THE FOLLOWING TEXT APPEARS

.... Satan, on the contrary, is thin, ascetic and a

fanatical devotee of logic. She reads Machiavelli,
Ignatius of Loyola, Marx and Hegel; She is cold and
unmerciful to mankind, out of a kind of mathematical
mercifulness. She is damned always to do that which is
most repugnant to her: to become a slaughterer, in order
to abolish slaughtering, to sacrifice lambs so that no
more lambs may be slaughtered, to whip people with knouts
so that they may learn not to let themselves be whipped,
to strip herself of every scruple in the name of a higher
scrupulousness, and to challenge the hatred of mankind
because of her love for it--an abstract and geometric
love.

TITLE CARD 1:
A FILM AND TELEVISION OF INDIA PRODUCTION

SCENE 1 : PROLOGUE - VILLAGE,EXTERIOR DAY

The woman with the black veil and red basket is walking
across the village. Children are playing.They are playing
against a wall which has bullet holes in it. As soon as
the children see the woman they start throwing things at
her ( Old Pepsi cans and stuff what they were playing
with. She doesnt react. Doesnt turn back. She walks
with the same pace and disappears into the jungle.

TITLE CARD 2 :

SWOLLEN BELLIES

SCENE 2 : SHAMBU'S HOME INTERIOR

A light flake starts moving. Very feeble light inside the

room. Its the light from Shambu's father's beedi flake
which was moving around like a mysterious object.

She is a witch. She eats

children. She likes blood.That's
why she doesn't have a shadow.
That's why her foot doesn't touch
the ground.

SHAMBU
who ?

FATHER
Eclipse (with a laughter)

SHAMBU
What is an Eclipse
 FATHER
Its like her . (laughs again)

SHAMBU
You are just lying to me.

Current comes. shambu switches on the light.

FATHER
Eclipse happens when a snake
named RAHU eats the sun or
moon.The world becomes dark.
Unusual things happen.

SHAMBU
like ?

FATHER
like death , like disease. That's
why i say you stay at home. Don't
go out at night.
While saying this ,he applies talcum powder in his shaved
armpits and he puts on the khaki shirt over his torso. He
tries to take away the cap from Shambu. Shambu plays with
him and finally throws the cap. Tiger the dog jumps on
Shambu's back . shambu does a somersault and puts him
down laughing at tiger. Father closes his eyes and folds
hand infront of the lord shiva and parvathi picture
hanging on the wall. Then he goes touches two photographs
which we don't see clearly except for the visual
knowledge them being a framed photographs of a woman and
man. He wears his boots and takes his lathi and shoulder
bag. Keeps a tiffin box and a polythene cover with pickle
and closes the bag. shambu is trying to fix the channel
in the radio. There is a television set behind him which
is covered with a white cloth. Father keeps 20 rupees on
table and keeps a Everready Torch on that which was lying
nearby on the same table.

FATHER
Will you give the Binocular today

SHAMBU
No. I want to see the Eclipse
with this.

FATHER
Idiot. You ll hurt your eyes.

SHAMBU
Hahaha ... I won't. Was kidding.

SCENE 3 : EXT.VILLAGE DAY

Father steps down on stairs . He walks into the village .

He is standing under a tree.
SCENE 4 : SHAMBU'S HOME

Shambu's watching something in his binocular's outside

the window. Tiger is sitting near him watching him.

SCENE 5 : EXT.VILLAGE DAY

A Green coloured Four wheel drive Mahindra is parked

under the tree where shambu's father was waiting. Three
CRPF/BSF/Indian Army Soldiers get down from the vehicle.

ONE OF THE SOLDIER

You can go in this . We are
sending it back anyways.

SHAMBU'S FATHER
Thank you Sir. WIshes them with a
gesture.

The Soldier pats on his shoulder. The jeep moves in one

direction and the soldiers in opposite direction.
SCENE 5 A

The soldiers are walking towards a Palm

Wine(Toddy)/Country Liquor Shop which is just a shed with
two benches and table. The soldier who gave the vehicle
to shambu's Father hits a basket which was kept upside
down like a shelter to chickens with his foot. Chickens
fly . An old man sitting nearby gets up and catches the
chicken and put them in order again. He gives a shabby
smile to the soldier and does it. All the soldiers sit on
the benches. As soon as the sit , the shopkeeper keeps
two bottles of liquor and plate and another guy keeps
mutton and bakri in those plates. One of the soldier
named Muthuramalingam loosens his belt and takes off his
gun and keeps it on table. He farts while doing this
action. The gun is number and fresh. The other soldiers
laugh at him. They start drinking and in one of their
glasses a small insect has fallen , it's glass of Sanjay
he throws it out and gulps in sip and takes a big piece
of mutton and put inside his mouth. It's too big and hot
for his mouth. But he seems to be fine with it.

