Choona (2023) s01e02 Episode Script

1
Yes, but the government
hasn't been formed yet,
so you should play hard.
Look, politics is just like cricket.
The tables can turn at any moment.
Will you people shut up?
I'm trying to have a conversation!
-Shukla sells his ministers.
-I am fixing your rates!
So, his party is always a part
of the ruling government.
Look, if you want our party's support…
you will have to increase the price.
Sir, where am I supposed
to get four MLAs from?
It's a big number.
Shukla is the Wolf
of the ministers' share market.
They will do as I say.
But you need to increase the price.
Asthana, I never want
to speak to him again.
Sir, he's offering 40 crores.
Sir, sir, sir…
I don't know how
the call got disconnected that day.
Sir, I want to arrange
a meeting between your party…
and Sushil Shenoy.
He has a dynamic personality.
During the next elections, he'll be
of great help to you for your party funds.
Yes, some of his shady projects
will have to be approved,
but once he gets what he wants,
he won't go back on his word.
This is how Shukla became
the power broker of Shenoy Builders.
Yes, of course.
The money will reach on the due date.
Shukla's phone rings all day.
Even now, some minister must be
in trouble, so he's calling Shukla.
Yes?
Mr. Shukla, Mr. Dwivedi's file
should not go ahead.
You'd said you'll prevent it
from going forward?
The case has been handed over to the CBI.
I'll have it buried
under other case files.
Don't worry. The inquiry will be stopped
before it even begins.
Yes, sir?
I want Mr. Dwivedi's inquiry file
on my desk tomorrow.
Sir, the original file must be
with the CBI.
We may have the duplicate one
in our records.
Rastogi, do you think I'd call you
at this hour for a duplicate file?
-Then, sir…
-Then what?
Put on your uniform and return my favor.
I have given them my word.
If I don't get the file tomorrow,
your uniform will lose a star or two.
Rastogi once again had to risk his job.
Then again, he'd gotten the job
because of Shukla.
Bishnu.
Asthana, call Mr. Verma.
This is a graveyard
for many a person's dignity,
and a treasure trove
of blackmail material.
This is Shukla's safe.
There's no place more unsafe than this.
If a file with your name on it
ends up here, it's safe to assume that,
apologies for my language,
you have stapled your balls on to it.
Mr. Verma…
Your file has been buried. Thank me later.
No, no. I can't get anyone from Bollywood
to dance at my house party.
I don't have that kind of status yet.
Yes, I can arrange
for a foreigner to be there.
What era are you living in?
Tell me who your son wants,
not who you want.
I see. Who?
She's a foreigner?
I'll find out.
Asthana knows everything.
All right. Bye. Okay.
Asthana, who is Rihanna?
There are two levels
to parties at Shukla's house.
-Drinks and food at the poolside…
-Any update?
All four MLAs are here.
I haven't seen them anywhere.
Inside, another party is going on.
-Should I go inside?
-Yes, sure. Go.
…and Rihanna in the basement.
Everyone knows that Shukla uses
his party's MLAs as numbers, not members.
That's why even the CM does not interfere
in his illegal activities.
Shukla did not make people meet.
He only pointed out the benefits
of working together to them.
Normally, these people were always ready
to strike at each other,
but by bringing these snakes together
in his paradise,
Shukla would get all
his urban development projects approved.
This is where JP's story begins.
Let's start from the beginning.
There were parties every day,
where people ate recklessly
and drank like there was no tomorrow.
I only attended these parties
to gift bouquets.
In this business full of contracts
and recommendations,
one can only find cheap and opportunistic
people like the Dembla brothers.
They looked like sofa sets
in their imported clothes.
-Thank you.
-Hey, JP!
-Hey, get a drink for J.P.
-No, thank you.
And they celebrated every new contract
with booze and bribe-filled parties.
No, sir. I don't drink, as you know.
Aided by his parents' blessings
and God's mercy,
JP was advancing in his career.
Hello? No, no, we'll do the plastering,
whitewashing, everything.
I'm coming to the site tomorrow.
We'll talk then.
No matter how successful he became,
he'd always pay attention to every detail.
