Predicament of a Girl
A romantic and sentimental thriller
Kotra Siva Rama Krishna
“I cannot say.........I cannot say in words why I am feeling like that!” leaning back in the chair Tarang said. “I have not got even a little of this feeling while we were testing and auditioning that many number of girls for this character. With Prameela, I satisfied only little but have no choice. I thought if I did not agree with her also, I never can produce this movie. But when it comes to you..........” he nodded his head with a helpless expression. “............at the first time looking at you itself I have got the feeling only you are the correct person to that character. No, no. You have born only to play that character.”
“If it is so............” her laughter was mellifluous then. “.............I should do my level best.”
“You should miss Charitha. You have to.” Suddenly there is seriousness in the voice of Tarang. “I am not producing this movie just for entertainment. I am taking absolute care even in small things also. The amount I am expending for this movie is more than any of my commercial hits.”
Once they both sat in Tarang chamber, the conversation started between them in English. Initially Charitha felt fear but it was going smoothly.
“Alright sir. I do satisfy you in all respects.” Suddenly there was a determined expression in the face of Charitha.
“I give you an outline of the story.” Tarang stooped forward in the chair and balanced his arms on the table in between them both. “The heroine of this story is from a middle class family, studied upto degree and is living in a small village which is in the corner of this state. She fell in love with a guy who is a friend of her cousin. He pretends as he is also in love with that girl, takes advantage of her. Her parents don’t agree of her marriage with that guy and they both eloped to Tamilnadu. There he enjoys her once again and sold her to a brothel house. How she struggled in that brothel house, how she escaped from it with the help of the hero is the main story. I do tell you about it in more detail once you sign on this contract and be prepared to act in that role.”
“I am more than ever before prepared to act in this movie sir.” There was firmness in her voice and determination in her expression. “I am just ready to sign on the contract at anytime you want.”
“That is indeed very nice Charitha!” Tarang leaned back in the chair and laughed with happy expression in his face. “It is in all respects ready for the right candidate’s signature on it. We both parties sign on this contract now itself.”
“But sir........” suddenly there was uneasiness in her face. “........I want the amount you pay in before itself, before I do start acting in the movie.”
“You receive that amount even before you sign on the contract.” Tarang said and yelled loudly “Madhukar......”
“May I know the purpose behind your yelling like that?” Madhukar entered into that room with a smile on his face.
“Transfer that increased amount of fifty lakhs into this girl’s account immediately. Take her account number and do that now itself.” Looking into the face of Madhukar, Tarang said everything even the amount also in Tamil.
“That is not necessary, that is not necessary.” Charitha hastily said as she could guess what he has said. “You may do it after I sign on the contract and before at anytime I start acting.”
“Once I take a decision, I don’t go back.” He said in English and once again turned into Tamil looking into the face of Madhukar. “Will you please proceed to do what I said?”
“With pleasure!” Madhukar said with a smile and looked into the face of Charitha. “Have you got your bank account details with you Charitha?”
“Prameela got them with her. You may take them from her.” The uneasiness in Charitha was increased even more.
“Alright then. Just in seconds that amount will be transferred into your account.” Madhukar said and went away from that room.
Then Tarang opened the draw of his table and took out some stapled documents from it. “It has been drafted in English and so far I understood that you can understand it well. Go through this carefully before signing on it. I am the First Party and you are the Second Party in it. I sign on this contract after you sign on the same. I give you a copy of it.”
“What if .............” Charitha did not know why she wanted to ask like that. “..........now I don’t want to sign on this contract and act in this movie?”
“My dream shall be shattered into pieces and I do get heart attack! If you want that, you do like that.” Tarang pretended a pathetic expression in his face.
“No, it is not going to be so.” Charitha’s laughter was once again mellifluous. “I certainly sign on that contract and do my level best to the role.”
“Then do you go through the contract and sign on it? You have to sign at the bottom of every page of it and at Second Party in the last page. Madhukar and Prameela will witness the same.” Saying so he proffered those documents towards Charta and she took them from him.
“May I have a pen also? I don’t have one with me.” After taking that contract into her hands, extending her right hand toward him, Charitha said. “I just want to sign on it without any delay.”
“Miss Charitha, I want you to read that contract before signing on it.”
“What is in this contract really does not matter. I have just decided to act in the move and there is no going back.” The firmness in her voice surprised Charitha herself.
