Getting Romantic

I was in Kumari, the other day, watching Star Trek. It’s Science Fiction, and everything you expect from science fiction is there. Anyway, two rows ahead of us, there were two kids. I am refraining myself from calling them "a couple" because they were too young to fit the profile. But they were doing almost everything a couple does.

Star Trek is not Romantic. There are a few kisses and flirts. Even "Mission Paisa" has some. But these two were really getting it on, while watching the movie. I mean, The guy had his hands over her face, and they were well really getting romantic. I didn’t really see their face before the interval. Nepalese have a really small bladder we always need an interval in a two hour movie.

During the interval, I saw their face. The first thing that came to my mind was "Grade 8". Well, you know someone is grade 8 when you have that really small lining of pubescent mustache. To some consolation, the girl looked a bit older, but grade 8 nevertheless.

I had girls in mind in grade 8 among so many other things. And, once in grade 8, I saw some of the really good looking ones making out in the balcony. Broke my heart. Now, I don’t want to sound like a nerd. You know, by normal people's definition, nerds are people who never get the girls and so, they make up things, also called theories or philosophies or ideas, to console themselves. 

And, I am not against public display of "love". But if the couples are really young, it makes everything different. The main problem starts when people start generalizing about the whole society by looking at a FEW samples. I have been through grade 8, and I know many students who are in grade 8 in West Point High School, in Thankot, and those students are not that sexually active. Ok, they have that culture of sending love letters, and they say "I have a girlfriend" and "I have a boyfriend". But that's not bad, because you don’t really think about getting physical at that very young age. 

OK, an example. 

Two weeks ago, on Sunday, I was drinking (don't tell my parents) with my brother in Baneshwore. We had about half a dozen beers left. We were going very slowly. I don't like hurrying up when I drink. I like the Mr. Bajaj Style of Drinking. (Yeah, I used to watch Kasauti in Grade 9, you caught me). 

Anyway, there is a girl's hostel very close to the home. The whole building is a girl's hostel, on the top floor, there are A-level students (17-19 years old). I am not naming the college. Now, we were not eavesdropping, but we were merely "over-hearing" conversations. 

They were talking about guys and chest hairs. There was resonance of "Tero Buda KO Chaati Bhari Jhyau huncha... chyaaa... hahahaha". Didn't really make me proud of having chest hairs. Damn Media. 

Its nice listening to different groups of people, because well, you get a different perspective of life. Girls do not talk so freely when guys are around, so, I didn't really feel like I was sinning. 

Suddenly, (I am jumping topic, bear with me), I heard a window smash. 

It was night-time, and we were getting drunk, nevertheless, we tried to be very quiet. Because in a society, you need to be BEHAVE. No matter what you do, or who you are, you need to follow the rules. 

The window smash created a flood of flashlights in the surrounding houses. There was load shedding, and it was about 10 at night. 

Then we heard voices. We listened carefully this time. 

He was a teacher, calling a girl student to come meet him. The hostel warden was a really strong voiced woman; she was threatening him saying she'll call the police. I guess the girl was in the top floor, and she was dead scared. I didn't really see her face, but when you so much cricket as me; you sort of know how to read some body language. 

There were other girls protecting her, telling her not to worry. 

Cops didn't come. The warden couldn't call the cops. It’s a college located in Baneshwore. And, it’s really reputed, I guess they thought you can't call the cops and make it an issue.

After some time, I found out that the strong voiced hostel warden locked the teacher in a really dark room. He was still shouting from there, but the situation had sort of neutralized. 

I don't know why he was after that girl, I can only speculate. And, what I saw was evil under the influence of alcohol. But, I interpreted that calling a 17 year old, in the middle of the night needs some courage, and lot of signs reading from the drunk. She must have given signs that she would come out at 10 at night. But she was scared. That's her natural response to this situation. 

The problem with public display of romantics is that it generalizes the whole segment of the population. Not everyone is horny every day. Are they? I guess everyone wants to be unique, and I guess everyone wants their life to have some sort of adventure. Have a heroine by their side, and fall in love. 

Anyway, small pecks on cheek, and holding hands is great. I support that. You go one step ahead, you may get your story recorded in a cell phone-over the internet- and then to your parent's computers.

