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Neelima

09/07/15

NEELIMA
BY RAJAT GULATI

SYNOPSIS
Time: Today.
Place: An Indian city, say Delhi.
Neelima Saxena is the quintessential Indian girl-next-door. She works as a software
engineer in a small software firm nothing high profile, but she enjoys being busy
and earning her own money. As she keeps telling her friend Smriti, she is glad to be
able to support her family, now that her dad has retired from the bank.
Attractive, but not stunningly so, she has never yet been seriously in love. There has
been the odd crush, of course, including a professor at college but things have never
progressed beyond the odd stare. Indeed, its only Smritis prodding that made her
even admit her crush last time.
Though Smriti keeps exhorting her to live for herself and find someone to love,
Neelima is content to go with her familys wishes. Thus, when an offer comes from
one of Neelimas mums cousins neighbours relatives family friends, Neelima is
willing, if a little scared. Still, Akshay, a manager in a big firm, seems decent and is
fairly good-looking. And he has no objections to her continuing to work. And thus,
the two are married.
Slowly, Neelima settles into her new home. Akshay is a decent enough man, hard
working so that they often dont get enough time together but he does take her out to
the movies sometime. Besides, after her office and the household work and taking
care of her in-laws, Neelima herself would just like to rest.
Sex just seems too tedious somehow She had been excited enough initially but
slowly it seems to have become just another chore to get over and Neelima is glad
that Akshay too doesnt seem so insistent these days.
And love? Well, the two get along fairly well and perhaps all that she has a right to
ask for.
But then, one day, Neelima is asked if she would be willing to shift to Bangalore on a
project for 6 months, possibly a year. Initially hesitant to go, her current boss Ajay
convinces her to go insisting that her knowledge is very much needed. There is even
the promise of a promotion and a bigger salary.
Akshay appears almost indifferent to her decision it is her mother-in-law who
appears to be most reluctant, but here Neelima finds an unexpected ally in her fatherin-law who encourages her to take up the opportunity.
And so, Neelima comes to Bangalore. She has already decided to stay with her old
friend, Smriti who is still unmarried but doing very well with her career.

By Rajat Gulati

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Neelima

09/07/15

Smriti is delighted to have her and spares no effort to ensure that Neelima enjoys
herself. As she tells Neelima, Life for an Indian woman should no longer mean
sacrifice at any cost. A woman has her own identity; her own needs and desires. She
must be willing to break the subtle chains of convention and establish her own space.
Neelima is already a little giddy with the new found independence that she has found
herself in and is very happy of the break from her grinding routine of household
duties and office work.
Her duties at work are still hectic and she is often required to stay late at work. Her
escort home on such occasions is a colleague called Mohit and from the start,
Neelima finds herself drawn? comfortable? at any rate clicking well with the
personable young man.
The chemistry, the biology, the wavelength everything is just right. At team dinners
and other team events, she finds herself spending more and more time with Mohit.
Her deepest secrets, her greatest desires it is as if some door has opened and she
finds herself confiding her all.
Mohit, himself, is not immune from the growing attraction himself. He had fallen in
love once before but never had the courage to speak his heart and had promised
himself that he would never make the same mistake again. But he finds himself in an
even greater dilemma than before is this truly love? Dare he declare his feelings and
destroy what friendship there is? And that biggest factor of all her marriage.
Beset by doubts, Mohit makes no move at all. Even Neelima, perhaps scared by the
strange new feelings of her heart, grows more reserved. Fueled by doubt,
misunderstandings arise between the two and a quarrel arises, though both still deny
their feelings. Even more insecure , Neelima decides to visit Delhi for a few days,
hoping to close this door behind her.
But Delhi is no refuge. Whatever comfort, whatever companionship she had imagined
to be waiting for her turns out to be a mirage her mother-in-law is still demanding
and unyielding and Akshay is as distant and insensitive. Her father in law is no
support whatsoever.
That night, Neelima is both willing and excited enough to make a few overtures of her
own, but Akshay is only interested in his own pleasure and leaves her unsatisfied.
Once again, Smritis words of finding herself, of letting herself make her own choices
come back to haunt her this is her moment of truth, and Neelima realises that she
must be true to herself and follow her heart. Meanwhile, even Mohit too has admitted
to himself that he is truly in love and decides to take his chances
The two meet at Smritis place and finally all reserve, all caution, all deference to
society is stripped away. They admit their love of each other and well, they lived
happily ever after

