Missing Ingredients By Vrush Ketan Ganjoo

Wooley Mammoth, 2012-13 Vrush Ketan Ganjoo Vivek Maurya

INT. KITCHEN - DAY Soft blend of Indian classicle and pop music in BG. A middle class kitchen with a blend of modern element and traditional Indian kitchen ambiance. Hands of a women are cutting vegetables into fine pieces. Camera panes towards the gas stove. Dal is being cooked in a kadhai. Camera tilts with the rhythm of steam of dal and moves back to gas burner where, on 2nd burner an kadhai is placed and oil is poured into that. Camera moves to window that is right up next to the gas burner. Glimpses of the quite path outside can be seen from window. EXT. HOUSE - DAY Soft blend of Indian and pop music in BG, but other BG sounds and noises can be heard. A normal north Indian middle class colony independent house. looks not very old but not very lavish at the same time. Kitchen window is shown from the front. Women is visible cooking inside the kitchen from the window. cooker whistle can be heard twice in some times gap. The path outside is not dirty but not exactly clean, it will be as usual as can be found in any regular colony. A man on scooter passes through the path, from right to left. A girl and a woman is coming from the right of the path. (If possible, adding also any street dog and/or cattle would be advantage) a boy with his school backpack on his shoulders and wearing a school uniform and some books holding in hand, is heading towards the house from left side of the path. INT. KITCHEN - DAY Sulakshana, aged around 35 years or so, wearing a sari, is standing besides her daughter Sulbha, aged around 13-14 years or so, lean and wearing a salwar kurta and pajama. cooking the food for todays lunch. Sulakshana helps her to hold pressure cooker and kept it aside the platform. Sulbha picks a kadhai and places it on gas stove and pours oil into it then waits to let it be hot. Sulbha is waiting. (CONTINUED)

CONTINUED:

2.

SULBHA Maa Dekho zara!....Ho gaya na? SULAKSHANA (While looking at the Kadhai) Haan beta..Haan ho gaya Now Sulbha sprinkles jeera, then puts heeng and then spices from masale dani, and then tomatoes and chills. Sulakshana inspects the vegetable pieces and cut some pieces into even fine shape, Sulbha watches her mothers this activity with a keen sight then Sulbha looks at her mother and with mothers positive head nodding she drops vegetable pieces into kadhai and then start cooking with a cooking spoon. Sulbha covers the Kadhai with a dish and let curry cook. AFTER SOMETIME (Camera will focus on chapati making process) Sulbha is making chapatis, she rolls them and meanwhile she roasts them. As she finishes roasting chappies she start putting the ghee on chappies. Sulbha is watching the boiling dal in cooker. As she checks curry is cooked she puts the kadhai down and prepares to give tadka to daal. (Camera will focus on food) She cuts tomato, onion and green chillies and takes a small pan and put ghee in that then she puts jeera, heeng, rai and then tomato, onions and green chili and let it cook and then pours this tadka into daal and puts some green dhania into it. INT. DRAWING ROOM - DAY Drawing room resembles a middle class status, a couch, 2 sofa chairs a central table with a Hindi news paper in bottom shelf of it. a vase with a plastic rose on the central table. A bed (Takhat) at the far end corner of the room. Room looks good at the first glance but not too adobe. Subodh, a 40 or so years old man, wearing a shirt and pant, is putting some documents down on central table and sitting on sofa, while the young boy that had been seen on the path lately, wearing a t shirt and a short/Capri, is sitting on another sofa chair and reading a book. Son looks at father, smiles and goes back to the book. (CONTINUED)

CONTINUED:

3.

Subodh turns his face to the kitchen entrance. SUBODH (Little High pitch voice ) Sulakshana..Khana ban gaya kya? SULAKSHANA (V.O.) Bas, khana lag hi raha hai SUBODH Theek hai...Mai haath muh dhoke aata hoon, wapas office bhi jaana hai Subodh stands up and turns towards the bathroom. INT. KITCHEN - DAY Sulakshana is preparing thalis on platform. She puts 2 katori each in all thalis and slices of mango pickle. Sulbha takes kadhai of sabji and Sulakshana takes bowl of dal to dining table. INT. DINING ROOM - DAY Dining room is middle class dining room with a dining table and set of chairs, normal range not too expensive. A refrigerator is stood at the corner of the room. Normal middle class ambiance. Sulakshana puts down bowl of dal and Sulbha puts down kadhai of curry on dining table. Then both of them go back to kitchen. INT. KITCHEN - DAY Sulakshana takes basket of chapatis and Sulbha takes goblets and a jug full of water. INT. DINING ROOM - DAY Sulakshana and Sulbha put down everything and set all the food on dining table. Sulakshana is preparing for dine wile talks to her daughter.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: SULAKSHANA Sulbha..beta papa aur Arun ko bol do khana laga dia hai SULBHA Haan maa.. Sulbha goes to call her father and brother.

