"Hearken o' people... the drum sounds the call" "Now awake and arise" "From your deep slumber" "Awaken, now awaken" "The Earth comes alive as dawn heralds a new day" "Rivers sparkle with new life and hope rises in oceans anew" "Awaken, now awaken" "Be blessed, be blessed, be blessed." "May all be blessed" "The towns are awake, the homes are abuzz, every village is astir" "Valleys awaken and so do their trees, look, shadows are coming to life!" "Be Blessed, be blessed, be blessed May all be blessed" "When dawn comes to bathe at the banks of the Ganges, dark night retreats before the Sun's flashing sword" "Sacred fires are lit for prayers." "Go now and greet your gods" "He who asks, shall receive, and sins of ages will be washed away" "The market shakes off its slumber and stretches to life" "Landlord, trader, priest or soldier as per your worth, your value is weighed" "Singing songs of love and blessing the Sufi wanders strumming his tunes..." "May the doors of each man's fortune open and may all be well in this world of ours"" "Be Blessed, be blessed, be blessed, May all be blessed" "Be Blessed, be blessed, be blessed, May all be blessed" "1857 A.D." "The entire Indian subcontinent is ruled by... a company." "The British East India Company" "The most successful business enterprise in history" "The Company has its own laws, its own administration lts own army" "It controls the destiny of one fifth of humanity" "Get it over with" "Mangal Pandey" "Sepoy, 34th Regiment, Native Infantry at Barrackpore" "You have been found guilty of mutiny and conspiracy... to overthrow the government of the Honourable East India Company, by a duly constituted court martial" "You have been sentenced to death" "Well come on, hurry up" "Mangal Pandey, do you have a last wish?" "You cannot grant my last wish" "Yet it will be fulfilled" "Time's up." "Hang him" "Sir, the hangman... he ran away" "Yes sir, he refused to hang Mangal Pandey" "We tried to persuade him, threaten him but... but he ran away, sir" "Christ!" "This is nonsense" "You... you hang him" "That's not my duty, sir" "Damn your duty, it's an order!" "Move!" "I'm a Brahmin, sir." "It's against my faith" "Send a message to Calcutta and get another hangman" "Until then, take him down" "Take him down" "The Earth will be scorched" "Rivers of blood will flow" "Millions will die" "And I, William Gordon... feel responsible for the inevitable" "4 Years earlier, on the mountains of Afghanistan" "Fire" "Infantry... charge" "ATTACK!" "Quick!" "Take them to base camp!" "You did well, Captain" "The Afghans are on the run and we hold the pass" "Pandey..." "Gordon sir... no" "Let him be" "Captain Gordon" "William, are you all right?" "No don't..." "lie down" "Here..." "I want you to have my pistol" "I've got nothing else to give you" "Please" "Take it" "4 Years later, 31st December 1856, Calcutta" "New Year celebrations at the Governor General's palace" "Who's that?" "Lord Canning..." "Governor General." " Not him, you fool" "I mean, the chap next to him" "Mr Lockwood, the Company auditor... sent by London to investigate all the monkey business going on in the Company" "And next to him is Mr Kent" "Bigtime trader" "Some of the top Company officers are on his payroll" "My lords, ladies, and gentlemen... pray silence for..." "His Excellency Lord Canning..." "Governor General of India" "My lords, ladies and gentlemen... as a servant of the Honourable East India Company... that has ruled the territories of Hindoostan... for a hundred years..." "I must profess pride and an equal humility" "It is my privilege to recall... that our forebears came to these territories as traders" "And we now find ourselves, by the will of God... masters of the entire Indian subcontinent from Khyber to Comorin" "What did he say?" "The Company Raj completes 100 years in India" "From traders they became rulers" "My god!" "What is she wearing?" "And we bring to India the benefits of modern governance... scientific progress, and, above all... justice" "Has he mentioned the Queen yet?" " No." "He says they're doing us a favor" "We have earned the love and gratitude of the people of India" "And we shoulder the burden of the white man without complaint" "Now...?" " No" "He says, we Indians are grateful to them!" "Now I call upon you to join with me as I propose the loyal toast" "Your mother must be turning in her grave!" "Shame on you, Emily" "Looking like a nautch girl!" " Do I look like a real nautch girl?" "Captain Hewson, you must know" "I am unfamiliar with the detail of the attire of dancing girls" "Ms Kent, the costume is perfect" "Any nautch girl in India would blush with envy" "You keep the company of nautch girls, Captain Gordon?" "I pursue beauty wherever I can find it" "Toast" "The queen" "The Queen... to the Queen" "Oh!" "So sorry!" "You black bastard" "What the hell are you upto?" "Sir, sorry sir." "Please..." "You, lift him" "Hewson, that's enough" "I'll teach you to touch a white woman you black dog!" "Forgive me sir, it was an accident" "Enough sahib" "Enough" "The black dog will die" "Miss Kent... on behalf of..." " It's not to me that you owe the apology" "Come inside" "Pull the fan" "Faster" "Harder, damn you" "Kamla!" "Oh god, one push into her paradise... and I'll pull your fan in hell forever" "The quartermaster showed Gordon the new Enfield rifle... that the Company was going to introduce in India" "Absolute beauties..." "And speaking of beauties..." "I saw you appreciating Ms. Kent in a sari" "Me..." "On the Company's pay?" "Ah!" "But Kent is filthy rich" "Vultures and merchants of arms." "The only ones to profit from wars, yes!" "Amazing!" "The Company has connected the entire country through wires" "In a blink of an eyelid messages travel from Calcutta to Delhi" "Nonsense!" "Lmpossible!" "It's got to be true!" "It's in the newspaper!" "But how can messages get into wires?" "I'll tell you." "Easy!" "These whites have mastered black magic" "Yeah!" "Must've used a witch's hair" "Yes and it's got an odd name too ...taelly - garaffe" "What?" "Wow!" "That sounds scary" "You bet your ass!" "We're all in for a jolly ride now" "Coming... coming..." "I'm here now, my love" "Here we are, I know you're hungry" "You're dry" "That white woman's baby has sucked you dry" "What's left for him?" "Here, use this on your nipple, it'll make him sleep" "Don't you dare give opium to my baby" "Hey, hey my baby, my love, why are you crying?" "Why are you crying?" "Hush now, aren't you the son of a warrior?" "Why