Sherdil: The Pilibhit Saga (शेरदिल: द पीलीभीत सागा)

Some stories are unique.

Stories about fate,

that make ordinary people seem extraordinary.

This is the story of one such extraordinary person.

And I've had the honor to be a minuscule part of his saga.

This story is about…

Hello!

I am Gangaram. The Sarpanch of Jhundao.

My village is in Gutipur.

Though the people of Gutipur claim it's in Majhiala.

And the people of Majhiala claim it's in Gutipur.

- It can barely be spotted on the map. - Hold on.

Get to the point.

You're the Sarpanch , right?

- Yes. - Please get to the point.

- It's nearly lunchtime. - Of course.

You see, the government has a scheme for us, the poor.

That's what I am here for. Please give it to me.

There's no such scheme right now.

Please don't do this. You're disappointing me.

I'm the Sarpanch , the head of my village!

They are waiting for me to return with some scheme.

I've come to you with high hopes. Please don't disappoint me.

Do you think this is a charity?

I can't just hand you a free scheme and send you away.

Look, sir, our village Jhundao is right beside the jungle.

Wild animals…

like boars, deer, nilgais, elephants, and many more…

They are destroying our farmlands.

The villagers are dying of starvation.

Mr. Mishra, what do we do about this?

Alright, apply for the Prime Minister's Relief Fund.

- Go there. - Thanks a lot, sir.

- I'm really grateful. - It's okay.

Just tell me one more thing.

- Where's the Prime Minister's office? - What?

What an impossibly innocent man!

- Mister, who made you the Sarpanch? - The villagers.

Well, they've made a mistake.

The thing is…

India is now…

Let me explain.

India is getting digitized now.

- Digital! - What?

It means all the work is now gonna happen online.

Sir, I've waited in line many times!

But no one bothers listening...

- Please... - I'm telling you the truth!

I'm not talking about that line.

Do you know about the internet?

World wide web, you understand?

Well, I do know about fishnets and cobwebs.

And the web of deceit!

- These are the only webs we know of... - You see that? The wires?

- Wires coming out of the white box? - Yes.

Anyway, forget about it. I have a solution.

Bring me a certificate from the Forest Department.

It should mention that the animals of the Forest Department,

come to your village and eat up your crops.

- Yes, they do! - They eat it and they destroy it. Right?

So, bring me the certificate.

And what will I do with it?

I'll take the certificate and make a file on my computer.

And where will I send that file?

I'll send it to the Block.

And where will the Block upload it to?

- To the DM's office. - Okay.

From the DM's office, the data will go to the Commissioner.

From the Commissioner's office,

it'll be scanned and sent to the Secretariat.

And where will all the data from the Secretariat go?

Delhi.

At Delhi, they'll make two copies.

One file will go to the Chief Minister's Relief Fund.

The other will go to the Prime Minister's Relief Fund.

Done!

Your internet seems to be a very complicated web!

Did you really think being a leader was that easy?

The leader must make sacrifices.

And I'll do that!

I will!

No, I'm asking you to sacrifice your life!

You're not getting it.

Fine, just bring the certificate.

It will be done.

- Alright? - How many more certificates should I get?

How many?!

My villagers are starving to death.

They are committing suicide.

- But you... - No, wait! One second.

- Yes? - You are wrong, Mr. Sarpanch.

No one commits suicide due to hunger.

No, they do!

- It's happening in our village! - No, you don't get it.

- They don't! - But I have seen it happen!

How do I explain this, Mr. Mishra?

Listen, I'm saying they don't kill themselves due to hunger.

Why do they do it?

Due to depression!

Look at this.

There's something called depression.

And these aren't my words, it's written in the WHO magazine.

Number one cause, depression.

Number two, heartbreak.

Number three, family problems.

Number four, divorce.

And lastly, failure in exams.

But in our village, it happens only due to starvation and poverty.

Mister, poverty and starvation are just the… symptoms.

The cause is different.

Symptom. Cause.

Cause means… the reason.

Tell me the reason.

The reason, like I said, is the animals eating up our crops.

Firstly, this is the problem of the Forest Department.

Get me a certificate from them.

- And… - Alright.

And there was a drought last year.

No yield at all.

That was last year.

But, anyway…

get a certificate from the Climate Department.

And?

And… there was a flood…

around five years back.

It happens every four or five years. They flood us from up there.

From Nepal, right?

That's classified as an "International Affair".

Foreign ministry.

Neither you nor I can touch that.

Forget about it.

Just get me the certificates from the Forest and Climate departments.

That's it. Your job will be done!

Clear!

Come here.

I'll give you another cause.

Another cause due to which humans commit suicide.

When they miss the lunch break!

- May I please have my lunch? - No, yeah, please.

I don't wanna be a cause for his suicide.

What a buffoon…

Lajjo.

I have something to tell you.

What do you wanna talk about now?

You said you'd be back in two days. You're coming back after a week!

I have some bad news.

What is it?

Are you getting a new wife?

Damn you!

Amma, did you hear him?

I had told you!

That's the reason your son keeps going back to the city!

Aren't you ashamed?!

Get ready to welcome the new bride, Amma!

She'll be your slave.

Have you lost your mind?

I can't handle the one wife I have. Why would I get another one?

God knows! One can never trust a man!

I may be a man but I'm the Sarpanch of Jhundao!

So, you would've gotten another wife had you not been the Sarpanch?

Enough with your grumbling!

She just doesn't listen!

- Won't stop yapping. - Stop staring and eat!

I was saying something else. Damn it…

Say it, will you?

What can I say…

Do you remember I had coughed up blood while eating?

That had stopped, right?

Yes, Amma. But it recurred when I was in the city with Mahesh.

I coughed up blood constantly for three or four days. Cups full.

Mahesh took me to a doctor.

The doctor checked me from the front and back, blood and stool.

He said,

"Gangaram…

you have cancer."

What nonsense!

- Why didn't you get an injection? - What...

Injection... Come on!

This isn't a mere carbuncle,

cancer is a serious ailment.

You're a dead man walking if you have it.

So, the doctor said…

I just have three months to live.

What are you saying?!

It must've been a mistake.

No, Amma.

I thought the same.

But I consulted a few other doctors. They said the same thing.

The doctors must have gotten it wrong!

As I said, all the doctors checked me, saw my reports, and said the same thing.

That…

I have blood cancer. And it's in the fourth stage.

I have three months.

The doctors said…

"Enjoy your life. Fulfill all your wishes.

Do something so that people remember you."

Everyone said the same thing, Lajjo.

No way!

That's impossible!

Amma!