Title: The Undercover Racer
Idea: From under the hood to
behind the wheel
Plot: An automobile engineer from a humble background gets to live his dream of driving an F1-type car saving his friend face and loads of money
Genre: Action
Script Regn No (SWA): 39595
Membership No: 49484
Seg I
Saby (Sebastian) hails from a small town in Kerala from where he also finished his B.Tech. in automobile engineering. Unfortunately for him he graduated at the height of the recession when the economy was in a doldrum. Manufacturing was down and he could not be campus placed. Car companies had put a freeze on recruitment.
Seg II
When in college, he and his classmates, including his seniors had designed an F1 type car as their graduation project. It enshrined all the principles of designing an FI car using CAD software.
Seg III
The aerodynamics was key: a) creation of a downforce to help push the car’s tires on to the track and improve cornering forces; b) minimize the drag that occurs due to turbulence and acts to slow down the car.
Seg IV
The monocoque construction (spun carbon and aluminum), the chassis, the Internal Combustion Engine (ICE), the transmissions (gearbox, differential, driveshaft), suspensions, wheels, and disc/duct brakes. The works. Of course, they did not have 1.6 liters, V6 engine that could generate 1000 BHP.
Seg V
They knew the principles that provides power, thrust, and lightness to an F1 car including the special mix of the fuel that must be used. Also, better engine efficiencies can be delivered by converting Kinetic Energy to Electrical and Mechanical energy to provide the crucial few seconds of extra power that wins races.
Seg VI
One of Saby’s seniors Mathew worked for an imported car dealership with showroom, sales and service facility. He was the Technical Head of the dealership. Highly skilled in his job. Saby’s ambition was to join one of the automobile companies. To him it was important to pay off all the loans his parents and he had taken for his education and to organize his doctor sister’s marriage. Theirs was a lower middle-class household small agricultural land holding. Saby realized he could not afford to be without work even if it meant downgrading his ambitions. He was also persuaded to join the dealership because he would get to work on imported and powerful cars which only the very rich could afford.
Seg VII
Saby starts work at the dealership and discovers that he has an uncanny ability to sense what is causing a disfunction in the car and set it right without too much effort. He becomes a hero figure for the other car mechanics who approach him when they are challenged with an unfathomable issue.
Seg VIII
Paul and Salman are children of two Dubai-based business rivals. Both are based in Kottayam and have huge rubber, cardamom, and pepper plantations. Their families are one of the top exporters of spices from the country. Their business expands to fisheries exports and gold imports. They own some of the fastest cars in the country. Paul and Salman are racing rivals of the unofficial kind since turning 18. They are on to the 11th race with the prize money doubling after each race.
Seg IX
Paul brings one of his race cars to the dealership and wants it worked on to produce more power in preparation for the next race. He tells the technical head that cost is not a bar. The technical head calls Saby to go for a drive with Paul to get familiar with the car and the requirements.
Seg X
Saby asks Paul to drive the car. He wants to hear the engine sound at different speeds and gear settings. Saby surmises that the car could get extra power if thermal efficiencies could be improved through better utilization of the exhaust gas using Motor Generating Unit (MGU-K) that converts Kinetic Energy to electrical energy.
Seg XI
Paul is impressed because he had read about it in the motor racing magazines, but this was the first time someone was talking about getting it done on his car.
Seg XII
Saby gets to work. He imports the needed parts. He uses latest techniques of shot peening instead of mere metal finishing to improve aerodynamics of the car and other techniques to deliver on his promise to Paul.
Seg XIII
Paul invites Saby to one of their unofficial drag races in Kozhikode area. The race is with Salman. The winner takes Rs 10 crores home.
Seg XIV
Both the cars and followers turn up at two hotel locations in Kozhikode town. There is the usual pre-race loosing of steam and celebrations – with drugs and drinks etc. There is the air of thuggery mixed with sophistication as the team members are from very wealthy families who have a stake in the prize money.
Seg XV
Paul and Salman meet up for the next day’s race discussions. Paul is accompanied by Saby and Salman is accompanied by Khan. They don’t bother with introductions. There is also a ‘banker’. Two brief cases are handed over. Each contains Rs 5 crores. The ‘banker’ disappears with it and returns after a while. He gives a thumbs up and leaves with the two brief cases accompanied by several henchmen with guns under their jacket. The stakes have been doubling with each race which started at Rs 10 lakhs and now has reached Rs 10 crores. Paul and Salman have been even-stevens till now. This was a big one.
