Lion Page #5

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drinking from a water fountain then walking off.

Saroo steps up, tippy-toes, and drinks. And drinks. Two days

without food or water. This is the Fountain of Life.

Then his eyes search for that street kid.

INT. SUBWAY PLATFORM - MOMENTS LATER (NIGHT)

Up the far end of the platform, the kid sits down with a

bunch of STREET KIDS, all of them so blackened with grime.

CLOSER:
some rowdy, some quiet. Some already asleep.

ON SAROO:
studying them. Cautiously approaching.

He sits, twenty metres away, eyeing them warily.

ON THE CHILDREN:
a wild, dangerous energy.

A WIRY BOY, 10, returns Saroo’s stare. No invitation here.

He’s not being accepted. Eyes at ten paces.

LATER. Saroo sleeps - sitting up, knees drawn, head drooping.

FADE TO BLACK.

OVER THE BLACKNESS (PRE-LAP): a SHRIEKING STATION WHISTLE

EXT. HOWRAH PLATFORM - MORNING

Saroo, standing in front of a packed train about to leave, on

the platform where he arrived yesterday.

That WHISTLE blows again. The train lurches into movement.

Saroo’s mind ticking. Here it is. The chance to go home.

At the last possible moment Saroo leaps on the moving train.

INT. CROWDED TRAIN - CONTINUOUS (MORNING)

Saroo pushes inside, stands there holding the pole.

Taking everyone in. He tugs on a LADY’s sari.

SAROO:

Ganestlay?

The woman grunts -huh? - and looks away.

Saroo pushes through. Asks a MAN.

SAROO (CONT’D)

Ganestlay?

Nothing. The man just looks away.

On Saroo:
the invisible boy. Looking up at all these ADULTS.

EXT. TRAIN (ESTABLISHING) - NIGHT

The train hurtles along, now through the night.

EXT. UNNAMED STATION - MORNING

The train pulls into a TERMINUS, where EVERYONE alights.

Saroo jumps up from under that seat. Instantly awake, he runs

for the door. Excited. This should be Ganestlay.

He stands in the doorway - lost, looking up the platform, the

carriage behind him now empty. This is not Ganestlay.

A STATION GUARD:

(re:
the empty train)

This one terminates here.

Saroo doesn’t understand a word he says.

SAROO:

Ganestlay?

STATION GUARD:

(gesturing)

Go! Shoo!

SAROO:

(confused)

Ganestlay?

The guard points to the crowded train on the other platform.

STATION GUARD:

Two minutes. Go!

To Saroo, that’s a Yes to the Ganestlay question.

As he sprints up the overpass to the train on the opposite

platform, we feel his rush of hope.

INT. TRAIN - MOMENTS LATER (MORNING)

Saroo jumps on, squeezes through the crush. So tiny.

He perches himself at a window - on the edge of his seat -

looking out - ahead. Could this really be it?

He catches a LADY looking at him.

SAROO:

(pleased with himself)

Ganestlay.

She smiles. Whatever he’s saying, the little kid is sweet.

He points out the window, as the train starts to move.

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