“Still I say you should go through that contract completely before signing on that.” There was the same firmness in the voice of Tarang also.
Charitha was about to say something but then she received a phone call from Prameela. “Just a second please!” Charitha said and attended that phone call by saying “Hello!”
“Amount has been transferred into your mom’s account and confirmation of the same has been taken from her. If you want I do send screen shot of the same to your phone but that needs to be done through Madhukar’s phone as the amount has been transferred from his phone.” Prameela said.
“That is not necessary at all.” Charitha said and cut off the phone.
“Even after transferring of this money also, you have a right to deny this contract Charitha. As you have taken this much trouble to hear me, etc., you can retain one lakh out of that amount and return the rest in case if you don’t want to act in this movie. But.......” suddenly there was firmness and seriousness in his voice. “..........once you sign on this contract, there will be no going back.”
“Alright sir. First let me go through this please.” Still Charitha could not believe that much amount has been transferred into her mother’s account even it has been told by Prameela herself. She just could imagine the happiness in the faces of her family members and that has given her more than ever determined to put her soul into that character and she started reading the contract carefully.
‘The Second Party undertakes to be with the film unit from the moment the movie starts and till the moment it finishes even at times there is no necessity of her in it. The Second Party is entitled to keep one person along with her and both of their expenditure which includes everything shall be taken care of by the First Party.’
‘The timeframe decided to complete the movie is three months. It may be finished even before that time period or it may take even longer time but the Second Party should have no objection to stay with the film unit until there is no necessity of her with the film. All the time the Second Party and her companion stay with the film unit, the First Part bears their expenditure.’
‘The Second Party undertakes to wear the clothes she is asked by and at no point of time she denies the same. She should not complain about the size, quality, colour, thinness or thickness of the same.’
Charitha suddenly felt uneasy on reading the same but she did not held her head up and continued reading the rest of the clauses.
‘The Second Party should not show any reluctance to the dialogues in the movie. The voice of the Second Party will be dubbed with a suitable voice artist in the movie and the Second Party should not object to the same. If it is found suitable, the Second Party herself may be asked to say her own dialogues at the post production and the Second Party shall be paid separately for it.’
‘In whichever way she is asked to act, the Second Party should not show any reluctance to the same. The Second Party may be asked to act the same scene any number of times until it is considered by the director it is perfect and the Second Party should not object to the same. She must not object to the other actor’s touching and dealing with her physically.’
‘The second party should act in the way she has been asked and there should be no objection to that at anytime from her.’
Once again Chartia felt too much uneasily but this time also she did not held her head up and looked into the face of Tarang but continued reading like that.
‘The Second Party hereby undertakes that she would cooperate in all respects for fine finishing of the movie and helps and cooperates the First Party in the post production also. Any loss caused monetarily by the Second Party to the First Party shall by compensated by the Second Party to the First Party.’
This clause did not create any uneasiness in Chartia and there are clauses relating to the First Party also but she mostly concentrated on the clauses relating to her only.
‘If the First Party wants he can dub the movie into the other languages also and release it in the other states also. The Second Party shall be paid some more remuneration in such situations. The Second Party should not object to this at all.’
Charitha hurriedly held her head up and looked into the face of Tarang. “Do you want to dub this movie into other languages also and release it into other states too?” her face was filled with a sort of fear.
“Unless this movie becomes a big hit, I am not going to do such a thing. Don’t worry.” As if he understood her fear, Tarang said with a smile on his face.
‘First Party reserves his right to release the teaser of this movie which has the Second Party into the mobile apps, you tube and other electronic media and into the theatres at anytime. The Second Party should not object to the same.’
Once again Charitha startled and looked into the face of Tarang. “The teaser of this movie is going to be released into mobile apps, etc?” now a day everyone has mobiles and how her family members would feel if they found her in a slinky dress?
“It is a must for the promotion of the movie. I am producing this movie not just to watch myself. I cannot stop doing that at all.” He sighed heavily and adjusted for more comfort in his chair. “If you don’t like it, you still can do stop entering into this contract.” He said but suddenly there was a pathetic expression in his face.
There were other clauses also in that contract making her compromise to many things, even though she did not like them she could not take a back step now. It was mostly for her family in fact.
(I hope that you enjoyed this novel till here. I update the next chapter as early as possible. Please don’t forget to rate it and write a review)