is he always crying?" "No nothing, it's just colic" "Come on Veeru, we're late for the pit" "Coming, coming" "Come on, get him!" "Scissor-throw!" "Give him the scissor-throw!" "Where's Mangal?" " In the wrestling pit, sir" "Captain sahib... want to try your strength against a black man?" "Uh-oh, he's had it now!" "Bravo Captain sahib, way to go!" "Come on Mangal, don't spare him!" "Why didn't you come today?" "Tell me" "I was angry" "Angry?" "Why?" "Hewson was killing that man... and you did nothing" "What was I supposed to do?" "Stand between a fellow officer and a..." "And a black dog!" "Say it... say it!" "You don't understand" "I've spent half my life here, the best part of my life!" "What have I got to go back to?" "You still did nothing" "You're right, I should've stopped him from whipping any black dog" "I'm sorry, all right?" "All right?" "Now... are you still angry with me huh?" "Huh?" "All right, no... no" "I'm beaten." "You're forgiven" "Bhang, my friend, elixir of the gods, is Lord Shiva's favoured potion" "Come on Mangal, have some bhang, liven your spirits" "Want to have some bhang, sahib?" " Er... bhang?" "Doesn't it, you know..." "Don't worry, it doesn't bite or scold." "It's like a good mother" "Strokes you, sings you lullabies tells you stories... and kisses you to sleep." " Well, I'll have to try some of that" "Because my mother certainly never did any of that" "Easy sahib, easy." "You don't want two stepmothers quarrelling in your head" "Ration and roti, the Company's pay" "Give us your life for a shilling a day" "Shilling a day boys, a shilling a day" "While the boom of the cannon may blow you away!" "Mangal... that's Hewson's horse" "Come on" "Bastards!" "Which bastard did this?" "My silly heart can't contain its excitement... when everything gets going for a nobody like me" "May Lord Ram bless you, Mangal" "Ram" " Ram" "AsSalaamu Alaykum Mirza sahib." " Ram" " Ram, Mangal" "All well?" "Oye!" "You cockeyed fool!" "Can't you see?" "A twisted rope is strongest, a twisted eyesight, deepest" "Don't touch me, you scoundrel." "You want to defile a Brahmin?" "Come on, we're all untouchables now." "The Company reigns." "All trash is equal" "Mind your tongue, you dog." " Dog?" "Me?" "Who barks to guard the Company's loot?" "You or me?" "Oh!" "You deserve a thrashing, wait" "And who wags his tail for the white man?" "You or me?" "And who's going to bite the new cartridge dipped in animal fat?" "Animal fat?" " Yes." "Cow and pig fat" "That's used to grease the new cartridge" "Into the mouth... bite... fire... boom!" "Go straight to hell" "Boom goes your faith, boom goes your honour" "Shut up, liar!" "Silence" "This is no fish market" "Let one man speak" "Mangal Pandey." "Sepoy, 5th Company." "34th Native Infantry Regiment 34th eh?" "At ease" "What is it?" "Sir, we hear that the cartridge of the new rifle is greased... and must be bitten before loading." " And what of it?" "Sir, the grease coating is made of cow and pig fat" "The cow is sacred to the Hindus, the pig forbidden to the Muslims" "We can't touch such a cartridge." "It is sacrilege" "Who is spreading this rot?" "The news is all over, sir" "Nonsense!" "No truth to it, my man" "Hasn't the Company always cared for you?" "Now don't worry and go home." "Some mischief-monger is misleading you" "There is no such cartridge." "There will be no such cartridge" "Dismissed" "Gather round... gather round, gather round... gather round" "The world's a marketplace, my friend" "Gather round... gather round" "Only shops from end to end" "Gather round" "You'll find it all here" "It's all on sale" "You'll find it all here" " For a penny it's all on sale" " For a penny" "All your heart's desires..." " For a penny you're sure to find here." " For a penny" "Food and drink, trinkets and baubles... for a penny, a penny, it's all for sale" "Cloth and grain, friendship and love for a penny, a penny, it's all for sale" "Hey Gordon sahib" "This is Miss Emily Kent." "Miss Kent, this is Mangal" "Silks and muslin, satin, cotton, priest and salvation... rice and pulses..." "All for sale" "For a penny, a penny" "Fortune-teller, healer, poet and tailor..." "All for sale" "For a penny, a penny" "Honour and dignity, mango and pears, crowns of royals, all mirrors and glass" "All for sale... for a penny's worth" "All battles and lies all music and noise..." "All for sale... for a penny's worth!" "Take her, take her... at a throwaway price" "Buy yourself a slave..." "Look at this beauty, check out her curves" "Slave or servant... wife or whore... she's what you want... and then some more" "Make your bid." " Eleven" "Stop kidding" "Fifteen" "Emily was surprised that though slavery was abolished in Britain... the Company allowed it in India." "Gordon explained that the Company itself bought these girls... for the pleasure of white soldiers It helped prevent the spread of disease in the army" "I have a gem here" "Let me show you" "Hands off, you pimp!" "Bloody bitch!" "Don't mess with me" "She's a spirited mare eh?" "Just waiting to be reined in" "So who's going to be the lucky man?" "Come on, let's hear it" "Sixty Rupees" "I think I've seen enough" "Seventy" "Eighty Rupees" "That's better, eighty" "Anyone else?" "Quick!" "Or this meat will go to the whites and you'll be left ogling" "Wow, what eyes... the entire Company Raj could drown in them" "What's your name?" "Come on stand up... up" "Let's get a look at you" "Turn around" "Packaging seems all right" "All right?" "!" "By God she's a gem, a real diamond" "Okay then, let's call her that." "Heera (Diamond)" "But she needs polishing" "Get one thing straight, girl, I am Lol Bibi" "And I'm the boss here" "Many trinkets like you decorate my shoes." "Got that?" "And one more thing... this is a pleasure house exclusively for the whites" "You'll have to work very hard" "Men aren't easy to please, no matter what their colour" "That's true!" "Ask me, I have suffered all the various shades!" "One of the Company's biggest trades was that of opium." "It forced Indian farmers to grow it, bought it from them at a pittance... and sold it in China at a profit." "When the Chinese Emperor resisted... the Company waged a war against him." "To fight and die, Indian sepoys were there after all." "And they called it the Free Market." "Captain Gordan, You were meant to be singing too..." "I'm afraid I'm unfamiliar with the song." "Not know it?" "What are you, some sort of a pagan?" "Didn't they thrash it into you in school?" "No sir." "They