Day 112 - Bollywood in Budgee Springs - Chapter 9 (2352 words)

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Bollywood in Budgee Springs

Chapter 9

The Main Street through town has a park area opposite the Whistle, and the bulk of the trucks and cars from the film crew have taken up residence there. A marquee has been hastily erected in the open area near the War Memorial Rotunda, just far enough away to give it the respectful distance it is owed. There was no longer that direct a connection with the second world war that it recalled the fallen dead for, but most of the people had been born in it's heyday and had grown up in it's shadow. There was a call back to a generation that raised them, gave the values that propelled the town into a future community driven by sacrifice and loss. Nobody needs to explain the care and attention that the monument gets, it is Budgee Springs own sacred ground. Life goes on around it, but life is a satellite of the small circle where the band once played and the music flowed through the town reminding them of who they were and where they had been.

The Marquee nearby, being used to host the audition space, has the Ash, Kiran and Hardeep lined up like a talent show panel. A camera is set up in a space in front of the the table for the residents to try out their acting skills. A large monitor for video playback is set up to the side of the table and is ready for people to see themselves and their friends on screen.

Ella is waiting patiently with her grandson for the signal from Ash that the auditions will commence. Nathan is kicking his feet together and waiting for his job to start. Ella volunteered him to be a runner for Kiran, figuring that the exercise and keeping him occupied would be a good thing for everyone. Kiran saw a child, alone in a town full of senior citizens and she knew what he felt like immediately, the outsider, part of the group but different and not really one of them. She offered to pay him when Ella insisted that he would be volunteering his time, but in the quiet time when Ella was herding the residents for auditions, they reached an agreement between the assistant director and the assistant director's assistant for a under the table payment for his time.

Nathan did not know who most of the people were who he was supposed to fetch, and he figured that he would need a little lead time to get them from the Whistle to the Marquee area with some of the slower folk, but that he'd figure it out. Ms Kiran was nice for an adult, and she she had slipped him some cash from her wallet before he had even started and for that she was cool. Though he did wonder when or where he was going to be able to spend it. It'd have to keep until he got home and then at least he could do something cool with it, even if it was jut hanging out money. There was no one to hang out with here.

The residents waiting to audition are in the public bar of the Whistle, the men getting a little Dutch courage, the women nervously waiting their turn. Nathan runs in, eager the first time around to get their on time get his charge back as soon as he can. As he skidded to a halt through the door he looks around the room and sees how many times he's going to have to make this trip and already in his mind he is slowing down. He reads out the first name and walks back with his first charge, across the twenty or thirty feet of dusty street to the Marquee and the waiting talent scouts.

Ash says very little and hands the show over to Hardeep, who is charming yet forceful with the applicants. He exudes confidence and poise when speaking and every movement of the townsfolk is watched carefully by both Kiran and Ash, who are looking for certain types of people, not for speaking parts but as human props in the movie. They have a shared vision that means the movie would not be relying on the skill or acting ability of the last minute scouting of senior citizens from a dying New South Wales town, they had a plan and they would be playing these folk to their strengths, they were not looking for actors at all.

Hardeep gave everyone the same introduction, though he varied the words, the stresses altered and the flair of his delivery were all negotiable each time he gave it.

“If you have a look at the paper we have handed you there are a number of things we would like you to run through. Mostly it’s expression acting, or movement. We won’t do anything too strenuous, given your age. Don't think, just do, give it as much or as little as you want to. Show us you being yourself, doing these things, please.” He would suddenly, sharply clap his hands four times, and call action, thrilling some of the players, shocking the rest with the sudden loud outburst after his calm and measured introduction.

Women were asked to twirl as if dancing, lightly and airily. Men were asked to shake their fists at the camera and grimace like a vaudeville villain tying a girl to the rail-road tracks. They were all asked to mime many expressions and faces, making wide sweeping gestures and to give directions to imaginary tourists. A few of the men were asked if they played cricket, and to show off their bowling action in slow motion. No one was asked to sing or dance, not directly anyway. They cheered, booed and shook their fists and applauded throughout the morning, until the three of them had the faces and the looks they were after.

Finally as lunch time was approaching they were done, and the whole group that had gathered in the Whistle had been seen and were more confused than ever about what the movie as about, and what if anything they would be doing. Not everyone had the same experience in the tent and some had committed more to their effort than the others had.

Charlie and his friends have enacted their plan, they overacted and over-emoted to the best of their ability. They made such fools of themselves, they were glad that only they got to see their audition tapes. Sure they had made a mockery of the proceedings but they were guaranteed a get of jail free card on the film now, at worst they might make a blooper reel on the DVD, but no one here would likely ever see the movie anyway, they hoped.