परालको आगो

Background score:
Nepathya, “सानो कुरा”
गीतको ५ seconds पछि, गितारको धुन सँगै:FADE IN FROM WHITE, (settle to morning light).
Kitchen Tap in the foreground, a radio in the background.
हातले धारा खोल्छ, हात भिजाउँछ, धारा बन्द गर्छ।
हातले साबुन दल्न थाल्छ। फिँज निकाल्दै।

CUT TO:
Sideways shot of the man in long range so that the kitchen can be seen, and the man is also recognizable. Upper- Middle class kitchen. Nothing fancy, they are traditional.
मान्छेले अझै हात धुँदै छ।

CUT TO:
Kitchen tap once again, same angle.
धारा खोलेर, फिँज धोएर धारा बन्द गर्छ।
(CAMERA PANs and ends ON TOP OF THE DINING TABLE where a white plastic bag and a glass is clearly visible.)
Man Places the soap on top of a cupboard (OFF SCREEN) comes to the table with a plate(onscreen)

Plastic bag मा हात हालेर खानेकुराको aluminium packet, Real Juice, र रातो गुलाफको फूल निकाल्छ र plateमा राख्छ।
(गुलाफको फुलको screenमा स्पर्स हुना साथ रेडियोमा अम्रित गुरुङ् गाउन सुरु गर्छन- सानो कुरो मनमा लिई दु:खी हुनु हुन्न, दुक्छ मुटु चस्स तर देखाउनु हुन्न……)

CUT TO:
Close up: Packet
Packet को Silver wrapping खोलेर tibetian म:म: निकाल्छ। juiceलाई glassमा राख्छ र गुलाफको फूललाई राख्छ। (मुखबाट पानी आयोस, follow the event)।

(कस्को भर पर्नु खै, सँधै डर लाग्छ, आफ्नै छाँया देख्दा पनि डरै लाग्छ …. The man has to prepare the plate and get out of the kitchen by end of this paragraph…)

CUT TO:
outside kitchen corridor. (Music sounds softer…)
Man comes with plate towards camera, camera moves backwards, man turns camera turns with the man and so we can see a living room.
The main living room sofa has a television set 25 inches…. In front of the TV a sofa with pillow and a blanket, someone slept on it the other night possibly the man. There are other sofas and a भुईँ table, with चकटी… while on the wall, Marriage Pictures. His photos there, stay on the husband and wife picture for just a while.
The man crosses the camera. And starts knocking on the bedroom door off screen. )

Cut to:
(Nepathya Music barely audible)
Close up of man with plate in front of the door. The man- चामे is 30 years old.

चामे:(लामो सुस्केरो लिएर)
गौँथली… ओई गौँथली, एक चोटी बाहिर हेर न… ढोका खोलेर । मैले के-के ल्याएको छु।
(No answer)
नहेर ऊसो भे… १ प्लेट म:मचा छ। म एक्लै खान्छु।

(picks up a momo with hand, dips it in अचार, and takes a bite )

चामे: (मुखभरी म:म लिएर)
आहा! कस्तो मीठो, ...(आधा म:म अचारमा चोपेर खाँदै,).. अचार पनि उस्तै छ...मीठो...साह्रै मीईईठो।

( गौथलीले ढोका खोल्छे, plateलाई हेर्छे। full shot of गौँथली’s लोभी नजर with चामे and plate on the foreground)
गौँथली’s point of view ढोकाको चेपबाट चामेलाई हेर्छौ- चामेको मुखमा रातो अचार लागेको छ। जिब्रोले अचार चाटेको देखिन पर्यो। hold this angle until गौँथली’s two worded lines)
गौँथली: (हात अगाडी बनाएर)
खै दिनुस।
Cut to full shot of चामे

चामे:
तिम्रो हात सफा छैन जस्तो छ। मैले फेरी...चम्चा काँटा केही ल्याको होईन। (picks up a momo dips it in achar) एउटा चाख मेरो हातबाट खाको मीठो हुन्छ की?
(एक छिन जिस्किएर... खुवाउँछ। ढोकैमा बसेर खुवाउन थाल्छ।) 

गौँथली :
(चपाउँदै) बसेर खाम्।
(view of the bedroom for the first time. A huge bed, cup boards, bedside study table with a photo. She sits on the bed, he waits, looks at her, to sit down, a while sort of like asking for permission )
 
गौँथली: (sarcasm) 
निन्द्रा राम्म्रो लाग्यो होला नी सोफा मा? 

