Title: The Great Raja Ravi Varma
Painting Heist
Idea: Infrasound
Plot: A child born deaf & dumb however has the faculty to discern infrasound (<20 Hz) to help his detective dad solve the mystery of the heist
Genre: Crime
Script Regn No (SWA): 39875
Membership
No: 49484
Seg 1
Joby waited outside the labor room. He was a detective with the local crime branch in Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum), Kerala. His wife was having a cesarean delivery due to complications during her pregnancy. Joby’s sister-in-law Cicy and her husband John are also with him. John is the director of the local zoo.
Seg II
The nurse emerges with a baby and hands the baby for Joby to hold briefly. The baby is taken back into the labor room. The gynecologist emerges. She asks them to follow her to the office. She says her news is not good. The mother did not survive the delivery. Joby is shattered. He later learns from the doctor that the baby too has a problem. Because of the complication the baby born is deaf and mute.
Seg III
John and Cicy console Joby and tell him to come and stay with them with the baby until some decision can be taken. Cicy had given birth to her own child three months back. A girl child. She says she will nurse Joby’s baby too. The boy Johann grows up in the John / Cicy household.
Seg IV
Joby stays on his own. The nature of his detective work takes him away for number of days. He did not want his odd hours to affect John, Johann, and family. But every free hour away from work he spends with Johann invariably in the zoo where John & Cicy have their quarters.
Seg V
From an early age, in fact from his infancy, Johann lives with the animals in the zoo more than he does with other human beings. When he is with the animals – mammals like elephants, foxes, hyenas, wolves, coyotes, tigers, lions or walrus - birds like eagles, falcons, ostriches, owls, pelicans, penguins or woodpeckers - reptiles like crocodiles, alligators, snakes, turtles or tortoises or fish like dolphins, piranhas or sharks, or invertebrates like bees, butterflies, mantises, spiders and octopuses – he feels at home more than being with humans with whom he cannot speak.
Seg VI
It would appear to any onlooker spying Johann with the
animals that he is having a serious conversation with them. His and their
expressions and movements are in constant animation. When Johann comes to the
cage or their holding place, the denizens of the zoo move to the edge, trying
to come as close to him, making all kinds of noises. Johann too from the age of
three becomes very animated gesturing and moving his lips with the faintest of
sounds that can be heard or appears to be emanating from Johann with all the
racket being made by his ‘friends’. His father, Joby, finds this fascinating.
Both father and son spend all their time in the zoo surroundings.
Seg VII
Raja Ravi Varma (29 April 1848 – 2 October 1906) was a celebrated Indian painter and artist. He is considered among the greatest painters in the history of Indian art for a number of aesthetic and broader social reasons. Raja Ravi Varma was closely related to the royal family of Travancore of present-day Kerala state in India. Later in his life, two of his granddaughters were adopted into that royal family, and their descendants comprise the totality of the present royal family of Travancore, including the latest three Maharajas (Balarama Varma III, Marthanda Varma III and Rama Varma VII)
Seg VIII
Princess Bharani Thirunal Rukmini Bayi Thampuran of Travancore State is the great-great granddaughter of the master painter Raja Ravi Varma and custodian of his artistic legacy through The Raja Ravi Varma Heritage Foundation. She is on a world tour promoting her 2023 175th Birth Anniversary of her great-great-grandfather Raja Ravi Verma.
Seg IX
Princess Rukmini is spending the day in one of the Amsterdam Art Galleries when she is shocked to see her great-great-grandfather Raja Ravi Varma’s most notable painting ‘There comes Papa (1893) depicting Varma’s daughter Mahaprabha with one of her sons’ on the walls of the gallery.
Seg X
She asks to speak to the curator of the gallery – after much explaining of her background and the painting on the wall.
Seg XI
The curator of the gallery meets with her. Princess Rukmini asks him about the background to the painting and how has it landed up on the gallery walls. The curator James Van Der Beek tells her that they have had the painting and three others in their possession – ‘Shakuntala’, ‘Nair Lady Adorning Her Hair’ and ‘Galaxy of Musicians’ – for more than six months. He says he is not able to disclose who sold it to them for reasons of privacy and to maintain the confidentiality of the seller and of course the price at which the painting has been bought.
