Original subtitles

''In March 1947, I was about eight''

I was in Lahore

The foundations of the British Raj were shaken. But I aIso heard...

''Iike a pounding march drawing cIoser, the impending partition of our soiI...''

''the partition of Hindustan and Pakistan. Hindu, MussaIman and Sikh...''

who had Iived forever in a weII-knit society...

were cIamouring suddenIy for their respective shares

''And then, August 1947''

The pen of the British Empire dripping with the IifebIood of this nation...

etched on our soiI in perpetuity a Iine

Goodness! What've you done Lenny-baby?

I thought the Americans have dropped a bomb on Lahore

''Yusuf, carefuI here''

What wiII the Iady say?

''Why onIy a pIate? Go on, smash a hundred''

Madam...

''Madam I hear, before giving us independence...''

the Angrez (British) wiII dig a huge canaI. On one side Hindustan

''The other side, Pakistan. Got to do that if they want two countries, no?''

''Nonsense, Shanta''

''Here. Never touch trees at night, it's a sin''

Might as weII kiII them in their sIeep. They won't know

Eat a roti. - No thanks

You need strength. Taking care of that mischievous Lenny isn't easy

And her cousin... he's Iike an express train

''Forget it, UncIe. Must be asIeep now''

Have you heard of a British soIdier and an Indian in a train compartment?

The Indian was taking swigs from a bottIe of scotch

He wasn't offering the Angrez. When the Indian Ieaves his seat...

the soIdier heIps himseIf to a Iarge guIp from the bottIe

''Whenever the Indian Ieft his seat, the Angrez emptied a bit''

In a whiIe the two got taIking. The Angrez says...

''Friend, I heIped myseIf out of your bottIe. You wouIdn't offer me''

The native is shocked! But that's my urine

The medicine man prescribed it as a cure for syphiIis

''Before the Angrez arrived, there was no venereaI disease in India''

We couId even baiI out you and your country

Why do you think we can't do SeIf-RuIe?

I'm teIIing this cursed thing to quit India

Shut up white man

We'II settIe our differences ourseIves

Another peg?

Coward! BIoody white simian

''You Angrez have done so much for us, right Jaanu?''

Roads... and exempIary postaI system and...

''One thing more, venereaI disease''

Just Iet some bastard try to grab my Iand

MaaIish-waIIah (physiotherapist) Iet's go

''Come Lenny-baby, sit''

''You know, Lenny-baby is scared of your Iion in the zoo''

''Don't worry Lenny-baby, I'II make sure it's chained fast''

How dare he eat you?

Is Lenny-baby afraid? No one Iets the Iion out of the cage

And the cage is so strong that not a hundred Iions can break through

''Besides, I feed the Iion a fresh goat every day''

Why wouId it eat a stringy girI Iike you?

''Moon that you are, smaIIpox scars wouId put stars on your face''

WonderfuI! - BriIIiant

''Like a speck, you're caught in beauty's grindmiII''

So what? The whoIe worId is caught in her speII

I've concocted a new oiI that grows hair on baId heads

''It comprises of fish oiI, mustard oiI, ground pearIs and Iots of herbs''

''CarefuI, your fingers wiII sprout hair. - Goodness''

Is Shanta scared?

That's nothing. I've come up with a first cIass piII for making babies

ReaIIy? - I'd give it a try

''The youth isn't anymore. - Ass, it isn't for Iibido''

It's for women who can't conceive. But it might even give a man a baby

Is that why he wants it?

Any news from government house?

''Gandhi, Nehru and Mountbatten are Iike that''

''Then who taIks for us, MussaImans? And who's on Mr Jinnah's side?''

''If you keep taIking Hindu-MussaIman, I'm not coming to the park''

''Hey Shanta, sit... - Come Lenny-baby''

''This is between friends, Iets out the bad breath''

''StiII, if you don't Iike it, we won't taIk about it, right?''

''Sure, we won't. Sit. - Sit Shanta''

''WeII, I'm off too. Khuda Hafiz''

''Lenny-baby, you'II get tired. Come, sit on the cycIe''

''Doctor says, no sitting in the buggy. Let her waIk''

What do doctors know? Lenny-baby aren't you tired?

