A Short Film by Anirudh Krovi

Plot Summary and other essentials

THE STORY
Saqr Siddiqui is a man going through a creative crisis. His hatred towards the
world fuelled his artistic flow. He gained worldwide recognition. Everyone found
his work to be very raw and aggressive, and they loved it. but nobody cared for
the pain.
With success, came calmness. He lost his hatred. Success does that to everyone.
It brings calmness. But he hated it, since his creativity was getting affected. He
had no source of inspiration. He feels a sense of gratitude towards his art. He
doesnt want to lose out on it. so he now seeks a new form of inspiration. Little
does he know that his crisis is linked to a deeper personal problem, a
philosophical kind of problem that needs to be sorted out first.
CHARACTERS:
SAQR SIDDIQUI: A Young artist. Emotional. Intelligent. Thoughtful. But bitter and
in a lot of pain, which as the story progresses, one realizes has no real basis. He
is a creative person, and that makes him slightly arrogant.
THE GIRL: Beautiful. Calm. More reflective than impulsive. Sorts out Saqrs
problem. However, her character neednt necessarily be real. She perhaps is
Saqrs inner voice or some hallucination or an angel maybe. She might just be
Saqrs subconscious mind.
Technical Notes:
1) Nature shall only be shot in colour. Scenes involving SAQR as the primary
character shall be shot in black and white. One reason is aesthetics, the
other is the common reference to men being some shade of grey.
2) Dialogues are a critical part of the script. However, they arent to be
mugged up. Things should have a flow to them. That is way more
important than dialogue. And this will come only with a good
understanding of the material. And multiple takes, of course!!
3) For nature shots, a lot of shots shall be taken. And the best ones shall be
picked up
4) Most scenes will be shot such that video and audio are recorded
simultaneously. For a few other situations, dialogue will be incorporated
later.
5) Classical music only shall be used.

Scene 1
(SAQR walking alone, she is some distance away, he doesnt sense her
existence, he walks pretty much depressed, in a rather focussed but
grim mood. A good setting for this scene are the trees that are near the
electrical workshop, right beside the computer labs. There are a set of
three trees, with no green leaves, just dry autumn leaves. Fits the bill
perfectly. The guy is depressed after all)
Saqr : I was all alone, sad, when you came along. You gave me a way out. Fame
and money are secondary. You made life worthwhile. Today I risk losing you. I still
remember, I was perhaps twelve when I first picked up the paint brush. Painted
the whole canvas red and black. It felt peaceful. Stupid critics. They called me a
prodigy. Who cared? Not me at least. I still dont.
I never really hated the world. Hate was just a camouflage. What hurt was
insensitivity, lack of dignity. How could that professor just throw me out of the
class? Why was there no passion for learning? Why couldnt I sit in the classroom
for hours and come up with an idea? How could those girls keep staring at me
and get fun out of me being different from others? It was sad, really sad.
Depressing. Demoralizing. I needed a way out, and you embraced me
unconditionally, and made who I am today. Somewhere close to normal.
But success is such a bitch. It is making me lose myself. I am softening. For
whom? For these people who I know just dont care? Just because they ask me
for autographs, and spend their millions on me, does it mean they love me?
Does it mean they are any better now than they were before? And look at what
they are doing to me. They are making us drift apart.
You, my art matter more to me than anything else. I cannot think of life without a
paintbrush, without film, without canvas, without a pen. I need each one of
these. But how do I lure you into the trap of eternal companionship? I am
clueless at the moment. But I will do it. I will...
Note: There are certain bits that shall be shot for this part. They include
SAQR being kicked out of the classroom, Saqr spending hours in front of
the black board as he scribbles equations, Saqr thinking sitting in a
classroom all alone. All of this shall be in black and white, and shall be
shot at the NLHC. Then, there is another bit where SAQR is shown
painting aggressively. This shall be shot at the Architecture
department, at the entrance. These bits are to be integrated into the
monologue later, in the editing phase.
Scene 2