The fountains should all be functional.
We're trying to create a structure,
like a geodesic dome.
It's a very stable structure.
One day, he got a letter
from the Ministry.
It was a renovation contract
for Shyama Prasad Community Center.
The Dembla brothers
used their Ministry contacts
to get the contract,
but I was the one who had to execute it.
I secured a loan ten times more
than I could afford
and bought large machines with that money.
The banks had approved this loan
on the basis of Shukla's name
on the contract.
But even they were in disbelief
over the loan amount,
and kept calling me all the time.
Yes, we'll make the payment, Mr. Luthra.
We'll pay as soon as we get the advance.
We won't default on the loan.
Sir, we're ready, no matter if the guest
is a minister or the Chief Minister.
We have arranged for the decorators
and invited the photographers
and journalists as well.
Even the invitation cards
have been designed. Everything is ready.
Don't worry
about the planetary period affecting me.
My planets are in my control.
Before stepping foot on any property,
Mr. Shukla checked both
the planetary period and the direction.
He was an expert in architectural science,
horoscopes, gemstones, and time.
Sir, this way.
Sir, one picture.
Yeah, thank you, sir.
Then Mr. Shukla took a compass
out of his pocket
and changed the direction
my life was going in.
As per architectural science,
this statue should be facing northeast.
Where is your contractor?
I'm here. Namaste, sir.
-Are you the contractor?
-Yes, sir.
-Was the plan approved by Mr. Dembla?
-No, sir.
I am coordinating
with the Ministry directly.
Who approved your plan?
Everything's approved,
right up to the top floor.
You're quite confident.
Stay on the ground.
Don't go to the top floor yet.
-Show me the plan for the ground floor.
-Okay.
-JP, where is the plan?
-I'll show it to him right away, sir.
Is that how you show someone a plan?
Sir, I do have the plan, but I had
the site cleaned for the inauguration,
so I don't have the hard copy right now.
JP, go and get it. Go.
-I'll just get it.
-No, forget it.
Look at this statue.
Look at where the mouth is,
and the nose, and hands.
But it doesn't have hands, sir.
It's only up to here.
The statue is facing west.
It should be facing northeast.
Change its angle.
Sir, if we try to change it,
the statue may shatter.
It's made by a renowned artist,
Mr. Shambhunath.
It took him ten months to make it.
If not handled carefully,
the marble could develop hairline cracks.
And a broken statue would be
even more of a bad omen, sir.
I've been studying architectural science
and astrology for the past 30 years.
And now you're trying to teach me
what's a good omen and what's a bad omen?
There's no omen worse
than wrong architecture!
-Sir, no…
-JP, keep quiet.
-No, that's not what I'm saying.
-JP, please keep quiet.
Sir, I was just saying
that I wasn't saying anything!
Okay, Mr. Dembla, I shall take your leave.
You have paid me a lot of respect.
-Sir--
-Sir, we've arranged a cocktail party…
I have more events to attend, Mr. Dembla.
-Have the plan resubmitted.
-Yes.
Shukla went away,
and with him, went the project.
JP, you've never behaved rudely
like this before.
What came over you in front of Mr. Shukla?
But I wasn't being rude, sir.
That's what I've been trying to tell you.
Now let me tell you what will happen.
He'll freeze all government funding.
Shukla is a very vindictive man.
Pause all the construction now
until I earn Shukla's favor again.
But, sir,
if I don't receive the next payment,
I will default on my loan.
Payment?
Shukla will get
this community center itself cancelled.
Let's go.
Sir, when is the party starting?
Which liquor will get me the most drunk?
Sir, if you drink a lot,
any kind will prove to be strong.
Shukla Motherfucker!
Namaste, sister.
Then, he was back to where he had started.
Contractor J.P. Yadav.
You have a staircase
in the middle of the courtyard.
Was the ground floor built
after the first floor?
Anyway, look.
The basin is attached to the grill.
There's a net in front of the door.
You could've simply had a wall here.
What did you need a door for?
Mr. Kapil, your architect
should get an award.
Why don't you do the job
you've been called here to do?
-How much will the painting cost?/
-Fifty thousand rupees in total.
