|
Meghe Dhaka Tara (1960)
Meghe Dhaka Tara
Cloud-Capped Star Production, Screenplay, Direction: Ritwik Ghatak Story: Shaktipada Rajguru Cinematography: Dinen Gupta Art Direction: Rabi Chattopadhyay Editing: Ramesh Joshi Cast: Supriya Choudhury Anil Chatterjee Bijon Bhattacharya Gita De Gita Ghatak Dwiju Bhawal Niranjan Roy Gyanesh Mukherjee Ranen Roy Choudhury Music: Jyotirindra Moitra A film by Ritwik Ghatak Yes! - Come here Go tell your father, at month end, it'll be two months I will Just this time Banshi'da. I can't do without a shave So, you and your father will give me a clean shave! Any idea how much it adds up to? Dark girl Dark complexion, that's what? Now don't start a tangle go to school Her tuitions would be over, what if she suddenly turns up? She will be hurt if she hears us! Such a responsible girl! Doing M.A. Classes - and not one but two tuitions brings home forty rupees every month What is more - Heard at the meeting evictions are on the rise again They might even stop the school grants Do I get you a mat to sit down and gossip Your slipper's torn, Khuki? I've had it fixed Teacher, Sir, your subscription for the colony Hey! Listen. I've to talk to you Into the room came the bumblebee humming You're late for college go bathe A love letter - so late in life? At first sight I didn't recognise you I thought you just one of the many But now I see you in the cloud... perhaps a star, cast over with clouds of circumstances, Your aura dulled and scratched over Stop it! Let's have a look at the name Sanat - that idiot! Hey, where did you find him? Haven't seen him for ages Poking your nose in a woman's personal affairs If you're a person, some day someone will find me a genius! You know that very well, and that's what makes you so proud If only Banshi Dutt would understand if only he'd understand what a genius I am! Can you spare some money, dear? The beard's itching! For the time being, two annas, or may be four - Or may be eight I'd like to buy a good 7arda Or why not a whole rupee You seem to have got your tuition money Why don't you take up a job, brother? It's beneath an artist to take a job In just two years, money will come raining through the roof Know how much Amir Khan Sahib makes per concert? D'you know, Ma, Manashi of our college, the dark girl, Her sari had a cowgirl motif Ma, don't listen to her! Tomorrow's the college football final I can't wear these gunny saris daily This heiress has been three years in one class, why more? I've just got to get spiked boots by tomorrow! Can't get two square meals, he makes demands like a prince It's hard to feed you the last 15 days of a month The first of the month! Sister must have got paid You didn't buy your sandals, did you? The money went in buying clothes for Brother I'll buy them later. - I've seen someone After all these years! Still recognised him Isn't he Father's pupil Sanat babu? Can't you recognise me! - Aren't you Montu? Why gape! You've changed so much over the years Why don't you visit us? You write all those letters Haven't forgotten the handwriting I give those letters to Neeta With her tuition and college, when is she ever home? Let's go home. Ma will scold us Geeta's grown truly lovely But she can't ever afford decent clothes Need some cash to print the diagrams this month It's spent this month, Sanat Can't even buy my kid brother and sister what little they ask See, knowing everything, I still sing you my woes One feels so powerless. - This is your struggle! Won't I share it with you? Next month I'll find a way I'll contribute But do drop in sometime Father speaks so much of you Yes I'll come, but only when I've money Your spoilt darling will spend money by the fistful It's her earning she spends The bird-faced hussy! She must have spent it all... my entire month's shopping money I ought to give - I don't. So how can I obstruct? No sympathy in the whole world! And no one who'll understand! Ungrateful! Khuki, won't you eat? Not feeling well Don't be angry with Ma - Sheer want... it's destroyed her mind I'm not angry Khuki, remember that poem by Yeats? Seeing on, somewhere At some new moon We shall learn that sleep is not death Hearing the whole world change its tune I've got a headache Here's another precious prodigy! A god in a devil's clothes don't wear such hair - cut it off! Nice cloth you've bought, Khuki Going to bed already? Won't you eat? - No Mother must have said something! Let people say what they like. You do what you think best That's life's motto. Get up - What! Your eyes are brimming with tears - They'll descend if invited Okay. I'll utter a spell. Shall I? I'm not feeling well. - Okay, so I'm uttering it Mother, your baby's such a child! She wants to catch the moon! Can't ever utter the words She can't make out anything, She's such a child, mother! But one rupee, tomorrow, please There's nothing left Spent it all? Okay, next month then From next month, all of it goes straight to Ma Whoever gives up money is a full scale idiot! I can't wait till the morning Slightly bovine! There's pleasure in practising Sold nothing yet - new month, very busy right now Just send last month's bill Going to settle it? What was it you wanted? Just the bill Not going to college? Botching your tests, for novels and films In this house, it's scarcity always You don't have this, you don't have that So make