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GAATHA (Legend)

( A  part from the original story 'SEA', Written by Well known Malayalam Short story writer Mr.T.Padmanabhan,  on which the film "Gaatha" is inspired)

            Mother died yesterday morning.  For the past one week I was at her bedside.  She was not suffering from any disease worth a name.  She was not that old either.  Can anyone say that fifty years is the right age to die?  Still she seemed to have a premonition of her impending death.  That could be the reason why she forcibly sent father to bring me to her side. 

            When father came; I was in the hostel.  It was a holiday. All my friends had gone outing.  I was reading, sitting in the veranda, and the sight of father gave me a shock.  He was not in the habit of coming to my hostel or office enquiring about how I was getting along.  As I hurried towards him, he came straight to the point.

            �I have come to take you home.....�

            While I looked at him in askance, he explained...

            �Your mother wants to see you, that�s why....�

            Before I could ask him anything, he added hurriedly.

            �No , there is nothing worth a mention.  But.... For the last few days she is always on deep thought.  Talks as if she is in some other world.... Did not allow me to call the doctor.  �Why the doctor..?�  She asked me.  �Can a doctor cure me of my disease..?� �

            Mother�s words... �Can a doctor cure me...?�While repeating the question, father did not look at me. Though austere in character, his voice betrayed emotion.------------------------------

 

" GAATHA"  Screen Play - Shaji Karun

(Legend)

SCENE 1:
Day- early morning
A calm, steady river
(any part of Ganges)

Long shot of a river. It's very misty. A 60 year old man (not clearly shown) goes into the river. (This is an attempt to suicide.)
Camera focuses on the ripples on the river water.

The main titles fade in.

The visuals are supported by North Indian classical ragas (to be composed).

SCENE 2:
Day Pang, Leh
(in the Himalayas)

A Duppatta (The Upper cloth of women) is falling from above in a barren place against the backdrops f Himalayan valleys and commanding rocky overhangs.
Most of the shots are surrealistic.
SOUND: The visuals are supported by the continuation of the same kind of classical ragas as those used in the first (river) scene.

(Titles Complete)

SCENE 3:
Day
On the way Leh-Ladakh

A jeep is passing a barren hilly terrain. A 50 yr old man is sitting in the back-side of the jeep. The jeep passes a little stream (the river overflowing on the road) on the road. The duppatta (same as the one shown in the first scene), now tattered and soiled is lying somewhere there. It's stuck in some boulders. As the jeep passes by, the duppatta gets freed and starts moving with the water.-------------------------

 

France

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India

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Producers: Shaji Karun & Sukhwant Dhadda