Listen, these small-time contractors
are swindlers.
You'd better get a big contractor.
Uh, Mr. Yadav, I'll give you a call later.
Hey, how the heck
am I supposed to eat this?
Get me a spoon!
We don't have one.
JP's company shut down,
and his life was ruined.
He's here today with Ansari Sheikh…
-He'll be here soon.
-…waiting for a cop called Baankeylal.
Rumor is he's got some special news.
Okay, so this information
is correct, right?
Look, if I get involved in this,
and then things go wrong,
I'll make sure you rot in jail!
Yeah.
Okay.
Where were you?
JP, this is Baankey, my childhood friend.
He's not my friend. We're neighbours,
so we end up saying hi and bye often.
Otherwise, what policeman
would be friends with a crook?
Police?
He's a disgrace to the police force.
He's freshly been demoted.
I got beaten up because of enmity.
Not like you.
-So did you!
-So what? I am not like you.
JP, he got beaten up at our bar.
The one where we first met at.
It's like a home to us.
Why don't you talk about yourself?
Shukla had you dragged out of bed, right?
Your AK-47 was confiscated.
Everyone saw it. Despite being a cop
himself, he got beaten up by a cop.
There are many versions of the story.
They threw a blanket on him, shoved him
into a sack and kidnapped him.
How shameful is that for a rogue?
-Don't listen to him.
-Don't listen to him.
-Shut up!
-You shut up!
You two really are friends, right?
These two grew up beating each other up,
but their partnership is unbeaten.
-You should've hit a six.
-I hit a four.
I wanted to be the opening batsman.
This bowler is weak.
And Mr. Ansari has hit a six. Now…
They were the opening batsmen in school,
college, and even at the district level.
-Did you see that?
-I'll be the opening batsman next time.
I'd have thrashed this bowler.
But I just hit a six.
No matter who won, Ansari always got
the Man of the Match award
because everyone was scared
of Ansari's late legendary uncle.
Who? Faulad Singh, right?
Oh, so he's already told you
about his badass uncle?
He was not his real uncle. His mother
used to consider him a brother, that's it.
Ansari was raised by him.
That's how he became a goon.
-But truly, what a goon Faulad Singh was!
-Hey! Mind your tongue, Baankey!
-Why?
-Uncle was not a goon.
Then what was he? A freedom fighter?
But our country
had already won independence.
He was a goon.
Faulad Singh was a fearless goon
in this area.
-Hey, let go of me!
-But he was a remarkable man.
Tall, well-built, stayed true to his word,
and came forward
whenever the occasion arose.
At the same time, another fearless leader
was emerging. Avinash Shukla.
-Whose job was…
-Mr. Sharma!
-…the usurping of power.
-Give me the chair.
He had a gun in one hand…
As per architectural science,
I'd suggest you donate this property.
…and the planets in the other.
If his gaze fell on a property…
he'd either take money…
-I'll make sure he pays.
-…or possession of the property.
But this time,
he messed with the wrong person.
This shop belonged
to one of Faulad Singh's relatives.
Faulad Singh went to deal with them alone.
This seven-and-a-half-foot tall wrestler
thrashed Shukla
and his cohorts using a sugarcane stalk.
This was the first time one saw
sugarcane turning someone into pulp.
What do you eat, brother?
JP, whenever I miss him…
my heart feels warm.
So, what are you doing with that memory?
Go avenge your uncle's murder.
-Murder?
-Yes, I'll take revenge.
-I'm just waiting for a chance.
-Right, a chance!
Your "chance" is the eighth day
of the week. It'll never come.
Faulad Singh had
an illicit liquor distillery.
It was the head office
of all his illegal activities.
Shukla had recently become friends
with the police and the government,
and he took advantage
of these friendships openly.
Faulad Singh would go
to the railway tracks to take a dump.
That day, he went but never returned.
And here, powerhouse-goon Faulad Singh's
sworn sister's dumbass son
-keeps bragging out of frustration.
-And what action did you take, huh?
JP, you should hear his story.
It's hilarious.
Hey, what will you achieve
by telling him about my humiliation?
I'll have fun, Baankey. Obviously.
