copy of my manuscript. So I thought I'd now give him a copy of the book, with my blessings and autograph. In fact, I have three more copies in my bag, each wrapped with brown paper. I know I have fans all over the country … thought I might meet a few in Bombay, so I brought extra copies. And it was one of those that I … ha ha ha!’
I had not seen Lalmohan babu so cheerful in a long time.
Feluda took the book from him, looked at it briefly and asked, ‘But what about the threat from Sanyal? Didn't he threaten you on the phone? How does that fit in with this Life Divine ?’
Lalmohan babu refused to be daunted. ‘Well, who knows if it was Sanyal in person? It isn't always possible to identify a voice on the telephone, is it? It could well have been some crackpot, trying to be funny. Anything is possible in Bombay. I mean, if a film like Teerandaj could run for more than twenty-five weeks … need I say more?’
‘All right, but what about that perfume in the car?’
‘That? I bet our driver was wearing it. He's a fashionable young man. Didn't you see his hairstyle? But when we began asking questions, he was embarrassed and wouldn't admit to using the scent.’
‘Well then, every mystery is solved. You may relax now, and have a good night's sleep.’
‘Yes, I certainly will. I had a headache when I went to bed, so I opened my bag to take out a pain killer. That's how I made this amazing discovery. Anyway, now that everything's cleared up, I am going to leave that book with you. Perhaps you should read up on spiritual matters, it can't do you any harm. Good night!’
Lalmohan babu left, and I went back to my own bed.
‘Imagine being handed a copy of a book by Jatayu, when one was expecting Life Divine . Feluda, how do you suppose the fellow felt?’
‘Furious,’ Feluda replied, resting his head on his pillow. But he did not switch the light off. I felt quite amused to see that he put his blue notebook away, and began turning the pages of Sri Aurobindo's book. It was at this moment, I think, that I fell asleep again.
C HAPTER 9
T he following day we were supposed to travel down the road to Pune to a level-crossing between Khandala and Lonavala. That was the spot where the final climactic scene was going to be shot. All told, there were eleven ‘action’ scenes in the film. Pulak Ghoshal was going to start with the last one.
The complete scene could not be shot in a single day. The whole thing would take as many as five days. We had decided to watch the shooting every day—that is, if we enjoyed the first day's experience. The train would be available on all five days, for an hour between one and two o'clock. But the horses meant for the group of bandits, and a Lincoln Convertible meant for the hero, could be used any time. The scene in question went like this:
The villain had replaced the real engine driver and was driving the train. In one of its compartments the heroine and her uncle were being held, their hands and feet tied. The hero was chasing the train in a motor car. At the same time, the hero's twin—who had been kidnapped by bandits when he was a baby, and had now become a bandit himself—was riding with his entire gang to attack the train. He would get close enough to the train to jump into it straight from his horse. About the same time, the hero in his car would also catch up with the train, and he would arrive on the scene to see the bandit and the villain (pretending to be the engine driver) having a fight. The villain would be killed. What would happen next? … All would be revealed on the silver screen!
Apparently, three different versions of the final scene were going to be shot. Then the director would decide which appeared the best on the screen, and retain it, discarding the other two.
Mr Ghoshal dropped in briefly quite early in the morning. We told him we were ready to go, and all arrangements were in hand. ‘Laluda,’ he said, ‘I can tell just by looking at you
I had not seen Lalmohan babu so cheerful in a long time.
Feluda took the book from him, looked at it briefly and asked, ‘But what about the threat from Sanyal? Didn't he threaten you on the phone? How does that fit in with this Life Divine ?’
Lalmohan babu refused to be daunted. ‘Well, who knows if it was Sanyal in person? It isn't always possible to identify a voice on the telephone, is it? It could well have been some crackpot, trying to be funny. Anything is possible in Bombay. I mean, if a film like Teerandaj could run for more than twenty-five weeks … need I say more?’
‘All right, but what about that perfume in the car?’
‘That? I bet our driver was wearing it. He's a fashionable young man. Didn't you see his hairstyle? But when we began asking questions, he was embarrassed and wouldn't admit to using the scent.’
‘Well then, every mystery is solved. You may relax now, and have a good night's sleep.’
‘Yes, I certainly will. I had a headache when I went to bed, so I opened my bag to take out a pain killer. That's how I made this amazing discovery. Anyway, now that everything's cleared up, I am going to leave that book with you. Perhaps you should read up on spiritual matters, it can't do you any harm. Good night!’
Lalmohan babu left, and I went back to my own bed.
‘Imagine being handed a copy of a book by Jatayu, when one was expecting Life Divine . Feluda, how do you suppose the fellow felt?’
‘Furious,’ Feluda replied, resting his head on his pillow. But he did not switch the light off. I felt quite amused to see that he put his blue notebook away, and began turning the pages of Sri Aurobindo's book. It was at this moment, I think, that I fell asleep again.
C HAPTER 9
T he following day we were supposed to travel down the road to Pune to a level-crossing between Khandala and Lonavala. That was the spot where the final climactic scene was going to be shot. All told, there were eleven ‘action’ scenes in the film. Pulak Ghoshal was going to start with the last one.
The complete scene could not be shot in a single day. The whole thing would take as many as five days. We had decided to watch the shooting every day—that is, if we enjoyed the first day's experience. The train would be available on all five days, for an hour between one and two o'clock. But the horses meant for the group of bandits, and a Lincoln Convertible meant for the hero, could be used any time. The scene in question went like this:
The villain had replaced the real engine driver and was driving the train. In one of its compartments the heroine and her uncle were being held, their hands and feet tied. The hero was chasing the train in a motor car. At the same time, the hero's twin—who had been kidnapped by bandits when he was a baby, and had now become a bandit himself—was riding with his entire gang to attack the train. He would get close enough to the train to jump into it straight from his horse. About the same time, the hero in his car would also catch up with the train, and he would arrive on the scene to see the bandit and the villain (pretending to be the engine driver) having a fight. The villain would be killed. What would happen next? … All would be revealed on the silver screen!
Apparently, three different versions of the final scene were going to be shot. Then the director would decide which appeared the best on the screen, and retain it, discarding the other two.
Mr Ghoshal dropped in briefly quite early in the morning. We told him we were ready to go, and all arrangements were in hand. ‘Laluda,’ he said, ‘I can tell just by looking at you
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