[fire crackling]
[villager shouts in Marathi]
Come on! Let's use all the water we have!
Hurry up! Hurry up! Use sheets to put out the fire.
[villagers shouting]
[grunting]
[Prabhu speaking Marathi]
Tear down these huts. We need to make a firebreak.
[in English] I hate these fires. You want to kill me? Come on!
What's burning?
[Karla] It's Sagar Wada.
It's where Lin was staying.
You said yourself he's gone.
I'm cold.
[people chattering]
All right. You have to keep this clean. You understand?
Understand. Okay.
All right. Good man.
[Prabhu speaking Hindi]
[villager, Prabhu speak Hindi]
[in English] Salaam alaikum, Mr. Lin.
Wa alaikumu assalam.
I'm Qasim Ali, headman here.
Prabhu has told me all about you.
Thank you, Mr. Lin.
Thank you for what you are doing.
Well, I could do more with better supplies.
If you get me whatever you have--
Some of these people need hospital, drugs, IVs.
Yes, but none of these things will be coming here.
You already have what we have, huh?
Parvati? [speaks Hindi]
Can someone take a look at Lakshmi?
What happened? What happened, Lakshmi?
[in English] Lin, come here!
[panting] -Okay, bring her here.
[Prabhu speaks Hindi]
[in English] I need another table, to lie her down.
[Qasim, Arun speaking Marathi]
[in English] Slowly. Easy, easy.
Okay. You're all right. No, you're okay. -[whimpering]
You're all right. Easy. You're all right.
Ask her if she's having trouble breathing.
[speaks Hindi] -[groans]
Huh?
[breathing heavily]
[speaks Marathi]
[in English] She needs a hospital to take out that metal.
What, you can't do this? -No. No way.
[Lin] I think it's punctured her lung.
[in Marathi] Mom. -Ravi!
[in English] No. No, no, no! It came out. -[clamoring]
[Lakshmi] Ravi! -Mom!
Prabhu! Put your hands on there, all right?
Solid pressure. -[Ravi shouts in Marathi]
[clamoring continues]
Move your hands. Move your hands!
[Qasim speaking Hindi] -[Ravi speaks Marathi]
I need you to hold her. All right? -Okay.
Don't let her move. -Okay. [speaks Marathi]
Tell her this is gonna help her breathe. -[speaks Marathi]
[in Marathi] Don't touch her! [shouts] -[breathes shakily]
[Ravi shouts in Marathi]
Get away from my mother! [shouting]
[in English] Qasim, I need to be able to hear.
[in Marathi] Ravi, stop! He's trying to help her.
[gasping]
Ravi. [speaks Marathi] -[in English] That good?
Ravi. Ravi. -[in Marathi] Mom!
Ravi. -[Ravi shouts]
[in English] Shit. Fuck.
What happened? -She needs a doctor now.
Move! Move!
Prabhu, help me lift her.
On three. One, two, three.
[Prabhu, Lin grunt]
Mom. -Mr. Lin, where are you taking her?
She needs a doctor, or she's gonna die quickly.
Then let her die surrounded by the people she loves.
I want her to live with the people she loves,
not die with them. Prabhu?
[in Hindi] This is wrong. -[Lin] On three. One, two, three.
[Lakshmi] Ravi. -[Qasim] Lakshmi, it's okay.
We're taking you to the doctor. -[Lin] Go, go, go!
[Lakshmi] Ravi. Ravi! Ravi.
[Qasim] Don't worry, Ravi. They're helping your mother.
[Prabhu, in English] Lin.
Lin, listen!
She's not dying, Prabhu. Not because of me.
Hey! We need help! -[tires screech, horns honk]
Hey! Stop! Hey!
[whispering] Prabhu, Prabhu. -[Lin] We got a dying woman here!
Prabhu. Prabhu.
Hey. Hey, stop!
[tires screeching]
Lin, stop! Enough!
[horns honk]
[whispers in Marathi, indistinct]
[in English] What did she say?