Like how you were having fun
humiliating me.
Now, don't interrupt me!
One Saturday, he was on guard duty
at a Lord Saturn temple.
Come on, come on, follow the queue.
Mr. Shukla, an astrology expert,
was there to get rid himself
of the negative effect of Saturn.
Hey, don't cut in line!
Go! Queue up! Careful!
Because he was at the temple, he was
looking like a priest, not a politician.
Excuse me, sir. Please go back. Sir…
For the police, crowd control means
pushing the crowd.
Didn't you hear me? Join the queue.
So, our brave Baankey here
gave a historic push…
I said, go back!
…not just to Mr. Shukla,
but to his career too.
So, JP, he started staring at our hero.
What are you staring at?
-Go to the back of the queue.
-Who is this man?
Do you have any idea who he is?
Mr. Shukla could have shown him
his power right then…
Get lost!
…but he said, "God is watching."
BAANKEYLAL PANDEY
-"Let's not make a scene here."
-Ansari, stop it now.
Oh, come on. I haven't even
told him the best part yet.
-Hi, Uncle! No one's troubling you, right?
-No.
All's well?
What's up, buddy?
The bar seems full today.
-Would you like a drink?
-No. I only drink on special occasions.
This is a special occasion.
Bobby had a baby girl.
Oh, wow. Congratulations!
Sir.
-Let it be.
-Sorry, sir.
Sir, why did you call me here?
There are no suspects here.
I know everyone here.
Where were you yesterday?
-At the Saturn temple, sir.
-Did you push anyone there?
No, sir. I was just controlling the crowd.
You didn't slap a politician, did you?
No, sir. I didn't…
Have you heard of Mr. Shukla?
-No, sir.
-Mr. Calculator Shukla.
Ring any bells?
Yes, sir.
If you want to keep your job,
then take this.
Take what, sir?
Sir… Sir…
Sir… Sir… Sir…
Sir!
Sir!
This program was sponsored
by Avinash Shukla.
Sir!
Wait here!
I slapped him so many times,
my hand's swollen, let alone his cheek.
People should be
beaten up in their houses.
But we beat him up in this bar.
-Ask me why.
-Why?
Because drunkards make stories
out of events they witness.
Madan Singh!
-He got slapped so hard
-Yes, I got slapped! Bloody hell!
Yes, I was slapped in front of everyone!
But I'm the only one who's not only pushed
Shukla down the stairs,
but also slapped him!
Oh, really?
I already got my revenge
before I got beat up.
-Oh!
-What did you do?
You got beaten, and even said "death to"
to your beloved uncle.
I spit at your badassery!
-I've got some intel.
-Shove it up your ass!
-Mind your tongue, Ansari!
-Why should I?
Are police officers
the only ones allowed to be insolent?
Oh, man!
There's no point in fighting
amongst ourselves.
We appear to have a common enemy…
Mr. Shukla.
And the news I have
can turn Shukla's life upside down.
What news?
You haven't understood the matter.
We'll have to take action immediately.
I can't run the state from the Ministry
of Urban Development anymore.
I need to fondle the balls of ten
ministers to get the STF to do one job.
I'll be able to do as I please
once I become the Chief Minister.
Otherwise, I'll have to continue working
around the silly rules and laws.
We only have to buy five MLAs.
-You said three earlier.
-Yeah, I had said three…
but I want to feel secure
that this government won't be able
to rise to power again.
One more thing, Mr. Shenoy.
Now, the rate is 100, not 80.
If you delay it, it may increase.
It's a matter of 300 to 400 crores.
If it were a smaller amount,
I'd have arranged for it myself.
Look at Baankeylal's luck.
His "highly placed" source,
the whitewasher, Triloki,
was outside on the scaffolding,
listening to the conversation.
It is said that walls have ears.
Most of the time,
those ears belonged to Triloki.
And I'll rule for five years, right?
Triloki's real job is that
of an informant.
Think about it.
Oh, don't worry. Nobody will find out.
They call me Calculator.
I have planned the minutest detail.
All right, then.
Triloki is a master of disguise.
He was a liftman in
the Ashiyana Jewelry robbery case.