should've." "Which school did you attend?" "Let me guess, it wasn't Marlborough or Rugby?" "No sir, my family are Catholics, from Glasgow." "I went to parish school" "A papist!" "Come to think of it, I haven't seen you at church." "I must have imagined you were with your famous nautch girls." "Aren't they beautiful?" "I picked them on our ride this evening" "Ah, you must have ridden out in the direction of Kashigunj?" "Yes, I was astounded." "Acres of bright red poppies" "Are they part of some religious ritual?" "No, no." "It's Company land." "Why does the Company grow poppies?" "The poppy, Miss Kent is the sole source of opium" "The Honourable East India Company forces Indian farmers to grow them" "Opium?" " Indeed." "Most of it is bought up... by the Company at prices fixed by them." "And then shipped to China... to help turn an entire nation into opium addicts" "But why?" "It's the only thing we can sell the Chinese... in return for the tea and silks that we Europeans are addicted to" "I think Gordon, the ladies ought to be spared this lecture" "But the Chinese Emperor resists, he no longer wants to trade in opium" "So the company decides to wage a war against him" "And in this war it wants Indian sepoys to fight and die" "The circle is complete... and we call it the free market" "You abuse my hospitality" "If I have spoken out of turn sir, I apologise" "After all I'm just a common soldier" "It's a subject you'd know more about than I" "When Kent humiliated Gordon about his humble beginnings..." "Gordon couldn't stand for it." "William..." "I'm so sorry" " Emily, there's no need" "Gordon liked Emily, but realized that he did not belong in this elite circle." "When traders become rulers then the common man pays the price" "But now Nana Saheb will make the Company pay" "Really?" "How?" "His minister, Azimullah, has returned from England with Queen Victoria's letter... which clearly states that Nana Saheb is right and the Company is wrong" "Futile." "Nana Saheb has only a letter while the Company has guns" "But sir, the gun is a treacherous lover, there's no telling whom she'll set her sights upon!" "What's up?" "What the bloody hell is going on?" "Broken axle, sir." "Two boxes of cartridges have fallen down" "The new Enfield... is the best rifle in the world" "It will feel no different to your musket" "A bit lighter" "Accurate to a thousand yards, five times the range of your old Brown Bess" "And now, the new cartridge." "It consists of gunpowder and a lead" "You pick up the cartridge and bite the end off, like so" "You pour the gunpowder in, followed by the lead" "And then... you ram the Johnny down." "Ram it down, tight" "Then you're ready to fire" "You... try" "You... and you" "Come on lads, look lively" "Come on, it won't bark back" "Corporal..." "Yes sir?" " What is the matter?" "The grease, sir." "We cannot put the grease in our mouth" "Then where will you put it, man?" "Come on, be sensible" "What's the matter, Captain?" "It's the cartridges, sir." "The sepoys say they saw dogs licking grease off them in the bazaar" "They saw what?" "Dogs, licking the new cartridges" "The men believe they've been greased with the fat of pigs and cows, sir" "And are they?" "The Company's supplier, sir." "I checked with him." "And he assured me... there was no truth to it" "There you are, Captain White man's word." "Knock the superstition out of them" "Still sir, shouldn't we be careful?" " You heard me, Captain" "The Quartermaster claimed that the cartridges were clean." "A white man's word was good enough for the general." "He ordered Gordon to set the soldiers' fears to rest." "The Company respects all religions and will never break faith" "And I, as an officer of the Company give you my word... that this cartridge is greased with neither the fat of pigs or cows" "Will a loyal sepoy please step forward and volunteer to fire the gun." "What am I supposed to tell him now?" "He has already done what he had to" "We can't let this pass." "We must confront him with this" "You think he'll listen to us?" " Here he comes." "Talk to him" "Aye Mangal, why did you bite the bullet?" "You're an outcaste now." "You'll pay for it." "Just because you speak a little English, you think you're a bloody white man?" "Now because of you, they'll force us as well" "Shut your miserable mouths" "Gordon sahib said they're clean." "That's enough for me." "And what if Gordon sahib is lying?" "Gordon sahib will never lie to me" "That's fine, but what if the cartridge-story turns out to be true?" "Then I'll burn the company down" "Now scram!" "There." "Look at that attitude" "Gordon sahib, Will you tell me something?" "Yes, Why not?" "What is the Company?" "Why do you ask?" "I need to know" "Company...?" "A Company is an entity created entirely for the purpose of making a profit" "And what does it do?" " What does it do!" "Well it buys and sells, anything." "Indigo, spices, opium" "Love, honour, truth... anything" "Yes but... who is the Company?" "In your story of the Ramayan... you have a character Ravana." "The chap with ten heads, right?" "Well, the Company has thousands of heads... all stuck together with the glue of greed." "You understand?" "Hey, is that a Sati?" "Come on" "Gordon sahib, I don't think we should." " Come on, it's a Sati!" "Glory to woman who accompanies her husband in death" "Glory be!" "Stop this" "I said, stop this immediately!" "Come here, come along" "Sahib, you better leave." "These are sacred ceremonies" "But Sati has been banned." "Burning a widow is a crime" "Captain sahib, don't interfere." "You're tampering with our ancient customs" "And you're tampering with my ancient custom." "I don't stand by and watch murder" "Return the woman." "Or you'll regret it" "You'll have to kill me first!" "Come on!" "Get him!" "Lynch him" "Anybody who dares touch the sahib is a dead man" "Sahib, save the girl!" "I'll deal with these bastards" "Go sahib... go... go" "Oh God!" "A Sati!" "But she is alive!" "You're damn right she is!" "But they will come for her!" "It's a question of their honour" "Return her, sahib!" " No one will touch her!" "That's the law" "What are we going to do with her, Mangal?" "Her relatives will surely kill her." "She has nowhere to go" "Come out" "Don't be afraid" "You're safe here" "No one will touch you" "Come" "How are you feeling?" "Did you sleep?" "What's your name?" "I am going to work but don't worry..." "I have posted guards." "You'll be safe" "They will come... for me" "Who?" "Relatives" "My