न रौशनी 

न अंधकार 

सब शून्य 

है

टाइम मशीन के अंदर 

noise

बारिश

गलियारा और खिड़की

बाबू

पुराना जहाज़

रास्ता / path

मायावी शहर की मटमैली नदी

a short story based on early writings

In order to understand the experience of the film as a whole I have written a short story based on the earlier drafts which was in fragments. The script - writing which is the next step, will draw from both the drafts - the fragmented as well as the whole.

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Introduction

This city drowned in beliefs and rumors does not know if the time machine exists or not for all it knows are beliefs and rumors. No one has ever searched for the truth behind the time machine.

The one who searched for this truth, found the time machine, but he also, cannot know if he is running the time machine or the time machine is running him. He has reached his childhood, he does not know why? Maybe deep inside somewhere, this great discoverer is still struggling with his childhood fears.

No one knows his name now but he was called Babu then. He is a ghost in his own childhood, for one soul cannot have two manifestations in the same point of time.

Summary

At a riverbank, Babu is letting away an old photo frame into the water. Someone asks him what is inside the frame and he replies, “a ghost”

While the whole house is busy in everyday activities, Babu is lost in thoughts. He is not able to study. He has only jotted down a point in his notebook.

One night Babu finds a ghost in his Dadi ma’s room which is attached to the kitchen. The ghost has a towel like cloth on his head. This might be the ghost that Dadi ma talks about often. Ghost knows everything about the time machine, which Babu has been wondering about for a long time now. But instead, Babu lets the ghost find out how much Dadi ma knows about the time machine. She talks about sand islands in between the river.

After meeting the ghost, Babu’s world in his mind is separating him from the rest. Sounds from places and events are getting mixed up. He escapes to the island only to find his family arriving there the next day.

This chaos leads Babu to look at the image of god and in his childish curiosity he opens up the framed image. This leads to scolding which he doesn’t affect him at all.

At the same riverbank, Babu is letting the same frame away in the water. The ghost is also there. He is the voice who asked Babu what it is. He picks up the frame as Babu drops it.

The world outside is crowded. People are just moving. Loudspeakers are just blurting religious words. There is no meaning in anything.

Babu is at a haircutting saloon, wrapped in a white cloth getting a haircut. When the barber steps out for a while, Babu unwraps himself from the white cloth and puts it on his head.

Babu is nowhere to be found in his house. His mother just dismisses the fact by saying he become a brat these days. The sounds of the city are heard even inside the house.

Babu is lying down under his bed, thinking something. There is silence and a content expression on his face.

गौरैया / sparrow

अफवाहें

टाइम मशीन

अनगिनत तारों वाला कोई वाद्य यन्त्र है

सावन के मेले का कोई झूला है

एक भैंस कि सवारी है जो मुस्करा रही हो

गंगा के बीचो-बीच कोई टापू है जो अब लुप्त हो गया है

लल्लन चाचा का चाय का वह प्याला है जिसमे वह किसी को चाय नहीं देते

इत्यादि इत्यादि

टाइम मशीन, यह फिल्म और मैं

सलाम दुनिया

one early draft

based on first draft of writings - tara ka tara time machine - a 15 minute structure and flow for film

<1.1> introduction montage and long takes

following one out of several footmarks which have made deep tracks in the wet mud the camera reaches a muddy bank of a river. some disturbances appear in the constant wave of the river.    Camera : close shot - textural - top angle

an empty photo frame arrives on the bank. an old man's hand picks it up and comes out of the river where a small child snatches it and runs away. camera tilts down to show his small feet tracks on the mud. <music> small feet imprint is washed by river

long shot , from back a child (had just bathed )wrapped in red towel looks at the empty photo frame. background shows the river bank. People worshipping and bathing.

an old man takes a dip inside the river. <hold and cut before he comes out>

water has filled in the mud feet-track of the child.

Close-shot of the empty frame. Narration in child's voice : सच भी नहीं, झूठ भी नहीं, बस है

old man on the bank washes his hands and feet from mud. His efforts go in vain as mud sticks again, water is also muddy. He says, "बस यहीं आता हैं, यह बचपना, और बाकी सब बातें तो नक़ल उतारी हैं कहीं से". As his hands try to hold some water, which pours down immediately. In child's voice : "इतना कहकर वह टाइम मशीन में समाया और गायब हो गया |"

<soundscape changes>

close shot following  the empty  frame - hands bend down hold it. an elder comes and picks up the child. The camera follows the frame <even chaotically, moving and trying to reframe, almost tensed about losing it  -  ambient people sounds take over nature and non-diagetic sounds>  The frame (in child hands  ) reaches amidst lots of people. The world through empty frame is out of focus and chaotic. sounds : a temple bell rings somewhere far. Loudspeakers slurp, dogs bark and crows caw.

