SCENE 41 / IN / LAKSHMI PRINTING PRESS / BOMBAY / NIGHT / 1910
SCENE 41 / IN / LAKSHMI PRINTING PRESS / BOMBAY / NIGHT / 1910
Devanagiri letter types are being fed into an enormous fire, where they melt into a huge
lump of lead.
Phalke watches the process and questions the technician in charge.
PHALKE
What are you doing?
TECHNICIAN
I don’t know, the Seth told us to do it.
PHALKE
I’d like to check the lay-outs before you print them.
TECHNICIAN
The Seth has asked us to stop the work on “Swarnmala”. Some other urgent job’s come
in from “The Times of India”.
PHALKE (shocked and surprised)
What! Is Sethji in his office?
Phalke turns and makes his way through a maze of typesetters, printers, and binders.
He notices various strange activities - from an image of Kamadhenu, a butcher asura
with upraised sword is being cut out, as per the Censor’s instructions.
At another machine, three-color blocks of some advertisements are being made.
Nothing is familiar. The workers gather around him.
After standing with them for a moment he rushes to confront Seth Mavji, who is seated at
a table in his office.
The walls are covered with samples of his print work, and testimonials to his excellence.
PHALKE
I hear you’ve stopped work on ‘Swarnmala’?
SETH
Do you realize that your press is running at a huge loss?
PHALKE
This press is not purely a business venture, which is why I don’t worry about profits and
losses.
SETH
Perhaps you don’t consider profit and loss, but the money that I invested in you was
meant to make a profit
PHALKE
I didn’t realize...if that is the truth, then please release me from my contract.
SETH
It’s not so easy. Go back; we’ve got a lot of work from ‘The Times of India’ to complete.
He gestures towards the poster of Kamadhenu, the divine cow, trembling before the asura
with upraised sword.
SETH
Also, the government wants us to delete this portion of this image. They think it’s
propaganda for the anti-cow slaughter movement, and they think the asura is a
representative of the Muslims.
The Seth turns to an English government official, who is checking back copies of the
‘Swarnmala’ magazine.
SETH
Am I right?
He points towards a young Parsi man.
SETH
The new machines have arrived. He is here to help you. Do you know how to type?
You’d better learn fast, technology’s overtaking you.
All this while the newly appointed Parsi technician listens quietly, amused, looking at the
older man with the confidence of a new age.
PHALKE
I want to be released from my contract.
SETH
I sent you to Germany to learn the craft of printing at my expense on the understanding
that you would only use this knowledge for the Lakshmi Printing Press, and you are not
allowed to use this know-how anywhere else.
You are free to go, but perhaps you are forgetting the third clause of our contract.
‘I will be in the printing business only with Lakshmi Printing Press. Outside, I am free to
work in any other business, but not in any business associated with printing and
publishing technologies.’
Don’t even think about resigning. I’ve stopped work on ‘Swarnmala’. Make some money
first.
And you think you’re Raja Harishchandra? Consider yourself sold like him, bound by
your word
Phalke reads the contract for himself.
As he goes through the fine print, his head begins to spin and his sight starts to dim.
Darkness descends.
PART 2
SCENE 42 / SCENE IN OPERA HOUSE / NIGHT
Blind, sitting with his family and relatives Phalke is watching a play.
Saraswati sits by his side.
The sad tones of the queen reach his ears.
RANI:
Last night I dreamed bad dreams.
I am filled with foreboding...
HARISCHANDRA:
I, too, have had bad dreams.
By his efforts, an enraged Brahmin has acquired the power to control all the divine
goddesses of knowledge.
And when I took pity on the women and went to rescue them, the Brahmin turned his
rage on me. And when I tried to pacify him, he demanded my whole kingdom in return.
Where will I find him now? How will I eat my daily meal without thinking of his plate?
I gave away my kingdom, even if only in a dream.
Send out the town crier. Announce that from this day the kingdom belongs to a Brahmin
of unknown origins.
GUARD:
Your Majesty, an enraged Brahmin is at the door.
VISHWAMITRA:
So, do you recognize me or not?
HARISCHANDRA:
Lord, I feel that we have met somewhere.
VISHWAMITRA:
True! You of the warrior caste! Why would you remember me? Cheat! Do you
remember whom you gave the world away to last night? Where is my kingdom?
HARISCHANDRA:
What's the problem? Even before you arrived, I had already transferred to you all that I
possess.
VISHWAMITRA:
And my fee for accepting this grand charity of yours?
HARISCHANDRA:
Whatever you want.
Chief Minister, bring me a hundred gold coins at once.
VISHWAMITRA:
Is the treasury still yours that you order the minister around?
HARISCHANDRA:
Forgive me. What if I no longer have any gold? Do I not still have my body?
SCENE 43 / IN / ISMAILIYA BUILDING / MARINE DRIVE / BOMBAY / NIGHT
Phalke’s eyes are bandaged.
His fingers mould some soft wax into different forms. Some of his work lies scattered on
the table in front of him – a bird, a mouse, a lion, and a human stick figure.
A record of HMV revolves on the gramophone, the logo of the listening dog rotating
slowly.
Saraswatibai is standing by the window and looking out.
The ocean waves look like boats of light. They dance into the shore and break up.
The light of a distant lighthouse sweeps across the sea.
Saraswatibai is weeping silently by the window, her tears dropping into a tiny sweater
that she is knitting for her unborn child.
Smoke escapes from a factory’s chimney and evaporates towards the moon.
Tired, Phalke sets down the wax and lies down.
The moon shines in. Nobody speaks.
The song on the gramophone scratches sadly on.
Restlessly, Phalke tosses this way and that.
Then, abruptly, Phalke gets up and changes the record to a lively popular tune, called
‘The Laughing Song’.
SARASWATIBAI
If you don’t want to come to an understanding with Mavji Seth, why don’t you start
another printing press? Why are you so adamant about giving up the business altogether?
PHALKE
Have you lost your mind?
Do you expect a blind man to succeed in the business of printing? At the moment, I can
only see when I am molding the wax. The moment I put it down, my world goes dark.
SARASWATIBAI
Dr. Prabhakar is removing your bandages tomorrow, and you will be alright. After all, we
must plan for the future of our child.
PHALKE
How many times must I tell you? I cannot compete with that which is like my own child
– printing and the business of the Lakshmi Printing Press. I won’t go back.
SARASWATIBAI
So what will you do next?
PHALKE
Blind or not, it’s my duty to provide for you.
Phalke turns his bandaged white eyes towards the white wall.
SARASWATIBAI
Tomorrow morning, Dr. Prabhakar will come and return your light to you