4.

Meanwhile Sulakshana takes a spoon and quickly tastes the sabzi and puts some salt and mix a little lemon drops. While doing so she also looks towards the door as if she wants to finish this tasting business before anyone comes. She smiles after that. AFTER SOMETIME INT. DINING ROOM - DAY Sulakshana and Sulbha are looking at Subodh and Aruns faces as if trying to find out something from their expressions. While eating Sulakshana and Sulbha look at each other. The family is dining together and the lunch is about to end. (As the volume of food is empty in their thalis as well as kadhai and bowl establishes that) Once the lunch is completed Subodh and Arun are about to stand up, watching this their is a curious expression on Sulbhas face, Sulakshana look at her and then asks. SULAKSHANA (Facing to Subodh) Aaj khana kaisa laga aap ko? Theek tha? SUBODH (Little wondering) Khana to bahut badhia tha...jaisa hamesha hota hai..kyon? SULAKSHANA (Smiles and little anxiety on face) Aaj khana aapki beti ne banaya hai! SUBODH (With happy face) Are wahi to mai soch raha tha...aaj khane ka swad alag sa tha! (CONTINUED)

CONTINUED:

5.

Subodh touches Sulbhas cheek with love and smiles. SUBODH (With smiling) Bahut badhia khana bana tha...beta Sulbha smiles and nodes her head. INT. DRAWING ROOM - DAY Sulakshana and Sulbha are sitting in drawing room on couch, Sulbha is sitting right to Sulakshana.Both facing to each other. SULBHA (With a desoppoiting expression) Maa...papa kah rahe the ki khana alag bana tha?...achha nai bana tha kya? SULAKSHANA Nahi..nahi to, khana to bahut aacha bana tha!...ab to tu bahut aacha khna bana leti hai! Sulakshana embraces Sulbha with expression of love and affection. SULAKSHANA ....achha chalo ab ja ke padhai karo SULBHA Haan ma... Sulbha stands up and goes out of the frame. Camera focuses on Sulakshanas face and zoom in and blur. FLASH BACK INT. OLD KITCHEN - DAY Traditional Indian kitchen, old and dusky look. Very few modern objects. The kitchen is looking like a 70s old domestic kitchen, Where food is cooked not on the platform by standing up but sitting on the ground. As cook has to sit and cook hens the entire kitchen setting is as per suitable.

(CONTINUED)

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6.

Sulakshana, aged 12-13 or so. wearing a Salvar and kurta and duppata, ponytail hairdo with a ribbon. Cooking food for family while her mother is in charge. Sulakshanas mother is wearing a normal sari and traditional hairdo. Sulakshana is cooing a vegetable curry in the kadhai. and after curry is cooked, that is soon, as we have entered in the kitchen while curry was in progress to be cooked. Sulakshanas mother takes a spoon and checks the curry and says to Sulakshana MOTHER Hmmm...Aachi sabji banai hai sulu... SULAKSHANA (Exited) Sach maa!...aapko aachi lagi? MOTHER (Smiling) Haan.. Sulochanas mother looks at Sulochanas face and smiles and she goes out of screen. Once mother is gone Sulochana takes another spoon and checks curry and then she gives a face expression as if she is trying to remember something while bite is still in her mouth. Sulochanas face expressions are gloomy as if she found out something is missing and she nodes her head in despair. INT. OLD KITCHEN - NIGHT Sulakshanas mom is teaching to cook alu ghobi sabji, Sulakshana is cooking, mother is also giving her instructions, though instructions cant be heard as they merge with BG music, only can be seen as mother is teaching Sulakshana. Sulakshanas mother goes out of the kitchen and sulakshana is watching her going. After dish is cooked, Sulakshana take the kadhai off from the stove and takes a serving spoon and takes little amount of sabji, puts it on her palm and taste it. Sulakshanas face has dissatisfaction expressions and she crosses her hands on her chest and bow her head.

7.

INT. OLD KITCHEN - DAY Sulakshanas mother is cooking some vegetables in kadhai and sulakshana is sitting left next to her and watching closely that how her mother is cooking that. As her mother puts spices and pieces of vegetable into kadhai, Sulakshana tries to remember everything that how her mother is cooking that dish. INT. OLD BEDROOM - EVENING An old style middle class bed room with a old style wooden double bed and white/Grey bedsheets on it and 2 old style round pillows on it. In front of the bed an old style wooden almera is stood and a wooden reading table with 2-3 books on it and a table lamp on it is located right next to the almera. Near the almera 2 old style wooden chairs are also placed. An light bulb is lit up, not much bright but not too dark light. Window is left side next to the bed and little evening sun light is coming through filtered by light colored curtains. a sealing fan is running in slow speed. Sulakshana is sitting on the bed, by rest of the pillow and her face is in the direction of the fan, she is looking continuously to the fan as if she is in deep thought. Little sunlit is coming on her face creating light and shade. Sulakshana sighs and stands up and goes out if the room. INT. OLD KITCHEN - NIGHT Sulakshana is cooking the dish and sometime she stops and thinks as if she is trying to recall something, she puts her index finger on her cheek and sometimes on her forehead as if she is trying hard to remember the cooking process. AFTER SOMETIME Sulakshana prepares the dish and now she takes a spoon full of bite to taste. She taste the dish ans she thought while chewing the bite. She nodes her head and looks disappointing.

