Missing Ingredients

By

Vrush Ketan Ganjoo

Wooley Mammoth, 2012-13

Vrush Ketan Ganjoo

Vivek Maurya

INT. KITCHEN - DAY

Soft blend of Indian classicle and pop music in BG.

A middle class kitchen with a blend of modern element and

traditional Indian kitchen ambiance.

Hands of a women are cutting vegetables into fine pieces.

Camera panes towards the gas stove. Dal is being cooked in a

kadhai. Camera tilts with the rhythm of steam of dal and

moves back to gas burner where, on 2nd burner an kadhai is

placed and oil is poured into that.

Camera moves to window that is right up next to the gas

burner. Glimpses of the quite path outside can be seen from

window.

EXT. HOUSE - DAY

Soft blend of Indian and pop music in BG, but other BG

sounds and noises can be heard.

A normal north Indian middle class colony independent house.

looks not very old but not very lavish at the same time.

Kitchen window is shown from the front. Women is visible

cooking inside the kitchen from the window. cooker whistle

can be heard twice in some times gap.

The path outside is not dirty but not exactly clean, it will

be as usual as can be found in any regular colony.

A man on scooter passes through the path, from right to

left. A girl and a woman is coming from the right of the

path.

(If possible, adding also any

street dog and/or cattle would

be advantage)

a boy with his school backpack on his shoulders and wearing

a school uniform and some books holding in hand, is heading

towards the house from left side of the path.

INT. KITCHEN - DAY

Sulakshana, aged around 35 years or so, wearing a sari, is

standing besides her daughter Sulbha, aged around 13-14

years or so, lean and wearing a salwar kurta and pajama.

cooking the food for today’s lunch. Sulakshana helps her to

hold pressure cooker and kept it aside the platform.

Sulbha picks a kadhai and places it on gas stove and pours

oil into it then waits to let it be hot. Sulbha is waiting.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: 2.

SULBHA

Maa Dekho zara!....Ho gaya na?

SULAKSHANA

(While looking at the Kadhai)

Haan beta..Haan ho gaya

Now Sulbha sprinkles jeera, then puts heeng and then spices

from masale dani, and then tomatoes and chills.

Sulakshana inspects the vegetable pieces and cut some pieces

into even fine shape, Sulbha watches her mothers this

activity with a keen sight then Sulbha looks at her mother

and with mothers positive head nodding she drops vegetable

pieces into kadhai and then start cooking with a cooking

spoon. Sulbha covers the Kadhai with a dish and let curry

cook.

AFTER SOMETIME

(Camera will focus on chapati

making process)

Sulbha is making chapatis, she rolls them and meanwhile she

roasts them. As she finishes roasting chappies she start

putting the ghee on chappies.

Sulbha is watching the boiling dal in cooker. As she checks

curry is cooked she puts the kadhai down and prepares to

give tadka to daal.

(Camera will focus on food)

She cuts tomato, onion and green chillies and takes a small

pan and put ghee in that then she puts jeera, heeng, rai and

then tomato, onions and green chili and let it cook and then

pours this tadka into daal and puts some green dhania into

it.

INT. DRAWING ROOM - DAY

Drawing room resembles a middle class status, a couch, 2

sofa chairs a central table with a Hindi news paper in

bottom shelf of it. a vase with a plastic rose on the

central table. A bed (Takhat) at the far end corner of the

room. Room looks good at the first glance but not too adobe.

Subodh, a 40 or so years old man, wearing a shirt and pant,

is putting some documents down on central table and sitting

on sofa, while the young boy that had been seen on the path

lately, wearing a t shirt and a short/Capri, is sitting on

another sofa chair and reading a book. Son looks at father,

smiles and goes back to the book.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: 3.

Subodh turns his face to the kitchen entrance.

SUBODH

(Little High pitch voice )

Sulakshana..Khana ban gaya kya?

SULAKSHANA

(V.O.)

Bas, khana lag hi raha hai

SUBODH

Theek hai...Mai haath muh dhoke

aata hoon, wapas office bhi jaana

hai

Subodh stands up and turns towards the bathroom.