I need to find you. I will find you. Eternal fountain of inspiration, you may be
hiding somewhere, but I will catch up with you. And once I have you, my creative
spirit will get back to me.
Scene : He is looking at the trees. The flora. He is trying to feel things.
But he is clueless. He doesnt see anything so inspiring about it. he
doesnt see any beauty. He is disappointed. SHE looks at him, rather
annoyed. SHE hates the fact that he is unable to see beauty in Mother
Nature.
I thought I would find you here. But you are not here. Natural beauty, trees,
water, animals. Endless inspiration for so many artists. But I dont see anything
special. It is so dull, so lifeless. Stupid people. Wonder what gets them so turned
on?
(Look at those birds flying..rather aimlessly. What can be so beautiful about
aimlessness? )
(Those withering leaves, death, so dull. They are so fragile. I stamp upon them
and they crumble. So lifeless. What makes autumn so delightful?)
There is nothing about you, mother. Nothing that could keep me going. I am very
sorry, but you lack the spark.
Scene 3
(Scene: People sharing some magical moments, like a girl placing her
hand over her boyfriend. Another couple looking at each other into the
eyes. Two others sharing a walk, talking animatedly. OPTIONAL : All the
while SHE is looking at him, lovingly. Perhaps she wants something on
the same lines with him.)
Companionship, love. Overrated. Highly over-rated.
Look at them. Bound by love. Trust, faith. Lovely to hear. Feast for the eyes. But
it is impractical. Illogical. How can love not be a passing cloud? It has to be. How
can two persons, on the basis of a few magical moments decide that a lifetime
will be just as beautiful? it is crazy. Make believe. I cant let something so
unstable inspire me. I deny you the right to be my driving force. You lack a
structure, a foundation. Beautiful you may be. But I dont care.

Scene 4
(Scene: Saqr looking at books, disgusted. He is irritated. He gets
restless. Flabbergasted. Throws them away. Tears them apart. SHE
starts to look in other directions, restlessly. SHE has had enough of this
nonsense. )

Books. Knowledge. Divinity. Yeah, knowledge is divine, thats the claim. I know.
But knowledge doesnt provide any power. Experience does. Enquiry does. Pain
does. What is the point of looking at others perspectives of nature? What does it
give me? The joy of being the creator is at a different level altogether..this
doesnt come anywhere close to it. Why do I have to explore the world that
someone else has created in the first place? Even if I do, why do I need to see
others perspectives? Thats for the herd. I have a language of my own. This is
not for me. I will have none of this rubbish.
******************************************************************************
****
Note the way in which the story progressed in scenes two, three and
four. SAQR tried to find inspiration in the three most likely sources :
Love, Nature and Knowledge. He found it nowhere. Why? Because he is
cynical. His arguments arent real arguments. They are pseudo
arguments. Sound very convincing. But even a little probing will reveal
an image of a man so bitter, so self centred.
******************************************************************************
***
Note : The intensity should increase as the scenes progress. The
expressions can be worked out on shoot. But the intensity has to
increase. His desperation is increasing. He has to lose his cool. He has
to be enraged by the end of scene four, so that the breakdown in scene
five seems convincing.
Scene 5
Location: The architecture department, the same place where the
painting shot was taken in the first scene. There will be two three
canvasses lying around, with lots of scattered A2 sheets. Some paints
will also lie scattered. the brushes are all over the place.
(The scene of destruction. He is sad. More importantly, he is helpless.
He doesnt know what he should be doing. He is throwing stuf
randomly in all directions. Toppling tables. Kicking the ground. It needs
to be scary. It needs to be maniacal. He is randomly applying paint to
the canvas, kicking his canvas, throwing his brushes in diferent
directions, and yelling.)
I tried hard. SO BLOODY HARD. Searched everywhere. Found you NOWHERE.
WHERE ARE YOU? OR AM I AT FAULT? SAY SOMETHING SOMEBODY, GOD DAMN
IT!! what do I do now? Where do I search? How am I going to not lose out on
everything? Is this how it shall end? So my powerlessness has finally started to
show, yeah? Happy, right, supreme CREATOR!! I didnt want to create the whole
universe, just my own little world. Because this world is too harsh. You wont
even let me have that? Why? Why this hatred? I am losing it.

(Looks at HER. SHE is there. Tears roll down her eyes. On to her cheeks.
SAQR looks at her. He himself has tears in his eyes. He is sweating
profusely. Out of tension, perhaps.)
Why are you crying? Whats your problem? What are you doing here? Where did
you come from? I lose, happy? Go on, derive pleasure from my suffering, the
way this world tried to. Oops, wrong tense. Tries to.
(Walks up to her, still crying)
Please, Go on.
(She hugs him. He breaks down. She holds him, he is shattered. She
gives him love, protection, he has a look of vulnerability on his face.
Her love is motherly in nature. She is reflective, she has a huge task to
perform after all in the next scene, FREEZE FRAME)
Scene - 6
NOTE : THIS SCENE SHALL BE SPLIT INTO THREE PARTS
(This is the climax. The revelation happens here. It is a turning point in
SAQRs life. Scene starts of in an NLHC Classroom. Maybe it is
indicative of the fact that he is about to learn something. Completely
unintended reference though. SHE Is well dressed, sitting right in the
centre of the classroom, having an apple. He is unkempt, walks in
wearing shorts. He is confused to an extent.)

