A Tiger for Malgudi (11 page)

‘But, sir, there must be some break-up or offset for his face. It’s too plain for the large area ...’

‘It’s sticky, sir, and scratching, sir,’mumbled Jaggu through the gum on his lips.

‘Where did you get the idea to give him whiskers? Take them off immediately,’Madan ordered while Jaggu looked on gratefully. ‘Also loosen his robe a bit - it should come down to his knees, even covering his knees. Otherwise, it will look as if he wore a loincloth, and will cut a sorry figure on the screen - enough material in that cloak, loosen all the pleats ...’It took them over two hours before achieving the results visualized by Madan. Pulling out the moustache was ticklish, literally, and Jaggu moaned and wriggled and was reprimanded by Madan’s assistant supervising the operations.

Finally at about nine o’clock the hero was ready: properly painted and costumed, his hair done up in proper style. Madan and his assistant stood around gazing and commenting.

Madan looked satisfied.‘An hour or more wasted because of the moustache. I don’t know where they got the idea from - our mythology, I suppose! Jaggu is not a demon ... We must establish him as a normal human being. Any character with whiskers repels - particularly women and children. Polanski has explained somewhere [’Who is Polanski?’the assistant wanted to ask, but checked himself] the audience’s sympathy must be established first - and he has statistics to show that between a character with hair on his lip and one clean-shaven, the latter gains more sympathy ...’His assistants stood around nodding appreciatively at his knowledge of the
shastras
of cinematography. Madan looked with admiration while Jaggu was brought out. He said, ‘Go up to that hut. Let us see how you do it. Walk naturally ... don’t swing your arms ... be natural. Camera rehearsal,’he shouted suddenly and a cameraman suddenly sprang into action.‘O.K., boss, a little more to the left, please ... more left ...’

They made Jaggu return to the starting point, marked it with white paint, and told him to walk up again to the steps of the first cottage. They measured the distance with a tape and marked a circle on the cottage step, and directed him to stand in that circle with his back to the camera. The director ordered,‘Don’t turn until you hear a cry, “Tiger, Tiger!” Till that cry is heard don’t move even an inch ...’He was made to walk back and forth repeatedly. He began to perspire and pant, and tried to wipe his forehead, at which a great cry went up,‘Oh, no, don’t wipe!’and a make-up man dashed up to him and dabbed his face with a towel, and touched it up. Then he was made to stand within the circle with his back to them.‘Don’t turn. Stare ahead until you hear the shout, “Tiger! Tiger!” Do you follow me?’

‘Yes, sir.’

The director allowed a pause and suddenly screamed,‘Tiger! Tiger!’

‘Where?’Jaggu asked involuntarily in a stentorian voice, looking around in panic: he made a move to spring forward.

The director cried,‘Idiot! I told you not to move out of this mark. Get back and stay there ...’This slight exercise disrupted all the original arrangement. Once again they brought all the measuring tape and stretched it between the starting point and the circle. The cameraman kept saying,‘More left, more left, your feet in the circle ... Now come forward just one foot ...’Someone came up and held a meter close to his cheek again and went back, and the make-up man was again patting his cheeks with a cotton swab. Jaggu felt tired and confused. Madan said to his assistant, ‘He must be told the sequence of this scene.’

He approached Jaggu as he stood with his back to them, and went round to face him.‘Now don’t move, only listen. They will now take a shot standing as you are now. Following it, you will hear the cry “Tiger! Tiger!” When that’s heard, you will only say, “Ah!” as loudly as you can, spin round like this, raise your arm and spring forward with a war-cry and run up to that starting point over there marked white, demolish the tiger and walk back casually ...’Madan demonstrated every detail of his advice, spinning round with upraised arm and falling forward. He showed the action repeatedly till Jaggu could understand, and then withdrew to his chair marked‘Director’, called for a glass of water, and sipping it said,‘Handling this idiot is proving more difficult than I had expected. However, I’m determined ... Tell them to be ready to shoot in five minutes. Is the clap ready, “Shot One Take One”? Check it. Sound and camera ... ready ... sequence number ...’

While this was going on a cry was heard from the other end of the field:‘Tiger has come!’On hearing it Jaggu without any warning spun round with a great cry and sprang forward with his arms upraised. A couple of members of the crew who were on duty jumped out of his way to avoid his stormy approach. Madan tore his hair in despair and demanded,‘Who cried that?’