a paradise, and all dress up like fairy's I'll rest and twirl my big toe and smell heavenly fragrance You're needed desperately. - Why? This year you and Shankar just've to sing in the function I've given up singing And brother's maestro won't let him. Why not ask Geetu? But who will be the invitees we need to talk it over We'll discuss this when we meet at the library Hello Shanti. I hear your rehearsals are going on fine? Oh no, we're in a fix. We can't get a good prompter The way you all shout. Enough! Forget the prompting The tuition money All of it? I've asked Banshi to come. He's so insulting everyday Keep five rupees - pocket money Have you no shame? Dining off your old father And the little girl works the day long to foot your bills And you spend your time in singing I'll be earning too Ever since the radio audition I get so many calls It's got my maestro furious He'll let me perform after two years' solid practice, see? Hasn't your maestro a hennaed beard? Why notjust grab it and hang like a midget. Why do you come here? Does any young man sit at home? My bread doesn't come so cheap When women say things I can't lift up my eyes No food for you here from now. Pay cash and eat Won't you have something to eat before you go? Have you told Ma I'm imposing on the family relations? He can't make out anything, he's such a child, mother! Why do you listen to nonsense? Destroy the future for a day's words? Just grit your teeth for two years Look Khuki, only you know my worth If you'd gone you'd have missed out on tomorrow Tomorrow's Jagatdhatri Puja Oh, tomorrow's your birthday! Father's going to take me on an outing, like before Father... where? Not decided - anywhere? Okay, count me in, I'll come too Brother, you're such a child! Father'd refuse if I told him Sunrise! Didn't Keats have a poem Poetry of the earth is never dead This crop field! To perceive its beauty costs no money And there is no money But this is here. Very much here You know the real truth? Living is an art You'll have stomach trouble Will you remain a glutton all your life! Ignorant lad, you shouldn't say things like that Won't you give us too Could we get a drink of water near by Sir, you're three months subscription overdue Please give me at least something Okay, come tomorrow, I'll see what I can do Hey, I don't hear your voice... at the rehearsals. What are you doing nowadays? They aren't giving me a proper role lately Proper roles, acting, actor! Sir Who are you? I'm Sanat You the one who's got a high second class in pure physics? Someone said so. Yes, Khuki did Yes. We do get to meet You've gone so sickly and dark, auntie What do you plan to do now? I'm looking for a scholarship to do a doctoral research Monkey! For a D.S. C? - D. Phil's are all too common Swine! What is your thesis about? - The Reynold Number... of the Supersonic Vibration of the Lower Gangetic Plain Ape! - Yes Not you, it's about Shankar. I was comparing the two He's done nothing all his life Come son, have a bite to eat So you're immersed in studies? No other way out in life What a lovely place I won't be able to do any sort of work. - Go and serve this tea to Sanat Oh mother! Sanat has come? What the - What're you staring at? Hold this! I'm late How come you sit indoors all evening Bye You've come so I'll go late for tuition Let's go out for a walk. What happened? Let's go Where's the one inside? Get out! Are you all right! - Yes You know this is the guru I was telling you about And when was that? Bring home all the vagabonds Can't feed oneself Beginning's a bit troublesome What a lovely voice! You'd be spellbound if you heard it If you bring such a nuisance home again... Just wait. I'm coming Quick, bring some money Ma, we're going out. I'll do the tuition on the way back It's hard to get the scholarship Just a few month more And then And then just get a job And with your earning's I'll You're free to tear down the distance Your genius is so large That picture you've seen in my room... - Those two kids? Me and Brother You know Sanat, we once went walking on the hills there Waking up while it's still dark to see the sunrise from a peak What suffering! But when the sun came out... I just can't explain to you... As kids, brother'd tease me. She wants to catch the moon! He still does Neeta, you're just not cut out for this So much to suffer - Well then make glass case and inside it, keep me like a wax doll I'll be late for tuition. Bye No need to panic, just a bone fracture Neetu, come out An injury in old age, it'll be hard to cure Now she'll have to run the whole household Neeta! What brings you here? Weren't you sitting for M. A this year? I couldn't go on studying. I work now. Bye You'd better spin a new yarn on your dues Didn't tell you yesterday... You'll get it as soon as I do? That's a stale one D'you take us to be your community father... and feel free to rest on us? Why not get a job. Get settled in life You'll never understand something called an ideal Your friend Sarojbabu came I asked him the answers What did he say? - National Chemical Joy Engineering Jagat Hosiery Three jobs just waiting for you, and you're researching the air? Sir, the lady's here... - Bring her here Your ideal is here... A really hectic time I've had, luckily I got a job The way things are after Father's accident I can't say I like it. Why did you