It does not matter.
I want to know.
[breathes shakily] She asked for Ravi.
[Qasim speaks Marathi]
[in Marathi] They'll be back soon.
Oh.
How many huts have burned?
Thirty. Mine included.
Mom! -[villager speaks Marathi]
[cries]
[in English] I will go get some food and chai, okay?
I'm not hungry.
Lin.
You were trying to do the best thing. I know this. So you can--
This was my fault.
[breathes shakily]
Prabhu, if I hadn't been here, this fire would've never happened--
Lin, please. Please.
Fires, they happen here.
You think I'm not hating Lakshmi is gone, huh?
This time, we are lucky.
Last year, there was much bigger fire, much more of the jhopadpatti was burned.
More than 20 died.
I will bring food, okay?
[sighs]
[employee gasps] -[Charlie] Drop the-- Fuck. Fuck.
Drop the clipboard and put your hands up.
Get the fuck on.
[employee gasps, whimpers]
[Charlie] Don't touch any fucking alarm buttons, all right?
[Lin] Could you ladies fill these bags up, please?
It's all insured. It's really not worth worrying about.
[employee 2] Just do what he says. -[breathing shakily]
Please... Laura. -[Charlie] Okay, okay, okay.
Why don't you get a job, you lazy bastards?
[Charlie] Hey! Excuse me, this is our job, you fat ass.
Don't get in the way of us doing it, all right?
[Lin] Come on, love. It's all good. You just need to fill the bag.
[employee 2] Can't you see she's terrified?
[Charlie] Just fill the bag! -[breathes shakily]
[alarm bell ringing]
[officer] Out of the way! Out of the way! Move! Move!
[grunts, pants] -Watch it.
Sorry, mate. My fault.
Hey. Get off me. -[Lin strains]
Drop the bloody gun.
Get off me! [grunts] Bastard. Drop the gun!
Get the fuck off me.
Drop the gun! Drop it! Drop it! -Okay. Okay. Okay!
[gunshot]
What did you do?
[gun clatters]
Move.
Dale.
[gasps] -Dale, fucking move.
[siren wailing] -Now. Come on.
Dale.
[siren continues]
Somebody, call an ambulance.
Okay. Hey, hey. Stay with me. Hey.
You're all right, mate. You're all right.
Stay with me.
[officer] Get away from him!
[birds squawking]
Salaam alaikum, Walidbhai.
Alaikumu assalam, Khaderbhai.
Interesting choice of location.
Sad to think how many men once earned a living here in better days.
Arre, everything has its use-by date, huh?
And everyone.
Now, you wanted to talk. This is where we can do it.
Rujul Aadekar is dead.
Had I been in your shoes, I would have done exactly the same.
All the companies are at peace.
Our men are not killing and shooting each other in the streets,
and everyone is satisfied.
The companies are at peace because they're run by tired, old men
who've settled for the status quo.
Except yours?
Except mine.
Rujul, he believed you are weak, huh?
Certainty of what is right does not make anyone weak,
or you'd still be running the passport market in Colaba, not me.
Is that what this is, Walid?
You want to start a war over your hurt pride?
I'm not starting anything. This is business, yaar.
Sagar Wada is worth a fortune. So, I simply made Rujul a better offer.
I am not going to lose Sagar Wada.
Is that a threat?
A simple statement of fact.
For you maybe, chachu, huh?
You see, one man can say his wife is beautiful,
and another only sees a pig.
You see, I think it is a simple fact that I have more men and money than you.
I think it is a simple fact that women and drugs are the future,
and yet you choose to stay in the past.
You have to give the people what they want, Khaderbhai.
Otherwise, you are consigned to history.
Maybe I'll build a big statue of you at the gates of my Sagar Wada, huh?
Always a pleasure talking with you, Walidbhai.
[people chattering]
You're awake? Good. Come. Something you gotta see, boss.
All right. Just give me a minute.
Come, na.
[Prabhu speaks Hindi]
[in English] Hey.