CUT TO

SCENE 6 : SHAMBU'S HOUSE INTERIOR

Shambu's mixing rice and milk. He feeds Tiger in a

plastic bowl. He has taken bath and is wearing a wet
towel. He tries to climb on a stool and sees a mirror
hanging in the wall but fails. Only little bit of his
head was visible. He combs his hair and wears a trouser.
He puts rice and potato curry on his plate and eats in
sitting on a cot which lies near the window. He sees the
window for few seconds and taken the binocular and it
becomes hard for him to hold it in one hand so he licks
his hands and wipes it in his trousers and holds in both
hand.

SCENE 7 : LIQUOR SHOP

Three kids ( out of the group of kids whom we saw in

prologue )enter the liquor shop. The eldest girl among
them starts to sing and dance a popular folk song and
other two boys support her. Soldiers are drumming on the
table. The gun shakes and falls down.Muthu takes and
keeps it with him. Sound of wireless.The Sardar soldier
named Arvind Singh gets up and moves outside to attend.He
sees Shambu standing outside and watching them . He calls
him inside. The dancing girl stops and tells the soldier
that she has to go. Sanjay Koli gives her a ten rupee
note and other boys five rupee coins each. All of them
run and Shambu sits on the table. Muthu gestures shambu
to take a piece of mutton. He refuses.

ARVIND SINGH
Will you drink ?

SHAMBU
I don't drink this. It's bitter.

ARVIND SINGH
How do you know.

SHAMBU
father drinks.

MUTHU
What's your name ?

SHAMBU
Hmmm... (Thinks for while )

MUTHU
You forgot your own name ?(with a
smile)

SHAMBU
GRAHAN(ECLIPSE)

Everybody bursts into laughter.

A.SINGH
Just because you are so dark your
father gave this name.

Shambu nods his head with a smile.

Muthu farts again.Shambu laughs and closes his

nose.Sanjay spits on the ground.

A.SINGH
Asshole you are ...(towards
muthu)
 SANJAY
Have you seen a woman with a red
basket and black veil covering
her face ?

SHAMBU
No.I have not.

arvind singh gives him a ten rupee note.

If you see her you should come

and tell us.Right ?

Shambu nods his head but doesn't take the money and runs
outside.The plate is filled with bones of mutton and
flies roam around the plate.Shopkeep tries to take them
out but sanjay refuses.

Shambu runs to his home.He does a somersault on the way.

SCENE 7 : SHAMBU'S HOUSE INTERIOR

Shambu is searching something.

tiger .. tiger (he calls out for

his pet dog)

Tiger comes inside with a bone in his mouth.

SHAMBU
Kutha hun na sungliya(a famous
dialogue from the a mainstream
film Bahubali.)

shambu is irritated with the dog.He slaps him and plucks

away the bone from his mouth and throws it away.

Its a bad habit. I feed you well

isn't it ? Then why do you do
this.

Tiger goes and lies down under the cot hiding himself.
Shambu picks him up,pampers,puts him on his chest and
lies down on the bed. He caress tiger and both of them
fall asleep.

CUT TO

SCENE 8 : VILLAGE EXTERIOR EVENING

Sunlight fades away.A tractor arrives.Many village men

and women with tools and food bags in their hand get
down.A moped with three young boys and few cycles with
school children pass by.The men and women who got down
from the tractor walk in a very slow pace as if they were
sleep walking.

Muthu is shitting under a tree behind the liquor shop.

Arvind is shirtless and he is washing his face.Sanjay is
sleeping on the table and the shopkeeper wakes him up
with a glass of black tea. Sanjay takes his glass and
comes outside and takes a bowl of water and gargles his
mouth.Arvind is whistles and sanjay walks inside the shop
sipping his tea.A group of young girls who ve come back
from work walk ignoring his whistle.A young man parks his
cycle infront of the shop and gives a packet of cigarette
and a change to Arvind. He lights a cigarette. Sound of a
bulldozer/JCB.

A giant Bulldozer enters and moves in a very slow pace

and leaving the tyre marks on the ground.Children run
behind it.

SCENE 9 : SHAMBU'S HOME

Shambu jumps of the stool from which he was trying to

climb and see the mirror.He goes to the window and sees
the bulldozer.He runs down the stairs.Binoculars are
hanging around his neck.Tiger follows him.
SCENE 10 : VILLAGE EXTERIOR EVENING

Bulldozer crosses the village infront of shambu's eyes.

Shambu walks around with his binocular and tiger follows
him. He is randomly seeing things with his binocular. A
flock of sheep is entering the village after day's
grazing and shambu sees the goats one by one and spots a
woman in green saree and a red basket.

It's her tiger. I ve to go.

Shambu runs and Tiger follows him.He turns

Didn't you hear what father told

you. Kids should not go out in
eclipse. You go home.

Telling this shambu runs towards the path woman runs .