चामेँ:
टिल्ल थिएँ। मीठ्ठो निन्द्रा लाग्यो। 

गौँथली:
तपाईँलाई जति भने पनि नलाग्ने भो है? 


चामेँ(overlapping):
ह्या...काममा थिएँ, हिजो फोनमै भनेँ... अग्रवाल सँग काम गर्नु भनेको पिउनु नै हो। तिम्ले देखेनौ हिजो अग्रवाललाई, उठ्नै सकिरा थिएन। Taxi सम्म पुराको मैले त्यो जाँडेलाई।  

गौँथली: (प्याच्च बोल्छे)
खूब आफूले चाँहि जाँड-न-धोकेको जस्तो। 

चाँमे: ( अलिक रिसाउँछ) 

गौँथली:
( senses the anger, she knows what he’s like angry, she changes topic)
म हिजो हस्पिटल गाको थेँ नि। 

 चामेँ:
किन?

गौँथली:
Period बिग्रीरा थ्यो। (soft smile)

चामेँ: (surprized look… )  
हो?....के भन्यो डाक्टरले?

गौँथली:
के के खाने के के नखाने भनेर

चामे:
Wine खानु हुन्न नि, थाहा होला? 

गौँथली: 
सबैलाई आफू जस्तै भन्ठान्नु हुन्छ है? 

चामे: (हाँस्दै)  
तर...हा... राम्रै भओहो। Celebrate गरेको जस्तै भो । अब हामीले..ह.. दिने पार्टीमा दारू नहराखुम्ला नि? लौ आज कहाँ जाने भन ल।

गौँथली:
नजाने कतै... छोरा छोरी पाल्न साह्रै खर्च हुन्छ। मेरो दाई भाउजुले त कति रिन लिनु परेको भन्दै हुनु हुन्थ्यो। 

चामे:
घरमा भनिसक्यौ? 
(Shot of the bed from front, having both of them in frame) 

गौथली:
माईतमा पहिला भने, अनि घर फोन गरेँ। आमाले “आउँनु पर्छ?” भन्दै हुनु हुन्थ्यो, मैले २-३ महिना पछि पर्ला भनेर टारेँ। 
चामेँ: (overlapping… nodding in agreement)
अँ।
  (A bit of silent gap, both of them thinking)

गौँथली:
काठमान्डूमा छोरा छोरी पाल्न सक्छौँ?

चामेँ:( overlapping)
छ्याआ..... कस्तो बेला के सोचिरा?? 
(camera ….gently moves back from the bedroom towards the door)

चामेँ:
आज हामी बाहिर निस्किन्छौँ। पहिले बजार तिर, भोलीको लागि preparation.
(Camera ... gently moves out of the door, ढोकाको बीचमा दुई जना, म:म खाँदै गफ गर्दै, आवाज सानो हुँदै)

गौँथली:
के गर्ने भोली?  

चामेँ:
तिम्रो र मेरो घरमै date. 
(END PROLOGUE)
.................................................................................................................................................
परालको आगो गुरुप्रसाद मैनालीको classic हो। त्यो कुरालाई अहिलेको context मा ढाल्दा खेरी मैले यस्तै सोचेँ। middle class, city audience लाई target group बानाको। story चाहीँ उही हो theme: “लोग्ने स्वास्नेको झगडा, परालको आगो” but it extends though 9 months of Pregnancy. लोग्ने र स्वास्ने दुबैको जीवनको महत्त्वपूर्ण परिक्षाको क्षण। so… anyway, 
 And because of lack of research, I cannot say what will happen next. I need some more research. Imagination is good, but, when you are paying tribute to a classic like परालको आगो, you cannot just play with it. 
 

 
  
   

Watch em before you die.

A friend of mine asked me "what's the latest movie you've seen?", my reply was "I dont remember". I had to correct that, so, I thought really hard and said "Fast and Furious part 4". Saw it in a cinema hall, It was really depressing. IT was worse than "Gajani".