SHE: Your suffering gives me no pleasure. It hurts. Real bad. Deep within. You
are a mess right now, do you understand that? Oh, by the way the setting
perhaps looks familiar, doesnt it?
HE: How can I forget this place? It is pretty special for me. Why are we here?
SHE: We need to put you back in shape.
HE (sceptically) : You will help me out? Seriously?
SHE: Youve put yourself and me through enough trouble for the past few days.
Today you are going to just shut up and listen to what I have to say. You get that?
HE (He wants this, he knows it. So he acts obedient. Accepts her
superiority.) : okay.
(She walks around the room as she talks to him. He is sitting on one of
the seats.)
SHE: You know what your problem is? You are a self centred man. That is the
root of all your problems. The importance that you give yourself. Inspiration is
just scratching the surface. Your problems are way deeper.

HE: Oh. So you have discovered subtext, huh?

SHE: it isnt subtext. Your current problem is the subtext to the actual issue.
HE: Go on, nobodys stopping you.
She : Let us start from the very beginning. Why this hatred for the world, SAQR?
Why?
HE : They hurt me. it is pain. Not hatred. Art was my distraction. My way of
venting out.
SHE: venting out what? Frustration?
HE: Yeah.
SHE: Your lens. You are so possessive about it. it wouldnt hurt you to borrow
someone elses lens. Your lens is everything to you. Not to anyone else.
We are not so important. Nobody should be. To himself. I is destructive. Me Is the
source of all your pain. It is you who is always at fault. No one else. It is the lens
that you choose that make you. All your childhood, even today, you claim that
the world has been harsh to you. But that is just your way of looking at things.
Who decides whether it matters or not? To you your opinions, your tastes are
everything. Not to everyone else. You cried when the world laughed at you. Why
couldnt you smile, take pride in yourself, by thinking that you had given them
happiness? You cant think that way. Because you have a need to get something.
You want stuff. You dont want to be the giver. Why? Because to you, you are
very important. But it makes no sense. Look at the universe, it shall go on
without you as well, just the way it did when you werent there. Your footprints
will be lost. Nothing will remain. You are unimportant. Flexibility is everything.
Your grief lies in rigidity.
(PART ii : SAQR And SHE are walking together along the path to the
health centre.)
HE: Life coaching aside, how does this help me as an artist?
SHE: Come with me..(takes him to a tree, a tall beautiful tree, whose
leaves can be seen if only one bends...)
Look at it. Looks beautiful. No wait. I know. You dont like it. (forces him to
bend..then makes him look up..sun soaked leaves look radiant and
beautiful) Now tell me..
HE: Wonderful.
SHE : Was the tree ugly?
HE: No.
SHE: Who was at fault?

HE : ME.
SHE: why was that?
HE: I refused to bend.
PART III : EARLY MORNING AT THE MAIN BUILDING TOP FLOOR. EITHER
AT THE PLACE OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOMS, OR IN THE EVENING AT THE
STAIRCASE LEADING TO THE TOP FLOOR, THE PLACE FROM WHICH ONE
CAN SEE THE RAJPATH. SAQR IS LEANING AGAINST THE WINDOW, AS
SHE IS TALKING TO HIM.
SHE: Exactly. Tell me one thing. You scoffed at love. Why did you do that? You
looked down upon knowledge. Why? Because you craved for love. You wanted to
be pampered. You didnt want to spread love. Your ME came in the way of
appreciating HIM. So you looked down upon knowledge. Beauty is everywhere.
Inspiration is everywhere. And they will find you if only you bow down. Dont
stick your neck out. Bend. That is where happiness is. That is where fulfilment is.
Some aspect of everything will connect with you, if you do this. Then you will
have no trouble. Nothing is bad or good. It is just the lens. Some are dirty, some
are crystal clear. Some give beautiful images, some others blurred. Choose
wisely. Perception is everything. An object is an object. It is your perception that
gives it value, be it positive or negative.
SAQR: You are making me approach a monk like existence.
SHE: They are the happiest men, after all.
SAQR: But I am not quite like them. And I dont think Ill ever be able to reach
such levels of awareness.
(Talks to him as if she is comforting him)
SHE: I had to be morally correct. This is morally correct. Practical relevance is
your world, it is your job, to decide upon how much of this really matters to you. I
cant answer that. Someone else has to. He is there somewhere within. Search
for him. And then ask him.
SAQR : I shall
SHE: You have to...

EPILOGUE
SAQR and SHE are sitting together, somewhere, a park maybe, a serene place.
Maybe at a beach. A beach is the best option.
HE : Can I ask you something?
SHE: Go on..

(He gets close to her. this is an important moment)

HE: Why cant you just stay with me, forever? Why cant we be just like this, for
a lifetime? Together?
SHE: I am always with you. I was always beside you. Just that you didnt notice
me always. I shall always be beside you.
(They hug/share some kind of warm moment the way friends would/ perhaps
their heads lean against each other)
(The focus shifts to the horizon, and...
THE END