-Third floor, right?
-No, second floor. Are you new here?
I'll transfer the money as soon
as it is credited to Dad's account.
Hey, I drive a BMW!
Stay within your limits!
A mechanic in the Jindal Bank fraud.
A pastor
in the Pereira money laundering case.
-Claudio.
-Yes, Father?
No confessions in so long?
Tell me your secrets, my child.
Triloki has helped rob many houses,
but he's never saved a government
from getting overthrown.
-Triloki told me.
-What?
I'll let you know on which day and at what
auspicious time the money is to be sent.
Send the money to the party office,
not to my house.
My house is under Jupiter's negative
influence right now.
-Shukla is going to get 300 crore rupees.
-So?
If we fly away with that money,
Shukla will be in trouble.
-"Fly away"?
-Yes.
-Three hundred crores?
-Yes, of course.
Fly away? Like how birds fly?
Fly, parrot! Fly, 300 crores!
Want me to hit you?
It won't come true,
but it's a nice dream to have.
-What is he talking about?
-Each one of us gets 100 crores!
Wait a minute.
How do we get 100 crores each?
-Three hundred divided by three.
-And what about Triloki?
He's just a whitewasher. We'll pay him
something equivalent to his status.
If we're all taking equal risks,
we should all get an equal share.
The money will be divided into four parts.
Then it's better
if we don't get any money.
How is that better?
-It's better than getting less money.
-You have a very dark mindset, man.
It's possible you're only doing this
for money, but I'm doing this for revenge.
-When did I agree to doing this?
-We want to emotionally torment Shukla.
That's all.
-It was nice meeting you both. Goodbye.
-Where are you going?
JP, we can do it.
-Please, sit.
-Oh, really?
Have you ever seen the party office?
I have seen it.
I used to go there
to deliver gifts from Mr. Dembla.
They have ten armed police officers.
There are 100 goon-ish party workers,
three dogs, and by the way,
if you see Madan Singh,
you'll piss your pants.
Two floors are all full of this security.
There are CCTV cameras everywhere,
and on the top floor sits Shukla.
There's no way to go up from downstairs.
This is Triloki.
This is Ansari and JP.
Hello, Triloki.
Triloki, we need a man
on the inside to help us.
Someone capable, who won't be afraid
to go against Shukla for money.
Yes.
-I know just the person.
-Who is it?
But, but…
This office is akin
to belonging to your father?
Thank you. Thank you.
Bishnu…
you run the entire office.
Why do you take orders from him?
He should also, y'know,
show you some respect.
When you leave,
then everyone will…
Hey, don't leave now, Bishnu.
Mr. Shukla will become
the Chief Minister now.
He won't?
Why?
Pandit told you that Mr. Shukla…
Mr. Shukla?
Shukla?
Not "Mr. Shukla"?
Okay, so Shukla… in politics… last?
It is Shukla's last year in politics?
Then what is your plan?
After Shukla is gone…
you, next year…
grape.
Oh, egg! An egg! Egg.
Water.
An egg, water… Boiled egg!
An egg…
swimming?
Respect? Respect. Okay.
In Hindi? Maan.
Egg. Anda. And maan.
Anda-maan. Andaman? Andaman!
Next year you'll be in Andaman!
You'll lead a lavish life. Of course.
And what if Shukla doesn't go?
"Stay positive"?
Oh, I should be positive.
He can live all his life
dreaming this dream.
As if Shukla is going to go anywhere.
Pandit told him he will.
Don't you know? Pandit is gone.
But how should I ask him?
Mr. Shukla considers him as valuable
as his own balls.
-What?
-Yes, he's very special to him.
Okay, so what? It's not as if he is
Shukla's brother-in-law, right?
Keep it in the safe.
And it's our own people garlanding us.
I want a list of all the ministers
that will be attending
the next rally with me.
Understood?
Sir, I understand that Bishnu is mute,
but it's not safe to trust him so much.
The safe has so many valuables.
You know everything, Asthana…
except for one thing.
Bishnu will never betray me.
Because he's my brother-in-law.
Subtitle translation
by Sanika Munagekar