husband was a powerful man, lord of a hundred villages" "I'm sorry you lost him." "Any children?" "No, he was very old." "Sixty, when he married me" "He had grown-up children" "He was very sick" "Sahib the village chieftain has come to meet you" "He says it's important" "Go in... and don't worry" "Sahib, don't play with our honour" "What do you mean?" "Return the woman to us" "What?" "So that you can kill her?" "That is her destiny" "Not anymore" "Don't involve yourself in matters you don't understand" "That will not be good for you" "Are you threatening an officer of the East India Company?" "You listen to me!" "You so much as set foot into the Cantonment again, and I will shoot you!" "You understand me?" "Do you understand me?" "Now get out" "In the course of his investigations into corruption in the Company..." "Lockwood raided the godown of a Parsee merchant, Sorabjee." "Search the place" "There is no need for all that, Sir" "Search it." " It is all legitimate" "The search uncovered stocks of opium." "Sir, look at this" "Seal the stock, arrest this man." " Sergeant-major..." "Mr Lockwood, you are a man of high powers" "But you've been here only a few days, sir" "You must try to understand" " Mr Sorabji you are aware... that The East India Company has a monopoly on the opium trade" "It is obvious, you have been indulging in your own private dealings" "Mr Lockwood, I am acquainted with you British... and I have had dealings for years with the Company officials" "I will be very proud to make you part of our arrangements" "Are you offering to bribe me, you blackguard!" "Sir, I have the deepest respect for you as a gentleman" "I am simply trying to explain how trade works in India" "It could be beneficial to you." " You mistake me sir" "I'm here to bury corruption, not fan it." " Corruption is a strong word, sir" "It is our custom, as Indians, to give small gifts" "I must quieten your displeasure and pay a fine. 300 pounds in gold?" "Damn your eyes!" "Three thousand pounds" "Now?" "Three... thousand... pounds!" "India is rich, sir" "Lockwood did not succumb to Sorabjee's offer of a huge bribe." "Instead he forced Sorabjee to name the villages... from which he bought the opium." "Every man is reminded... that growing, buying or selling opium... without the permission of the Company... is illegal and punishable" "You have broken the law" "Therefore by the order of the Collector and Magistrate... your land and property is hereby confiscated!" "But how are we to blame?" "White sahibs tell us to grow, we grow." "White sahibs tell us to sell, we sell" "Don't take our lands sahib!" "Where will we go?" "Have mercy, sahib" "For god's sake, have mercy" "Get your hands off" "The Company is cruel!" "Get out!" "Go away!" "Our children will starve!" " Leave us alone" "Fire!" "No sir!" "That's not necessary, I'll deal with this" "I said fire!" "No... no... don't shoot." " We're your brothers" "What are you thinking?" "Does this happen back home in my village as well?" "We're soldiers." "It's our job to fight, to kill" "To kill an unknown enemy is easy." "But to kill people who are your own..." "You were obeying orders, Mangal" "That's our duty That is the price of the salt we eat" "Sometimes I wonder if there are more important things in life than salt" "I'm a slave to your charms" "I'm a slave to your charms" "I'm a slave to your charms" "I'm a slave to your charms" "Your love for me is like..." "Your love for me is like..." "a honey-dipped dagger" "I'm a slave to your charms" "Your burning gaze pierces me like arrows" "Where did you learn such deadly skill?" "My heart's wounded..." "but the pain is so exquisite" "I'm a slave to your charms" "Once I was a blossoming bud... flowering in a garden of sunshine" "No restless days, no sleepless nights" "I was innocent and carefree... and then I met you!" "Oh, what a price I'm paying for having trusted you... oh, what a price I'm paying for having trusted you!" "Your love for me is like..." "a honey-dipped dagger" "I'm a slave to your charms" "She has already been promised for the first night... to the Company's senior officer." "You cannot take her sahib, I beg you" "Out of my way woman, I'm taking her" "No, not for double the money, please" "Her first night will be with me and that's what she wants to... don't you darling!" " Don't create trouble for me" "Enough!" "Did you not hear!" "The woman said something." "Leave the girl" "One more word out of you and I'll have you horsewhipped!" "You're not going anywhere!" "Bastard!" "I'll get you for this, you nigger!" "I'll teach you a lesson, you son of a whore!" "I say, leave him!" "You scoundrels!" "You're wrecking my shop" "No!" "Not upstairs!" "You'll destroy my rooms!" "Who'll pay for the damage?" "You still haven't told me your name" "Jwala" "Hey stop!" " It's urgent" "Where are you going?" " We need to meet Gordon sahib" "Gordon sahib!" "He's killing Mangal!" " What... who?" "Hewson sahib has gone to the jail to kill Mangal Pandey" "You dog!" "You dare assault an officer!" "Say you are a dog" "You are a dog" "Make the black bastard shit blood" "Stop... stop it" "Four men against one!" "You cowardly bastard" "You think you can kill this man and get away with it?" "The commandant won't take a black man's word for it, will he?" "Well, if he'll take a white man's he'll bloody well take mine" "You sir, you're no white man" "Let's get out of here" "Come on" "Cheers to Mangal!" "Long live Mangal!" "Next" "Quick, lift it up." "You wouldn't be here if you were the shy sort" "C'mon doc, quit peeping up skirts all day." "Treat a hero for once!" "Isn't he the one who fought with Captain Hewson?" "No!" "He's the one who taught him a lesson!" "Come baby!" "I could teach you a lesson or two myself" "Oh dear!" "What a waste of energy!" "Why don't you try your strength on us?" "Yes!" "I've never tasted a hero" "For you it'll be free." "In fact, we'll pay" "Shut up!" "Go sell your bodies to the whites... go" "We just sell our bodies, you soldiers sell your souls!" "In the course of my investigations I have discovered that you have been compromising senior officers," "falsifying accounts, in fact sir, you have been cheating the company" "I have done nothing that others have not done before me" "You have been smuggling opium into China on your own behalf, Mr Kent" "You have evidence?" "Lockwood accused Kent of carrying on illegitimate trade in opium... and produced Sorabjee as evidence." "You wanted me to go to prison for you." " No