INT. KITCHEN - DAY

Sulakshana is preparing thalis on platform. She puts 2

katori each in all thalis and slices of mango pickle.

Sulbha takes kadhai of sabji and Sulakshana takes bowl of

dal to dining table.

INT. DINING ROOM - DAY

Dining room is middle class dining room with a dining table

and set of chairs, normal range not too expensive. A

refrigerator is stood at the corner of the room. Normal

middle class ambiance.

Sulakshana puts down bowl of dal and Sulbha puts down kadhai

of curry on dining table.

Then both of them go back to kitchen.

INT. KITCHEN - DAY

Sulakshana takes basket of chapatis and Sulbha takes goblets

and a jug full of water.

INT. DINING ROOM - DAY

Sulakshana and Sulbha put down everything and set all the

food on dining table.

Sulakshana is preparing for dine wile talks to her daughter.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: 4.

SULAKSHANA

Sulbha..beta papa aur Arun ko bol

do khana laga dia hai

SULBHA

Haan maa..

Sulbha goes to call her father and brother.

Meanwhile Sulakshana takes a spoon and quickly tastes the

sabzi and puts some salt and mix a little lemon drops. While

doing so she also looks towards the door as if she wants to

finish this tasting business before anyone comes.

She smiles after that.

AFTER SOMETIME

INT. DINING ROOM - DAY

Sulakshana and Sulbha are looking at Subodh and Arun’s faces

as if trying to find out something from their expressions.

While eating Sulakshana and Sulbha look at each other.

The family is dining together and the lunch is about to end.

(As the volume of food is

empty in their thalis as well

as kadhai and bowl establishes

that)

Once the lunch is completed Subodh and Arun are about to

stand up, watching this their is a curious expression on

Sulbha’s face, Sulakshana look at her and then asks.

SULAKSHANA

(Facing to Subodh)

Aaj khana kaisa laga aap ko? Theek

tha?

SUBODH

(Little wondering)

Khana to bahut badhia tha...jaisa

hamesha hota hai..kyon?

SULAKSHANA

(Smiles and little anxiety on

face)

Aaj khana aapki beti ne banaya hai!

SUBODH

(With happy face)

Are wahi to mai soch raha tha...aaj

khane ka swad alag sa tha!

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: 5.

Subodh touches Sulbha’s cheek with love and smiles.

SUBODH

(With smiling)

Bahut badhia khana bana tha...beta

Sulbha smiles and nodes her head.

INT. DRAWING ROOM - DAY

Sulakshana and Sulbha are sitting in drawing room on couch,

Sulbha is sitting right to Sulakshana.Both facing to each

other.

SULBHA

(With a desoppoiting

expression)

Maa...papa kah rahe the ki khana

alag bana tha?...achha nai bana tha

kya?

SULAKSHANA

Nahi..nahi to, khana to bahut aacha

bana tha!...ab to tu bahut aacha

khna bana leti hai!

Sulakshana embraces Sulbha with expression of love and

affection.

SULAKSHANA

....achha chalo ab ja ke padhai

karo

SULBHA

Haan ma...

Sulbha stands up and goes out of the frame. Camera focuses

on Sulakshana’s face and zoom in and blur.

FLASH BACK

INT. OLD KITCHEN - DAY

Traditional Indian kitchen, old and dusky look. Very few

modern objects. The kitchen is looking like a 70’s old

domestic kitchen, Where food is cooked not on the platform

by standing up but sitting on the ground. As cook has to sit

and cook hens the entire kitchen setting is as per suitable.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: 6.

Sulakshana, aged 12-13 or so. wearing a Salvar and kurta and

duppata, ponytail hairdo with a ribbon. Cooking food for

family while her mother is in charge. Sulakshana’s mother is

wearing a normal sari and traditional hairdo.

Sulakshana is cooing a vegetable curry in the kadhai. and

after curry is cooked, that is soon, as we have entered in

the kitchen while curry was in progress to be cooked.