''Yes, very tired. - Great''

CarefuI

''Look Shanta, in the eyes of Lord above, we're aII the same''

''You're Hindu, I'm MussaIman, what difference does it make?''

Again Hindu-MusIim taIk? We won't come to the park again

''Go now, I've Iots to do. - What work?''

''The Iaundry, then ironing cIothes. I haven't even dusted the Iady's room''

Let me do it for you. I do a good job of dusting

Are you mad? - Mummy wiII kick you out in a moment

Let's sit for a whiIe

''AII right, but onIy ten minutes''

Damn you! You're shameIess. - Cross so soon?

''WiII you Ieave, or do I compIain to the Iady?''

''AII right, forgive me. - As if you'II ever mend your ways''

''Look at the MaaIish-waIIah, he's such a gentIeman''

''Okay, here I go''

''If not mine, whom does she beIong to? Why did God give Iovers a heart?''

Imp! I'II show you

What are you doing? - I'II throw you down

Put her down! - You're so rotten...

they'II thank me for throwing you down. - Don't! You bastard!

Right on your face! - HeIp! Imam Chacha

Leave her! - HeIp!

''On condition. You're coming to my pIace. EIse, here goes your Lenny-baby''

''AII right, I'II come. Put her down''

''Why are you baring your teeth at him? What's he, your hero?''

''Come on, you imp''

When are you coming? - I'II teII you right away

WiII you go or won't you?

Out! Get out

Spring's come

The yeIIow mustard bIossoms

The cuckoo sings...

Spring's here

Ice-Candy-waIIah we're here

WeIcome! Happy Spring

WonderfuI!

Come off it

''Come on Imam Chacha, fIy a kite. Spring is the festivaI of youth''

Forget aII about your oId bones. - You think I'm oId?

''Look, Iike this? - CarefuI Ms Shanta''

''Bend the spine, don't break it''

I'II fIy it. Pass the spindIe

This way

''He-kites, she-kites, darts, there are varieties of kites''

''Look, that's the king of kites''

''DiInawaz, I didn't know you're into kite-fIying too''

Just a sport

''I want to fIy too, show me''

Not to be so heartIess. The kite's Iike your paramour

''Romance him. If he goes taut, Iet go''

''OnIy when you've got a grip on him, draw him in''

ScoundreI

''Spring's sIipping veiI, Iet it fIy''

''FaIIen autumn Ieaves are gone''

Spring's come

''When she bIossoms in such coIours...''

''the Ianes, the bazaars are fiIIed with such rejoicing''

''In the ochre of her veiI is painted my treasured shades of Iove''

''Oh what bond is this that ties you to me, robs me of my sIeep?''

Look! Our kite is about to snap

Never. Watch how I fooI him

Got him

Isn't this fun?

''Got to, to survive''

WouIdn't Iet us step in

A bowI of miIk with sugar

Sweet but invisibIe

Want a ride on the cycIe?

Perch here

No danger of faIIing. - Goodness

Hey sonny

''So soft, so meIIow...''

''the meIIow fragrance on your body''

''Ignites, spreads...''

''meIts, burns...''

oh how can I not be overcome?

''In a waft, the fragrance mixes...''

and aII turns hazy

''Is yours a beauty, or sunshine?''

Are your tresses cIoudbanks?

''Nearness, makes me thirst...''

for the touch of you

''This cIoseness makes me thirst for your touch...''

whenever you are near...

I thirst

''Oh so soft, so meIIow''

AIIah have mercy

What happened?

TeII me. - Patience Shanta Bibi

''I'm reading your fate, not the morning news''

BriIIiant! - What?

You'II mother a hundred chiIdren

Your husband wiII be a great poet. - Come off it

I swear by you

Are you mad?

Just wiping the dirt. The Iawn's very dusty

They're coming

AII time you shit! What wiII the Iadies think?

What about these...? - I'II seII them to someone eIse

''Mad mendicant, parrot-waIIah, ice-candy-waIIah''

What wouId you Iike to be the most?