sir, you pay for your own sins" "Mr Lockwood, you would persuade a native to point a finger at me!" "I'm just a puppet in his hands, sir" "If you lay a hand on me... the reverberations will reach the House of Lords" "Kent warned Lockwood that taking him on..." "Lockwood could be taking on the House of Lords." "Anyone there?" "Hukum Singh" "I'm used to it, sahib" "But I'm not" "It's all right, come on" "What are you doing?" "Give me the gun" "Give me the bloody gun!" "I don't want you to go" "I was just at Lol Bibi's... your Juliet is really worried about you, mate" "She sent milk for you, specially laced with turmeric" "But I'm an untouchable and what I've touched you won't consume" "So I saved you the dilemma and I drank it myself!" "I want to meet her" "Oh, so the fire rages here as well" "But how?" "You aren't a white man, eunuch or an untouchable." "I want to meet her" "What's your name?" "Heera" "What caste?" "People on sale have none." "Whoever pays gets to choose my caste" "Where are you from?" "Don't know" "As a child I was kidnapped, then sold" "Since then, it's been one sale after another" "Want to escape?" "Escape?" "With you?" "You're badly hurt" "Did you drink the milk I sent?" "Ya" "Lying to me?" "Lol Bibi is looking for you" "You'll get into trouble" "Like the fish thrashes helplessly in a net... so do I in your love" "At the core of my being..." "I feel an insatiable thirst... and my every nerve is aflame" "Oh tell me, lass, who's that thief of your thoughts?" "That philanderer, that scoundrel, he sins in my head" "That philanderer, that scoundrel, he sins in my head" "Locking his eyes with mine... he steals my sleep and peace of mind" "That trickster... oh my rascal lover" "Slowly but surely... she falls in his trap" "As the flames begin to lick her... her veil begins to slip" "That trickster" "Oh my rascal lover" "Oh tell me, lass, who is he?" "Who's that thief of your dreams?" "He's a soldier, a brave warrior, who by my word, has stolen my heart" "I didn't think at first sight that he would possess me so" "But my heart began to beat aloud... and I knew I was lost" "How I panicked... and burned with shame... when he took my hand and pulled me close" "Then clouds of desire gathered, and burst forth with love's rain." "Oh that trickster" "Oh you scoundrel" "What's up Davar?" "Damn you, Nainsukh!" "You cockeyed scoundrel!" "Can't you find someone else to bump into?" "Who better than you, now that we're both the same... untouchables" "What nonsense, you swine!" "Well, you've bitten the bullet and licked the fat" "You've lost your caste, you have nothing left to lose now" "Shut up... that's a lie!" "Your "lie" is being manufactured in a factory in Calcutta" "Want to see for yourself?" "Do you?" "Come, my brothers, come" "I won't stay silent any longer, even if it costs me my life!" "It's true about the cartridges." "See for yourself, pig fat and cow fat" "May the devil stay away!" "Is this your factory?" " Only in name... the real owner is an Englishman" "I am a god-fearing man, brothers, I respect both Hindus and Muslims" "Then why did you use cow and pig fat?" "!" "The Company would have used crow fat if that was cheaper" "Mangal...?" "You lied to me!" "I trusted you and you lied me" "What're you talking about?" " I saw it with my own eyes" "The factory, the cartridge, the grease... made with cow and pig fat" "Oh God, no..." "I'm now an outcaste" "You know what it means to be an outcaste?" "My entire community will shun me" "They will no longer touch me, speak to me, eat with me, or burn my body when I die" "For them I am an untouchable." "I no longer exist." "I am a nobody" "Mangal, listen to me..." " You lied to me!" "Listen to me, I didn't know!" "They lied to me" "You plunder our land, you abuse our faith and now... you want our Souls?" "Sahib... you've enjoyed a black man's loyalty" "Now taste his fury" "Mark my words, Captain sahib!" "This cartridge will explode" "And it will bring to an end the Company Raj" "Take back you pistol, Captain sahib." "We're brothers no more" "Don't..." "If you are an untouchable then so am I" "Mangal, we're all with you" "A wrong done unknowingly is not a sin" "That's what the scriptures say as well" "This cartridge controversy could spin out of control sir." "We have tried to introduce it twice, in different regiments without success." "I would recommend caution." "Damn it we can't succumb to such blind superstition" "May seem like superstition to us sir, but to the sepoys... it's an extremely sensitive issue." "It strikes them at their core." "Gordon urged his senior officers to respect the sepoys' feelings... and withdraw the cartridge." "He was reminded that... the country was ruled by a Company which could not suffer losses." "Colonel Mitchell claimed that his sepoys were loyal... and would do his bidding." "So it was decided... that a contingent from Barrackpore be sent to Behrampore... a hundred miles away... where they would be forced to use the cartridge, by example." "Mitchell ordered the sepoys from both the Behrampore... and Barrackpore regiments..." "to use the cartridge." "First company, first platoon, step forward and pick up your rifles and the cartridges" "Subedar" "What's the matter?" "The new cartridge, sir." "The sepoys don't want to use it, sir" "Damn it Bakht Khan" "Now this is the Army" "A soldier uses whatever arms and ammunition he is asked to use" "First company, first platoon, step forward" "Enough!" "If you do not move I will blow you apart with cannon!" "Move the artillery forward" "You will obey orders!" "I will count till ten" "One" "Two" "Three" "Four" "Five" "Six" "Seven" "Eight" "Nine" "Fire..." "Dismiss the parade sir." "This could turn serious" "Do it sir" "For god's sake, do it before it's too late!" "Very well, dismiss the parade" "Parade... dismiss!" "Looting the armoury was wrong" "Now we leave them no choice" "What choice did we have?" "Mitchell was about to blow us up." "That was just a bluff." "He doesn't have the authority" "But now he has an excuse" "He'll attack us and claim that he's putting down a mutiny" "They're coming to attack our homes with horses and cannons!" "Don't panic." "Get ready with your weapons" "Come on" "This is your commanding officer" "Unless you lay down the arms which you have looted..." "I promise you, I will give the orders of fire" "We don't want bloodshed, Colonel sahib." "Withdraw your guns and go in peace" "Surrender!" "This is your last chance" "We are armed Colonel