Seg XII
Princess recalls walking the corridors of the palace back in Trivandrum which has only one entry point to the palace with a long driveway. The back of the palace is the forest maintained by the government of Kerala which stretches to 5 square kms. The palace is separated by a high electrified wall with no openings for wild animals to enter the palace grounds and play havoc with the gardens and the orchards with the most exotic flowers and fruit trees.
Seg XIII
She has been away sailing for more than a year, visiting art galleries around the world related to the Raja Ravi Varma Heritage Foundation exhibition of his art as part of the preparations for the 175th year birth centenary celebrations in 2023 of her great-great-grandfather Raja Ravi Varma.
Seg XIV
Princess Rukmini calls up her estate caretaker Unnichettan who is in his late 80s. Unnichettan’s parents and ancestors have been serving the Raja Ravi Varma family for generations. He has three children. One of them, Rajan who is now in his late fifties, studied abroad, and is in the export-import business trading commodities from Kerala.
Seg XV
He was the favourite of his late grandfather because of his desire to make something of himself. He did not much care to be part of the latest generation still serving the royal family. His other two brothers, who were less ambitious, continued to live on the palace grounds and earned their living as part of the royal family retainer. Rajan would occasionally visit his family on the palace grounds but otherwise lived as a bachelor in his own plush bungalow in Trivandrum.
Seg XVI
Princess Rukmini asks the caretaker if everything back home is fine. She asks if the paintings in the grand room are being dusted and the area cleaned every day. Unnichettan says that he is in the room with his two sons – Amal and Arjun – and they are polishing the brass plates on the painting frames.
Seg XVII
Princess Rukmini asks Unnichettan specifically about the four paintings that curator said was in his custody and adds three more not to sound too specific and draw attention to the four paintings in question. He confirms that all seven paintings are there.
Seg XVIII
Unnichettan asks if there is anything to be done about it. Unnichettan and his sons are familiar with packing the paintings when they are to be taken around the world for exhibitions. Rukmini says not yet. She just wanted to confirm as she has some plans for the painting for an exhibition that is coming up.
Seg XIX
Princess Rukmini turns to the curator Mr Beek and tells him to inform Interpol. She says the originals are at her home. The painting in his possession are fake. Mr Beek says he cannot take such action without consultation with the owners of the gallery. Rukmini shares her contact details and ask Mr Beek to ask the gallery owners to get in touch with her. She tells him that she is leaves for India in a week’s time. However, if this is not resolved she will herself give a complaint at the local police station leading to unnecessary bad publicity for the gallery for hosting fakes.
Seg XX
The owners of the gallery turnout to be Indians long settled in Amsterdam. They call Rukmini two days before the departure. They tell her that they brought in forensic experts who tested the age of the paint and have confirmed that it is over 100 years old. They said they have the certificates which they are happy to share with her. She is free to do what she thinks is best. They will be happy to assist in any way that suits her to clear her doubt on the genuineness of the paintings with them.
Seg XXI
Princess Rukmini invites the forensic experts to certify the same paintings back at her palace. She pays an advance toward their fees, travel and stay expenses to Trivandrum, Kerala.
Seg XXII
The experts visit the palace and run the forensic tests on the four paintings in question and three more that Princess Rukmini had randomly mentioned to Unnichettan. The four turn out to be fake and the random three genuine. Princess swoons and drops to the sofa placed for viewing. When she recovers, she asks for forensic tests to be done on all the 50 odd paintings in the grand ball room. The rest of the paintings beyond the four turn out to be genuine.
Seg XXIII
Crime branch Trivandrum is informed of the theft.
Seg XXIV
Joby and his team of detectives and police officers including the DGP of police who is a close friend of the family show up at the palace based on her phone call. It was Joby’s day off. He was with Johann who is 10 years old now. He brings Johann along as the zoo and the palace are close. John, Cicy and their daughter were at John’s parent’s home. Johann was staying with Joby.