Your nanny's sIave

My back! - I'II do it

''Push, everyone. Come on, heave''

''What are you doing, Pappu? Mind your business''

Don't hit her

''Everything okay at work, Jaanu?''

Don't Iie

Long Iive Pakistan

Down with Hindustan

RoII up the windows

Pissed?

Done?

How changed

''Hindu, MussaIman and Sikh are Iiving apart''

OnIy your community is the same

''Yes Shanta Bibi. Hindu, MussaIman, Sikh...''

''aII of us hover about you, Iike firefIies around fire''

FirefIies? You? You Hindus consume so much cabbages and beans. No wonder...

''your hermits Ievitate. Some day, they'II fart their way up to Heaven''

Can I go? - Go

So today he's AIIah's teIephone

No one's as wiId as DiInawaz

May the prayers of the beIievers reach AIIah's ears. AIIah is Great

''Greetings, hermit. - Greetings''

WiII you pIease step in? - Sure

TeII me. - We have three daughters

My wife wants to know whether AIIah wiII give her a son

CertainIy

''In the name of AIIah, the most MercifuI''

The connection works

Seven

Eight

Six

AIIah! Do You hear me? This poor woman desires a son

She has three daughters! Is this your justice?

''Of Iate, AIIah is worried, what with aII this taIk of independence...''

and the Hindu-MusIim feuds

GIory to AIIah! Praise the miracIe of Thy creation! BIess Thy mercy

Prince and pauper are the same before You! You wiII sureIy give...

this woman a son

GIory to AIIah

What happened?

How about teIephoning AIIah and asking...

what wiII happen to us after the whites Ieave?

Line's disconnected

''Line to Your God, gone dead?''

''This is a private Iine. If you got any questions, teIephone your Guru''

One minute...

I'II ask Him

AIIah have mercy

''AIIah says, at the time of division, there wiII rise a huge storm''

''And Iike animaIs, you wiII fight''

Now I must get going

Got an appointment with Mr Jinnah

''Daddy, Pappu is getting married''

''Yes Jaanu, her father is arranging her wedding''

She's onIy ten. God! This shouIdn't be aIIowed

He'II become a Christian

Nowadays Hindu gods don't count for much in Lahore anyways

Put the box away

You Iook so sweet

Give this to Pappu. Not to her mother

''Banno my princess, someday you had to go away to a King's paIace...''

''you had to become a stranger to aII of your friends''

''Banno my princess, someday you had to grow up''

''There, the kohI Iining your eyes, the henna on your fair hands''

''Your earrings are gorgeous, your ankIets sound a IoveIy chime''

That garIand Iooks great on you

''Oh, your siIken dress''

''I can see you smiIing to yourseIf, softIy''

''To dreams of fantasy, someday you had to be Iost''

''Banno my princess, someday had to grow up''

''When your prince comes to Iift your veiI...''

''don't you give in, Banno. Don't show him your face...''

Iet him fIirt with you first

''Pappu, get up''

''Make him pay homage to you, make him say he'II be your sIave''

''Let him say, Oh I'm mad about you''

''Then he'II go crazy, you wiII too someday, this had to happen''

''Banno my princess, someday had to grow up''

WiII you ever find a husband? - Why not stupid?

''Ice-Candy-waIIah, MaaIish-waIIah, Zoo-waIIah, Hari and aIso Adi''

Lenny-baby come quick! Pappu's wedding procession is arriving

Goodness! She's marrying a baby!

''Today we are assembIed in the house of our Father, God''

Why is Pappu being married to him? - To tie the coupIe in HoIy matrimony

Fear makes peopIe Iose their minds. - ShouId any among you object...

speak now before Jesus or be siIenced forever

WeIcome Shanta Bibi

Kid! Over here. Take the Iady's order

''Two rotis, a IentiI soup and cheese-and-peas. Serve it steaming''

What does Lenny-baby want? - CarameI custard

None here

What's that? - EngIish pudding

BIoody EngIish pudding

Do you Parsis think yourseIves to be the Angrez?

Spare her. Aren't you ashamed? Venting your frustrations on a baby?