What are they all doing?
They're your patients.
What are you talking about?
They all know about the doctoring you did last night,
so now they wait to see you.
No. No. I'm not--
Lin, no-- no problem waiting, Linbaba. -I can't.
They're here more than one hour already. I told them you must sleep.
Prabhu.
Even if you were not here, they would still be waiting,
but waiting for nothing only.
And that kills the heart.
But waiting for something, that is different, na?
I can't do that. Look, I'm not even a doctor.
Even bad doctor better than no doctor.
I'm not saying you are bad... -[stammers]
...only that if you were, it would be okay. Lin, please.
Prabhu. -Lakshmi was going to die anyway.
And we will grieve her.
But that is how it is sometimes.
[in Marathi] How are you, Prabhu? -Okay.
[in English] Mr. Lin.
Look, I wanna say sorry about last night. You were right. I should have listened.
[villager, in Hindi] Qasim, is he going to help us?
[villager, indistinct] -[Prabhu smacks lips]
[Lin, in English] I wanted to run more than ever,
take the second chance Karla's money had given me and get out of Bombay,
despite what helping me had done to these people.
[in Marathi] It will be good, you'll see.
God willing.
[in English] This is a lot of money to be giving away, Linbaba.
Yeah, well, I'm gonna need a lot of things.
But why you do this?
I've got my reasons.
Go on, take it. Use it to rebuild the homes that burned.
Please.
I will make sure every paisa is well spent.
[in Marathi] All right! Just two more minutes. Okay?
[villager sighs, chuckles]
[Lin, in English] Okay.
[Prabhu speaks indistinctly]
Put some of this on, all right?
[Lin] It had to be me.
Another man with my training wouldn't have been forced by crime into the slum.
Another criminal wouldn't have had my training.
I didn't get the joke, and fate didn't make me laugh.
But I knew I couldn't leave.
[chattering]
[Prabhu counting in Hindi]
[in English] We have 20 more patients.
Okay? Out. Okay. [speaks indistinctly]
[speaks Hindi indistinctly]
[in English] Let's go. Let's go.
Hi. [speaks indistinctly]
[sighs]
You need to eat.
Breakfast of champions.
You can be such a child sometimes.
Are you angry with me for helping you get clean?
You're the one who's angry.
Does it piss you off so much that you have to look after me?
I want you to look after yourself, Lisa.
But you won't, because you like being powerless,
because it makes you the center of whatever universe you happen to be in.
Some people look after you because they love you.
That's not a bad thing.
And what happens when they aren't there?
You can't spend your life refusing to care for anyone
in case they leave.
I can't do this, Lisa. Not now.
I don't wanna fight with you, not with everything else.
I'm sorry.
You're right. I'm being a selfish, spoiled bitch.
What is it? -[Karla sniffs]
Yesterday, all I could think about was not being weak.
And now, I close my eyes, and all I see is Rujul dead.
Khader knew. [chuckles]
He tried to protect me, and the more he did... [inhales deeply]
...the more I was determined to prove myself I could handle it.
You don't have to prove anything, Karla.
[sniffs] If I don't, the deal will fall apart.
And would that be so bad?
When is the last time you let yourself go and felt happy?
Truly happy?
Let's be fucked-up together.
I promise to eat some of this and not be a royal pain in the ass,
if you promise to stay here with me and play records with me like old times
until we run out of booze and hash.
Hmm?
[softly] Okay.
[chattering]
You are needing rest? I can tell them to come back tomorrow.
No, I'm good.
[in Marathi] Stop! Dr. Lin will be taking a break now.
[in English] Uh, this is a thank-you, Dr. Lin.
Oh, well, it was actually Prabhu's idea.
[in Hindi] It was my idea.
[in English] He talked Qasim Ali into it and let me use his hut.
[in Hindi] I talked Qasim Ali into it.
[in English] It was Prabhu who, um, got all the supplies.
[in Hindi] I got the supplies. -Huh.
Prabhu, this was a good thing that you did.