Sulakshana’s mother takes a spoon and checks the curry and

says to Sulakshana

MOTHER

Hmmm...Aachi sabji banai hai

sulu...

SULAKSHANA

(Exited)

Sach maa!...aapko aachi lagi?

MOTHER

(Smiling)

Haan..

Sulochana’s mother looks at Sulochana’s face and smiles and

she goes out of screen.

Once mother is gone Sulochana takes another spoon and checks

curry and then she gives a face expression as if she is

trying to remember something while bite is still in her

mouth.

Sulochana’s face expressions are gloomy as if she found out

something is missing and she nodes her head in despair.

INT. OLD KITCHEN - NIGHT

Sulakshana’s mom is teaching to cook alu ghobi sabji,

Sulakshana is cooking, mother is also giving her

instructions, though instructions can’t be heard as they

merge with BG music, only can be seen as mother is teaching

Sulakshana.

Sulakshana’s mother goes out of the kitchen and sulakshana

is watching her going.

After dish is cooked, Sulakshana take the kadhai off from

the stove and takes a serving spoon and takes little amount

of sabji, puts it on her palm and taste it.

Sulakshana’s face has dissatisfaction expressions and she

crosses her hands on her chest and bow her head.

7.

INT. OLD KITCHEN - DAY

Sulakshana’s mother is cooking some vegetables in kadhai and

sulakshana is sitting left next to her and watching closely

that how her mother is cooking that.

As her mother puts spices and pieces of vegetable into

kadhai, Sulakshana tries to remember everything that how her

mother is cooking that dish.

INT. OLD BEDROOM - EVENING

An old style middle class bed room with a old style wooden

double bed and white/Grey bedsheets on it and 2 old style

round pillows on it.

In front of the bed an old style wooden almera is stood and

a wooden reading table with 2-3 books on it and a table lamp

on it is located right next to the almera. Near the almera 2

old style wooden chairs are also placed.

An light bulb is lit up, not much bright but not too dark

light. Window is left side next to the bed and little

evening sun light is coming through filtered by light

colored curtains. a sealing fan is running in slow speed.

Sulakshana is sitting on the bed, by rest of the pillow and

her face is in the direction of the fan, she is looking

continuously to the fan as if she is in deep thought. Little

sunlit is coming on her face creating light and shade.

Sulakshana sighs and stands up and goes out if the room.

INT. OLD KITCHEN - NIGHT

Sulakshana is cooking the dish and sometime she stops and

thinks as if she is trying to recall something, she puts her

index finger on her cheek and sometimes on her forehead as

if she is trying hard to remember the cooking process.

AFTER SOMETIME

Sulakshana prepares the dish and now she takes a spoon full

of bite to taste. She taste the dish ans she thought while

chewing the bite.

She nodes her head and looks disappointing.

8.

EXT. OLD HOUSE - DAY

Camera is in front of the house, from where house main door

is visible.

House is located in a old Mohalla, house is old and old

style exterior. 2 persons going on the road from left to

right direction of the house, a lady wearing saari coming

behind them, 2-3 kids are going on the road.

People outside, waring mid 70’s style cloths.

one old man is going on his bicycle from the direction of

the kids.

A vegetable vendor with his thela from the door, someone

calls him from the house and he looks at the direction of

the house main door.

Main door opens and Sulakshana’s mother appears and talks to

the vendor while checks vegetables to buy. Sulakshana is

coming from the left direction of the road, wearing a blue

salwar kurta and white duppata and a old style schoolbag on

her shoulders and a water bottle hanging from her right

shoulder.

Mother sees her and smiles, Sulakshana also smiles to see

her mother.

Camera focuses on the Thela and Sulakshana and Sulakshana’s

mother. Sulakshana is watching closely how mother is

choosing the vegetables to buy.

EXT. OLD TARES - DAY

Sulakshana’s mother is hand grinding spices with okhli and

moosal. She is grinding red chillies and turmeric roots.

Sulakshana is watching her carefully and mother meanwhile

grinding spices looks at Sulakshana and smiles.

Sulakshana sometime reads her textbook and sometimes looks

her mother that how she is grinding the spices.