Seg XVI
Saby is beyond astonishment at the display of wealth. Saby’s expression seems to suggest a certain queasiness. He appears concerned as to what he has got himself into.
Seg XV
He is thinking of his small home, the struggle with making ends meet, the mortgaging of the estate to pay his engineering fees, the student loan he has yet to pay off, the proposals for his sister which fall through because what they have to offer as ‘dowry’ does not match up with suiters expectations.
Seg XVI
The race occurs the next day. At the break of light when the sun comes up from behind the hills. It is curved scenic road. It is blocked on the entry to the hilltop with a fake accident in collusion with the local cops.
Seg XVII
One tow-truck and two 16-wheelers carry with the two race cars to the location the previous evening. Along with the two 16-wheelers are caravans with each race team members. Salman and Saby come in their high-end cars. The vehicles are parked on the sidings some distance away from each other where the party continues.
Seg XVIII
Around 5 am the two cars – Saby and Salman – emerge from the truck. The truck is fully fitted with spares, tires, fuel and equipment to make repairs if needed. They are to go up the hill and back to the same spot with a place on top of the hill for a U-turn. It is a 40-minute round-trip.
Seg XIX
The hill is treacherous. The opportunity to overtake after the broad road beginning is minimal. Even a second’s lapse in attention can be fatal. Heroics putting the other in danger is forbidden. It is part of the race deal. Since the winnings have been even – Paul and Salman have kept the code in all their races. They have mutual admiration for each other’s driving skill but never openly displayed. Their conversations are always formal and respectful. They have never backslapped each other or knocked knuckles. Now the stakes are big. The fault lines are beginning to show.
Seg XX
The two vehicles line up. The sun breaks behind the hill. The flag is waved and off they go. The cameras on the car – front, behind and inside - is the view that race team members get in their respective trucks and a screen put up outside.
Seg XXI
A helicopter hovers above with a camera crew recording the race. The helicopter is also carrying a medical team that can be pressed into action just in case something unfortunate happens. The camera covers the chilly cornering of the cars. The squeal of the tires are heard interspersed with stillness of the hills. The gleaming tops of the cars as they wind their up the hill with the sun shining hard on them and the lush greenery of the hills is a standoff of technology and nature.
Seg XXII
The cars return to the broad part of the road at the end of the race. Paul beats Salman – close but comfortably.
Seg XXIII
Emerging from the car Salman accepts his defeat like a profession with no show of emotions. Paul is exultant with his team members but somber when he greets Salman with a head nod. Salman reciprocates.
Seg XXIV
As has been the custom followed over all the 11 races to date, Salman and Paul agree on the next race date and location one-to-two month into the future depending on the season with doubled stakes.
Seg XXV
Part of the race deal between them is that if the winner declines a rematch or is unable to commit to a date (unless deceased or it is established that the other was involved in the others inability to race), the winner returns the prize money contributed by the loser back to the loser. In this case, Rs 5 crore will be returned to Salman should Paul refuse to commit to a date or is unable to meet the commitment after agreeing to the date.
Seg XXVI
Salman, when turning away from Paul, darts a long look at Saby who is standing near Paul’s Audi. Saby returns an expressionless look though in his veins he feels a chill running up his arms.
Seg XXVII
The ‘banker’ emerges from his vehicle and hands over two brief cases to Paul. As per the tradition, the banker opens the two briefcases and shows it to the winner. The winner riffles through the wad of notes in the two briefcases and hands over a wad of notes (approx. 1%) to the banker.
Seg XXVIII
The teams head back to their destinations. As per tradition, the losing team leaves first followed by the winning team. The tow truck precedes them to tow away the accident vehicle blocking the road. The road is cleared for rest of the traffic which is slim on a weekday. There is only the hilltop on this section of the road. The traffic is unblocked.
Seg XXIX
Paul asks Saby to ride with him in his Audi heading back to Kochi.
Seg XXX
Paul insists on dropping Saby back to his home. Paul is greeted by Saby’s parents and by Saby’s sister Sibi who is doing her PG in sports medicine at Sunrise Hospital. She assists in strength and stamina training and helping athletes recover from sports related injury. Paul and Sibi chat about sports injury and G-Force that F1 car drivers must contend with like fighter-jet pilots. She enquires what Paul and Saby have been up to over the last three days. Paul says they had gone to participate in a motor exhibition. The Audi outside and the simple nature of the house stand in stark contrast to each other.
