Our cinematographer works hard to frame every shot, especially the ambience around my portrayal of Arjuna:
Scene: [establishing shot]
Night falls. Sylvan serene sinks to sombre shades.
Silence of the crows, as the rudraksha trees rattle their beads. Through a lattice of branches, a glimmer escapes through the door of a hut. Crunch of gravel underfoot.
Looking in:
In the glow of an earth-lamp the five Pandavas, weather-ravaged faces still regal. Beside them sits Draupadie, her soft features chiselled by the flickering flame-tongue. [close-up shots]
Bitter-herb smoke...their eyes glisten.
Yuddhishtira stoic in lotus-pose. Bhima glooms to his left, mace at feet. Arjuna on his right, standing stoic, bow in hand. Nakula and Sahadev subdued in the shadows, swords aside.
Unflinching, Yuddhisthira hears their anguish. His left hand reaches out to Draupadi, his right beckons Bhima, saying softly: 'My Pledge I keep. Painful is our plight! Patience...and preparation are needed if we wish to regain our rightful empire from the scheming and powerful Duryodhana.' [Point of view shot]
The drip-drop of rain outside, the slosh of rising river waves. [Amplified and fading out sound-effects]
A gust of wind, a break in clouds, brushing aside tangled bushes, the seer Vyasa makes his entry.[close-up of his stern, dark visage]
'It is time.' He gestures Yuddhishthira to a secluded corner, whispers to him the secret spell of pratismriti.
And then he is gone, a dark figure merging into the Dvaita forest.
Yuddhishthira places his palms on Arjuna's forehead.
A flash of lightning an instant illumination. Arjuna sword at his side, he shoulders his bow and arrows. Metal and skin glow.
Darkness gives way to dawn.
Draupadie ...her Arjuna the incomparable archer has to leave, to avenge her and restore Dharmaraj, he must acquire celestial weapons. His arms ache to hold her, she holds back her tears. Arjuna speeds away, imbued with the super-power of pratismriti.
The aerial shot
Across the screen of Arjuna's upraised face stream the cerulean lotus ponds, blossom-fields of saffron, sapphire streams, crystalline songs of cavorting celestials, diamond mountain peaks, the rise and set of moon and sun....and then he lands in the sacred grove.
Armour and arms, ascetic adamantine Arjuna. Indra disguised as a sage, extols the virtues of ahimsa.
Respectfully Arjuna, holds his ground: 'I seek not power for myself, but to fight against the injustice heaped on my virtuous brothers, the violence against a defenceless woman.'
Satisfied, Indra instructs Arjuna to propitiate Siva for powerful weaponry. The archer performs an austerity that shakes the three worlds: the sages and celestials seek Siva to intervene.
Disturbed, a demonic boar charges towards Arjuna. Keeping his calm, the warrior takes aim. The boar falls, two arrows in its hide. Arjuna looks around — the shooter is a rugged mountain man, clad in tattered animal skins but armed to the hilt with lethal weapons. A deadly duel ensues — leaping, hurling, unleashing, roaring...Arjuna falls wounded, puzzled at the strength of his strange adversary. Crawls away, gathering flowers in his bleeding hands to continue his worship of the siva-lingam, propitiating Siva.
His eyes widen in surprise, watching the flowers cascade onto the wild mountain man, who turns out to be God Siva Himself, granting Arjuna the prized Pāśupatāstra, he alone has the grace to wield such power.
A panoramic closing shot - the lone warrior, stark against the snowy peaks.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