Some red chillies are drying on the cloth and on some papers

turmeric roots are lying.

9.

INT. OLD KITCHEN - DAY

Sulakshana and her mother has prepared the food and now

cleaning the kitchen.

Sulakshana takes a service spoon and tastes the curry, As

she tastes the curry, she nodes her head with despair and

bump her foot on the ground.

Her mother looks at her and asks?

MOTHER

Kyo? kya hua?

SULAKSHANA

Sabji fir waisi hi bani hai!

MOTHER

matlab? acchi to banai hai tune?

SULAKSHANA

Per wo swad nahi aaya maa jo

tumahari sabji me aata hai!...

Sulakshana walks away of the frame and her mother tries to

say something but by now Sulakshana is gone.

INT. OLD KITCHEN - DAY

Sulakshana is grown up almost 15 years and cooking in

kitchen with her mother. Her mother is looking little bit

old.

her mother is moving cooking spoon in cooker and sulakshana

is making chapatis.

INT. OLD KITCHEN - NIGHT

Kitchen is still same old kitchen, but some significant

changes can be seen as now there is a platform, thus both

are cooking food while standing and their old stove is

replaced by a new gas stove.

Instead of matka there is a water filter, kept on the far

right corner of the platform and a exhaust fan is placed in

window.

Sulakshana is grown up almost 20-22 and her mother is

looking now very old and she is just standing aside

Sulakshana and sulakshana is cooking curry.

10.

EXT. OLD HOUSE - DAY

It’s morning around 8.30 AM, Sulakshana comes out of the

main door of the house. She has some books in her hand and a

purse hanging from the right shoulder.

Road is still quite, a milkman is passing through the road

and a paper delivery guy is coming from the opposite

direction holding a bunch of papers on the carrier of his

bicycle.

PAPER DILIVERY GUY

Sulakshana didi...namaste!

SULAKSHANA

(Smiling)

namaste bhaiya

EXT. OLD TARRIES - DAY

3-4 jars of pickle are placed on tarries and some papads are

placed on plastic sheet, red chillies, vegetable pieces are

getting dry on paper sheets, many moong badi are placed on

plastic sheet.

Everything is looking very beautiful and colorful.

Sulakshana’s mother is pouring pickle into a jar from a

vessel, Sulakshana’s father is sitting on a chair and

reading a newspaper, watches Sulakshana and smiles.

Her mother is talking to her father happily and exited.

Now sulakshana’s mother is making gujhias with atta pest and

khoa masala, meanwhile Sulakshana has come on the tarries

and smiles to watch her mother, mother looks at her and goes

back to work but with smiling face.

SULAKSHANA

Maa...koi mehman aa raha hai kya?

MOTHER

(While smiling slowly)

Kyon?

SULAKSHANA

(Curious)

Itni tayaari jo ho rahi hai...kaun

aa raha hai?

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: 11.

MOTHER

(Smiling and blinks her eyes)

Kal pata chal jaega...jaldi kya hai

tujhe?

Sulakshana’s father is smiling and looking at sulakshana.

Sulakshana has a curious expression on her face and smiling.

INT. OLD DRAWING ROOM (BAITHAK)-DAY

A man a and a women, both in their 50’s. Man is wearing a

good quality shirt and pant and woman is wearing a new sari,

sitting with their son on chairs.

Son, aged about 24-25 or so, is wearing a shirt and pant and

has mustache, looks descent. This boy is subodh.

Sulakshana’s mother and father are also sitting in front of

them. Snacks and tea is placed on the central table.

Subodh’s father is talking to Sulakshana’s pairants while

cup of tea is in hands.

Subodh is also responding and showing instrest in their

convertation by smiling now and then.

Sulakshana’s father looks to the Sulakshana’s mother and she

stands up goes inside room.

She comes back with sulakshana with a plate of sweets in her

hands. Sulakshana places down the plate on the table and

meet her hands and pay namaste to everyone. Man, woman are

very happy to see Sulakshana and Subodh is bit nurvers and

shy.

man, woman and Sulakshana’s pairents look at each other.

