Lion Page #6

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SAROO (CONT’D)

Ganestlay.

The lady doesn’t understand. But perhaps she can be helpful.

LADY:

Calcutta.

SAROO:

(trying the word)

Cal-cutta.

It dents his optimism a little. He’s so easily confused.

“Calcutta”. What the hell is she talking about?

He notices a SCHOOL GIRL staring at him. His filthy clothes.

He’s already beginning to look like those street kids.

I/E. (TRAVELLING) TRAIN TO CALCUTTA - AFTERNOON

Saroo, leaning out the open doorway - calm, content. In his

bones:
soon home will reappear.

CLOSER on Saroo as confusion sets in. Then a sinking feeling:

WIDE (Saroo’s POV): we’re slowing, coming into ... Calcutta!

The SHANTY TOWN again. Howrah ahead in the distance. Oh, no.

EXT. HOWRAH STATION - SOON AFTER

We FOLLOW forlorn Saroo as he walks through the CROWDS across

the Howrah Station CONCOURSE and goes up to a TICKET BOOTH.

On tiptoes, his head barely appears at the window.

SAROO:

Ganestlay?

The MAN shoos him away, as people are piling up behind him.

SAROO (CONT’D)

(more insistent)

Ganestlay?

The man is now impatient and shouts at Saroo; the PASSENGERS

push and slap him out of the way.

INT. HOWRAH SUBWAY PASSAGE - LATE AFTERNOON

Saroo, so tiny, as he walks along the VAST, CROWDED subway

passage (SINGLE SHOT, WIDE) - a subterranean nightmare.

EXT. TRACKS LEADING OUT FROM HOWRAH - DUSK

CLOSE:
Saroo stands bathed in the late afternoon light -

gazing out at something. A gentle breeze on his face.

He looks left. Looks right. Looks ahead. Then with a resigned

slump, he turns and walks off.

WIDE:
he’s walking back (towards the station) across an

ENORMOUS COBWEB of entangled train tracks - an IMPENETRABLE

WEAVE that really shows just how impossible getting home is.

EXT. SUBWAY PLATFORM, HOWRAH STATION - NIGHT

LATE; the lost children are curled up, entangled, asleep.

Forlorn Saroo sits down - same wary distance as the other

night. His eyes tired and red. His grimy face tear-stained.

He now looks just like them - the transformation is complete.

Eye contact with Wiry Boy, who’s lying on a bed of cardboard.

Wiry Boy shifts, nods to Saroo - slides out one of the layers

of cardboard that make up his bed. Slides it over to Saroo.

Saroo -I can? An offer of extraordinary generosity.

Saroo walks over, takes it, lies down. A luxury.

Saroo nods Thank-you, smiles shyly. Wiry Boy nods solemnly.

As Saroo closes his eyes, we

FADE TO BLACK.

SILENCE.

HARD CUT INTO:

EXT. SUBWAY PLATFORM, HOWRAH STATION - LATE NIGHT

-Saroo is woken by screaming and sudden pandemonium.

SHADOWY ADULTS are grabbing at the children - it is

terrifying and aggressive and chaotic

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