sahib!" "We will fight" "But sir, they are our own men" "Not any more, can't you see they are mutineers" "Split up into four groups and let each man carry two torches" "Sir but we have no such commands from the General" "Don't you dare interfere with my authority" "Please withdraw for now, sir." "Let me talk to them" "All right do it, do it!" "Listen up" "This is corporal Bhola Tiwari speaking" "Colonel Mitchell sahib has agreed to withdraw the cannons" "The English soldiers are returning to their barracks" "Please let them through" "Fellow soldiers of India... we have shed our blood without complaint... in the service of our foreign masters" "For them, we have conquered kingdom after kingdom" "But in return... what have we got?" "Poverty, hunger and humiliation" "Mangal, Gordon sahib is here" "I'm not here on duty" "I've come to speak with Mangal Pandey" "Whatever you have to say, you can say here." "We're all friends" "Give me a minute" "Do you fully understand the implications of what you're doing?" "The Army will never, never tolerate insubordination" "You leave them no choice." "They will have to use force unless..." "Unless what?" "Unless what sahib?" "Unless we go down on our knees and beg for mercy?" "Swallow your cartridge and our honour?" "Forget who we are and promise to remain your slaves forever?" "For too long our minds have rusted in the service of foreign masters" "All it takes is a little bit of grease to make us remember who we are" "I can understand how you feel." "I too feel angered... when the Company is unreasonable, when officers are unfeeling, when rules are unfair, but these differences... must be resolved by reasonable means" "This is the difference" "Now what are the reasonable means?" "News of the chaos at Behrampore had reached the senior officers." "They were unhappy with Mitchell's handling of the situation." "Mitchell is a fool" "This shouldn't have been allowed to happen." "I've come to beg you to reconsider, sir." "Please withdraw the cartridges." "You don't expect an army to succumb to a rumour do you, Captain?" "This is not simply a question of idle gossip, sir." "Gordon once again urged that the cartridges be discontinued." "But the officials paid no heed to him." "Instead, they cast aspersions on his loyalty, and said... he could share his bed with a native, but not his loyalty." "The British were worried that there were very few white soldiers in Barrackpore." "They decided to send for Queen Victoria's troops from..." "Rangoon to deal with the rebelling sepoys." "And till Rangoon Regiment arrived... they would stall for time by ordering an enquiry." "I think we should accept the Company's offer and return the guns" "There will be only an inquiry, no punishments" "Let them save face" "But we can win!" "For every British soldier, we are seven sepoys" "Even if we win Behrampore, will it end the Company Raj?" "So we take defeat without a fight?" "Have we learnt nothing from the British?" "Rushing into battle is futile" "But if we plan well, we can win." "Our country, our honour... everything" "But for now we need time" "O' Messiah, lead us into hope..." "O' Messiah, lead us into hope" "In fervent worship, I seek you..." "like a moth seeks the flame" "O' most merciful, benevolent God..." "hear my plea" "Lead me to your light, show me the way" "O' most merciful, benevolent God..." "hear my plea" "O' Messiah, lead us into hope" "My heart is uneasy, sleep and dreams elude me" "I turn and toss as a storm grows in my breast" "What is to happen next?" "Where does this story go?" "The world waits with bated breath for the saga to unfold" "O' Lord..." "O' Messiah..." "Why these hurdles, why this trial by fire?" "O' most merciful, benevolent God..." "hear my plea" "Welcome, friends, welcome... welcome to the noble path" "We are emissaries of King Nana Saheb" "I am Azimullah and this is Chief of the Maratha army, Tatya Tope" "Please be seated" "What brings you to us?" "You are aware how the Company has, through treachery and force... snatched our kingdoms from us" "They took Delhi, Awadh, Jhansi..." "Everyone is angry" "Nana Saheb has united all the kings... to fight against the Company" "We're here to invite you to join us" "Invite us?" "What is it, some feast?" "Your Rajahs and Nawabs have gambled away their kingdoms" "They've sold out to the company, my friend" "We have seen them grovel and lay down their arms in front of us" "What are they?" "Nothing" "And you?" "We are Hindustan." "The Company rules on our strength" "The Company's native army is the only force today... with the numbers, the weapons and the training to challenge the Company" "And afterwards?" "Who will rule?" "The people" "Even in England, the Queen may be on the coin, but the rule is of the people" "The Company has always won by dividing us... by making us fight, king against king, Hindu against Muslim" "We have a common enemy... the Company" "It's time to unite and fight against it" "You want that we spill our blood to throw the Company out... and become your slaves again?" "No!" "This is a fight for freedom" "Freedom from our past, freedom for our future" "It is the need of the hour that we bury our differences" "We're ready to fight alongside the kings" "But this revolution needs a unifying symbol" "And that can only be the Red Fort in Delhi" "If we agree... to unite under the leadership of the Mughal Emperor Bahadur Shah... then we have a deal" "But Bahadur Shah is 82 years old" "Yes, he is old and infirm..." "but fed up of the Company's excesses" "He needs us and we need him" "His flag will be our banner" "We know the disposition, speed and strength of the entire Company army" "Barrackpore, Behrampore, Raniganj" "Allahabad, Kanpur, Lucknow, Meerut and Delhi" "All large garrison towns" "Three hundred thousand native sepoys and only forty thousand British soldiers" "If on the same day, at the same time, all of us rise... the Company won't know where to hide" "In a single day, we disarm every British soldier" "And the Company Raj comes to an end!" "Praise be to Allah!" "Astrology predicts that the Company Raj will end in a hundred years" "And a hundred years, ends this May" "Then let's fix the date" "31st May" "On that day, all of India will rise and become free" "It's Holi!" "Holi is here, an explosion of colour" "The bells ring out and drumbeats roll" "The streets dance in drunken abandon" "It's the season of joy, my love" "You wretches!" "Where are you off to?" "Look, Holi is here in a riot of colours, painting