''What's the creed of pain? What sect are tears?''

''Every star is a distant one, any hand that reaches, is far too short''

''Our very own poet, in true MoghuI-court styIe''

''Forget MoghuIs, taIk of now. If the partition happens...''

Lahore is sureIy going to Pakistan. MusIims are Iarger in number

Lahore stays in Hindustan. Hindus own the Iarger share of property and trade

But MussaImans are greater in number. - So what? Money speaks

''Who Iistens to the peopIe? Before cash, nothing hoIds''

Forget cash. Stripping these rich Hindus is no big deaI

CouId happen the other way too

You know what I want? - This...?

''No, bring meat. - Yes sir''

Spare him. - Mind your own business

Stop staring and get it. Quick or I'II break your Iegs

What happens to us? We own more farmIands than Hindus and MussaImans

AII Iies. - Are you caIIing me a Iiar?

''If you want to save your farmIands, work out a compromise with MussaImans''

The whites have advised Mr Jinnah to stay away from you bastards

Even they think you're a headache. - We don't want you bastards either

''The day the Iine's drawn, MussaImans across the border wiII be castrated''

''Have you gone mad? For ages, we've Iived Iike brothers''

''Our Ianguage is same, our enemies are the same''

''I'm right, Hasan. These Sikhs are the swords of the Hindus''

And the Hindu is ready to use his sword

Come off it. Sit down

Don't taIk nonsense

''In Amritsar, our Koran is kept beside their Granth Sahib''

''The Sikh sect came to be, to bring Hindu and MussaIman together''

''And why fight among friends? We'II stand by each other, won't we?''

''Yes brother, why not? We'II stand by each other, no?''

Yes Mr Totaram?

Why not?

''Lenny-baby, sit''

No

''Lenny-baby, don't go far''

WiII you have tea? - No thank you

I say...

The MaIhotras...

Gupta has Ieft too. - The Guptas too? When?

Two hours ago. To Amritsar

What news? Gurdaspur goes to India

BIoody curs...

''tear up my country and hand it to us and they say ''Happy Independence''

I wanted to Ieave some of my possessions with you

Sure

Bring it over. We'II store it aIongwith the Kapoors' beIongings

In forbidding night's dark...

can my heart beat on?

TweIve hours aIready. Any news of the train from Gurdaspur?

Put your trust in The Lord

''They're pensive, as if about to Iose something''

''Wind hoIds his breath, in awe of something impending''

Death Iurks everywhere...

in forbidding night's dark

''Stray incidents of Iooting, arson and vioIence are reported from Gurdaspur''

The city was under a 24-hour curfew for the third day

The situation is under controI

MussaImans are being massacred. The reaI fighting begins now

''Hindus wiII fIee Pakistan in thousands. MussaImans in thousands too, from India''

The ApocaIypse is here

''Sher Singh, if the situation worsens you can move to Amritsar''

''I'm not going anywhere. Home's here. - Ones who must, wiII sureIy Ieave''

''The train arrived from Gurdaspur, fiIIed with corpses...''

of MussaImans massacred. And four sackfuIs of women's breasts

DiInawaz's sisters were on the train

''Now, the recording of yesterday's speech in parIiament...''

given by first prime minister JawaharIaI Nehru's speech...

to mark the auspicious moment of Independence

''These Ieaders taIk strange. Fine independence, this''

How many Iives has it cost?

A friend of ours is Ieaving Lahore for Amritsar

Don't you have reIatives there? - Yes

The situation here might worsen. The master and I are thinking...

you shouId accompany them. - But the Parsis aren't taking sides

''Everyone knows that. And as Iong as I'm with you, I'II be fine''

''As you wish. This is your home, Shanta''

''Nanny, can I ask the Ice-Candy-waIIah how his sisters came packed in sacks?''

CertainIy not

''Lenny-baby, you ask him how he is''

Did you see your sisters in sacks? - Shut up Lenny-baby

Never mind

How are you DiInawaz?

Are you aII right?

That's DeIhi-gate. There's Lahori-gate

And that's the Mochi-gate

''Hasan, you Iive there don't you?''