[Parvati clears throat]
[in English] You need help with patients?
Oh, no. We're good, thank you.
This is great though.
Very good, huh, Linbaba? Very slick, very smooth,
until you sent her away. Parvati!
Thank you, huh?
[in Hindi] If you like, I will bring back your tray when we are finished.
At the chai shop.
You'll be there?
I'll be there.
All right, what are you staring at? -[villagers laugh]
Haven't you got work to do?
[in Marathi] Let's go.
[in English] You are enjoying, huh?
Mmm, yummy, yummy.
The Palace operates on an appointment-only basis.
The Palace operates because we let it.
Tell Zhou we're here. Go.
[chuckles]
I'm not some helpless girl, Padma, that will bend to your discipline.
You will need to leave any weapons you carry here.
No, I won't.
This is an honor, Khaderbhai. Can I get you something to drink or eat?
Recently, I spent a solemn moment with Rujul Aadekar.
This morning, I spent some time with Walid Shah.
And now, I've come to see you.
I do not approve of your business,
but I understand it is a business that must exist.
So, you've been allowed to come here and prosper.
But there has been one condition to your success. Neutrality.
I made a mistake, Khaderbhai.
I can only apologize.
At first, I assumed you knew of it.
When I realized this wasn't the case, it was too late.
[sighs] As you say, my position here in Bombay is vulnerable--
You do not play the victim well, Madame.
I hope you were better at faking back when you were a mistress and a whore.
Like I said, I made a mistake.
But if I was going to die for it,
I don't think you would come here yourself to watch it happen.
Dead, you are of no use to me. Alive, maybe I could use you.
Understand that when I leave this place, I will take your life with me
as collateral against the debt that you now owe.
And when I ask something of you, you will do it,
or this place will burn as your funeral pyre.
How did you know?
Was it Karla Saaranen?
Who?
I do not know that name.
Rujul belonged to me.
I knew him better than he knew himself.
So I had him followed, where he went, what he did, who he saw.
He was stupid to think otherwise.
It was his stupidity that got him killed.
I hope you're not stupid, Madame.
[chattering] -[Qasim speaking Hindi]
[chattering continues]
[in English] Linbaba, we are now going to build the pyre for Lakshmi's funeral
if you want to come.
Ah, I'm sorry, Johnny. I got no right to be there.
Prabhu told me you blame yourself.
Prabhu talks too much.
[softly] Yeah.
Khaderbhai gave you your life today. Is this wise?
My life isn't any man's to give or take.
I know their business as well as them.
All these bhais... Fuck them.
Maybe it's time for the behains, Padma.
We had a deal, you and I.
If you're talking about Lisa, I kept my part of it.
Lisa is gone.
I don't see how that is my fault.
Then why are you scared, Maurizio?
I am not.
I think you are.
I think maybe it's the only time when men and women can truly be the same,
when they're powerless and terrified.
But women are forced to feel it so much more than men.
By men, usually.
Why am I here?
There is a way for you to earn my forgiveness.
I'm listening.
I want you to sell brown sugar for me in Colaba.
Colaba is Khaderbhai's territory.
But he doesn't sell heroin there.
Neither does anyone else.
I owe him no loyalty. Do you?
Me?
I owe loyalty to no one.
[chuckles] Which is honest, at least.
My terms are simple.
My name is never mentioned. You keep 20% of the profit.
Forty. I'm taking all of the risk.
I'm not negotiating with you.
[sucks teeth]
How much are we talking about?
I have access to as much Afghan dope as you can sell.
Okay then. You have a deal.
Then you have nothing to fear.
Mr. Lin?
My name's Abdullah Taheri.
I have someone who wants to meet you.
Okay. Who is it?
[chuckles]
Please.
Mr. Lindsay Ford?
Just "Lin" works.
I'm pleased to meet you. I've heard good things.
It's always nice to hear good things about foreigners here in Bombay.
You might have heard of me also. My name is Abdel Khader Khan.
