Have some. -No, thanks.
With the latest technology.
When Mr. Roy started this studio,
he brought technicians and machines from Germany.
We're bringing the latest technology again,
but from the Soviet Union!
-So... -Hello, Mr. Jotwani!
Are you blind?
Sorry, ma'am.
Hello.
-Any news on Jamshed from Mr. Ilahi? -Nothing.
And Jay Khanna?
-Nothing. -No?
Goodnight, sir!
Be on time tomorrow.
I want to make a movie.
I want to learn this.
How long will it take?
A lifetime.
Where can I start?
Start with a perspective.
A camera is an incredible tool.
"I might have made many mistakes in my life..."
The power to share your vision with the world.
They see what you want to show.
"...are against my principles."
Damn, Madan Kumar!
Motherfucker.
Portray someone as a hero or a villain.
Lost, broken, victorious...
Or lonely.
You can show anything through your perspective.
A director's perspective.
Let's go to the club?
The manager must be waiting.
Let him wait.
It's a new job.
My savings won't last forever.
Why are you spending your savings?
Why?
What am I here for?
Damn.
Take this.
Your love won't last forever, either.
Is that so?
Only an idiot...
could stop loving you.
Cheeky.
I need to be at the club.
I'll be with you all night later anyway.
Driver! Let's go.
I have a farmhouse in Juhu.
It's empty.
You will be comfortable there.
Leave your job.
I'll look after you.
Will you marry me?
Goodness.
You know I'm married.
A divorce will cause a scandal.
Forget it, then.
Let's continue this way.
What's your bid for Sunghursh?
Madan Kumar's launch is a big deal.
Definitely. And the scene that Mr. Roy screened...
But people will watch it in theaters.
They have to buy a ticket first.
Meaning?
The people connected with Jamshed as Madan Kumar.
We printed the announcement in every big newspaper.
The new Madan Kumar is a silhouette, even on the poster.
Will people buy tickets?
That's a very valid point.
We sold Nal Damyanti at our price.
It had two stars, Mr. Roy and myself.
And you still suffered a huge loss.
Mr. Mehta isn't afraid of losses.
He should be.
We took the risk of launching Madan Kumar.
We can't burden our distributors with it.
So...
Has one flopped movie
toppled your faith in Roy Talkies?
It's not about faith.
Sumitra Kumari has a point.
Let's all watch the movie once.
Decide the cost later.
Why don't you host a trial?
I...
I won't show the movie before release.
Ma'am, we need time to think
on whether we should choose the film.
Sure. That's your call.
Thank you.
Let's go.
Roy Talkies can also...
distribute the movie independently, Mr. Mehta.
We do have a personal relationship with every exhibitor.
You have already mortgaged Roy Talkies.
How many storms can you wade through in a sinking ship,
Mr. Roy?
What were you thinking?
I just showed you Binod's real worth.
Mr. Roy.
The studio does not have the money
to distribute the movie, Binod.
I could've convinced Janak once...
but Sumitra knows everything.
Mr. Binod!
I wanted to speak with you.
Go on.
There's a bank account in the name of Sheela Kumari
in a small branch at Gamdevi.
You transfer money to her every month.
If the media finds out about this,
it'll reach your family too.
Blackmail does not suit Mr. Roy.
We all have our weaknesses, Mr. Mehta.
Pick up the movie...
or risk it all.
But Sumitra warned us about the losses.
If you don't pick it up,
you will lose a lot more than money.
I'll see you.
Hurry up, man! Come on!
Balcony, nine seats.
-How many? -Six tickets.
Kunwar!
We have barricaded the house on all sides.
Put down your weapons.
Or we'll be forced to open fire.
I am the fire.
And you and your cops are just blades of grass.
But I will surely kill you
before you lay a hand on Sujata.
If that's your wish,
so be it.
Father!
My gun was empty.
I was just trying to scare you.
Father!
My gun...
Madan Kumar, Motherfucker!
Translated by Nidhi Thakur
Creative Supervisor Subbaiah KG