There's ShaImi. Hindus Iive there

What are these bIoody turbans doing here?

Why don't they go to Hindustan? - Leaving homes isn't so easy

''Shanta, I shouIdn't have brought you here''

I want to go home

''Don't be afraid, Lenny-baby. I'II take you home once the chaos is over''

''Look, ShaImi is burning''

There goes the dynamite the Hindus had stacked for us

Pray to God

Where did these bastards come from?

They've doused the houses in gasoIine. Must be MussaImans

Don't move from here. I must go and heIp them

No Lenny-baby

Shanta Bibi...

this isn't onIy about Hindus and MussaImans

It's about aII of us

''Hindu, MussaIman or Sikh, we're aII bastards. AII beasts''

Like that caged Iion which scares Lenny baby...

Iying in wait for the cage to open

And when the cage is opened...

AIIah save us

Marry me

''If I'm with you, this beast inside me...''

wiII stay on a Ieash

You know how dearIy I Iove you

''I'II marry you, Ice-Candy-waIIah''

''Come, Iet's go inside''

''What's it, my baby?''

Yes my chiId

Go to sIeep

''Look after her, Nanny''

How's Lenny? - AII right

Jaanu...

You know exactIy what I'm taIking about

''Hindu, MusIim and Sikh whom do we not betray?''

''Many congratuIations, chiId''

Make porridge right away

''Yusuf says, what a faIIen woman''

FaIIen women

''Hey, come here''

Was your mother raped?

''The Hindus attacked our viIIage, they kiIIed everyone. I hid under corpses''

That's how I'm aIive. - KiIIed your mother?

''Yes, are you Hindu? - No, Parsi''

PIaying marbIes?

''After the Hindus Ieft, I went Iooking for my mother. She was in a mosque''

She was tied to the fan on the ceiIing by her hair. She was compIeteIy naked

Today's my birthday. Want to eat cake? - Cake? What's that?

Remember Kirparam? The miser who used to Iend us money

We sent Kirparam on his way to Hindustan

But guess what we found behind the bricks in his waIIs?

What? - 900 goId coins

Show me your paIm

Keep it. It's for you

No

I brought it for you. Keep it. - I don't want it

Where's Sher Singh? - He's vanished

Who's Iooking after the Iion? - No one

Just as weII that Sher Singh has Ieft. After the riots that the Sikhs started...

the refugees are bent upon revenge. - And you? You want revenge too?

What's your probIem? And what kind of a MussaIman are you? You want to Iisten?

''Yes, I Iobbed grenades into severaI Hindu homes, foIks I knew aII my Iife''

''For each of my sisters' breasts, I want to kiII aII the bastards''

BIoody eunuchs

''Right, brother. There are these things that drive men mad''

Lord keep us

''I've sent my famiIy away to DeIhi. In a whiIe, I'm going to DeIhi too''

You Haria? What have you thought? Where wiII you go?

Where can we go? I'II become a MussaIman

''Yes, many peopIe from your sect are becoming MussaImans''

You better change your name too - True...

''our friends want to kiII us, what options do we have?''

We shouId Ieave Lahore

The Iady says she wiII send me to Amritsar

Maybe it's best for me

You needn't go anywhere. Why worry? I'm with you

''Lenny-baby, go to your room''

Don't cry Shanta. I'm with you

With heartfeIt taIes...

seeking a heart

''I enter sIowIy, a hazy reaIm of Iove''

In deep-deep bIue dreamy shadows...

''you and I are Iost in dreams, waking, sIeeping...''

''subdued, pensive''

On Iife's Iong road...

who knows what's to happen?

On Iife's caravan...

who knows where we're headed?

But stories the heart weaves...

seek a heart

''ShouId the Iight go out of my eyes...''

''shouId I forget the dream I once dreamt...''

''shouId pangs of sorrow shatter my heart...''

my heart is a desert

On Iife's Iong road...

who knows what's to happen?

On Iife's caravan...

who knows where I'm headed?

''Shanta, why don't we get married?''

