Katha (कथा)

'DEVKI CHITRA PRESENTS'

'STORY'

He is asleep.

Oh God!

Hey.

- Naughty boy! - Granny, tell me a story.

I am tired of telling you stories.

I have already told the Ramayana, Mahabharata...

- ...now which one remains? - Only one story.

Which one?

That of rabbit and tortoise.

- Dadi Amma: So once there was a... - Grandchild: Rabbit.

- Dadi Amma: And there was a... - Tortoise.

Yes.

- Dadi Amma: Once they both decided... - That they will race.

INSPIRED BY S. G. SATHE'S MARATHI PLAY "SASA AANI KAASAV"

'FAROOQ SHAIKH'

'NASEERUDDIN SHAH'

'DEEPTI NAVAL'

- "You're mad... - No, you're mad."

"You're beautiful..."

"You're beautiful..."

'FINISH LINE'

Granny, this story is wrong. The tortoise always wins the race.

That was a different story.

These days... the idle, naughty, cunning rabbit wins.

He can influence people with his smart way of talking.

This is no era of honesty.

Come on, bowl.

Out! Out!

No ball, not out!

Kids, play carefully or you'll hurt someone.

- No. - No one will get hurt.

- Rajaram, you returned early today. - Yes, granny.

I came by taxi from the station today.

- My job is made permanent today. - Really? Good!

Rajaram, this won't do. You'll have to give us some sweets...

If I bring sweets for the whole Chawl...

...it would consume my month's salary.

Congratulations.

- Maybe the ball went in uncle's house. - We're gone!

I've told these kids a thousand times not to play here in the ground.

- Haven't I told them? - Then where would they play?

Can't they go out? There's enough space there.

- Auntie, please give us our ball. - I'll get it right now.

- What is this? She has cut it. - Wait.

- We will see her... - We will see that fat lady...

Here's the ball.

Because she doesn't have a child herself,

this witch always irritates the innocent kids.

Who did that? Who hit the ball? You'll not play here from now on.

- Give me the ball. - Understood? Permanent.

Uncle.

- Oh, Rajaram? Come. - Rajaram: Is there some good news?

- Please, switch on the fan. - Yes.

- Uncle, there's good news. - Give me some water.

Water?

Uncle, do you know what happened in the office today?

Maharashtra Times.

The newspaper was here. I kept it here. Where has it gone?

- Here it is. - Yes.

Uncle, do you know what happened in the office today?

Keep it.

Today...

I'll get it for you. Here.

- Will you have some? - No, uncle.

Anything else?

No, nothing for the moment. If the need arises, I have got this.

Okay, uncle. I'll move now.

Dadi Amma: Hey Rajaram! Come here first, and sweeten your mouth.

- All right. - Have you brought the sieve?

Woman 1: Leave. Aren't you ashamed to do that in the daylight?

Man 1: Why should I be ashamed? You are my newly wedded wife.

Woman 1: It tickles me.

- Man 1: Come here. - Woman 1: No. Come on.

Bravo, son! May you keep progressing this way! Here, sweeten your mouth.

- Granny. - Yes.

I want to become a head clerk.

- I will fulfill this dream someday. - You sure will, son.

These are the medicines for Babu, and this chain.

- Has his fever cured now? - Yes, long time back.

- He will go to the school tomorrow. - No, I won't go.

See? How naughty he is! I'll teach him a lesson.

Mother, father, there's good news.

My job is now made permanent.

"I have seen a dream."

"That we have a house in the city of flowers."

- Kid 1: Give me the ball. - Kid 2: Go to your mom.

Kid 1: Give.

"Come, come, come."

Mr. Rajaram, mother has asked whether you have extra milk.

Yes, I have. A little.

Doesn't matter. Thank you very much.

I have told you many a times not to call me Mr. Rajaram.

What can I do? You have such a personality...

- Oh! Is this new? - Yes, it is freshly made.

- Rajaram P. Joshi. - It's not P. It's Purshottam.