give up studies? What can I do? There are so many at home... And they are all waiting, looking up to me... Let's go Praise be to the goddess of learning bestower of perseverance Give us prosperity... Four annas for me to buy a shave... Goddess of learning Mother of the Universe It's quite unbearable I'll work, and you do the studying I can easily get a job Then our wedding... Can't happen now Why not? How can it? If I leave that household... My old Father, younger brother and sister... Shankar's a rascal, why should you bear his load? You can't read him at all! He'll be big one day, as you will too I pin my hopes on you two After that I may have time That means, till then... We'll have to wait. - Why should we wait? Don't be crazy I'll drop by in a day or two I have a question Come... For a singer you certainly can afford a shave Shorn all shame as well? - What shame? The whole clan eating off the labours of one sister. Destroying her future Any idea how the whole colony's talking about it? Aren't you the older brother? - Look here Banshi-da... Your giving me blades on credit has nothing to do with my family affairs Oh, come off it! I call Neeta Sindbad the sailor They're all on her shoulder like the old man of the sea That'll be her fate till she drop dead Wasting my time all these days I've now come to the river at the wrong time I don't know your name, O boatman! Who shall I call for? Who'll row me across? The boat is here, but there's no boatman There's no man on the banks Sir, I've finished the lesson It's quite late. You'd better go home Montu's skipped college a month now Heard today, he's failed His name has been struck off the rolls because... he couldn't pay the fees What good would college do him any way? Good that girl has a job Just as well, isn't it? Father, you know about Montu? You don't need to bring bad news, everyone knows Everyone also knows you're the happiest to see us harmed And you, and your young man! - Wife! Montu's got a job in a factory as a sportsman He was too scared to tell you He's brought his first pay Everything kept secret! As if I were an enemy Like father, like children I won't touch this money Now on, run the household and face the music yourself Job in a factory? Labour! So what? These jobs have better prospects nowadays Just see where middle class life descends! Take me to the other room You all think I just quarrel, you see me quarrelling all the time, you think me a harridan How different I've become during the last 10 years I'm growing so strange You don't have to explain, Ma Really, I can't take the load of this household any more Please set me free If Shankar had been a man... you wouldn't have to take all the burden Brother's really very good Don't count on your father any more, dear May be he'll stand up again, walk again But something seems to be going wrong right in the head He won't be able to earn again After all, I've known him from the age of seven Don't worry, Ma, I'm here You have your own wishes too, may be a lot else Any way, you're all I have You know, one can't seem to calm the mind The truth is, you are my sole support But even you scare me My own daughter and still, a distant being What if you too go away I still don't know you, after all these years Will you say something? Sorry, I've interrupted you Come and eat, it's late. - You've still not eaten! No. - Why? Because you haven't eaten I really impose on you all, don't I? Sentimental slob! - No, really Your whole future your marriage People are getting nasty It hurts your male ego? Don't you have a male ego? - Something much bigger - my training Right now, of course, I'm exploiting you Really disturbs me deep down Are you serious? - Yes I love you all like crazy You all do too, but you're too shy to say so If anyone else loves me... he'll surely wait for me It doesn't worry me Right now I just won't marry When you become a star, then I'll marry Don't I exist till then? Then all my suffering will vanish Don't you vanish as well? Will you take me to the hills then? In the open hill side I'll play around merrily I will. You're such a child Drive away sadness and poverty Give happiness to all Adarang makes plea Listen O Being I'll take your name you Suzerain Being I spoke like Father... don't fall! You haven't come for so long. Why? Can't seem to make it What about... that question you were going to ask? - Probably won't be necessary I'll just do a tuition and come Ma, shall I give him the tea? Yes Ma! He's sitting all alone. Shall we talk? Or shall we go out? - Don't know, anything you like Let's stroll around the pond Sister won't be coming you know Let's go Fire-fly! Man doesn't have pity for you! Your voice is lovely Don't be stupid. Since it's a good job, take it Leave the mess, take a nice flat And find yourself a nice match Let's see The way you stare, your life will pass in staring Don't wake me, my kind, I'll chide you Here are my slippers! Quick, take them off! Look Montu, mine can't be worn any longer You see, I'd gone with my maestro to a concert... So you can earn and wear what you like Dear Montu! Give me some money What? - About eight annas, may be four! How much can one scrounge off Neeta! Yet my hair's grown so long... If you're a beggar, you should look like one Brother, you go to your room Are you hurt? Well, you've all grown up in my arms Oh, Let