Seg XXXI
Saby steps out with Paul to see him off to the car. Paul hands over an envelope to Saby. Saby pulls out a cheque and balks at the figure of Rs 50 lakhs. He sees his name on it. He stares at the cheque for a whole minute. Paul tells Saby that it is a small token of his appreciation for Saby’s hand in the win. It was so close. It was the few seconds thrust at the end of the race that the thermo dynamo work that Saby had done on the car that made the win possible.
Seg XXXII
Paul opens the car door to head back. Saby stops him. He says he is grateful to Paul for the gesture, but he cannot accept the cheque. He has already been paid by the dealership for the work. As a special gesture he was also given an out-of-turn bonus. He hands the cheque back to Paul. Before Paul can react, Saby wishes him safe journey home and turns his back and walks back to his simple home. Paul starts the car, shirks his shoulders, has a quizzical look on his face and drives off. In the rearview Paul sees the family happily engaged in some conversation with Sibi ribbing Saby’s over something.
Seg XXXIII
As Paul car recedes into the distance another car drives into the driveway of Saby’s small plantation house. It is Salman and Khan.
Seg XXXIV
Saby tells his family to please go in and go about their work.
Seg XXXV
Saby greets Salman. He asks Salman what brings him to his humble home. Salman says he wants to chat about the race. Salman tells Saby that he knows that Saby works for the dealership where Paul’s car was supercharged. He wanted to know the details from Saby. Salman tells Saby that he will make it worth his while. Salman throws a look at the house and tells Saby that he can live lot better if he can help Salman win the next race where the stake now is Rs 20 crores.
Seg XXXVI
Saby says he is automobile engineer working for the
dealership. On his own he cannot do much as all the equipment is at the
dealership. He asks Salman to get the car to the dealership before the next
race and like Paul provide a specific brief to the head technician. It is up to
the head technician to assign the jobs.
Seg XXXVII
Just then Sibi runs out from the house and hands over the phone to Saby. It is the police. They are calling from Paul’s phone. He has met with an accident. The last number dialed on Paul’s phone was Saby’s. Paul has been admitted to Sunrise hospital. The same hospital Sibi is doing her PG. Saby tells the caller that he is on his way. Sibi says she will come along as she can be of some help.
Seg XXXVIII
Saby tells Salman that there has been an accident in the family and he and his sister must rush to the hospital. Salman offers to give them a ride. Saby says it is crowded place. He will reach faster on his bike. Sibi has Saby’s bike key in her hands which she hands over and hops on to the bike. Saby tells Salman to bring the car to the dealership. He speeds away. Salman gets into the car and the car leaves.
Seg XXXIX
Saby and Sibi reach the hospital and they are ushered into the room. Paul’s family is in the room who the police later contacted with the Audi registration details. Paul is bandaged from head to foot, but he is conscious. He inquires of Saby how come he got to know about the accident. Saby explains that the police had called him as his was the last number Paul had called when they were driving back and stopped over at a jewelry store. Paul had asked Saby to take over the wheels while he deposited the briefcases and returned. Paul had called Saby when his work was done to drive up to the porch and pick him up. From there Saby drove the car to his home with Paul. To Saby’s query on what happened, Paul explained that he dosed off momentarily and hit a tree head-on.
Seg XXXX
Paul’s recovery is slow. Whenever possible Sibi drops in to enquire of Paul’s health. With hospital director’s permission she helps Paul with the recovery process under the guidance of her senior. The doctor tells Paul that it will be a while before he can drive again.
Seg XXXXI
Paul is concerned about the next race date which is coming close. If he cannot race, he will have to return Salman’s share back. He shares all this with Sibi when she asks him about his low mood. She suggests to Paul that he should complete his recovery in a specialist hospital in Monaco which has a sophisticated sports medicine centre.
Seg XXXXII
Paul asks Saby if he will take care of his hoard of cars in his garage – from antiques to the latest. Paul says he would not trust anyone else. Saby tells Paul that his skills lie in the dealership workshop. He repeats to Paul what he had told Salman that on his own he is no good unless the workshop facilities and team are available to him including his senior Mathew to guide him. Saby asks Paul to inform the dealership Head Technician whenever he needs Saby’s services. He will do the needful.
Seg XXXXIII
As suggested by Saby, Salman turns up at the dealership and asks for the Technical Head. The Technical Head Mathew looks out of his office window and sees Salman and the make of his car. It is one of the latest. He realizes that whoever has asked for him is an important customer even when nearly all the customers of the dealership are VIPs in some sense.
