By
Sagar Rathod
1st Draft
OPENING TITLE CARD
‘You are not a drop in the ocean…You are the entire
ocean in the drop.’ – Rumi
FADE IN:
Ext. Earth / Space
Planet Earth as we zoom in..becoming redder and redder.
Montage of mountains disappearing snow caps..barren
rivers and finally…The river Ganges. Half dry. People
are fighting on the streets over water.
A holographic display on a busy street reads out a
message. ‘DAYS WITHOUT RAINFALL: 801’
VOICE OVER:
Climate change has ravaged much of our fragile Earth..the
rivers are dry…and the lands barren. Humanity is thirsty.
CUT TO:
Ext/Int. Desert / Futuristic Lab
The building, called ‘The Temple of Sita’s Tears’..where
an ancient temple once stood…. We slowly zoom in…
Inside Dr. Sethi stands in front of a holographic display…
his hands manipulate images of circuitry and strange
geometric shapes..creating wondrous connections.
2
VO:
While to world waited for the rains. The brilliant
Dr.Sethi assembled nine of the world’s most magnificent
minds. Under his direction..they began work, to find a
solution to the water crisis.
CUT TO:
VO:
Years later they constructed the ‘Rainmaker’ – a drought-ending machine.
Int. Futuristic Lab
Montage of engineers busy working with futuristic
technology. As years go by. We witness the construction
of ‘Rainmaker’ from a tiny frame to a towering machine.
Int. Futuristic Lab
Dr. Sethi stands solitary, in front of the ‘Rainmaker’.
His engineer’s eyes fixed to holo screens..as they ready
themselves to bring the device to life..and with a gentle
commanding nod from Dr. Sethi..the engineers begin…
Int. Futuristic Lab
Montage of engineers activating the rainmaker via their
holo-screens.
3
CUT TO:
Ext. Temple of Sita’s Tears
The singular cloud glows violently. Lightning rips
through the clouds…
Int. Futuristic Lab
‘The Rainmaker’ hums and orbs within the machine glow.
Sea water below begins to levitate upwards, and a
whirlpool forms. From beneath the chamber, four glowing
pillars rise to be greeted by lightning inside the
chamber.
Miraculously, heavy rains fall within the chamber..and
is sucked into pipes.
Int. Futuristic Lab Floor
His engineers cheer for joy. ‘The Rainmaker’ is
operational.
Dr. Sethi’s raises a glistening glass of water, poured
directly from the machine.
VO:
Dr. Sethi announces to the world. ‘The Rainmaker’ is a
gift for all humanity. Clean water. Free for all.
CUT TO:
Ext: BOMBAY CITY / NIGHT
Massive crowds look upwards, transfixed on holo-screens.
A transmission is played. Onscreen a jubilant Dr. Sethi
joined by his engineers. The crowds below cheer and
rejoice.
4
CUT TO:
Int. Futuristic Lab / Upper Observation Room
From a distance… Surin Sethi looks on. His face turns to
an evil smile…
CUT TO:
Int. Temple of Sita’s Tear / Futuristic Lab
Int. Temple of Sita’s Tear / Futuristic Lab
Surin now stands in front of the master controls to the
Rainmaker. He is flanked by menacing looking ‘Cyber –
Thuggees’.
5
CUT TO:
VO:
Surin’s army of ‘Cyber-thuggees’ take control of the
streets.
And he declares..he will administer water for all. But at
a price.
Ext. BOMBAY – BUSY STREET SQUARE / NIGHT
Montage of Cyber-Thuggees patrolling the streets.
Huge queues of people are at massive water tankers. Holographic
readouts display daily Water prices.
Water is being rationed out to the public. Skirmishes
breakout between cyber-Thuggees and the public.
Surin’s image is everywhere.
From opulent glass towers..the rich look down at the
masses, drinking plentiful water.
VO:
And as Surin’s power grew..the wealthy were quenched.
While the rest went thirsty.
CROSS FADE:
Ext. BOMBAY / SETHI INDUSTRIES BALCONY / DUSK
Surin picks up a glass of water..and takes a satisfying
sip.
6
CROSS FADE:
VO:
But we can only be thirsty for so long…
RICKSHAW RACERS THEME SONG BEGINS!
Ext. BOMBAY 2088 AD / WORLI HIGHWAY / DUSK
A grown-up Leena desperately shakes the last few drops of
water from her empty bottle. As she walks towards her
rickshaw, it comes ‘alive’ and drives towards her. As she
sits down, her rickshaw’s onboard navigation screens
light up with an incoming message.
CUT TO:
Int. LEENA’S ONBOARD RICKSHAW SCREEN
‘INCOMING TRANSMISSION – ’WATER TANKER HEADING TOWARDS
DADAR CHECKPOINT…WARNING…HEAVILY ARTILLERY’- END
TRANSMISSION’
ACTION SEQUENCE 1:
Rickshaws racers speeding on Worli Highway..fast
approaching the water tanker..They are immediately
intercepted by flying drones..lasers shoot out.
Watt flicks a switch on his rickshaw..the front of the
rickshaw transforms into a ‘BISON’.
He rams into the back
of the tanker. The tankers veer towards the barriers…
Narrowly missing Sid, who pulls back behind. He
desperately tries to get a lock onto the wheels of the tanker
with his canon. He shoots but misses. The water tankers
turrets return fire.
7
Watt closes in. Rumi jumps out of the rickshaw..and climbs
onto the roof of the tanker. He dodges laser fire.
Ortega desperately tries to jam the tankers weapons
systems using his holo-computer.
Rumi’s attempt to distract the turrets is failing.
Sid’s rickshaw is hit by the tanker’s laser fire..his
rickshaw careers out of control colliding with Watt.
From above Leena’s rickshaw speeds in …almost flying.
She lands on top of the tanker. Her rickshaw’s wheels
extend, avoiding laser fire, Leena jumps out of her
rickshaw…
Ortega..suddenly signals ..he has now disengaged the
weapons systems…
Leena somersaults the laser fire and attaches a ‘breach’
bomb to tankers command unit.
Her rickshaw ‘drives’ towards her. She jumps in and the
her rickshaw jettisons off the tanker.
The bomb explodes. And the tanker crashes into the
barriers and comes to a standstill.
Leena is joined by the rest of the gang. They exit the
highway..with the tanker now in their control.
CLOSING TITLE CARD.
‘RICKSHAW RACERS’
FADE OUT:
THE END
Rickshaw Racers Animated t.v series 