Shyam Singha Roy (శ్యామ్ సింగ రాయ్)

This film is dedicated to you.

While death awaits to engulf us,

the rays of moonlight that touched you questioned me, "Where is the sun?"

I told them that you reside in the memory of this ever-flowing river.

SHYAM SINGHA ROY

-Bro? - Bro, the cafe owner is pestering me

to wrap up the shoot.

Please talk to him. I can't take this torture anymore.

Don't worry. He just likes to bluster.

Just chill. I'll take care of it.

-How many girls are coming today? - There are five girls here today .

Okay. Get everything ready. I'll be right there.

AAKALI RAJYAM

IRUVAR

-Good morning. -Morning, bro.

-Everyone is here? All set? -Yes, we are ready.

-Do they have the script? -Yes.

-Have you explained the scene? -Yes, I've explained.

Everyone had coffee as well.

Thank you for reminding. Get me some black coffee.

What are you looking at? Go and get me some coffee.

-Get into position. -Yeah, bro.

Hey, what the hell are you doing here? Don't you have any work to do?

I've been promised a role in the film.

Oh, is it? So that's why you have groomed yourself like a hero?

You fool! They will put you far away in the background somewhere.

You'll regret if you take a filmmaker's words for granted.

Go and get some black coffee.

Leave this here.

If you take two months to complete the auditions for a short film,

how long would you take to complete a feature film?

Whatever we do, it must be perfect.

-You're right. -Pan it to the right.

This is not perfection. This is called obsession.

By the time you become a director, you'll surely make me close down my cafe.

Then, I'll have to open a small tea shop near a film studio.

-That is your plan, right? -Bro.

More than a 100 people have come to your cafe for auditions.

We are promoting your brand for free.

What is the name of my cafe?

Coffin!

Coffin? What the heck?

It's Coffee Inn!

-Coffee. Inn. -Okay.

-Coffin is a box for burying a corpse. -Okay.

-Okay. Ready. Ask them to come. -Yes, bro.

Hello.

-Did you read the script? -Yes.

-Any doubts? -No.

Ready. Start camera.

Rolling, bro.

Action!

I am a woman.

A lady with progressive views in this developing country.

A person draped in a saree of revolution

to drive away the darkness of fear.

The dialogue is correct. Now, will you please act it out?

I did act it out.

It's very bland. There's no feeling in it.

Don't mug up the dialogues. Keep them in your subconscious mind.

Action!

I am a woman.

A lady with progressive views in this developing country.

A beautiful person draped in a saree of revolution

to drive away the darkness of fear.

Have you worked as a news anchor?

Yes. How do you know?

We have seen you on TV.

I am a beautiful girl.

A girl from a developing country...

That is not the dialogue!

Read it once again, and deliver it correctly. Okay?

Actually, I have worked in many short films.

Also, I was a TikTok star prior to its ban.

I have never auditioned before. I can directly come to the shoot.

Is this necessary?

You are more focused on your make-up than your performance.

You may leave now.

I am a woman.

A lady with progressive views in this developing country.

A beautiful person draped in a saree of revolution

to drive away the darkness of fear.

Good. I like it.

Give me some time. My team will contact you soon.

Hey, that girl is good. Why don't you cast her?

She is good, but she isn't the perfect fit for the character.

-She is too cliche. -This is too much.

She's fair-skinned and tall.

Her dialogue delivery is good. What else do you want?

To become an actor or actress,

it's not necessary that one must be fair or tall.

Then?

Body movements. Fine speech.

Purity. Fine expression.

What do you mean by expression?

Body language.

Yeah, yesterday's party was crazy, but I left early.

Oh yeah! You know what happened?

Yesterday, when we were going back home...

That's the body language.

Hey.

So, exactly after she said that, we laughed about it.

Yeah.

Good body movements.

The music was great, right?

No, no. She is a drama queen.

Yeah. Later, she started crying in the cab.

You should have seen the face of the cab driver. Oh, my God!

He was literally pleading with her.

He was so frightened.

Fine speech.

-Hey, bro! -Hey!

-Sorry, ma'am. -Please be careful.

-Relax. Chill. -Sorry, ma'am.

Don't panic. Here you go.

-Okay? -Sorry, ma'am.

That's okay.

Purity.

Oh! Okay.

I got to go. I'll catch up with you guys later.

-Okay, bye. -Bye.

She's my female lead.

Excuse me.

Hi! Can I have a word with you? I'm Vasu, a film director.

-Director? -Yeah.

What movies have you directed?

Tell her.

Upcoming director.

I'm directing a short film now.

If it's successful, I'll be offered a movie.

Okay.

Nice, I guess. Good luck.

I think it will be great if you could act in my film.

Oh! Thanks.

But me? Acting in a film?

No way. I'm not interested.

Sorry.

You'll become interested once you start working.

I've been holding the auditions for two months.

You are exactly as I imagined that character.

No... You don't understand.

I'm not at all interested, so let's leave it here. Okay?

I need to go. Bye.

She is not interested.

-Talk to her. -Hello!

It's really hard to find a Telugu-speaking heroine.

Please accept the role.

You can get free coffee here. This is my cafe.

Bro, relax.

First of all, I don't like movies. I don't even watch them.

Exactly.

My heroine is also not interested in movies.

Her physical appearance is similar to yours.

Big eyes, arrogant attitude, and average looks.

What the hell!

-I mean... -I'm not interested, and I'm not doing it.

-Say something, man. -That's it!

Listen...

Come on, man!

I need to take care of my cafe.

Then I'll continue the auditions at your place.

Let's go and persuade her.

Hey, what the hell!

What do you think of yourselves? Don't you get it?

You followed me to my house. Are you crazy?

This is too much, man. How dare you?

Hey... Relax.

This is not right. I understand.

We've come here because we're serious about casting you.

We are working hard. Please don't refuse.

What is this ruckus? Who are they?

Dad, they have followed me all the way from a cafe.

He is trying to persuade me despite my rejection.

I'll call the she-team.

Hey...

You look like a decent guy. What do you do?

Film director.

Film director? What movies have you made?

It's okay.

Upcoming director.

Oh! But I don't want to marry my daughter off to a movie man.

Sorry, you can find someone else.

I know, people don't even want to rent out their houses to movie people.

-Your daughter... -Name is Keerti.

I'm asking Keerti to act in my short film.

Short film? Will you release it on YouTube?

-I just want to show it to a producer... -It'll be on YouTube.

-Your daughter can be part of it. -Is it? What other films has he made?

- To file a harassment complaint... -What the hell.

Ms. Keerti, listen to me.

Your dad has approved. Now you must agree to it.

Why should I?

This is my last option. I don't have any other choice.

If you don't agree, I'll tell your dad that you smoke.

What the hell?

My dad won't believe you.

Are you for real?

Please, Keerti. I'll delete it.

Please understand my desperation.

I'm really sorry for troubling you. This is really important for me.