him talk! Get some clothes made Get a haircut and look decent Buy a pair of slippers. - No You certainly have a dark future ahead Look, those who suffer at the plight of others are doomed to suffer forever You're a complete idiot! In Banshi Dutt's words, you... Our Sindbad the sailor! Or else how'd a fool like me make a fool of you? What sort of boy is Sanat? That boy has no principles Sister, here's the money Only fifty! Yes, had to put on a month's deposit at the Mess - He's decided to stay in the factory Mess this month on Leaving home? - Yes, I mean... going to work from here is tough, you know Also, one needs good food to keep the body fit for sports If you'd said so, something could've been done right here! No sister, that couldn't be But whatever I can spare I'll come and give to you Young chap - he also has wants of his own And his elders at home just sit and eat Saw Sanat'da at our Head Office today He's in the Stores Department. Imagine! A science student ends up At what salary? - Three hundred at least The boss is his pal, you see Sanat babu isn't here. He left only last month Oh, it's you. You want his address, I suppose? I took a job Have you thought about getting Geetu married? I shall in continuation of Neeta's marriage One should think serially You've educated her, that's why she can run the household Finding a groom for a working girl is less difficult Get her married fast, you'll have all the time to suck your big fat toe If she leaves, what will happen to this household? But for that, to exploit this innocent daughter all her life Without her what will you eat? Where have you been? - For a stroll You've your exams now. - Exam's not for me Then what? I'm getting married Does Ma know to whom? - Sanat'babu Rushing out in the heat all at once won't help Everyone doesn't have the patience to wait There's something you should know Did you ask about Montu? He's gone to Delhi Geeta was talking about your ear-rings and bangles - You know what she is like! Let her have them. She needs them more What I mean is, this isn't how I wanted it How much curd we should get? At one time, they married off their daughter to the dying They were barbarians! And now we're educated, civilised! We educate the girl... to wring her dry and destroy her future There's all the difference It's tea time. I'll get your tea Who all want sweets? They haven't given you any sweets? Childhood seems so far away! And those hills... Don't seem to be of this earth No one climbs hills any more - They go to the whether regions I've got a job on a singing school. Don't tell Ma Do your M.A. Too. I'll organise it Will you teach me one of Tagore's songs? I used to sing well before It's soft-hearted idiots like you that get hurt most Good - make a glass case, and inside it keep me like a wax doll I'm leaving this household Even though I'm a nobody I can't bear this any more I'm leaving with a protest You go on suffering silently, and get crushed to death Want to learn singing? I'll have to sing at the wedding I didn't know you'd come in Everything went black The lamp went out For whom did I reach out on high? I didn't know you'd come in In darkness I lay dreaming How could I know the storm was the pennant of your triumph? Only in the morning did I see There you were, standing There where emptiness had filled my room Haven't you gone to office? Not feeling well. Feverish Don't you go to the library nowadays? Letter from Montu's factory What about? On last night shift. Montu... not dead! Hurt badly! The machine didn't devour him It was expected I'm going to the hospital. Don't worry about me This was expected. This is the rule The house surgeon has said he'll need blood transfusion Will it need a lot of money? - Yes, by tomorrow The crisis isn't over yet Hey - your skin's very warm! Moving about with such a fever? I get it quite often. - Does it come on every evening? Have an x-ray taken Khuki is bit shy she won't say anything But I apprehend some trouble... I hear she get's fever And she's taking care of Montu who's in the hospital And we have no money If you can, please check her once I haven't had anything the whole day. Please give me some water Where's Geetu? - She's taking her nap You didn't go to the office? No. I don't go quite often Doesn't feel like going Montu had an accident. He's in a hospital For the last two days I'm not feeling all right I'll have to arrange blood I couldn't even inform you Neeta has come How long! I'm getting late. Bye You let her go. - She hasn't come to see me You could've asked her to stay Without knowing her reason how can you assume I don't feel it is necessary Montu is admitted to a hospital I couldn't even ask Neeta why she came to see us What is your name, young bride? You could've done your X-Ray If you come here I can organise it What if I'm really ill? I'm the only earning member Any way, the blood is needed immediately How's Montu? - Well Can you help me get some money? For blood, for medicines Can't get anything anywhere. That's why I went to Geetu How much? - About 150 will do Try to get a little rest. For your own benefit Benefit - for me? Looking like one of hell's ravens I do a hard day's work for my bread Where? Come I'll give it to you at the hospital tomorrow 150 rupees... where've they gone? - I gave them to Ma You mean Neeta Yes, I did. It's my money Can