Aaja Nachle

Hello, Dia here

l'll be there

My love, o my love

Why'd this heart start to fly?

Where'd l find the guts to try?

My love, o my love

Go easy on those chillis, they'll kill you.. here, have a laddoo

l won't die so soon, not before l've filled every pore..

..of this city with art

First step out of here and look around..

.. this whole city thinks you're crazy

Art doesn't need the city, the city needs art

Whatever.. l'll come by for a lesson tomorrow, if l'm in the mood..

You wench.. doing me a favour learning from me?

lf we don't pay the bill they'll cut our electricity again..

Get cut again

Should l eat the bill then..?

Eat

Come.. - Lets go..

Arre, you haven't eaten yet?

Can he ever eat without you?

Ma, how did you end up with such a blackmailer?

There's still time, forget this Ajanta bogus..

lts ok if you listen to Lata Mangeshkar and Mumtaz on the radio..

.. but when l sing and dance its bogus?

Watch your tongue.. all that dancing's gone to your head..

lt's called style daddy-O..

Mom, what're you doing?

Auntie, what're you doing?

Let her go begum.. its just one little show..

You've never been to Ajanta, all l hear there is song and dance..

.. god knows what else they do there

lf you hear song and dance, that's what we must be doing, no?

We're ready to roll now

Come watch and go 'Wow!'

Ajanta's new musical's a ball

Come one, come all ..

The wind weaves a little tale

Words drip-drop in the stubborn gale

The whole world conspires

And every little speck pleads

Flick your wrists..

Who's that?

My love, o my love

This idiot's back.. oye, what you doing?

Watch it you wench! That's Steve from National Geographic America..

He's shooting lndian performers.. go get clicked

You might get called there..

.. and once you're done show him around..

Hi Mohan.. been craving your tea all day..

They're both yours.. tea and hotel.. welcome..

This is Steve, he's come from America..

What for?

Some spicy pakodas please, extra hot..

Coming up..

Pakodas and tea.. on the double..

You donkey, you'll be frying pakodas while..

..the he takes off with the girl..

The eyes speak the language of the heart

Desire now needs a stormy start

Tread with care, this love is new

lt's our first ever vow

My love, o my love

We've fixed your marriage..

What?

With Mohan..

Finish your dance show tomorrow, Mohan's planned..

.. the engagement day after, you need to go shopping..

l was walking on hot coal but kept on somehow

lt's like l was living with strangers until now

Take me to your home now

My world has turned against me

My love..

Dada, am l making a mistake?

What's in the heart is pure art.. you are not meant to dance..

.. the worlds tune but to the song in your heart my child

Spread your wings and fly ..

My love, o my love

My love, o my love

My love, o my love

My love, o my love

My love..

My love..

l called several times from the US but the phone just rang..

.. l heard that mom and dad left Shamli in shame..

No one knows where they went.. Najma was to get married..

.. they never let me talk to her.. or to Dada..

They must have given him a hard time..

The minute we set foot in America l realized steve and

l weren't meant for each other.. we divorced but l was pregnant..

.. with you.. l found a reason to live..

.. l started afresh!

With the one person l love the most

You took too long.. he's gone..

His patience ran out

He used to say doctor l'm fed up of this theatre down here,

l'm going up for that gig in the sky ..

Wench! You're late again?

What's wrong, you seem upset?

l never called you all these years..

Ajanta lost its soul when you flew..

Gradually everyone stopped coming..

Their parents were .. afraid they would turn into Dia..

No one can be you..

Ajanta's finished my child..

Look, l'm dying..

.. how, why, where, when, there's no time for all that..

..not for me or Ajanta

Dia, these people want to tear Ajanta down..

..for selfish means..

This ancient temple..

..of the arts..

.. doctor and l cried..

..and begged ..

.. but we were shrugged off ..

.. but Dia you can save Ajanta from..

.. being smashed to pieces..

They've ordered it's demolishment next month..

They?

Raja saab..

Who is he to give such an order.. Ajanta belongs to the city..

The city's on his side..

What'll they get by tearing it down?

Maal.. some maal thing.. lots of shops..

That's it.. raja saab's decided that..

..a shopping mall will replace Ajanta

But who's raja saab to decide that?

His father ruled here before independence..

..and now he's the MP.. god knows what he studied..

Abroad but he's back and he's won the elections..

l'll go meet him .. nothing's going to happen to Ajanta

l have an appointment with Uday Singhji..

Come, follow me..

ls MP saab even around?

Not MP saab, raja saab

Does he know l'm waiting here for him?

Does he know l'm waiting here for him?

l burnt it..

Please call your father out?

l'm sorry l can't

Look l've been waiting for the last 20 minutes..

And he's been dead for the last 3 years..

Oh, l'm here to meet Raja Uday Singh ji, the MP

l'm nothing like my father yet l'm a raja.. pizza?

Please take a seat.. l made this myself..

l'm from New York..

l can see that..

l came to talk to you about Ajanta theatre

Ajanta? Oh those ruins?

Look, those aren't ruins

You aren't an activist are you?

That place is a centre of the arts, not a shopping centre

Many NRls like you come every other year for some social service..

..and then go back

.. l suggest you do the same..

So you're going to knock down our cultural heritage for a whim?

The day the people of Shamli can make..

..a living off a cultural heritage, l'll call you..

.. until then let me do my job..

ls making a living all there is to life? lsn't a little joy important?

A chat, a laugh, the sharing of something..

Does all this happen at Ajanta?

lt used to

Ma'am, if no one comes to Ajanta its because they don't want to

And if l bring them?

l'll bring all of Shamli to Ajanta..

And then?

What?

Once the show's over you and your team will leave..

.. and Ajanta will be just the way it is.. in ruins..

All you see is ruin, what else can one

expect from an lndian MP educated abroad

You think you're damn good don't you

Do your show.. but not with your troop from New York..

Every actor, singer, dancer should be from Shamli..

.. if you can, Ajanta's yours..

Where's your josh now?

Alright, we'll do it your way..

..no New Yorkers, only Shamli-ites..

The demolition's in two months

That's all the time l need

You're gonna lose though..

l never have..

Neither have l..

There's always a first time, l'll gift it to you..

Just a second..

You didn't even taste it..

How the hell are you going to do a show?

The people of this city hate you.. how will you get them to agree?

l'm sorry, but it's the truth.. lets be sensible about this ..

lf l had to be sensible, l wouldn't have come back..

.. whats so sensible about what's happening here?

This city doesn't care for you?

Why do you want to be a martyr to its cause?

l'm Shamli's whether she wants me or not

But she doesn't care, and neither do they

l'll show this city.. and her folk.. this show will happen..

.. and its them that'll make it happen.. just watch me..

Lets go home..

Dia.. My child