soundscape: river bank ambience : sound of water tapping the bank, people bathing in water, a buffalo grunt, non diagetic sound : Gandhi setu grunting with heavy trucks

<1.2>

evening, somvari  mela,city

a tent shows picture of deformed humans with multiple head, hands and legs. loudspeaker invites people to come and visit the show. the place is crowded, maybe disperse. Somewhere in the crowd a poster seller sells various posters which include one of Kali and Einstein with their tongues out.   there are different loudspeakers making different announcements. at places the city is decked with fairy lights.  at places the traffic is jammed and roads are space less. a clutter of electric wires are foreground of a top-angle shot in which on a busy street people pass by.

a long shot tilts down from the horizon of the clustered city to a gol-chakkar around which the traffic is going. sound : a chaos of announcements happening on different loudspeakers -rendered distorted. traffic and crowd sounds

Cuts to Mahavir mandir near Patna junction lit in neon colors.

<1.3>

interior. house

a closed window with a strange drawing calendar (horoscope side of takur prasad calendar) hung next to it. the child opens a window that sees into another room (darker - glowing light ). grandmother is looking up with hands joined. Her lips are murmuring some prayer. she touches her forehead with her joined hands. she picks up an aarti thaali on which a small oil lamp is burning. the child walks further into the frame. the grandmother spots him casually and directs a blessing with her hand towards him. someone starts ringing a small hand temple bell.

<cuts>

close-shot of the child. he yawns as the hand of grandmother crosses frame (across his head). he rests his sleepy head on the window panel. his eyes are almost closing when clouds roaring is heard.

TITLE : TARA KA TARA TIME MACHINE

Ma opens a trunk to take out some clothes. Dadi ma is showing the aarti all over the house. She shows the aarti inside the trunk as well. Some morning activities are shown. The trunk closes on its own. Dadi ma is sitting quietly on her bed. Her lips are still murmuring a prayer.

Water drips through chappar in an empty steel glass. A stained mirror with bindis stuck onto it reflects out-of-focus grandmother. Focus begins to shift but shot cuts. Chutki watches Dadi ma pick up the glass, inspect it and have medicines with the water. Dadi ma smiles. Chutki smiles back. She keeps the glass at a somewhere else. An old spectacle is kept there.

Clothes are tied with improvised hanging ropes around a room. A constant hum of the fan. Babu is studying sitting on his bed. Ma is still hanging some clothes. Sneha  comes and asks Babu, "बारिश में बन्दर कहाँ गाया होगा ?" Babu replies, "डाक्टर दादा के छत पर !" Sneha smiles and says, "अरे वाह बाबू, तुम तो बिलकुल बन्दर कि तरह सीचते हो !" Babu is angry. Sneha runs away.

A drenched monkey is looking at the city getting poured from a terrace.

<2.1> 

Babu walks out of the bed with the book, lies down on floor, but is distracted and doesn't start reading it. Gutlu jumps over him chasing a plastic ball.

Babu walks out of the bed book without the book.

Babu walks and stands facing a door (at the end of a corridor) half open which spills light upon him. Camera : mid shot, over the head, top-angle - tilts up to reveal the door.

Camera tracks with Babu as he passes the door. <dissolve> Babu stands facing a door. {loop}

Babu looks back after crossing the door. {loop breaks}

A box of glass marbles is kept inside a room full of pigeons. Babu's hand picks few, keeping in his pocket. He takes the empty frame hidden beneath marbles. Puts it back. He leaves.

Camera on the room full of pigeons. Sound of wing flutters

 as narration  :

Babu's voice :  सारे दरवाज़े खुले हैं

Old man's voice : और छत पर एक बन्दर रहता है

Babu's voice : यह धमाका सुनाई दे रहा है तुम्हे (silence) यह टाइम मशीन से आया है

<cut to interior house>

Sneha is murmuring something as if a prayer. Sneha with a plastic ball in her hand. She touches the ball to her forehead. She says to herself, "बन्दर दिमाग के अंदर ... बन्दर बड़ा सुन्दर ... बन्दर मस्त कलंदर"

She throws the ball which papa wearing dark goggles hit really hard. Gutlu runs behind it. The ball goes inside Dadi ma's bed. Gutlu stands and stares stressfully. A hanuman locket is seen on his neck in the close shot.

<3.1>

Int. night

Babu and Sneha lying down to sleep inside a room. they both are staring up. Ma comes and switches off the light.