Seg XXXXIV
The Technical Head Mathew meets with Salman. Salman says he wants a specific type of work done on his car. He asks Mathew what kind of expertise the dealership has in supercar power boosting work. Mathew talks boastingly of the latest work that the dealership has done for one of the customers and he explains what was done in exquisite details. Salman knows right away that it is Paul’s car that Mathew is talking about.
Seg XXXXV
Salman asks Mathew what more he can do for his car over the example of cutting-edge engine work that he just shared with Salman (regarding Paul’s car).
Seg XXXXVI
Mathew proposes that Motor Generating Unit (MGU-H) be added to the Motor Generating Unit (MGU-K). He explains that Motor Generating Unit (MGU-H) converts the heat energy into electricity to be deployed in a similar way as MGU-K. The fitting of both units will provide close to 150 BHP more power. Salman requests to meet the technical team who had done the work earlier. He just wants to be sure.
Seg XXXXVII
Mathew asks Salman when he wants the job done. He says in the next two weeks. Salman notices some hesitancy in Mathew. Mathew confesses that while the job can be done one of the team members is on long leave for three weeks starting two days back. But it is not an issue since the whole design, specification and implementation is supervised by the Technical Head. That’s him. And, he adds that they already have all the equipment and the benefit of having made the MGU-K work comfortably. We only need to repeat the exercise for Salman’s car and add the MGU-H.
Seg XXXXVIII
Sibi shares with Saby what Paul had told her about the next scheduled race date which is causing him concern. She tells Saby that there is no way that Paul can be ready to drive and win on the scheduled date of the race (which is unchangeable unless mutually agreed).
Seg XXXXIX
Paul, Saby and Sibi meet. They agree to go to Monaco with Paul so that Sibi can continue to assist his recovery. Paul tells Saby that he wants him to race on the scheduled date. In Monaco, Paul tells Saby, there are excellent racing tracks. He tells Saby that you know the car inside out. Now he should know the car outside-in by learning to drive like the F1 drivers.
Seg XXXXX
Saby cannot hide his excitement. He confesses that it was his dream from childhood to drive a F1-type car. ‘Let’s do it’, he tells Paul. Paul says get your parents along for the trip. I owe you Rs 50 lakhs which you would not accept. Let’s spend it on this trip without you worrying about your parent’s health back home.
Seg XXXXXI
Post meeting with Mathew Technical Head of the dealership Salman drives to Saby’s home and finds it locked.
Seg XXXXXII
Race day arrives. New location. Same routine the previous night. Paul meets with Salman. Banker takes Rs 10 crores from each. The race team moves into the destination the next day before night. The two cars line up. Sun peeks out from behind the hills. Flag is waved. Race commences. Salman finds Paul taking corners at amazing speed. Paul picks up significant lead. Salmon loses the race. Paul’s car drives on further up for a victory lap of sorts. Turns the corner and is invisible for a bit and heads back.
Seg XXXXXIII
The exchange of courtesies between the drivers happen. The money is handed over. Paul inspects the two briefcases. He invites Salman to inspect one. Salman is surprised but nevertheless inspects and confirms that there is Rs 10 crores there. Paul hands over the briefcase to Salman.
Seg XXXXXXIV
Paul says no more races. As per our deal over 12 races Paul says I return your half of the stake to you. I want to settle down and do not want to take such risks anymore. My advice to you my friend is to do likewise. Settle down. Your call of course. Banker gets his 1% of Rs 10 crores from each.
Seg XXXXXV
Salman turns to Paul and asks where is the young man Saby. Paul says I am sure he is somewhere around. As per their race tradition, Salman’s team – the losing team leaves first – followed by the winning team. Around the corner, Saby comes out from a cave-like part of the hill buttoning his trousers. The camera zooms into the cave. A racer’s helmet and racing full suit is seen rolled up and lying there and a pair of regular shoes.
Seg XXXXXVI
Paul’s team members tell Saby he missed the finish. Did he have to go to relieve himself just then? Saby says that he had no doubt that Paul will win. He had heated his race tires just before the race and worked on the suspensions that allowed Paul to take the corners fast that made the difference to the race. Paul uses his eyebrows to point to Saby’s shoes. He is wearing racing shoes exactly like Paul’s.
Seg XXXXXVII
Saby looks up and makes a face indicating he forgot. In any case no one else seems to have noticed in all the partying in the caravan.
Curtains.
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