The Community, Issue 3: Part 1.1

Page 53

Panel 1: We open on a flashback of JESMINDER G. BORAH at the age of 11, watching Indira Gandhi speak to the nation. You can see a fairly typical early '80s middle class style living room in the background.

Caption

(Jesminder, narrating)

"I could name my first public role model- Indira Gandhi. Not exactly the typical role model for a 10-year-old, but makes perfect sense if you think about it."

Panel 2: Close-up on the screen a moment later, focused on the then-Prime Minister of India speaking to the nation.

Caption

(Cont., Jesminder narrating)

"The first female prime minister of India, daughter of the man who freed us from centuries under the British. The woman who helped solidify our nation's democratic experiment."

Panel 3: We move to a shot of young Jes watching the speech in rapt attention. You can see part of the couch behind her in the background, along with a doorway leading to the kitchen.

Caption

(Cont., Jesminder narrating)

"Tough, strong, with a solid moral center. She was the first role model I remember having, even with her (admittedly) really messy bits."

Caption

(Cont., Jesminder narrating)

"I mean, 3 terms as Prime Minister in a thoroughly patriarchal society! No other descriptor can fit it, but one: superhero."

Panel 4: Same setting/layout as the previous panel. She's 14 now; her eyes teary as she sees the news of PM Gandhi's assassination. In the background, you can see images of her parents on the couch watching the same thing.

Caption

(Cont., Jesminder narrating)

"When she died, I knew with every bit of my heart that I wanted to follow in her footsteps to the political arena."

Page 54

Panel 1: Cut to a shot of Jesminder later on in the library of her high school, going through a stack of books on a table- encyclopedias mixed with biographies of FDR and Kennedy as well as "Inside Ms.: 25 Years of the Magazine and the Feminist Movement."

Caption

(Jesminder, narrating)

"The day after she was assassinated, I went to the library and devoured any type of political text I could get my hands on, taking the lessons of successful men and women in the field for the future. To learn the system and what I'd need to do to survive in it."

Panel 2: A two-part set of panels that focuses on 14-year-old Jes standing in front of the principal's office, holding an application in both hands; a look of excitement on her face.

Caption

(Cont., Jesminder narrating)

"I had intended to run for school council the following semester. But given the patriarchal nature of the time- both in India and in globally..."

Panel 3: In the second part, we see the Principal moments later smirking dismissively at the application. You can see a smattering of the office in the background.

Caption

(Cont., Jesminder narrating)

"That idea went to hell."

Panel 4: Action shot of her walking out of the office a short time later, dejected and angry by the rejection from the previous panel. You can see a selection of lockers to the right of the background.

Caption

(Cont., Jesminder narrating)

"I didn't need the added inspiration to believe I was a thorough, straight to the core feminist. But that...pretty much cinched it for me. So for that, I have to give Headmaster Ahuja my eternal thanks- well, as long as 'eternal' means for me anyway."

Caption

(Anika, translated from Hindu)

"Madame MP...?

Panel 5: Cut to the present where we see ANIKA- Jes' twentysomething staff member- poking her head into the opened doorway. You can see part of her business suit in the lower part of the panel view.

ANIKA

(Cont., to Jesminder; translated from Hindu)

They're gathering for the vote.

Panel 6: We move to a shot of Jes at her desk, looking up from the screen after typing up everything we've seen up to this point. You can see photos of FDR interspersed with those of Indira Gandhi as well as those from her favorite Cricket team- Chennai Super Kings.

JESMINDER

(grateful, to Anika; translated from Hindu)

Thanks, Anika.