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EXT. OLD HOUSE - DAY Camera is in front of the house, from where house main door is visible. House is located in a old Mohalla, house is old and old style exterior. 2 persons going on the road from left to right direction of the house, a lady wearing saari coming behind them, 2-3 kids are going on the road. People outside, waring mid 70s style cloths. one old man is going on his bicycle from the direction of the kids. A vegetable vendor with his thela from the door, someone calls him from the house and he looks at the direction of the house main door. Main door opens and Sulakshanas mother appears and talks to the vendor while checks vegetables to buy. Sulakshana is coming from the left direction of the road, wearing a blue salwar kurta and white duppata and a old style schoolbag on her shoulders and a water bottle hanging from her right shoulder. Mother sees her and smiles, Sulakshana also smiles to see her mother. Camera focuses on the Thela and Sulakshana and Sulakshanas mother. Sulakshana is watching closely how mother is choosing the vegetables to buy. EXT. OLD TARES - DAY Sulakshanas mother is hand grinding spices with okhli and moosal. She is grinding red chillies and turmeric roots. Sulakshana is watching her carefully and mother meanwhile grinding spices looks at Sulakshana and smiles. Sulakshana sometime reads her textbook and sometimes looks her mother that how she is grinding the spices. Some red chillies are drying on the cloth and on some papers turmeric roots are lying.

9.

INT. OLD KITCHEN - DAY Sulakshana and her mother has prepared the food and now cleaning the kitchen. Sulakshana takes a service spoon and tastes the curry, As she tastes the curry, she nodes her head with despair and bump her foot on the ground. Her mother looks at her and asks? MOTHER Kyo? kya hua? SULAKSHANA Sabji fir waisi hi bani hai! MOTHER matlab? acchi to banai hai tune? SULAKSHANA Per wo swad nahi aaya maa jo tumahari sabji me aata hai!... Sulakshana walks away of the frame and her mother tries to say something but by now Sulakshana is gone. INT. OLD KITCHEN - DAY Sulakshana is grown up almost 15 years and cooking in kitchen with her mother. Her mother is looking little bit old. her mother is moving cooking spoon in cooker and sulakshana is making chapatis. INT. OLD KITCHEN - NIGHT Kitchen is still same old kitchen, but some significant changes can be seen as now there is a platform, thus both are cooking food while standing and their old stove is replaced by a new gas stove. Instead of matka there is a water filter, kept on the far right corner of the platform and a exhaust fan is placed in window. Sulakshana is grown up almost 20-22 and her mother is looking now very old and she is just standing aside Sulakshana and sulakshana is cooking curry.

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EXT. OLD HOUSE - DAY Its morning around 8.30 AM, Sulakshana comes out of the main door of the house. She has some books in her hand and a purse hanging from the right shoulder. Road is still quite, a milkman is passing through the road and a paper delivery guy is coming from the opposite direction holding a bunch of papers on the carrier of his bicycle. PAPER DILIVERY GUY Sulakshana didi...namaste! SULAKSHANA (Smiling) namaste bhaiya EXT. OLD TARRIES - DAY 3-4 jars of pickle are placed on tarries and some papads are placed on plastic sheet, red chillies, vegetable pieces are getting dry on paper sheets, many moong badi are placed on plastic sheet. Everything is looking very beautiful and colorful. Sulakshanas mother is pouring pickle into a jar from a vessel, Sulakshanas father is sitting on a chair and reading a newspaper, watches Sulakshana and smiles. Her mother is talking to her father happily and exited. Now sulakshanas mother is making gujhias with atta pest and khoa masala, meanwhile Sulakshana has come on the tarries and smiles to watch her mother, mother looks at her and goes back to work but with smiling face. SULAKSHANA Maa...koi mehman aa raha hai kya? MOTHER (While smiling slowly) Kyon? SULAKSHANA (Curious) Itni tayaari jo ho rahi hai...kaun aa raha hai?

(CONTINUED)

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11.