Seg XXV
The police study the CCTV footage over the period that Princess Rukmini is away. They do not find anything to raise suspicion in terms of people visiting and leaving the palace. It is usually the family staying on the family grounds with no vans and trucks capable of carrying the 5’X7’ framed painting entering the palace in the last one year.
Seg XXVI
The door itself was electronically opened. Only by Unnichettan with an alpha numeric code which he had memorized and had operated since the past 40 years, since it was handed down by his father to him and sworn to secrecy to avoid just such a situation. The room from where the code was fed was under 24-hour CCTV check. There was no intrusion. The only other person to whom the code was known was Princess Rukmini.
Seg XXVII
Right in the middle of the grand hall is a large fish tank. Johann is naturally drawn to it. He gets chatting with the fish. A leader fish emerges brushing the others aside.
Fish: “What are all these people doing here?”
Johann: “My dad says
that the four paintings right in front of you have been stolen”
Fish: “Really? But they are right there. Can’t they see?”
Johann: “Yes, I know. But they are fake. The originals have been replaced with a look-alike”
Fish: “Ah! I understand. See this one (pointing to a look-alike fish) is a fake. I am the original”
Johann: “So whole day, day-after-day, you must be looking at the same painting and same people, how boring for you?”
Fish: “That’s true. It is always the old man and the two young men with him. They come and spend nearly a whole day here. And, sometime in the night. But it is not them. They are a different lot. We cannot see them clearly because it is night. But we know they are there moving around with flashlights. And, just for fun one of them always makes it a point to shine the flashlight on us and makes faces at us.
Johann: “That’s rude of him. I am sure if you could, you would have leaped out from the tank and bit his nose to teach him a lesson”
Fish: “Yes, I would, if not for anything, at least straighten up his nose”
Johann: “Deserves it for messing with your sleep”
Fish: [Makes a face with his face]
Johann: “OK. Nice meeting you guys. Dad’s calling. I have got to go. Keep a watch. If crooked nose come again you know what to do. Leap out and squirt some water on his face”
Seg XXVIII
Joby apologizes to his son for dragging him around. Johann says, “no worries”. He enjoyed the talk with the fish. Joby says, “of course”. Joby tells Johann one more stop and they will head home.
Seg XXIX
Joby and team reach Rajan’s house to complete the formalities. Rajan informs Joby that he visits the palace occasionally with dinner with his family. When Princess Rukmini is in town, which is now more than a year, he visits the palace to help her organize the consignment to send the paintings to places where the exhibition is held.
Seg XXX
Joby asks Rajan whether it is possible to replace the original with a fake when the painting is on tour. Rajan says everything is possible since the paintings are quite valuable but tough since it is always on ‘lock and guard’. He says, it is easier to steal the painting from the palace. Joby asks, “How?”. Rajan says he meant it relatively speaking. There is only his dad with a code and security at the entrance of the palace. There is no ‘lock and guard’ as when the paintings are on tour.
Seg XXXI
Rajan turns to Johann. He tells Joby that his son finds him to be unusually interesting. He has not taken his face off him. Joby says, “don’t mind him”. His son is not able to hear or speak. They bid goodbye and leave Rajan’s home.
Seg XXXII
Joby to Johann: “Son, it is not a nice thing to stare at people. You made the man uncomfortable. He was telling me that you are not able to take your eyes off his face”.
Johann (in sign language): “I am sorry. I did not mean to. Just that I could not take my eyes off his nose. He has a funny nose, no?”
Joby: “I did not notice that. But now that you mention it, yes, he does have a funny nose”.
Johann: “The fish in the fish tank in the palace told me that he has been visiting the room where the paintings are in the night?”
Joby: “What’s that again?”
Johann: “Exactly what I said. The fish told me that with flashlights he and two other people have been visiting the room at night. The fish told me about this guy with the crooked nose who would flash the light on them just for fun. That is why when we visited the man, I could not take my eyes off his face, nose really.”
Joby: “So he was not kidding when he said that it is easier to steal from the palace than when the paintings are on tour. But how? The palace is completely sealed from all side and there are guards at the gate. All activities are monitored on CCTV. Even if his father secretly opens the grand room door for him how will he take the heavy paintings out and replace them with fake?”
