EDHI “A SPARK OF HOPE”

By

JAWAD JAFAR

+92-333-1589128
Jafarjawad2142@gmail.com
FADE IN:
1 INT. [EDHI’S HOME, BANTVA, GUJRAT, BRITISH INDIA] —
DAY/MORNING

Edhi’s mother is standing in her studio kitchen near her kitchen

counter, counting petty cash and coins which she pulled out from
one of the grocery containers. In her background, edhi’s father
is just leaving for work while 10 years old edhi is standing near
a mirror, combing his hair. As the mother is counting, edhi comes
to his mother and holds his hand out. The mother picks out two
coins from her little stash at the counter and puts a coin in
little edhi’s hand,

[both the mother and father appear in the frame but just with
their lower body parts up to their shoulders. We cannot see
their faces throughout the film]

MOTHER [V.O]
Ek tumhare liye…
Then puts another coin in his hand,

MOTHER [V.O]
Aur ek kisi aise k liye jiske pas
kuch na ho.
The little edhi smiles and then leaves out from the main door
just beside the kitchen counter. The door slams shut.
Dissolve to:
2 EXT. [OUTSKIRTS OF BANTVA] — DAY/MORNING

Montage:

- Edhi is walking along a railway line on his way to school

looking at several poor people on his way. He walks right past of
a beggar who is sitting at a side on his mat, clinking his bowl
of coins and looking up towards edhi. A handicapped pot maker who
is trying to sell his pots on a cart, passes by and edhi looks at
him with glare and passes away from the beggar.
- A few women with water pots on their heads pass by as well.
Scene:

Then edhi gets a glance at a little kid standing at a distance

with his back towards edhi. Edhi runs towards him and slows his
pace down a few steps away from the kid. He then pulls out one of
the coins from his pocket and looks at it a while, approaches the
kid and touches the kids shoulder with his hand. The kid turn
around and there is that kid’s little sister standing behind him.
Both of them, as rugged as they are, look at edhi with wondering
eyes. Edhi looks at their faces, and then look down at the coin,
then again at their faces, and again at the single coin as his
smile fades away. The tiny girl is looking at edhi with moist
puppy eyes as edhi looks one more time at her and then smiles,
squints his left eye and reaches down his pocket to find that
other coin and pulls it out. The little girl smiles with her
teeth out as edhi gives each of them a coin with his pocket
emptied out. Both the kids run the other way as edhi starts to
walk towards his school.
Dissolve:
3 EXT. [EDHI’S SCHOOL] — DAY/MORNING — MONTAGE

- An elderly teacher is teaching the kids under a shady tree in a

plain ground. About 15 to 20 children are sitting there, reading
from their books, while the teacher is writing on the blackboard.
- Edhi is reading his book while he catches a glance at his
fellow student with strange facial features.
- Edhi offers his book to share the reading.
- Edhi is running back to his home after school.
- Edhi’s mother opens the door to let him in while edhi is hiding
at a side to surprise his mother. The mother gets out, finds him
and hugs him, patting his hair.
- Edhi is getting 2 coins from his mother.
- Edhi is giving up one of his coins to some poor kid.
- Edhi reading with his fellow student.
- Edhi’s mother receives him.
- Edhi is putting the extra coin in some poor kid’s hand.
- Edhi is running back to his home after school.

Scene:

As edhi reaches his home, he is hiding beside his door-step

waiting for his mother to open. When the door opens, edhi jumps
in front of the door but to his surprise, it’s his father this
time. Edhi looks up to his dad with a question in his eyes.
Dissolve to:
4 INT. [EDHI’S HOME] — DAY

Edhi is sitting near his mother’s bed, while his father is in the
kitchen, trying to make some food but can’t. Edhi is noticing
everything as his father struggles with the cooking pans, cutting
and eventually throws the pan away when he fails and leaves from
the main door. After his father leaves, edhi gets up and goes to
the kitchen to make some food.
Montage:

- Edhi is tasting the food and adding salt into the broth.
- Edhi is feeding his mother some soup.
- Edhi’s father comes in and as he sees edhi with a plate for
him, hugs his son.
- Edhi is cleaning his mother’s sheets while she is seated on a
chair right next to the bed.
- Edhi is washing her mother’s dirty clothes.
- Edhi gets his mother up in a sitting position on her bed by
supporting her back.
- Edhi is sitting outside his house with both his hands
supporting his face as he is watching all the kids playing.
- Edhi stacks all his books and binds them with a thread.
- EXT. [EDHI’S SCHOOL] — DAY
Edhi’s friend is reading with edhi’s books.
Dissolve to:
 5 INT. [EDHI’S HOME] — DAY

Edhi is reading a newspaper, dated **-***-1947. The newspaper is

showing pictures of Quaid-e-Azam and above written is a little
part of his speech where he is announcing the establishment of
Pakistan. Edhi folds the newspaper and goes to the kitchen to
pour some soup for his mother, picks out her medicines and goes
to his mother’s bed to wake her up but right then he notices
something unusual. He gets his ear near his mother’s nose. Then
he abruptly holds her hand out of her blanket and checks her
pulse. His face expressions shockingly change as he is sitting by
her side, holding her hand and turns his head down to kiss those
hands one last time. He takes a deep gasp and turns his head up
while opening his eyes to a few tears.
Dissolve to:

6 EXT. [STREETS OF KARACHI] — DAY

[September,1947 - Edhi & his family migrated to their newly found

homeland, Pakistan]

FADE OUT.
This ending FADE OUT is a standard convention for denoting the end of the screenplay.

THE END

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