an old flame really be forgotten? - Will you stop it! Getting nasty won't help at all. I'm warning you Come, my daughter Uma, to me Let me garland you with flowers You're the soul of my sad self, Mother deliverer! Let me bid you farewell now, My daughter! You're leaving my home desolate, for your husband's place How do I endure your leaving, my daughter? Have you heard about Shankar? They're saying he's made quite a name in Bombay What's happened to you? Making your bed out here so late, in the outer room? In this friendless house... what do inner and outer rooms mean? Will you hide it even from me, tell nothing at all? When there was time, Ma, you didn't listen! There's such a void between us now... This tongue of mine... has gone out of control The world has been cut off by a great wall... Spare me a sob story so late at night. I've work tomorrow What can you do about it? - Can I go on acting a part? Not acting Probably it's penance Penance? Have you sinned? Of course, I have. I've made no protest against any injustice And that's my sin I shouldn't have been so ordinary You go home Have you nothing else to say? What should I say? Come to think of it now, I've come very far from it all Now there's only work Neeta, you're completely cleansed I'll leave my job, go back to a life of struggle Whatever obstacles come up I shouldn't back away However rotten I might be, but still I'm something I can't go on banging my head against a wall, Neeta What's happened? - Just tripped up a little I can get the Office Super to grant you leave Don't. He won't grant it A poor Brahman in Mathura... who knew no happiness ever Begging for a whole day once... returned without a grain He sat depressed under a tree... and wept by himself... till the sage Satyanarayana... approached in the guise of a fakir... God doesn't hit you from all sides If by the Guru's grace one bears up to it, one stands up again The boss himself reached him home My Montu still has his job And they'll pay good Compensation. Over a thousand rupees, isn't it? On this auspicious day... you're happy with your lord and friends! Shankar! Isn't it you? The papers carry your pictures. Made it big in Bombay! Have you? You certainly are the pride of Bengal. Let me see Bengal has tigers, too Do you really get 500 per concert? No, not less than 1200 Your body scented with perfume, forehead marked with sandal-paste! Doe-eyed, breeze-swept lashes May your wisdom be for your people And be happy with your lord and friends I told you so many time. But you came so late... Made quite a name! A lot of people talk about you If it's a boy, you must give me a necklace! Will you never live at home? If this house is so bad, change it We're never going to be rid of the problem of eviction Yet even here people do take heart, and build home. Forget their troubles Please, tell him I've always wanted a two-storey house Demolish the house and build two storeys The clay-wall room can stay. It can be easily fixed But can you cure my mind? So that I can read Wordsworth again, and enjoy him Remember? Swan and Shadows float double! Where's Khuki? In that room Goes to work, then back to that room. Eats there too Communicates with nobody. Keeps everything hid Falls ill, runs a fever - tells nobody Even washes her own dishes Love letters in old age? Brother please - I was just watching you all How well you've all established yourselves! Now again, as in childhood... I have no burdens Khuki has T. B. A very bad stage Poor thing! I accuse Whom? Nobody at all I'll see about her treatment and then get back I'll stay here tonight I've packed your clothes... You go away They're dreaming of two storeys You're successful! Why stay on now They pity you today! You weren't up to carrying the burden But you were the one who carried it Now you're the burden yourself There's poison in your breath This room is for the new born Go away, dear Come, my daughter Uma, to me Let me garland you with flowers You are the soul of my sad self... Mother deliverer! Let me bid you farewell now, my daughter! You are leaving my home desolate For your husband's peace How do I endure your leaving... my daughter? Where're you off to? I just made arrangements. A sanatorium at Shillong At last you'll see the hills She likes the hills? Very much. Right from childhood But remember, don't excite her. She may have a relapse "The Cloud-Covered Star"... Sanat's letter I wonder why I kept it so long D'you know, the house has a second storey now Geeta's son is walking. - Naughty, is he? He's made life hell for Father The way he climbs straight up the stairs by himself... The kid's so full of life... gets such a thrill just climbing up the stairs Brother, you know I really wanted to live I love so much to be alive Brother, tell me once that I'll live Brother, I want to go home Khuki! Have you gone crazy! Shankar - have you got back from visiting your sister! How is she now? Why don't you speak? No one remembers her anymore - Going in and out daily, slippers flapping... such a quiet girl, why should she have to suffer so much! Come, my daughter Uma, to me Let me garland you with flowers You are the soul of my sad self, Mother deliverer! Let me bid you farewell now, my daughter! You're leaving my home desolate... For your husband's place How do I endure your leaving, my daughter Translation: Probir Ghosh |
|