one and all alike" "Sorrows are lost, in new ecstasies of blues, greens and reds" "Look, Holi is here in a riot of colours, painting one and all alike" "Sorrows are lost, in new ecstasies of blues, greens and reds" "I am going to be coloured anew... this year the hues look richer" "No one can stop us now, no one can hold us back..." "No matter what... we are ready!" "Look my love, I'm drenched in colours" "And a little drunk, you sway so mesmerisingly" "How can I not let go and enjoy this moment... as you seduce me with your eyes?" " No one can stop us now" "No one can hold us back..." "no matter what... we are ready!" "With a fistful of colours Lord Krishna sneaks up on his lover" "But Radha is quick as she is naughty and gives it back as good as she gets" "With a fistful of colours Lord Krishna sneaks up on his lover" "But Radha is quick as she is naughty and gives it back as good as she gets" "As the lovers unite and the colours mix Radha and Krishna become one" "Which is Radha, which is Krishna who can tell them apart?" "Under a blanket of colours our eyes lock, our hands touch" "We come closer and something deep within me stirs" "This spell of love, this joyous abandon, can you ever escape it?" "Don't ask that of me anymore" "No one can stop us now, no can hold us back... no matter what... we are ready!" "The insolent behavior of the sepoys Had the British officials worried." "Just then, General Anson received the news... that Rangoon Regiment was afloat and would reach on..." "April 1st." "Anson decided that when the Queen's troops arrived... the rebel soldiers would be disarmed and their leaders hanged." "It would be such a lesson that no one would dare rise for a hundred years." "Mangal, they're going to kill you" "They've sent for the Rangoon Regiment" "What..." "Rangoon Regiment?" "When?" "1st April" "How do you know?" "Last night I was with Hewson" "He blurts out a lot when he is drunk." "He said, once the Regiment gets here... they'll disarm the native sepoys and hang their leaders" "I'm scared, Mangal!" "Save yourself... and save me... from this hell" "Mangal, I beg you" "Let's run away... anywhere" "No" "Heera, I cannot run away" "The situation has changed." "We can't wait till May" "But the kings need time to prepare." " Time is what we don't have" "One wrong move can ruin everything" "Once the sepoys are disarmed, who will do the fighting?" "Your Nana Saheb?" "Or Bahadur Shah?" "There's one way" "We've received orders to march from Behrampore on 21st March... to reach Barrackpore on 30th March." "Rangoon Regiment arrives on 1st April" "That gives us two days" "The moment we reach Barrackpore, we'll take over the cantonment" "Then, before the Rangoon Regiment arrives, we march to Calcutta." "There we capture Fort William and hold on to it... until the rebellion spreads throughout the country" "Done with selling your milk to that white bitch?" "Better that, than us starving" "You bitch!" "Talking back to me?" "Now their days are numbered!" " Yeah, in your dreams!" "Wait and see, their time's up!" "By the next full-moon... slaughter!" "Where...?" "In Barrackpore?" "Everywhere." "All across India!" "Memsaab, danger!" "Danger Memsaab!" "Wait" "What's going on, what danger?" "Baba is like my own son." "I don't want anything to happen to him" "Memsaab, you must leave!" " Why what's going on?" "The sepoys say Company Raj will end" "They've been saying that for a hundred years." "It won't happen" "No!" "This time it's for real" "Please take Baba and go back to Englistan." "Please" "You've taken a great risk, Kamla." "Traitor!" "You dare to mutineer?" "Now see what we do to your wife and child!" "What date have you devils set for this?" "30th March" "Send dispatches immediately" "Stop the Behrampore Regiment from reaching here." "Contact Rangoon" "The Queen's Regiment must get here before the 30th." "Remember... your wife and child!" "On learning the rebels' plans, General Hearsey ordered that..." "The Rangoon Regiment must reach Barrackpore before 30th March." "Meanwhile, the Behrampore Regiment must be stopped en route... and prevented from reaching Barrackpore." "Halt!" "Ah, Bakht Khan!" " Why this halt, sir?" "A storm is brewing." "We stay here till it passes." "But the Sepoys are tired... eager to reach Barrackpore." "They need to rest" "Really?" "Well I'm afraid they must rest here" "I will go and explain it to them" "That won't be necessary" "What's up?" "What happened?" "White soldiers, a whole army!" "What?" "Where?" "On the riverbank, I saw it myself" "Are you out of your mind?" "!" "Believe me, I swear by my mother!" "On the banks" "Come on... the Brits are here!" "The Rangoon Regiment has arrived." "Everyone to the Parade Ground." "Quick!" "Sound the bugle!" "Call everyone, quick!" "This is not the time..." " Blow the bugle" "Mangal!" "What's the matter?" "What's wrong with the Sergeant-Major?" "Don't go out." "It is bad luck to spill milk" "It's an ill omen!" "Something terrible is going to happen!" "Please don't go" "Don't worry, I'll be fine" "Come on!" "The time has come!" "Time to fight, time to be free!" "What happened Mangal, what's wrong?" " Get your weapons." "The Brits are here" "The Rangoon Regiment has landed!" " But today isn't 1st April" "They came early." "We have to act fast." "Go get your guns!" "Quick!" "To arms!" "But Bakht Khan's men aren't here yet." " We need to wait for them" "We can't wait." "We must attack, and capture the cantonment before the Rangoon Regiment moves in" "Stop." "Don't." "You'll get us killed!" "There's no time!" "Come on, move!" "Move!" "No no, wait!" "He's gone mad!" "Mangal your impatience will get us killed!" "And this hesitation will kill the rebellion!" "But Mangal, we are not ready yet" "It's now or never!" "What's wrong with you guys?" "Don't you see, the moment we have all been waiting for is here!" "It's time to honour your pledge, it's time to do or die" "Pick up your guns and fight" "Fight for your freedom" "For once, fight for yourselves" "Fight!" "Come on!" "What's going on here!" "Who sounded the bugle?" "Mangal, stop" "Mangal... no..." "What the hell do you think you're doing?" "A handful of sepoys is no match for the Rangoon Regiment" "That we shall see" "Then you leave me no choice" "Get the General" "Sir, it's begun" "The British Army" "Rangoon Regiment" "You are completely outnumbered" "Drop your guns and surrender, or die" "It's too late, Mangal." "It's all over" "All of India is looking at us If we surrender