Nathan came in one last time and called everyone back to the Marquee for the selection process. The men looked at each other and elbows flew as they could feel the judgement coming, while the women bustled and jostled to get over there quickly and see what the guests had decided, the boys with their little plan walked casually, at their own pace assured of a place propping up the bar for the next three weeks and not caked in make up and strutting about learning lines and directions.

Hardeep stood and addressed them as one crowd, they had planned all along to use as many of the locals in crowd scenes and to fill in some of the local colour.

“Well, that was fun wasn’t it? I must say that you all did very well and that you can all be in our movie, we have plenty of scenes with crowds of people and we have walk through and walk on parts to go around, we may even dress you up a little, try a few disguises and reuse some of you, more than once!” He drew a deep breath and took a more serious tone before continuing. “However, there a limited number of 'Character Parts' to go around though so we have a small list of people we would like to use for those roles. They will not be speaking roles, but they will be in close and very visual, we'll need a full range of emotion and intensity for these roles, and I must say that a couple of you really stood out in the way that you acquitted yourselves. It's like you were born to play these parts.”

Hardeep looked at Ash and Kiran who nodded in agreement when he said “WE were very surprised that you have no acting experience, isn't that right guys?”

Ash stood up and addressed the residents who had tried out, his hands moved faster than his speech but he really felt that the town was giving all it could and really getting behind their little gamble on this film. For the first time he felt a spark of hope creeping in under the door of the dark room he had been locked in for the last few months leading up to this. “We, I mean 'I', would like to thank you for your participation and your enthusiasm, it’s so very, very good to see you turning out to support our little film. This first list of names” he brandished a single sheet of paper in his left hand, as he spoke “Are for a very specialised sequence we have planned and those who will be playing in that scene will get paid actor's fees for the film, the extras for crowd and walk on/walk by parts” Ash waves the two sheets of paper in his right hand this time, “... will get day rates.” There is a little buzz at the idea that some of them will play a key role in the film and the friendly tension in the room increases as they wonder who will make the cut.

“Not one of you should be upset if your name is not on this list, this is a very specialised role we have in mind for a dream sequence that our hero will be going on, a spiritual quest to find himself.”

“Like a walkabout?” Jonno offers, he's keen to show his mates up that he'd be chosen ahead of them for his acting ability, that would show those buggers.

“I guess so, yes you could call it his walkabout, Kiran? Make a note of that would you, that gives me an idea.” Ash looks at Hardeep who shrugs his shoulders in response.

“Anyway, I'll post the people we have chosen for the character roles here on the Notice Board inside the Whistle Pub across the road, so if your name is on there can you please come and sign the release contracts with Kiran before we start filming tomorrow, and for the rest of you there is a general release and Extras contract, it too will be a paid role, though not as much as the character roles.”

The three of the senior film crew make a procession out of the twenty-five foot stroll back to the pub savouring the drama of the selection process and hyping up the anticipation on the publication, the posting of the list. They crowd around, not rudely or pushy but definitely keen to see the list and find the names on it. Hardeep tacks the two lists up on either side of the notice board amongst some yellowed, faded notices and newspaper clippings from days past.

The townspeople close in as the three film crew leave the room and get on with their day, prepping and planning the movie as it will be shot in the short time they have the full run of the town and the full cooperation of the locals.

Ella is in the front of the throng and she walks away disappointed as her name is not on the list, one by one the people who are interested check the two lists, disappointed at the exclusion from the special parts in most cases, but still happy to have their parts and have a hand in the larger movie and get their time on the silver screen, even if it is in another country and another language.

Charlie and his mates are at the bar ordering a round for themselves and congratulating themselves on a job well done, not paying attention to the hopes and dreams of the people who are keen where they have no enthusiasm.

Jonno makes his way to the board from the thinning crowd and checks both lists. He reads it twice and then barks a derisive laugh at the specialised roles list.

“Charlie!” He calls out to the man at the bar.

“What is it 'Hamlet'?” He leans across the bar to Paul “With an emphasis on the Ham eh?” getting a laugh in return.

“You may want to come and see this.”

“Oh did you get a part in your little film then?”

“Oh no, not me, not me no.” Jonno is grinning ear to ear and suddenly Charlie begins to wonder what it is that is amusing him so. He stands and moves towards the notice board where Jonno has taken down the list and handed it to Ella who is shaking her head in disbelief.

“I thought I was seeing things, but there you go. Apparently God does have a sense of humour.” Ella says wryly.

“What?” Charlie feels a cold sensation in his gut and he takes the list from Ella, and there are only three names on it, one of which is his the other two his overacting friends at the bar. “What the …?”

“Congratulations, Charles Clarke … Senior, you're going to be a Bollywood star!” Ella smiles sweetly at him and nods to them men at the bar who are reading the list, seeing their names and staring daggers at Charlie, who is still in shock.

Jonno raises a finger in the air and calls out to the publican. “I'll have that pint now thanks!”