Hellaro (હેલ્લારો)

The sword..

Have you gone deaf?

I said give me the sword. Hurry up .

Father...

Can I come along?

Sita, keep mum and eat your food

Girls can’t go along

But why?

Girls can’t ask questions either.

You better make her understand that.

Come brother, Joravar

Why hasn’t it started yet?

The Dholi (drummer) hasn’t come yet

We’re waiting for him

These lowborn Dholis (drummers) have started acting too pricey

The whole territory is suffering from the drought

and these Dholis are anyway so few in number

Every village hosts prayers for the rain. Naturally, they’ll act pricey

Hey

Give it some space.

It’s getting suffocated that’s why it’s not playing

Is it not able to catch the single (signal)?

Eh Petha, stay a little away from the radio.

The radio waves are hitting your back and bouncing away

Here, I’ll sit down. Fine?

Eh, that worked like magic! - Petha, do one thing.

You lie down flat so that the signal is crystal clear

Hey Ravji

Such a sweet voice, right?

Without a doubt, but could not understand a thing, right?

Aye Ranmal

You have tuned into enemy nation’s (Pakistan) radio station.

Tune into ours.

Eh, Mukhi baapa (head of the village)

Eh

It’s time for the prayer to begin. Why are you toying around with that radio again?

I swear on the Goddess, father, I was just going to leave after catching the signal.

Oh Goddess, please send some signals to his brain too

According to the latest weather forecast, there will be mild to heavy rains in Central Gujarat, South Gujarat

whereas in Kutch and all of western Gujarat, monsoon rains will begin in the coming week.

Now, it won’t rain for sure!

Eyy, idiot. They have machines to forecast.

They don’t conjure the news from thin air.

But Father, the radio has been making it rain since the last two years.

But what about the clouds? They beg to differ.

Look, the Dholi is here

Today, on All India Radio, India’s Prime Minister has declared a state of emergency across the country.

Let’s listen to her message-

Oh Mother, we devote this first garba of the season to you

Give us a sign, Mother, for any mistakes made or inadequacies served

If there is any act, ceremony or sacrifice you want us to perform, please tell us

Please don’t leave our land dry for the third consecutive year

or we will have to leave this village and go.

Hail the Goddess.

Oh Mother, you bring peace to the world

and usher prosperity

I bow down to you, and offer my prayers, Oh Great one

We remember you with reverence, Oh Mother

Your lamps are burning incessantly

Please make your presence felt and bless us

The lofty flags are flying in your abode, Oh Goddess

Come soon to play and shower your blessings upon us

Come soon to play and shower your blessings upon us

The lofty flags are flying in your abode, Oh Goddess

Come soon to play and shower your blessings upon us

Come soon to play and shower your blessings upon us

Ma

Why can’t we do Garba (dance)?

Don’t you ever feel like doing Garba?

Sleep now.

Call back your river of emotions

Sheath your lightning

Call back your river of emotions

Sheath your lightning

Halt the ringing of your anklets

Halt the ringing of your anklets

Stud your path with thorns

And pray to the Goddess for a lonesome night

A night without dreams

This issue is regarding the water supply in Jeeva’s house.

Nobody is ready to fetch water for them.

It’s not that nobody is ready to do it

but who will carry the extra pots?

All women need to manage the pots for their own houses.

Jeeva is bedridden and Santok (his wife) is too old to go.

The only person left now is their daughter-in-law, Kesar.

But she is a widow.

She isn’t allowed. - But what is the other option?

We can’t let them die of thirst.

Let me think for a moment.

The Goddess will show us the way.

The Goddess will show us the way.

Wow, Mukhi baapa!

You’ve thought of the perfect thing to do! What an idea!

He is the head of the village for a reason!

You’ve thought of the perfect thing, Sir.

But what has he thought?

That Sundar’s widow Kesar will go fetch water with the rest of the women.

Are you out of your mind, Bhagla?

A widow will go out?

Arrey, Mukhi baapa has suggested this solution.

And it seems 100 percent correct.

In the nearby villages of Bhuj and Anjar, the women go to watch movies as well.

So, if we go by the ways of the society -- Society,

Bhagla, society.

The society will dance naked.

Does it mean we should too?

No no, we just have to allow her to fetch water. That’s it..

Now, we can’t let three people die without water.

This is the only way.

Tell all the women of the village to not talk to her.

Also, tell them to keep an eye on her

It is anyway an empty, salt dessert.

Even if she wants to do anything wrong,

who is she going to meet there?

This discussion is over, now.

Tell me, Bhagla

What have you brought for us from the city?

I’ve brought salt,

some grains and cloth as well.

Here

And any news?

In the latest news, Emergency

Emergency?

It has been imposed throughout the country. Emergency.

Even in Kutch?

Yes. Kutch is also a part of the country, father..

That’s right.

But what happens during an Emergency?

You can’t speak a word against the government.

Or else, they can put you behind bars.

The government has not been able to reach here

how will the Emergency get to us?

This is what happens when you let a woman run the country.

Anything else?

Another thing is that,

Deva baapa,

your son Arjan’s letter has come from the army.

Here, read it.

Hail the Goddess

Just tell us what it says.

Deva baapa,

Arjan has been granted leave for his wedding.

But only for 10 days.

Why just for 10 days? - Emergency.

See baapa. The Emergency has already reached you.

We’ll have to host the wedding as soon as Arjan is back..

And it will be great if you don’t allow the widow to fetch water until then..

It's inauspicious

Alright

Sundar’s widow will go to fetch water after Arjan’s wedding.

Till then, the water for their house --

You’re right, Sir!

Till then, they can take the water they need from your house.

Not yet

See? He’s the head of the village for a reason!

Okay then, Devaji,

start preparing for the celebration.

Are you educated?

How far?

Seventh grade.

Huh?

Seventh grade

That’s too much

I’ve heard that educated girls somehow grow wings.

And some grow horns, too.

What have you grown?

Here, in our village,

the rules of the caste come first.

Better know your limits.

No matter what you’ve grown, wings or horns,

cut them on your own.

If I cut them, it will hurt more.

I’d heard that my bride is very beautiful.

But I didn’t know she would be this beautiful.

You have to go fetch water.

You’re late.

The women are waiting outside.

Wait

Eh.. Did anyone see her face?

Arjan Bhai must have seen her face last night.

Would he even have seen the face?

I’ve heard she’s very beautiful.

Now, all that beauty will remain within four walls of her home.

All her beauty and knowledge will be blown off in the kitchen.

And then, she will go from the village to the lake and from the lake to the village, all her life.

With us, like us.

Not like us.

She’s from the city.

A wife neither belongs to a village nor a city..

she only belongs to her husband.

Go now.

Wait everyone, wait here!

Listen, Manjhri.

This is Gauri, Champa, Radha, Mena, Ganga, Gomti, Rudi, Kanchan.

Phew.

Now if I start introducing everyone, we’ll reach the lake

and then we won’t be able to talk.

And if we’re not able to talk, we feel constipated.

See, the only time we talk and listen is when we go to fetch water.