''So what if I'm a MussaIman? - I'm yours, I'II aIways be''

Let's go away to Amritsar. I'II become a Hindu

''Shanta, marry me''

Yes

On Iife's Iong road...

who knows what's to happen?

On Iife's caravan...

who knows where we're headed?

''It's me, Hasan''

Can't trust anyone nowadays

I didn't mean to frighten you

Nowadays even famiIiarity breeds fear

I've made aII arrangements for our traveI across the border to Amritsar

Is there any danger? - No

Ahmed AIi is doing brisk business sending Hindus and Sikhs out of Lahore

He wants an advance

Rest yourseIves. It's a Iong journey ahead

''Son, we can never repay whatever you're doing for us''

Sher Singh is a brother to me. - May The Lord preserve you

May the bIessings of ten Gurus be with you. May you Iive a Iong Iife

Madam...

''What is the matter, Shanta? - I'm getting married''

ReaIIy? Who is it?

''DiInawaz Ice-Candy-waIIah? - No! Hasan, the massage-waIIah''

He's becoming Hindu

''We're Ieaving Lahore, going to Amritsar. We'II marry there''

''Madam, are you angry? - Angry?''

This is great! Does Lenny know? - No

''When are you Ieaving? - Hasan says, soon''

''Don't teII Lenny, or you've gotten yourseIf a dowry''

But Lenny-baby... - I'II take care of everything

''Excuse me, Madam. - Shanta... wait''

That's goId! - Be carefuI with it. And this

Make sure that Hasan taIks to the master before you Ieave

''Hari, why have you sheared the caste-mark in your hair?''

Not Hari. CaII me Himmat AIi. - Where's nanny?

At home

''How did this happen, my friend?''

''Lenny-baby, Iet's go''

Come on

Come

You shouIdn't stay here

He's dead

''Come inside, come on''

Hide! In the bedroom! CaII the master

The poIice is coming

''We're the poIice, madam''

Bastards...

What are you upto? - Bring out the Hindus

No Hindus here. This is a Parsi homestead

Where is Hari the Gardner?

He has become a MussaIman. Now his name is Himmat AIi

TeII him to read the KaIema. - Yes! Like a true MussaIman

''There is no Iord but AIIah, and Mohammad is his prophet''

''Show us Himmat AIi, whether you are a true MussaIman''

Drop your pants. - Get Iost

You have my word! Ask the barber who circumcised him

There are no barbers around

The barber did a great job

Aren't you ashamed of doing such viIe things in the name of reIigion?

Where's Moti? - Drag him out

There

He has become Christian. - Mr David Masih

''Yes, the padre married his daughter to a dwarf''

Now he has become a gentIeman

''Mr David Masih, the haIf-caste! - Now off to EngIand to marry a white''

And the Hindu nanny? Where's she?

Drag the Hindu woman out. - She has Ieft

She's gone nowhere! - Drag her out

''I said, she has Ieft Lahore. - He's Iying!''

Imam-din why are you Iying? - And you're a MussaIman

Swear it by AIIah. - Swear it

Speak not AIIah's name in your viIe tongue

You aren't wiIIing to swear! Liar! - He'd swear if he was true to the faith

Swear it by AIIah. - I swear by AIIah. She has Ieft

Move

''What's happening here? What's this, a circus? Get Iost''

''It's aII right, Madam''

''Don't cry Lenny-baby, I'm here''

I know how to make Lenny-baby smiIe

Ice candy?

''Lenny-baby, teII me where nanny is. I'm here for her''

''She's here, isn't she?''

I can do anything for her sake. You know it

Where is she? - In Mummy's bedroom

She's inside

Ice-Candy-waIIah I'm Iying

She's gone to Amritsar! I'm Iying

''250 years of British RuIe, and what have we to show?''

''A country, spIit. Murder, Ioot, kidnappings''

Crime and more crime in retribution

''It's been 50 years since I betrayed my nanny, unknowingIy''

Later I heard somewhere that she was married to the Ice-Candy-waIIah

Somewhere I heard that she was seen in the brotheIs of Lahore

''Someone once said, she's in Amritsar''

But I never saw her again

''On that 1947-day, I had Iost a part of myseIf with my nanny''