A small, cluttered government desk. A pile of files, a broken fan, an old landline phone, a calendar from 1998, and a portrait of "Bharat Mata."
(Stands up, takes off his glasses, looks directly at the audience) ശരിക്കും പറഞ്ഞാൽ, We are all benches. Waiting for someone to sit. Waiting for someone to notice. Waiting for that one file to close. But nothing closes. Nothing moves. Except time. And time just filed a note: "Chandran, retired. Pending further action."
(Puts phone down. Stares at the portrait of Bharat Mata.) You look tired too, Amma. All these files. All this paper. If we burned all the files in this office, we could cook lunch for the whole state. But no—files are holy. Paper is god. And we are its priests. Lonely, underpaid priests.
(Picks up a newspaper, reads aloud) "Man dies waiting for pension." (folds paper slowly) That could be me. But my headline would be smaller. Page 7. "Clerk expires between files. Bench remains unmoved."
(Blackout.) Would you like a shorter version, a comedy version, or a female monologue adaptation of this?
(Long pause. Then, softly) But today... today something is different. I can feel it. Maybe it's the humidity. Maybe it's that dream I had last night—I was the bench. People sat on me. I didn't move. I didn't complain. I just... held them.
A slow, humid Monday afternoon. [Script begins] CHANDRAN (sitting, adjusting his glasses, staring at a file) "File number 124/23... Regarding the shifting of a bench from the east side of the veranda to the west side." (laughs dryly) ഇതിന് രണ്ടു വർഷമായി. Two years. This bench hasn't moved. But the file has travelled—section to section, table to table. Like a pilgrim. A bench pilgrim.
(Sits back down. Opens a file. Reads.) "Action initiated. Pending further action." (closes file slowly) My autobiography. Same title.
A small, cluttered government desk. A pile of files, a broken fan, an old landline phone, a calendar from 1998, and a portrait of "Bharat Mata."
(Stands up, takes off his glasses, looks directly at the audience) ശരിക്കും പറഞ്ഞാൽ, We are all benches. Waiting for someone to sit. Waiting for someone to notice. Waiting for that one file to close. But nothing closes. Nothing moves. Except time. And time just filed a note: "Chandran, retired. Pending further action."
(Puts phone down. Stares at the portrait of Bharat Mata.) You look tired too, Amma. All these files. All this paper. If we burned all the files in this office, we could cook lunch for the whole state. But no—files are holy. Paper is god. And we are its priests. Lonely, underpaid priests. malayalam monoact script
(Picks up a newspaper, reads aloud) "Man dies waiting for pension." (folds paper slowly) That could be me. But my headline would be smaller. Page 7. "Clerk expires between files. Bench remains unmoved."
(Blackout.) Would you like a shorter version, a comedy version, or a female monologue adaptation of this? A small, cluttered government desk
(Long pause. Then, softly) But today... today something is different. I can feel it. Maybe it's the humidity. Maybe it's that dream I had last night—I was the bench. People sat on me. I didn't move. I didn't complain. I just... held them.
A slow, humid Monday afternoon. [Script begins] CHANDRAN (sitting, adjusting his glasses, staring at a file) "File number 124/23... Regarding the shifting of a bench from the east side of the veranda to the west side." (laughs dryly) ഇതിന് രണ്ടു വർഷമായി. Two years. This bench hasn't moved. But the file has travelled—section to section, table to table. Like a pilgrim. A bench pilgrim. Waiting for someone to notice
(Sits back down. Opens a file. Reads.) "Action initiated. Pending further action." (closes file slowly) My autobiography. Same title.