MAN

(Looking at the Sulakshana’s

father)

Bhaisahab, aaeye...hum jabtak dusri

baaten bhi nipta len...zara bahar

chal ke baith te hain

SULAKSHANA’S FATHER

(Slightly Smiling)

Haan..haan..kyo nahi!

Then all of them goes out of the room except Sulakshana and

Subodh.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: 12.

SUBODH

(Cleares his throat)

Aaham...namaste...mai Subodh hun...

SULAKSHANA

(Shy)

Namaste....(pause)

Subodh takes a gujhia and takes a byte.

SUBODH

Aap to bahut aacha khana banati

hain...ye sab aap ne khud banaya

hai?

SULAKSHANA

(Little nurves and shy)

Kuch maine...aur kuch maa ne banaya

hai

SUBODH

Aap kuch puchana chaahati hain mujh

se?

SULAKSHANA

(Little bit thinking)

Aap ko sabse zayada kya aacha laga?

SUBODH

(Little wondering)

Waise to sab kuch....bahut aache

hai...per ye gujhia...mujhe bahut

aachi lagi

Listning this answer, sulakshana smiles and looks very

happy.

Flashback ends

COOKING CLASS - DAY

Cooking class is a room with a big cooking platform. there

are 3 gas stoves and each is occupoied by the girls. There

are 2 girls with each stove and some vessels are placed on

platform.

there are some row vegatables on the platform and some

vegatables are being cut and in the plates. 2 girls are

cuting vegatables for salad and decorating a plate ful of

salad.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: 13.

Girls are busy cooking their recipies and sulakshana is

roaming around the girls and carefullhy inspacting how girls

are cooking.

Sukalshana stops at the third gas stove and watches closely

that how girls are doing. She stops them and takes a spoon

and taste the curry, she then asks them to add some spices

and mix the curry and she tastes again. Now she looks

satisfied.

Sukakshana smiles and nodes her head in positive manner and

girls look happy and they start cooking again.

EXT. HOUSE - EVENING

Sulakshana is coming towards the home. She is coming from

the right to the main door.

There are 3 boys, playing cricket and a man is going through

the road. A woman is buying some vegatables from a thela.

A group of young boys and girls, containing 5-6 boys and

girls approaching from left side of the road.

Sulakshana opens the door and enters the house.

INT. DRAWING ROOM - EVENING

Sulakshana comes inside and sits on the sofa chair for a

while and calls Sulbha, but no answer. Then she go to dining

room.

INT. DINING ROOM - EVENING

She opens refridgerator and takes out a bottle and gulps

some water and she hears some voices coming from kitchen.

She has wondering expressions on her face.

SULAKSHANA

Sulbha...kis se baaten kar rahi

hai?...kaun hai?

(PAUSE)

She goes towards the kitchen while holding water bottle in

her hands.

14.

INT. KITCHEN - EVENING

Sulakshana is watching from the back, there is a woman in

the sari, cooking food with Sulbha.

Sulbha is helping the woman and looking very happy. Sulbha

is watching closely how the woman is cooking food and she is

preaparing ata for chapatis.

The woman looks in the side in order to take cooking spoon

and Sulakshana indentifies her that she is her mother.

She watches them quietely for sometime.

Sulakshana’s mother turns her head back and looks Sulakshana

and smiles, Sulakshana smiles too and come forth and hugs

mother then puts water bottle on the platform and checks

what her mother has cooked.

As she tastes the dish, she closes her eyes and looks very

happy.

SULAKSHANA

Wahi swad....

INT. DINING ROOM - NIGHT

Sulakshana, Subodh and arun are sitting on dining table and

food is served. Today food is served by Sulakshana’s mother

and Sulbha.

Everyone is looking happy and when Sulbha and Sulakshana’s

mother also set for dining, they all start eating.

Camera focuses on Sulakshana, Sulakshana is eating and her

face expressions are as she is very happy and she likes this

food very much.

She looks at her mother and smiles and her mother also

smiles.

Camera zoom out and shows that family is dining with

happyness and pleasure.