Ek Alag Mausam , livre ebook

Mahesh Dattani
Ek Alag Mausam A Screenplay

PENGUIN BOOKS
Contents
About the Author
Ek Alag Mausam A Screenplay
Copyright
PENGUIN BOOKS
COLLECTED PLAYS VOLUME TWO
Mahesh Dattani, born in Bangalore on 7 August 1958 studied in Baldwin s High School and St. Joseph s College of Arts and Science, Bangalore.
He has worked as a copywriter in an advertising firm and subsequently with his father in the family business. His theatre group Playpen was formed in 1984, and he has directed several plays for them, ranging from classical Greek to contemporary works. In 1986, he wrote his first full-length play, Where There s a Will , and from 1995, he has been working full-time in theatre. In 1998, he set up his own theatre studio dedicated to training and showcasing new talents in acting, directing and stage writing, the first in the country to specifically focus on new works.
Dattani is also a film-maker and his films have been screened in India and abroad to critical and public acclaim. His film Dance Like a Man has won the award for the Best Picture in English awarded by the National Panorama.
In 1998, Dattani won the Sahitya Akademi award for his book of plays Final Solutions and Other Plays , published by East-West Books Chennai, thus becoming the first English language playwright to win the award.
Dattani teaches theatre courses at the summer sessions programme of Portland State University, Oregon, USA, and conducts workshops regularly at his studio and elsewhere. He also writes plays for BBC Radio 4.
He lives in Bangalore.
Ek Alag Mausam
A Screenplay