The full name did not fit on this plate.

Sandhya, my job has become permanent today.

Really? Wow!

I had thought that the day my job gets permanent...

...I will get a nice name plate of mine and hang it on the door.

- Rajaram Purshottam Joshi. - Rajaram Purshottam Joshi.

And... I had also thought of something else.

The day I have a permanent job, I will... tell you... that...

Why didn't you get your name written in English?

Because we are Indians. Why write in the language of sirs?

There is an impressiveness and awe in the language of sirs.

There's no... awe in me...

...then how would it show on the plate?

Sandhya, I... was asking... That if we...

Sandhya.

Do you have a hammer and a nail?

Yes, I keep everything in the house.

As you can't say when you might need what. I'll get it right away.

Here.

- Give me the hammer. - Here.

Here.

- Hold this. - Yes.

It is a matter of joy, that you are inaugurating this name-plate.

Here.

'RAJARAM P. JOSHI'

Take it.

Wow! Rajaram has got a new board!

- Yes, my job is permanent now. - Really?

- Hey look! - There's some stranger over there.

- Yes, he is Vasudev. - Hey! Vasudev.

He is Vasudev, my friend. How are you?

Vasudev. Great!

Where were you all these days?

- Where is your luggage? - It's coming behind.

Vasudev, listen...

Where were you all these days? All of a sudden... Where were you?

- I'll tell, let me breathe at least. - Come, come.

- Here? - Yes, that's a new board. Come.

- It looks very new, doesn't it? - All right. You can go. Okay.

That belongs to my ancestors.

It doesn't work since the times of my grandpa.

Good.

- So this is your palace? - No, it is a humble house.

Will do for a few days! I'll manage.

- You? - Oh! It's you!

- I had left something behind. - Sandhya.

Sandhya, come in. Come.

She is Sandhya Sabnis. Lives in this same Chawl. Room no. 14.

Hello.

Wow! A lotus in the mud! Wonderful!

Well, congratulations.

That... how did you know? Strange!

By the way, it's not fixed yet.

It is 100 percent fixed.

What is fixed?

That I have come to your Chawl, in your room.

That is why I congratulated you. What did you think?

- Oh! So you will stay here? - Yes, I've come back to Bombay.

Come back to Bombay? When did you leave it?

Don't you know? Didn't I stay in Delhi for 4 years?

How would I know? Did you ever contact me in 4 years?

Since the day you failed in the inter exam...

...and ran away from the college, I haven't seen you.

- You never remembered me. - I did.

Never even came to meet.

Bashu: I've come now, pal. And not only that, I've come to stay together!

What?

- What? To stay? - Yes,

I want to be famous again in Bombay.

What?

You know how difficult it is to get a space in Bombay.

Or else why would I stay in a Chawl?

Till I get a place my worth, I'll stay here with you.

I will sleep here on the floor, like your paying guest.

And I will give you... Rs. 300 every month.

Shame! Will I take money from a friend?

No, you'll have to take the money. We...

- have to be very frank. - No!

I can't take money from my old friend.

- Then I'll leave. - No, wait. All right, as you wish. Yes.

Then it's decided. You'll get Rs. 300 every month.

300 rupees?

- Sir, there's a money order for you. - What? Money order?

Yes.

Who is it from? Did you hear that? Rajaram has sent money.

- Really? - 300 rupees.

Count it properly.

I am telling that after counting.

He writes that, you two buy something nice for yourself.

- Really? - Listen, buy yourself a sari.

No, I have enough saris. We'll buy another calf.

It has been my wish for many days.

Hey.

Hey! Where are you lost?

In my village, Wai.

I posted a money order to my parents. They were very happy.

Don't you ask for tea at your place?

- Tea? There's no milk, pal. - Then arrange for that!

It is such a big Chawl! Can't you get milk from somewhere?

- All right. - Go.

I'll get it.

All the best.

- Woman 2: Hey Granny, can you come here? - Woman 3: I can't. Get the coconut for me.