Johann: “What about from the garden and over the wall through the forest?”
Joby: “The CCTV cameras do not show any such activity. The palace walls on the other side is patrolled by the forest guards”.
Seg XXXII
Johann is convinced that Rajan is the culprit. Johann asks Joby if it is possible to visit the forest and drive up to the palace walls from there? Joby says, “why not?” Tomorrow is Sunday. Let us go and explore the forest. Joby says the other end of the forest is the zoo. Strange he never thought of peering into the forest from above the zoo wall.
Seg XXXIII
The next day Joby and Johann drive up to the forest entrance and inform the forest officer of their purpose – investigating the theft at the palace. The forest officer is aware of the investigation since a police team had visited them to check for any usual activity. The officer said that other than themselves patrolling the forest, the only other people who visit the forest are the ones who clear the fallen trees once or twice a month. He looks up and says, “Your lucky day. There comes the truck for today’s clearing”.
Seg XXXIV
Joby meets with the truck driver and asks him to show the log of visits to the forest and the ID card no of all who visited the forest. He requests the forest officer for a copy of their logbook for his records. With copies of the logbooks, which Joby hopes to examine later, Joby and Johann decide to explore the forest. They go with one armed forest guard who follows the truck to provide them protection.
Seg XXXV
Joby eyes fall on the treads of the tyre and the mark left behind on the trail. Johann follows the chatter of the birds. They are planning a party in the cave-like jutting in one corner of the forest, he tells Joby. Joby looks in that direction. He is also intrigued by the cave like jutting. He looks down on the track. His detective instincts take over. He notices that the truck tires have a different tread.
Seg XXXVI
They stop following the truck and turn toward the cave-like jutting. The guard becomes alarmed saying he needs to provide protection to both the truck and to Joby and son. Joby ignores him. They reach the cave entrance and a batch of bats leave the cave.
Seg XXXVII
Johann notices an owl sitting on the tree. He gets chatting with him. The forest guard is completely baffled. Johann tells Joby that the owl is asking them to follow him. They see covered tracks on which trolleys ride in coal mines. They see a gate with lock on it which appears to have been opened recently. They ask the guard to shoot the lock. The guard instead turns the gun on them. The men in the truck too return with weapons. The owl looks frozen. His lips are shivering as if frightened.
Seg XXXVIII
A swarm of bats come flying into the cave. They go smack for the faces of the gun and stick their claws into their eyes. In the scuffle with the bats the men drop their weapons. Joby picks them up and fires at their feet making them immobile. The forest officer hears the shots and rushes there with his men.
Seg XXXIX
The men are paraded away and manacled. The forest officer shoots the lock open. They enter the cave and find the trolley. The length of the cave brings them directly below the palace grand room with a smartly designed trap door. They unlock the door and emerge in the grand room.
Seg XXXX
Johann walks up to his fish friend. No more flash nights, he tells them. My father is going to fix that man’s nose real and good.
Seg XXXXI
Cops land up at Rajan’s house and bring him to the police station. He is confronted with the log clearers and the guard. They confess that Rajan has been paying them off to cart some wooden boxes on four occasions in the recent past.
Seg XXXXII
Rajan confesses that it was his grandfather who told him about the trap door just for fun. Rajan said he had occurred huge losses in his business with some countries putting a ban on the shrimp exports from India. The only way for him to pay off his creditors was to steal the painting when Princess Rukmini went on a yearlong tour.
Seg XXXXIII
As they take Rajan away he sees Johann sitting there in the police station. Johann taps his nose.
Seg XXXXIV
Joby and Johann meet with Princess Rukmini. She tells them she has just got off the phone with the gallery owners. They have confirmed that it was Rajan who sold them the painting based on his identity documents with them. They have agreed to return the painting at their own cost.
Seg XXXXV
Princess Rukmini tells Johann that he is free to come and explore the palace – maybe he will find some other treasure that has been stolen. Or just come and chat with the fish. They would love that. Johann gives a thumbs up.
Curtains.
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