‘The tiger carriage has come, sir, and they are now bringing the carriage down the field, sir,’explained one.

Madan looked at the cameraman and said,‘Bloody mess ... Begin all over again.’He said to his assistant,‘Take that fool back to his position. Keep him within the circle. Let him not budge even a hair’s breadth ... Otherwise tell him he will be sacked. Touch him up all over again ...’At this moment, Captain arrived in his small car. Madan rose to receive him.

 
From my cage I could watch the scene and also hear a great deal of their conversation after their mutual greetings. I felt happy to be able to stay in this wood. It reminded me of my jungle days and revived a craving for freedom. I couldn’t complain of anything now; I was protected and fed and looked after by Captain. But that seemed hardly to suffice. I’d enjoy being able to move about and exercise my limbs as I pleased. Though well kept, I was still a prisoner. If only they could trust me and open the door, I’d go out, run, and return to my cage. But my species has an unfortunate reputation, and one’s natural actions are misconstrued. People talk ill of us all the time. It’s our misfortune that neither the denizens of the jungle nor those of the towns would trust us or behave boldly — the exception being Captain, but he had his own limitations of understanding: he had a wrong philosophy of depending upon the whip and his terrible voice, not realizing that I could be made to go through all those meaningless motions even without all that violence, by just being told what to do. But how to make him or anyone understand that his style drives one into a panic, and that left alone a tiger could be as innocent and harmless as a cow or a chimp?

I heard Madan say to Captain,‘This is what I want. It is up to you to arrange it. Raja must make one spring at Jaggu, who will ward it off with the back of his hand, and pound his face with such a cry that Raja will turn back with his tail between his legs.’

‘Tucking the tail between legs should be more a dog’s habit ... I’ve never seen any Felis species doing that.’

‘But I want it so, it’s in the script.’

‘Change the script,’said Captain crisply.‘However, what’s so important about the tail business?’

‘It enhances the prestige of the hero, if he can make a tiger lower his tail in deference and crawl ...’

‘Who wrote the script?’

‘Well, I did, who else could conceive it? I never allow anyone else to handle the basic script.’

‘Why don’t you talk to the tiger about it? He is over there. Take your script and read it to him and if he agrees I’ll have absolutely no objection.’

Madan looked desperate and upset.‘Captain, you are kidding. This is not how I expect you to cooperate, I didn’t grudge the full cash payment in advance you wanted for four weeks of shooting ...’

‘Tut, tut, don’t talk like a moneylender. I’ve brought the tiger as agreed in our contract. I’ll open the cage and bring him out to wrestle with your hero ... I’ll release him any moment you say you are ready.’

Their talk was interrupted by a plaintive appeal from the giant. ‘I can’t keep standing any longer. I want to rest. At least let me sit down on the floor.’

‘Hey, stop that. I won’t have you moan like this every minute, you are not a baby, not by any means, sir; I’ll sack and sue you for damages if you do not cooperate. It’s against the contract ...’

‘I’m tired,’wailed the giant.

The cameraman came to his rescue.‘No harm, sir, if he sits down, we have marked the place; it’ll only take a few minutes to adjust again. Anyway we have been behind the camera since the morning, not a single shot. Light is changing — new measurements will be needed.’

One from a high platform said,‘What are we all supposed to be doing here?’

‘Is this a protest meeting? Revolt, Rebellion, Rioting or what?’ asked Madan haughtily.‘If it is, tell me, and I know how to deal with mutineers. Don’t you see we are in a discussion, and I can’t proceed without a proper discussion. I won’t be coerced under any circumstance; remember that discussion is the most important part of film-making. I don’t have to explain to you all that ...’

‘It is not in the contract, and so naturally you don’t have to explain to us why our time is being wasted!’ remarked the cameraman cynically.

Madan ignored him for a moment, but said as if on an inspiration, ‘I’m buying your time. If there is talk of waste, it’s only my money.’