The movie wasn't important enough to remember. I am still young and my mind still has the capacity to store memories, I know the story of F n F4, but its not really worthy of my time to repeat the story of the movie for someone else.

I do that a lot, its sort of my way of paying tribute to the movie.

I paid tribute to almost all the movies nominated for "best picture" oscar this year. I know i have described "Frost/Nixon" as a boxing match,"The Reader" made me stare at the screen until the credits rolled off, I thought it was better than the excellent "Slumdog".

Woody Allen's "Vicky, Christina, Barcelona" was beautiful. It was a artistic, it was sensual, everything a movie should be.

Until recently, I haven't really seen a good movie. All the action movies, were average. Seriously. Maybe i have matured or maybe i am becoming this really boring, uninteresting person, or maybe my movie watching preferences changed over time because I watch too many movies.

Nowadays, I have a fascination for indipendent movies. (An independent film, or indie film, is a film that is produced outside of any major film studio.) Flim festivals, repect these movies a lot. So, when looking for movies, you look for that specific film festival symbol.

Some indi flims which literally made my boggled my mind and popped my eyes out are "CHoose conner" and "Stephanie Daley" two I can Remember right now.

I am not overstating this, but your life is incomplete if you haven't seen these movies. And, I am not looking though a list, I am writing them with my mind. Besides film festival nominated movies, I respect classics a lot. Classic directors.

The first that comes to my mind is Milos forman. "One flew over the cuckoo's nest" I loved the conversations between the crazies, I loved the way, they were all shown as Human, like anyone I know.

"Amadeus" is another Milos Forman classic to me. The movie is about how Mortzart is "mind fucked" (i am loving this word nowadays) into suicide. The movie starts with "MORTZART.... FORGIVE ME.... I KILLED YOU MORTZART...".

Hitchcock. Alfred Hitchcock. I don't have to really tell you how much of a visionary this guy is. Watch "Psycho", " Vertigo", "Dial M for murder"... the list really goes on. I call him visionary because he sort of inspired people like "Spielgberg".

Lets talk a little about artistic movies. My definition of artistic movies is quite different from art movies (An art film (also called an “art cinema”, “art movie”, or in the U.S., an "independent film" or “art house film”) is typically a serious, noncommercial, independently made film or a foreign language film that may have these qualities, but may have been made by a major company in its home territory and achieved popular success. It may thus be aimed at a niche audience, rather than a mass audience,[1] or the use of subtitles in foreign language films may limit audience appeal.)

I don't believe in diving movies into genre. Some people, do not make movies for a genre. Woody Allen for instance, you cannot call him a comedy movie maker because, well he is a creative artist. His movies may be funny but not COmic. NOt much of a debate here, anyway, these are some more movies I remember.

Woody Allen's movies. EVery movie. No choosing there. He makes someone like me cool. SO, that's really nice for me.

There is this Iranian guy "Majid Majidi" i dont know his name really, havent seen his face. But his movie made me cry... I shed tears watching "Children of Heaven" for the first time. I was sort of drunk then but you know, I might just be saying that to hide my embarassment.

A french director "Krzysztof Kieslowski" I saw one of his color trilogy movie "White" from "Red", "White", and "Blue".

White means equal in french. I cannot say what the movie is about not because I didn't get it or not because I am researving that suspence, but you have to watch it for yourself. If I describe it, I ruin Kieslowski's idea.

Nepali movies also has a room in this anaysis.

"Deuta", "Kusume Rumal"... the songs were beautiful, And these movies really knew how to play with the mind of the audience. I heard they were remaking kusume rumal. They will ruin it. Am sure of that.

I have been wanting to watch "Basudev" for a really long time. I had seen the movie once when I was a child, I didnt really get it then, too much philosophy maybe.

Wrote this piece on may 12 2009. The above mentioned movies were movies I have seen in the last month or two. some names repeated because I have seen them too many times.

Act 1 Scene 1

P1/
I dont know.
I cant think right now. There is... too much going on ... everywhere around me. The last time I was here, i was doing fine. I was OK...

and also, I had time in my hands, and my mind was... was fine. I guess. and , well.... its not my fault.. is it??

P2/
What're you talking about?


(Fade in from black
Table,
brownish tone
Two men, drinking,
Whiskey bottle, a plate of cut- sausage, lemon, and Hajmola

P2 is eating mostly and only sipping

P1 is quite woozily drunk
Bricked Wall brownish tone Background, close up of P1 when he is talking.