MOTHER (Smiling and blinks her eyes) Kal pata chal jaega...jaldi kya hai tujhe? Sulakshanas father is smiling and looking at sulakshana. Sulakshana has a curious expression on her face and smiling. INT. OLD DRAWING ROOM (BAITHAK)-DAY A man a and a women, both in their 50s. Man is wearing a good quality shirt and pant and woman is wearing a new sari, sitting with their son on chairs. Son, aged about 24-25 or so, is wearing a shirt and pant and has mustache, looks descent. This boy is subodh. Sulakshanas mother and father are also sitting in front of them. Snacks and tea is placed on the central table. Subodhs father is talking to Sulakshanas pairants while cup of tea is in hands. Subodh is also responding and showing instrest in their convertation by smiling now and then. Sulakshanas father looks to the Sulakshanas mother and she stands up goes inside room. She comes back with sulakshana with a plate of sweets in her hands. Sulakshana places down the plate on the table and meet her hands and pay namaste to everyone. Man, woman are very happy to see Sulakshana and Subodh is bit nurvers and shy. man, woman and Sulakshanas pairents look at each other. MAN (Looking at the Sulakshanas father) Bhaisahab, aaeye...hum jabtak dusri baaten bhi nipta len...zara bahar chal ke baith te hain SULAKSHANAS FATHER (Slightly Smiling) Haan..haan..kyo nahi! Then all of them goes out of the room except Sulakshana and Subodh.

(CONTINUED)

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12.

SUBODH (Cleares his throat) Aaham...namaste...mai Subodh hun... SULAKSHANA (Shy) Namaste....(pause) Subodh takes a gujhia and takes a byte. SUBODH Aap to bahut aacha khana banati hain...ye sab aap ne khud banaya hai? SULAKSHANA (Little nurves and shy) Kuch maine...aur kuch maa ne banaya hai SUBODH Aap kuch puchana chaahati hain mujh se? SULAKSHANA (Little bit thinking) Aap ko sabse zayada kya aacha laga? SUBODH (Little wondering) Waise to sab kuch....bahut aache hai...per ye gujhia...mujhe bahut aachi lagi Listning this answer, sulakshana smiles and looks very happy. Flashback ends COOKING CLASS - DAY

Cooking class is a room with a big cooking platform. there are 3 gas stoves and each is occupoied by the girls. There are 2 girls with each stove and some vessels are placed on platform. there are some row vegatables on the platform and some vegatables are being cut and in the plates. 2 girls are cuting vegatables for salad and decorating a plate ful of salad.

(CONTINUED)

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13.

Girls are busy cooking their recipies and sulakshana is roaming around the girls and carefullhy inspacting how girls are cooking. Sukalshana stops at the third gas stove and watches closely that how girls are doing. She stops them and takes a spoon and taste the curry, she then asks them to add some spices and mix the curry and she tastes again. Now she looks satisfied. Sukakshana smiles and nodes her head in positive manner and girls look happy and they start cooking again. EXT. HOUSE - EVENING Sulakshana is coming towards the home. She is coming from the right to the main door. There are 3 boys, playing cricket and a man is going through the road. A woman is buying some vegatables from a thela. A group of young boys and girls, containing 5-6 boys and girls approaching from left side of the road. Sulakshana opens the door and enters the house. INT. DRAWING ROOM - EVENING Sulakshana comes inside and sits on the sofa chair for a while and calls Sulbha, but no answer. Then she go to dining room. INT. DINING ROOM - EVENING She opens refridgerator and takes out a bottle and gulps some water and she hears some voices coming from kitchen. She has wondering expressions on her face. SULAKSHANA Sulbha...kis se baaten kar rahi hai?...kaun hai? (PAUSE) She goes towards the kitchen while holding water bottle in her hands.

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INT. KITCHEN - EVENING Sulakshana is watching from the back, there is a woman in the sari, cooking food with Sulbha. Sulbha is helping the woman and looking very happy. Sulbha is watching closely how the woman is cooking food and she is preaparing ata for chapatis. The woman looks in the side in order to take cooking spoon and Sulakshana indentifies her that she is her mother. She watches them quietely for sometime. Sulakshanas mother turns her head back and looks Sulakshana and smiles, Sulakshana smiles too and come forth and hugs mother then puts water bottle on the platform and checks what her mother has cooked. As she tastes the dish, she closes her eyes and looks very happy. SULAKSHANA Wahi swad.... INT. DINING ROOM - NIGHT Sulakshana, Subodh and arun are sitting on dining table and food is served. Today food is served by Sulakshanas mother and Sulbha. Everyone is looking happy and when Sulbha and Sulakshanas mother also set for dining, they all start eating. Camera focuses on Sulakshana, Sulakshana is eating and her face expressions are as she is very happy and she likes this food very much. She looks at her mother and smiles and her mother also smiles. Camera zoom out and shows that family is dining with happyness and pleasure.