Babu whispers : “अगर कोई एक तारे को बहुत देर तक एक देखे तो वह समय में किसी और समय पहुँच सकता है |” Ma comes and switches the light on. she is searching for something. Sneha ignores and sleeps. Ma switches off the light.

<3.2>

Int. night

Dadi ma and Chutki lying on bed to sleep. Chutki gets scared of a cat's meow. Dadi ma starts talking random things in murmuring tone. Somewhere she mentions a ghost.

<3.3>

Int. night

Babu and ghost : Babu finds the ghost and makes him ask Dadi ma about Tara ka Tara time machine. Dadi ma tells whatever she knows in fear. Her accounts are disconnected. She talks of a man who lives in the sand island between the river.

<3.4>

Morning .terrace

The whole family that seemed to have slept on terrace is waking up. Babu stands up and walks sleepily.

Clouds are reflected in puddle of water on terrace. Feet running is heard, disturbance is created in the puddle. At some distance the reflection disappears  as the water becomes muddy from mud pouring out of a broken plant pot. <cuts to> Dadi ma pouring water in the potted plant with a kalash.

Sparrows have gathered to pick up grains scattered for them. Babu watches them. In some time they fly away.

<4.1>

River . evening

Babu is going somewhere on a boat. All other people are unknown. They land on a sand island. While the crowd is busy taking pictures Babu goes to distance. The boat leaves and Babu is alone. There are footsteps of somebody on sand. A wind blows and footsteps disappear.

Sunsets over the city.

 

Babu against a pitch black background - he looks back. Sounds of the lonely sand island can still be heard.

Next morning Babu wakes up to find a boat coming towards the Island. His family is on the boat. Gutlu and papa are wearing black goggles. They arrive and start taking pictures of themselves. Babu sneaks into them. Ma gives Babu a disgusting looks and starts to brush the sand off his face and hair.

<4.2>

Babu is sleeping on a chair with a book in his hand. Facing his back elders are watching tv. Gutlu is reading a book sitting on the tv . Light goes off. All the elders leave. Sweat drops come on Babu's face and he wakes up. A kancha falls off his hand. He smiles.

All the elders have gathered in a room. Dadi ma shows everyone a box full of kancha. She turns the box upside down - kanchas fall down - an empty frame is taken out. Everyone is looking angry and stressed. There is a tear drop in Dadi ma's eyes. Papa takes of his goggles. All kids are standing still as if punished. They all point at an empty space in the centre of the room and scold.

Babu looks at all this from outside the room. He walks in and places himself in the centre of the room. A hand is about to slap him. Gutlu wears his goggles. Chutki is with Ma in one corner. Babu's hand has a small wound where blood has dried up - is being inspected. His eyes are wide open. Everything freezes. Babu looks  into camera stressed.

<5.1>

Riverbank. Evening

A dead body is being burned. Flames rise up in air. People look up - clouds have begun to roar. People are coming out of a small temple. Babu is leaving alone somewhere on a boat. He looks peaceful.

Water fills his footprint on mud. A different adult foot print in sand is blown away by wind.

 <5.2>

Babu against pure black. He talks with a voice whose face is not seen.

Babu sees is bed, against pure black.

 <6.1>

Similar montages of city as earlier. More focus on crowd - people coming and intrusively looking into camera asking what is happening. A loudspeaker talks about a child who got lost in the mela. That child's detail don't match Babu.

 <6.2>

Everything is normal at Babu's house. Some daily activities are taking place like गेहूँ फटकना, खाना बनाना, टीवी देखना. All these images are seen in null sound. Babu is sleepily lying under his bed. He turns to one side - picks his nose - turns to look into the camera.

|| इति ||

CONTENT

introduction montage and long takes


1.  sets a (poetic) mood
2. introduces the intention of the film
3. a tone and flow - a sequence

Structure


1. poetry / associational
2. memory
3. time  - perceptional and conceptual

notes:

look for elements - sounds, images, words, symbols, shots (apart from riverbank - can montage ) which can break or improve the dependency on the empty frame

मायावी शहर

non-fiction possibilities : search for interesting images of crowded roads - with elephants and camels which come during festive seasons - idea is to make the image as fantastical as possible.

try superimposition - same frame - different crowds.

 non-linearity <> fragmentation <> seem less movement

what happens in the cut =hidden spaces between shots

Poetry


1. In elements inside shots and sequences
2. As parallel sequence - in montage or long take


Note: poetry should be simple and clear, even if its content is abstract 

A poem is needed to dissolve some aggression into itself and reflect a tangential emotion  which I feel is more pure and reflective of a truth more pure and hence powerful.