By Rajat Gulati

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Write Angle

Neelima

09/07/15

CAST OF CHARACTERS
Neelima:
The archetypal girl-next-door, Neelima is a girl steeped in the traditions and
convention of 20-century middle class Indian morality. She is expected to subsume
her desires and wants to that of her husband, to combine her household duties
uncomplainingly with the demands of her job. She is even willing to give up her
career for her marriage.
For Neelima, love has always been a Mills-and-Boon fantasy, something that good
girls like her do not fall in. And till she meets Mohit, it is an emotion that she has
never truly felt. Always a bit repressed and emotionally immature, she is forced to
question her own deepest desires and to choose how, and with whom, to spend her
life.
[My Choice Kajol or Sonali kulkarni]
Akshay:
Akshay, Neelimas husband, is a true representative of the average Indian man. Born
and brought up in the same atmosphere that represses women, he expects to be looked
after and attended to as a right. With no guide to help him, he is incapable of
understanding Neelimas emotional needs. To him, a movie once in a while is enough
companionship.
Yet, he is also a dutiful son and supports his parents as a matter of course, but
unjustifiably does not realise the burden that he thereby places on his wife.
[My Choice: Ajay Devgan]
Mohit:
Sensitive and caring, Mohit is a man unaware of his own charm and magnetism. Self
effacing and shy to a fault, he has already suffered through one heartbreak since he
just wasnt ready. Caught once again in a web of emotion and duty, unable to decide
whether his feelings are truly love or not, or whether he can defy society for his heart,
it is almost too late by the time he resolves his confusion and makes up his mind.
[My Choice: Akshaye Khanna/Fardeen Khan]
Smriti:
Independent and forthright, Smriti is still no hard-line women activist. She may not
shout slogans, but nevertheless has stuck to her resolve to live her life by her own
choices and not by what has been decided by anyone else.
She would like Neelima to recognise her own needs and not spend the rest of her life
in a marriage she doesnt really care for. Indeed, it is her advice and example that
proves to be a catalyst for Neelimas transformation.
[My choice: Manisha Koirala/Sushmita Sen]

By Rajat Gulati

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Neelima

09/07/15

Ajay:
Neelimas boss, he is very appreciative of Neelima and wants to see her grow in her
career.
Neelimas parents: Even though they do not directly impact the story, Neelimas
parents do form part of the cast. Bound by convention, they have more or less
abdicated any responsibility of Neelima after her marriage.
Akshays parents (and Neelimas in-laws):
Akshays mother is once again a person bound by convention. She expects her
daughter-in-law to care for her every need with no regard for her own comfort. She
may not be manipulative, but she does expect total obedience from her son and bahu.
Akshays dad is more of a silent spectator in these dynamics though he is more
supportive of Neelima.
Lacking sensitivity themselves, both parents are blind to Akshays shortcomings and
thus unwilling to realise the true extent of the alienation that is growing within
Neelima.

By Rajat Gulati

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Write Angle

Neelima

09/07/15

STRUCTURE
The story opens with a typical day in Neelimas married life, illustrating the hectic
schedule that she follows, looking after both house and job. We also see the ordinary
pleasures that she has foregone, say dancing or singing..
Flashbacks reveal the day when she was first introduced to Akshay, her agreeing to
the marriage, the wedding, the first days of the marriage and so on.
Here also Smriti makes an appearance as the friend who urged her to spread her wings
and not just follow her parents dictates.
Still unwilling to acknowledge even to her own self that this marriage is not what she
wanted from life, Neelima is living out her life like a robot hoping to become
indifferent to her own craving for true love and affection.
Desiring change subconsciously, when a possible shift to Bangalore comes up, she
puts up only token resistance and convinces Akshay and her in laws as well.
The scene shifts to Bangalore, where under the liberating influence of Smriti and the
strange bond that she instantly forms with a colleague Mohit, Neelima too changes.
She is like a flower in late bloom; resplendent, beautiful, fragrant. She finds a poise
and happiness that she had never dreamed of.
Finding herself speaking of subjects that she would never have with any one else,
doing things that she would never have dared to do with anyone else, Neelima realises
too late that she has stumbled on a bond that is extremely unique and rare.
She must now decide which she values more her personal happiness or her
obligations to society. At the same time, Mohit too is being haunted by his own
personal demons and is caught in his own dilemma.
As they try and pull away from each other, misunderstandings arise between the two
and still unwilling to declare their true feelings, the two have a quarrel. Despite
Smritis exhortations to acknowledge her feelings, Neelima decides to go back to
Delhi and the refuge that she has convinced herself exists there.
The truth of course is that nothing in Delhi has changed and only a weekend in her
married home (with even the sex leaving her unsatisfied) convinces her to admit her
feelings and go back to Mohit.
Meanwhile even Mohit too decides that his love is real and decides to defy society by
proposing to a married woman.
Meeting again at Smritis flat, the two soulmates finally bare their heart to each other
and are united with each other to live happily ever after.
THE END

By Rajat Gulati

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