Ek Alag Mausam was released in India on 4 February 2005.
The film was produced and directed by K.P. Sasi.
Principal characters: APARNA Nandita Das GEORGE Rajit Kapur DR MACHADO Anupam Kher PARO Gargi RITA Renuka Shahane GEORGE S FATHER Gopi Cinematography M.J. Radhakrishnan Music Ravi Lyrics Kaifi Azmi/Sushma Ahuja Art Shashidhar Adappa Editor Ajit Kumar Sound Engineer Hari Kumar Playback singers Hariharan, Anuradha Paudwal, Usha Krishnadas and Anupam Kher
The film was supported and presented by Actionaid India.
Interior. Aparna s home. Morning.
Aparna is filling up a flask with orange juice. She brings the flask over to an assortment of bags packed and ready to travel. Paro is putting on her school shoes .
APARNA S MOTHER . Arre! Why are you putting your shoes so soon?
Paro kicks them off .
Come here.
Paro gets up and goes to Aparna s mother who is ready with the pooja thali. Aparna s mother removes nazar .
May God keep you happy, wherever you are.
PARO . Why? Why are you sending me away?
Aparna s mother turns away to hide her tears. Aparna looks at Paro .
(To Aparna.) I don t want to go, you know that and yet . . .
Aparna is determined not to allow her emotions to get the better of the situation .
APARNA . Put on your shoes.
Paro looks at Aparna s mother who still has her back to her. Paro goes to her and hugs her from behind . Paro puts on her shoes .
Cut to:
Exterior. Aparna s home.
From far we can see the front door opening and Paro, Aparna and a domestic help carrying the bags make their way to the car .
Fade in music. Aparna and Paro drive off, leaving Aparna s mother at the door waving out to them. Credits over the car getting on the Bombay Highway to Panchgini .
Interior. Car.
Paro reaches out for the orange juice flask and drinks out of it .
APARNA . I d like some of that too.
Paro twists the cap on the bottle and stares at her .
(Looking at Paro with some authority.) May I have some of that juice?
PARO (looking back at her with equal poise) . Is this like the end of our relationship?
Aparna focusses on her driving. She speaks after taking a sharp curve and when there is a straight stretch of road ahead of her .
APARNA . I never pretended to be your mother. You will have enough money to see you through college. After college, you are on your own. I have left my flat to you so you won t have to worry about not having a home . . .
PARO . A home without you.
APARNA . Yes. Better get used to the idea.
Paro unscrews the cap of the flask and offers the flask to Aparna. Aparna takes it while still concentrating on the road, or pretending to. While she is drinking from the flask . . .
PARO . You are running away from me now . . . the way you ran away from George.
A truck appears from nowhere .
Flash of George driving a truck. Surreal.
Aparna swerves to avoid the truck, spilling the orange juice. The truck driver honks madly at her and drives on. She pulls over to the side of the road and stops the car. Aparna reaches out for some tissue and begins wiping the seats. She gets out of the car to wipe off the stains on her sari. Paro gets out too and walks away from the car. Aparna looks at Paro sitting under a tree. Aparna sighs and leans against the car .
Cut to:
Interior. Aparna s home. Surreal.
Suresh is lying on the sofa with his arm covering his face. Aparna walks in through the main doorway .
APARNA . Suresh! (Going to the sofa.) Suresh! It is confirmed. I am pregnant!
Suresh mumbles something and rolls over and goes to sleep. Aparna picks up the bottle of rum that has fallen down and props it on the table .
Cut to:
Exterior. Car. Road. Tree.
Aparna walks towards Paro sitting under a tree .
APARNA . You don t want to miss the first assembly at your new school, do you?
PARO . Yes.
APARNA . I ll visit you. As often as I can.
PARO . And when you can t, you don t want me visiting you, right?
Aparna nods .
And what about me? What if I want to visit you?
APARNA . You will concentrate on your studies and your career. You said you wanted to be an engineer. You are not going to become one by spending time with me.
PARO (matter of fact) . I want to be with you when you are dying.
APARNA . I want to be left alone.
Paro looks at her. Paro gets up and walks towards some bushes .
Where are you off to now?
PARO . Behind the bushes.
APARNA . Want me to come?
PARO (turning back, sarcastic) . No. I want to be left alone when I go.
Aparna sighs and smiles .
APARNA . Make sure nobody can see you from the road.
Paro disappears behind the bushes. Aparna looks out on to the road. Another truck rushes by honking madly .
Cut to:
Soundtrack only as we stay on Aparna looking out on the road. Cooper s voice through phone .
Fade in .
We haven t met. My name is Rosalynd Cooper. I am a volunteer nurse at the Central Hospital where I am calling from. Your gynaecologist Dr Sanyal and I wish to meet with you and your husband . . . It is extremely important that we meet as soon as possible . . .
Fade out .
Interior. Aparna s home.
Aparna and Suresh. Suresh is a bit nervous .
APARNA . She said we should both go.
SURESH . I-I am not so sure I want to go.
APARNA . It s something about our baby. I am scared Suresh. I want you with me.
SURESH . You will be fine. I don t feel too well.
APARNA (really concerned) . I think it is important we both go. Please!
SURESH (not meeting her eyes) . Please.
Aparna is really hurt that he does not want to go with her .
Cut to:
Exterior. Outside a clinic or hospital.
Aparna gets out of her car and walks slowly to the clinic. She hesitates for a while outside and then picks up the courage to go in .
Cut to:
Interior. Office of the doctor.
Dr Sanyal, her gynaecologist is seated at the desk. Rosalynd Cooper, a volunteer nurse, is seated opposite him/her .
APARNA (entering) . Sorry, I am a bit late.
COOPER (rising, moving to Aparna - trying to pronounce her name correctly, but doesn t quite get it right) . Aparna? (Offering her hand.) I am Rosalynd Cooper. We spoke on the phone.
Aparna shakes her hand and manages a smile .
Won t you come in and have a seat?
Aparna walks in to the room .
SANYAL (a large authoritative voice) . Where is your husband? (Without waiting for a response, turning to Cooper.) Didn t you tell her to bring her husband as well?
COOPER . Maybe it s a good idea to have a chat with Aparna first.
APARNA (trying to collect herself) . He couldn t make it.
SANYAL (looking at her) . Sit down.
Aparna sits down. She looks at Cooper for support. Cooper gives her a smile .
APARNA . Am I going to lose my baby?
Pause .
Cooper looks at Dr Sanyal .
COOPER . Aparna . . . I would strongly advise you to . . . give up your baby.
APARNA . Why? What s wrong with my baby?
SANYAL . Look here. I think it is better for you to come with your husband some time when he is free . . .
APARNA . No. It s my baby too and I want to know why I can t have it.
Pause. Cooper speaks after some thought .
SANYAL . Your blood samples were sent to us for some routine tests. I believe we have your consent for these tests.
APARNA . Nobody asked me for my consent. They just took the samples.
Cooper looks at Dr Sanyal .
SANYAL . There is no question of consent. Hospital policy. So that patients may not claim they were infected after they were admitted.
APARNA (hanging on to every word) . And . . . what are the results?
Dr Sanyal shakes his/her head .
COOPER . Aparna . . . Have you heard of HIV?
Aparna looks at her with disbelief. She laughs a little .
APARNA . Are you saying that my child . . .? But that s impossible! The child can only get it from its m . . .
Aparna stops midsentence as the shock of what she is saying hits her .
COOPER (moving to Aparna) . It s you, Aparna.
APARNA . It s not possible. How could I be HIV positive?
SANYAL . We are certain.
APARNA . It just can t be! . . . I haven t had a sexual relation with anyone but my husband, I haven t had any blood transfusions, I always make sure the doctor uses a disposable syringe . . . No, it can t be. Isn t there a different kind of test? That s more accurate?
COOPER . We have done the Western Blot. Aparna, I am a trained counseller. I suggest we talk . . .
APARNA . But . . . How?
SANYAL . It is very clea