Shambu runs fast and mingles among the goats and the
woman had alread gone inside the jungles which is pitch
dark. Almost like disappearing.Shambu runs inside the
darkness. Tiger barks and stops among the goats and runs
here and there.The soldiers all three of them also run
inside the jungle.The carry very powerful torch lights in
their hands. But the seems run in opposite direction of
the same jungle where the woman vanished.

CUT TO

We carry in our worlds that

flourish
Our world's that have failed

SCENE 11 : FOREST NIGHT LUNAR ECLIPSE

Shambu is walking through a dense vegetation.It's dark
except for the moonlight and he sees a old sign board
edges glittering in flourescence.And then he sees a huge
pipal tree under which a small stone dressed up godess is
kept and blood stains are visible.He walks through a
muddy road and comes to rocky valley were he can see
monstorous towers and lights at far distant high altitute
plains. He sees the woman now.She is actually very nearer
to him. She stops and look back at him. She is thin ,
tiny and wearing a green saree which is still
distinguishable amongst other green foliage and she wears
a grey shall and black veil over head/face.She is
carrying a red coloured wired hand made basket.She gives
a glance at shambu and walks in the same pace
uphill.Shambu follows her.Strange sounds of drum beats
and people shouting slogans is heard from distance.He is
holding his binoculars tightly close to his chest and
walks carefully over the rocky plane.

CUT TO

SCENE 12 : OTHER PART OF THE FOREST

The soldiers are walking inside a dense foliage.And as
they progress and step out.There is a huge stream which
is separating the forest.Soldiers walk through the sides
of the stream to cross it.Something crosses them and with
the torch they find out it's a cow.

SCENE 13 :

Shambu now sees a rough plain below close to the river

bed. While he is approaching through the edeges of a
small cliff he notices a skeleton of a dead animal.In a
dark cavy corner the woman is climbing a tough route to a
torched tent. Shadowy figures from inside the tent move
and shambu sees three children with bloated bellies and a
middle aged woman.The woman goes inside and comes out
without the basket.The children surround her.The other
woman touch her face and children holding her hands.She
leaves and walks towards the river bed.Shambu runs to
catch up with her speed.It's a muddied river.She jumps
among the rocks effortlessly.Shambu slips and takes a
different route.He looses the sight of her while taking a
different route.

ANTI CLIMAX

Shambu finds her again on the other side of the river

bed. Flash light falls on her face.The soldiers have
surrounded her.Shambu hides himself inside a bush.A snake
crosses over.Soldiers surround her.Arvind slaps her
instantly.She doesn't react.Muthu kicks her on her knees.
she falls down. Sanjay slaps her again.Her Veil falls
down.The soldiers step back.Face of her is visible in the
flash light.She is bald and one side of her face is
scared deeply.Muthu spits in the river.There are things
of sacrifice,old pepsi/cans and some demonitized currency
notes floating in the river.Shambu carefully goes closer
to the river and hides himself in another bush. Shambu
sees a dead animal floating in the river.

ARVIND SINGH
You bitch,won't speak a word.(he
shouts slapping her again)

Arvind tears her saree off.And she is unperturbed.

Confidently kneeling though bleeding from face and hands
she is silent. Muthu takes off his gun. Keeps the gun in
her navel.

Shambu is closing his eyes and squating down. A gun shot

and a bird flies of the branch.Shambu runs and his
binoculars fall down.His mouth is wide open as if he is
screaming. He runs among the dense bushes.The soldiers
run behind.It has become misty.And brighter than
before.He trips over a root and falls down.

V.O OF A MAN
pardon me father if I am a disappointment to
what you expect of me

pardon me father

FADE TO BLACK

if I cannot slaughter other

tribesmen if I do not say my
prayers in the morning if I turn
my back on some of your advice

because father although your

blood runs in my veins although I
too have been a nomad although
I've slept under roofless huts
eyeing the moon and raising my
hands to God and envying His
might

CONCLUSION : SHAMBU'S HOUSE

It's dark.Sounds of glass bottle,pouring of water and few

men talking are heard. A small figurein dark opens the
door and the light spreads. Shambu sees his father along
with those three soldiers drinking liquor in courtyard.
Aravind is wearing a boxer and muthu a lungi.Sanjay is
sleeping.Father gets up

FATHER
Thank them. You fainted in the
jungle. They bought you here
safely.

SHAMBU
 But Papa I ...

Father puts him on his shoulder.Takes him inside and puts

him back in bed.Shambu rolls back and sees the wall where
the Framed picture of Veer Bapurao Puleshwar Shedmage( A
adivasi rebel who fought against both feudal maratha and
imperial British empires) and A young woman is hanging.

V.O OF A MAN

time has unfolded many strange

sheets and spread them between us
time has uprooted me

time has transplanted me to

grounds where prayer is of no
use,

and mother pardon me for digging

your bones out (your bones that
were buried here)
pardon me if I had forgotten that
you were buried here.

EPILOGUE : PROCESSION

Bapurao Shedmage's procession(Jayanti). Shambu and father

are walking among hundreds of others.