Captain felt that it was time to end this squabble. He appealed to the cameraman.‘You are an experienced man and you know how difficult is the film medium; it’s where Art and Commerce are combined, as our friend here always says, and it suffers from the disadvantages of both. Once you are caught in it, you are finished. You can go neither back nor forward. That is the situation in which our friend finds himself now. So be patient. We will decide very soon how best to proceed, having come thus far ...’

‘But sir, we like to get on with the work ...’

‘That’s of course a good idea. But you know, as an ace cameraman, how difficult it is to get artistes to do right! Here we have no normal actors, but a tiger and one who understands less than a tiger ... Difficult work, but Madan has invested money and time. You must do your best for him and leave it to him to work it out.’

‘But, sir, we have positioning and rehearsing again and again. Is there no limit? No wonder the artiste is half-dead. Actually we started at ...’

A man from the top platform added,‘Before seven — and nothing done for four hours, while I’m perched here ...’

‘What can I do? Some fool gave the “Tiger” cue at a wrong moment.’

‘You had asked me to keep a look-out for the arrival of the animal, sir, and I did it, that’s all. I don’t like to be called a fool.’

‘Silence, no back-talk,’ordered Madan.‘I don’t appreciate it.’

Captain continued his good offices, and announced,‘Coffee break.’

Immediately the atmosphere cleared and relaxed. The crew left their posts happily and swarmed around the canteen, Jaggu foremost among them. Madan watched them all helplessly, and protested, ‘Too early for a break. They have not done an iota of work ...’

‘Not their fault really, but let us not go into all that now. One has to be flexible when dealing with workers. I know, because I have to contend with three hundred workers and animals of various sorts ...’

While the crew were away refreshing themselves, Madan and Captain engaged in a discussion.‘Madan, I wish to help you, understand that. Stop all that nonsense about Raja’s tail. Raja’s face should be more important.’

‘But at some point we must follow the script ...’

‘You mention it as if it were your scripture rather than your script. We will come to that later. Be clear as to what you want Raja to do before he tucks his tail.’

‘He must stand up on his hind legs and place his forelegs on the giant’s shoulder first. Then the giant will knock him off ...’

‘Marvellous conception!’commented Captain.‘In all my years of association with wild creatures -’He began his sentence and stopped short.‘Does it occur to you at all — that even granting that it’s possible, the flesh on that poor fellow’s shoulders is likely to be torn out, if nothing worse happens?’

‘I depend on you ... Can’t you pull out his nails?’

‘Horrible idea! Never.’

‘But they will grow again ... that’s what they do in Hollywood.’

‘Why don’t you go to Hollywood then?’

‘I want to make a hundred-per-cent Indian film. I have taken it as a challenge.’

‘Who is challenging you?’asked Captain.‘Leaving the nail-pulling alone, that’s not the worst to happen. Raja may decapitate your giant as he did that goat, an act which you so much admired.’ Madan was lost in thought. Captain continued,‘I’ll tell you right now, I won’t have his teeth pulled out either. I can’t think of it. Let me tell you even if everything is pulled out, Raja could still deliver a concussion with a pat. I want Raja to be restored to me in his original condition after the film shooting. If you look closely, you will find it in our contract. If there is a scar or mutilation on Raja, I’ll sue for damages up to ten million dollars in your Hollywood terms.’

vThen, in some jungle pictures, what they do is to sew up the lips temporarily — the sutures are easily removed later. That’s what they do in Hollywood.’

vTo hell with Hollywood and stitches and sutures. The tiger must be returned intact.’

By this time the sun was going down. And the crew, who had returned to their posts and were watching, asked through their spokesman,‘Shall we pack up?’

‘Yes, pack up,’cried Madan commandingly. He turned to Captain and said,‘You must cooperate with me, sir.’

‘Yes, of course, you have lost a full day, and you will have one day less and I want you to do something worthwhile within the stipulated time.’

‘Won’t you give a little extension?’

‘No, our circus is on the move, you know that. I have to send Raja off in advance ... I’ll tell you what we might do. You must utilize the flexibility of the film medium. On my side I’ll make Raja stand on his hind legs and place his forepaws on a wrestler who is not there, and you will ask your giant to imagine himself to wrestle with a tiger which is not there. After all he was a wrestler and it must not be difficult for him to imagine an adversary and pound him ... Shoot them separately and join them through an optical printer. That way it should be easy to show them hugging ...’