So, you are the doctor in the hutments now.
Well, I'm, uh-- I'm a long way from being a doctor.
Well, maybe that is why you are doing so well.
Doctors do not go into the jhopadpatti willingly.
We can compel men not to be bad,
but we cannot compel them to do good, don't you find?
I, uh, never really thought about it.
I wonder what compels you.
Is there something I can do for you?
I don't know yet.
That is why I am here,
to invite you to spend some time with me and my friend Abdullah.
All right. I mean no offense, but I'm just gonna say this.
You have a fairly scary reputation.
So you just turning up like this, you can see why I might be a bit nervous
about jumping in the back of your car and letting you drive me away.
[chuckles]
I give you my word. No harm will come to you this night.
Do I have a choice?
You always have a choice.
In the end, I think that is all we have.
Okay.
[car door opens, closes]
[people chattering] -[lively music playing]
So much for curfew.
The authorities know
that civilized people in large cities need places to gather and hunt.
So certain establishments are permitted to pay a bribe, and order is preserved.
Officially, the law remains. It's just not enforced.
Who gets to decide which laws get enforced and which ones don't?
Someone once said the worst thing about corruption as a system of governance
is that it works so well.
Ramesh!
[no audible dialogue]
[in Hindi] How is your father?
He is well, Khaderbhai. [in English] Thank you.
[in Hindi] But I am having a problem.
Tell me.
Bhai, it's about my landlord.
He is demanding double rent already.
He wants to evict us, not just me, but all the families in my building.
He has goondas, and his goondas beat us badly.
Even my own father.
Then he is not well.
No, sir. He is too proud to ask you for help
and doesn't want to disturb your peace.
But I...
You're a good son.
We won't do anything to hurt his pride.
And there will be no need to speak to your father about this...
[in English] ...until the problem is solved, inshallah.
Thank you, thank-- -Okay, okay. Yes, yes, yes.
How much did you understand?
Um, not much. Um, something about his home and his father.
Their landlord wants them out of their place.
By force, if necessary.
So you threaten the man who threatens them?
Do you approve?
[chuckles] I don't think you need my approval.
You're Abdel Khader Khan.
[chuckles]
Just because I can easily do something doesn't always mean I should.
Humor me. If it were you?
I think if I liked Ramesh and this landlord was out of line,
then I'd do what I could for him.
Even if it meant acting against the law?
Who gets to choose which laws get enforced and which ones don't?
In the end, regardless of laws or who chooses,
each one of us, every atom in every galaxy in every universe,
is moving towards God.
I don't believe in God.
Then we have much more to talk about, you and I.
[in Hindi] Let's go. We will take him to the club.
[engine starts]
[rock music playing on gramophone]
[in English] You said you'd stay with me. -No. I just didn't say I wouldn't.
Your deal.
I've come too far, Lisa. I don't have a choice.
Can't disappoint Mr. Khader Khan.
Stay. Please.
For both of us.
I can see what this is doing to you. You know it too.
You just won't admit it.
Choose me. Stay with me.
Because this matters the most.
I care about you. You know that.
But you're choosing him anyway.
[door opens]
[Khaderbhai laughs] -[inhales sharply]
This club has the best ghazel singers in Bombay.
What are ghazels?
Love songs. Love songs to God.
No matter what you might think, there is no believing in God.
We either know him or we do not.
Well, I don't know God, but I think he's pretty much impossible.
[chuckles] The fact that God is impossible is proof he exists.
So does that mean that all possible things don't exist?
I'm delighted you understand.
[Khaderbhai, Abdullah laugh] -I really don't.
You're in trouble now, my friend.
Nothing exists as we see it. Our eyes are liars.
Everything that seems real is part of the illusion.
You, me, this room.
So if everything's an illusion, how do we know what to do, how to live?
We lie. -[Abdullah chuckles]
The sane man is simply a better liar than the insane man.
Your eyes lie.
What you think you know tells you this is not so, but it's true.