now... the rebellion dies before it is born." "We can't let that happen" "I won't let that happen" "They are far too many, it's no use." "Let's run" "No... no...!" " We can't win" "We will win, even if it takes a hundred years" "Let's run Mangal... please, or we'll all die!" "Go" "Spread the word" "It has begun" "Mangal the rebellion needs you!" "The rebellion needs blood" "Let it be mine" "ATTACK!" "Stop" "Don't fire" "Hold your fire" "I want him alive" "To the hospital!" "Quick!" "He mustn't die" "Awaken, arise and be blessed." "May all be blessed" "Awaken, arise and be blessed." "May all be blessed" "The towns are awake, the homes are abuzz, every village is astir" "Valleys awaken and so do their trees, look, shadows are coming to life!" "Nana Saheb, Barrackpore has risen" "Soon the fire will spread all across" "But Tatya..." "Make up your mind Nana Saheb." "Seize the moment or perish" "No hand can stem the fire that rages in people's hearts" "Eyes ablaze and spirits aflame, no head will ever bow again" "A changed people fill the streets, marching into death's embrace" "Greetings, Queen Lakshmibai." " Welcome, Tatya" "The time has come, earlier than we expected" "Good." "Just what I've been waiting to hear" "Rising like a storm unstoppable, stirring the land in it's wake" "They swear to crush and finally end this dark age of tyranny" "I'm an Emperor only in name." "I am weak, what can I do?" "A giant wave is rising, Your Majesty" "If we don't swim with it, we'll drown" "Awaken, arise and be blessed." "May all be blessed" "He will live" "There is still hope." "I have spoken to them" "If you tender a public apology, they will let you live" "Just say that it was a mistake and you're sorry that's all" "Or they will hang you" "I am not sorry for my actions and I am not scared to die" "So they cannot threaten me or forgive me" "Mangal..." "I don't want you to die" "This is my fault, I let you do this, I passed on a lie" "Gordon sahib, you did what you could and I did what I had to" "My blood is not on your hands" "I've come to realise that what I did and what I must do... has nothing to do with bitting a bullet, and nothing to do with the terror of becoming an outcaste" "I... believed that Nainsukh was born an untouchable" "Now... we are all untouchables in our own land" "Gordon sahib, our fight is no longer against grease on a cartridge, it is for our dignity, our freedom," "our right to hold our head as high as the next man" "You, the lie, the grease..." "I'd bite the bullet a hundred times if it would give my freedom" "Mangal for god's sake we have to stop this thing, or there will be terrible bloodshed" "You don't understand" "India is rising, nothing and nobody can stop it," "not even my life" "Mangal Pandey... did you on the 29th of March incite the other sepoys... to rebel against the Company?" "Who were the others involved in this conspiracy?" "On that morning, did you imbibe any intoxicating drinks?" "This one called bhang, for instance?" "Let the record show that the accused does not deny this" "It's obvious that the accused has no interest whatsoever... in the proceedings of this court martial." "Therefore... we shall have to rely upon testimonies of the eye witnesses... and the officers attacked and wounded by the accused" "You have known Mangal Pandey for the past seven years?" "I have known him sir, as a brave soldier and a loyal friend" "One of the finest sepoys to serve under my command" "Is it true that on the 29th of March he attacked and injured you?" "I cannot deny what happened sir, but I would like you to look... at the circumstances that led to his behaviour," " Answer in yes or no..." "Yes but the cartridge controversy and the subsequent events..." "Yes or no Captain" "Just knowing what happened is not enough" "You have to understand why it happened" "Yes or no!" "Yes" "Is it not also true that he subsequently murdered... two of your fellow officers and injured four others?" "Yes" "That will be all, Captain" "No, that will not be all!" "You will hear me speak damn it!" "Has this company become so blinded by arrogance and greed that... it cannot see the danger that stares it in the face?" "We stand surrounded by our own army 300,000 armed native soldiers so disillusioned by our command, that they are on the verge of mutiny." "And what do we do to pacify them?" "We stoke the fire of their indignation... by laughing at their concerns or suppressing them with brutality" "But mark my words, if you hang this man Mangal Pandey... there will be rebellion, bloody rebellion... that will sweep through this land like wildfire" "A rebellion that will lead to the end of this Company Raj" "Captain, enough!" "Gordon tried his best to save Mangal." "He warned that if Mangal Pandey was hanged there would be a bloody rebellion..." "That would put to an end the Company Raj." "But even this warning fell on deaf ears." "They failed to hang him this morning" "They have called for a hangman from Calcutta" "They will hang him in public tomorrow, and make a spectacle of his death" "Hearken o' people... the drum sounds the call" "Now awake and arise" "From your sleep of ages" "Awaken, now awaken" "The Earth comes alive as dawn heralds a new day" "Rivers sparkle with new life and hope rises in oceans anew" "Awaken, now awaken" "Pay heed to this moment in Time, though your eyes disbelieve what they see" "A man is leaving this world of man, see his head held proud and high" "Oh how fortunate is the mother, who gave birth to such a son" "So fearless, he shall never die, even if life is taken from him" "With such dignity does this rebel take leave every head bows in respect" "On his lips the cry of freedom, his heart's desire for all to see" "His eyes see beyond the present, the dream of his homeland free" "You can kill a man but not his dream!" "ATTACK!" "ATTACK!" "And so began the bloodiest rebellion in human history" "The British called it a Sepoy Mutiny" "But for the Indians it was the first war of independence" "An officer by the name Captain William Gordon, was recorded as having joined the rebel forces... and fought against the Company Raj" "The rebellion was finally put down after a year... but it destroyed the East India Company" "And the British Crown took over the governance of India" "Mangal Pandey in his death became a hero, a legend... who inspired a nation to fight for freedom" "The dream of freedom ignited by Mangal finally came true 90 years later... on 15th August 1947, when India became free."