P2's closeup with P1 in the frame while P2 is talking)


P1/
I mean, when you hurt someone's prized ego, you pay. dearly. (takes in huge gasp of air... wipes sweat with arm).
I tried. I tried, its not like I was the only one there. I mean there are others who took part in THAT (takes in a mouthful)
just as same as me.

P2/
oh that. (overlapping, with a mouthful of sausages)
You worry too much.

(Long Range Shot of the Bar
view of the dark bar, Paper Chinese lanterns, late night, short skirt girls serving drinks, two men facing the wall )-----> do this until P1 finishes his line)

P1/
I am not worrying. Its just that, Being around those people will make me lose my mind. I cannot function well, if i am not left alone. An... an... and th- they wont leave me be. and sHE was... I felt sorry for her, so I called her.

P2/(Back to closeups)
You called her... you never told....(Takes in a Hajmola, Mukh bigarcha)... What'd she say?

P1/
Sh...She mind fucked me........... (takes a mouthful, empties glass)
First she talks about How low I close I was, how my being there brighter than the fucking sunshine... I was really smiling then, you know, that was her ice breaker.. with a.. with a ice picker... violent. And out of nowhere, she talks about that thing..... and how much I betrayed her.
She mind fucked me and i am impregnated with.... (pouring a drink) you want a drink????

P2/ (Overlapping, shakes head)
You weren't the only one, there were 13 of us that night.

P1/
Yeah, I felt sorry for her. that's my cardinal fucking sin. (looks around being unsecured)
I felt sorry for her. Wh-what was I supposed to do? She didn't expect on us being so aggressive.

P2/(overlapping)
ah... no fuck. She knew. That night was not just an instant outbreak... (Hard Gulp with Hajmola) that was result of suppressed rage and all 13 of us.

P1/
She donest see it that way.
You know, she says, that I have learned my mistake and... and... and... she wants me to come to her side. Aid her... in some shit plan she's thinking for all of ya.


P2/ (No need of closeup for P2)
(Scoffs)

P1/
I felt sorry for her... but i don't regret what I did. (Pours drink for himself only this time)

P2/
(Scoff vanishes)
She deserved it for Christ's sake.

P1/(taking a small sip)
Yeah.. Bu... but she doesn't see it that way. she... she still thinks she is the queen bee. You know... and we...we were the only ones telling her to stop coming to our workplace.... we really hurt her ego... some people dont just forget.
(hickup)
And when we signed the papers... she lost it. Completely.

(Silence)

(a cute waitress passes by, white top, red skirt.. short)

P1/

There was this girl I knew from.. from a few years ago.... an.. and she always told me to be in contact with a small number of people....because.. well she believed that I didn't have an ego, an... and...
she told me to have few friends... you know.. really told me to choose the people i hang out with.

Anyway, According to her... i would build my ego if i choose these.. um... friends who have a high opinion of themselves.

P2/ (No closeup)
High opinion... Rich Snobs??

P1/
(Laughs),

Yeah... snobs.

We wern't taking the same courses iin college.
But....aa.. I.. knew her friends... an... and they were, you know, famous for the wrong reasons...and everyone in the school knew them.

She broke it off with me.

Because... just because I hung out with my friends... I didn't like them then, I grew up to like them.. but, the guys, they used to tease me... laugh when she was around and stuff... You know how guys are right?

and I didnt care.. because its guys... and we teased girls all the time... but she.. sh... she was hurt. I guess... Her ego was hurt.

(END ACT)
..........................

......................................................................
Bracket bhitra ko chahi direction jasto khai malai lekhna aaundaina.

Anyway,
How do people talk??
(Rib Davis, writing dialogues for script )

We talk in incomplete sentences,

We are correcting ourselves as we go along, and constantly overlap when someone else is speaking, sometimes to show complete interest that we are listening..

A dialogue is very

And when we stay to write a dialogue, we are constantly polishing it because we are not used to seeing unfinished sentences or dots and commas in a sentence.

Nepali ma dialogue lekha na koi...

when we write conversations, we tend to polish a lot...
Je paye tehi
lastai je paye tehi)