[stammers] We prefer the lie because it's easier.
That's how we stay sane?
I am not married, and I have no sons.
But if I tell you that I see it clearly that you are my son,
Abdullah is your brother, I am your father,
you will think that is impossible.
You will resist it. You do. I see it.
You prefer to believe the lie that we are all strangers,
and there is no connection between us.
I have a father.
And I don't know you. You don't know me.
I think maybe I do.
What do you lie to yourself about, Mr. Lin?
I don't. I'm finished with that.
I know what I am, what I've done, what I owe.
[in Urdu] I have decided to like Lin.
[santir notes playing]
[singing in Hindi]
[drumbeat starts]
[singing continues]
[violin notes playing]
[singing continues]
[no audible dialogue]
[song ends]
[in English] How did you like the music?
Ah, it's incredible. I never heard anything like it before.
Can I ask you something?
All this, tonight... Why'd you bring me here?
What do you want from me?
[Karla] What are you doing here?
Listening, drinking tea,
learning that the world as I know it is an illusion.
I'm pretty stoned.
You were meant to leave Bombay.
Who is your friend, Mr. Lin?
This is Karla Saaranen.
Are we friends?
I don't know.
Let's just say Karla has had a full and central part of my life in Bombay so far.
Real or not.
I think she's real.
In fact,
Karla proves that I'm right.
If I invented her, she would be a lot nicer to me.
Karla, allow me to introduce Abdullah Taheri,
my brother from another mother, apparently,
recently reunited by my newest acquaintance, Mr. Abdel Khader Khan.
You've probably heard of him. -Of course.
It's a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Saaranen.
Likewise. How do you all come to know each other?
Fate saw fit to throw us together.
Funny how that happens.
Yeah, well, "Misery acquaints a man with strange bedfellows."
Who's the monster?
What do you mean?
That line is spoken by a man who lies down with a monster.
Ms. Saaranen knows her Shakespeare.
Someone once told me
that all the questions and most of the answers in life
can be found in Shakespeare.
Would you like to join us?
I can't. I've got guests of my own.
We have business to conclude. I should get back to them.
Good luck with your business.
Inshallah.
Enjoy the rest of your evening, gentlemen.
["Something On Your Mind" playing loudly overhead]
[horn honks]
[music stops]
[lock clicks]
[keys clatter]
It has been a pleasure, Lin.
[chuckles]
Was this some kind of test?
Why do you help in Sagar Wada?
They needed it.
An act of nobility then?
Nah, there's nothing noble about me. You can trust me on that.
There are no good men or bad men.
It is what they do, or refuse to do, that makes them good or evil.
This place means a great deal to me.
Thank you for tonight, Mr. Khan.
Please, call me Khaderbhai.
Khaderbhai.
[all chuckle]
Close enough. -[Lin, Khaderbhai chuckle]
[Lin] Maybe fate brought me together with these men, father and brother.
But everything that came after was down to my own choices,
just like Khader had said.
["Something On Your Mind" resumes]
You took her away. You took my mother away.
She was all I had.
Yeah.
I didn't mean to, but I did.
I'm tired, Ravi, of getting it so fucking wrong all the time.
Are you gonna use that?
[inhales sharply, grunting] -[Qasim] Ravi!
[both grunting]
[in Marathi] What are you doing, Ravi?
[sighs] -[in Hindi] Ravi, my son...
[in Marathi] Your mother is gone.
Do this, and you'll lose yourself forever also.
Understand?
[in English] This child does not deserve
to carry your murder on his conscience, Mr. Lin.
And you are a selfish fool for not knowing better.
[speaks Marathi]
Go to my hut. You will stay with my family now.
No. Uncle Qasim, please. I won't hurt him, but...
Ravi. Do as I say.
Go.
[in English] What did you say to him?
That he will stay with my family now.
Lakshmi's hut will now be yours, Mr. Lin.
When people here need your help, this is where they will find you.
This is not a gift I'm giving you.
Yeah.
[inhales sharply]