Since the body is short, we made a smaller coffin.
If the belly’s popping out, the coffin won’t shut.
That becomes a problem.
The weight depends on the body. At times it’s 50 kgs, at times it’s 100…
It can even go up to 150 kgs. You never know.
If it’s an average fit person,
the weight tends to be around 60 to 70 kg.
But if they have a big belly, it goes upto 100 kg.
As a legislator, she never bothered visiting our area
And then she comes begging for votes.
Nothing’s going to change here.
All governments are busy hogging people’s money.
Did you vote?
Yes.
I went earlier this morning.
I don’t get time later, you see.
And your colleague?
Yeah, he did too.
Early morning!
We went and fulfilled our duty.
After all, each vote counts for our nation.
Even though it makes little difference which party comes to power.
Ain’t that right?
Finally came.
MORTUARY
We’ve got to head to Chincholi through SV Road, right?
- Right? - Yeah.
What time do we have to reach there?
10 pm.
10 pm?
So we have time.
It was drizzling in Borivali and pouring heavily here.
Have you checked the site of the grave?
No, I’ll go check everything now.
But it needs to be finalized…
Yeah, I know. I’ll check right away.
After I drop you home, I’ll head to the Oshiwara cemetery.
After that you will come here?
And I’ll come directly from there.
Hold this.
You go ahead.
Yeah that way.
- Should I hold it? - No, it’s okay.
No, it’s okay. There’s not enough space.
Careful… Go slow.
We have to shift.
I'll go in front.
You hold here.
Lift it above your shoulders.
Careful... Go slow.
Oh...
You must be tired?
No it’s okay. Don’t stop.
It's last floor.
Okay.
Half an hour.
9.30?
Yeah, I’ll be back by then.
Or 10.30?
I’ll be back as soon as I can, don’t worry.
I’ll check on the conditions.
When the Priest comes...
When the Priest comes, ask him to call me.
Now where’s he gone?
What a pain!
[CHANTING PRAYER]
Two teas, one coffee.
One coffee, two tees...
What, do you need a calculator?
A cup of tea is 18 rupees. How much for the coffee?
Two tea...
Look, one tea is 18 rupees, a coffee is 22 rupees.
So that’s 58.
You confused the poor guy!
The poor guy!
I don’t live in a fancy flat. I’m from the crowded chawls.
When did they paint this?
Why didn’t you switch the fan on earlier? It’s still wet.
It needs to dry.
That’s Dilip, my son.
He attends college in the morning and works in the afternoon.
Preparations for Diwali are on.
I’ll have a bath now.
I’ve to leave by 4 am tomorrow.
My mother lives next door…
My brother lives a bit ahead…
And my in-laws live opposite us.
- Ours was a love marriage. - Really!
Praful bhai works in that shop.
What does he do?
What?
What exactly does he do?
I don’t know what he does. I just know he works in a shop.
Most people just think that he drives an ambulance.
Nobody really knows what he does.
They don’t ask, and we don’t tell.
When I started out, I was scared.
I took a flight to Delhi and then traveled to Punjab in an ambulance.
When we were returning with the body, I got scared seeing the body at the morgue.
I had never seen a corpse.
We took a body for post-mortem.
The helper had gone out and the doctor was inside
probably getting his operating tools. There were two bodies on either side.
I prayed to God to make me disappear.
I was terrified then, but never again.
Daya is upset.
Let me tell you... Leave it.
What?
Hey...
Come on, say it.
If you send a cross like this next time, I'll use it on the grave and not pay.
Firstly, you need to know how to lift a cross properly.
You think I’ll teach clients how to hold a cross at such times?
They’ll pick it up however they can, your argument is irrelevant.
‘Hold it with two hands’, should I tell them?
'This is a real cross, not like yours', he told me straight-up.
How am I supposed to save face?
Bring us all some tea!
It’s his birthday today!
My family often tries to dissuade me...
But I keep working.
People look down upon this kind of work
Their point of view is very different from mine.
After all, no five fingers are equal.
Mummy saw him working once, face to face with the body…
Someone in the neighbourhood died and Papa took care of everything.
She cried a lot that day.
When we go to a funeral, it feels so terrible...
But for him, it’s a daily routine. How must he be feeling?
Everyone goes out…
For work or business or school. Something or the other.
Eventually, we’ll all have to face our last journey…
We're all going to end up in hospital or a mortuary.
Who knows the future has in store.
Some are cremated, some are buried. Or God forbid, one could have an accident.
You never know. Life is absolutely unpredictable.
Give it and close the matter.
Put the 5′9″ coffin in my car.
I can’t do anything without the boss’s permission…
I’m just an employee. I only follow orders.
You can’t just give away an empty coffin.
Of course you need paperwork. Like a death certificate.
What if someone puts a murder victim in it?
But why is that our problem?
The police will question us because we provided the coffin
You’ll be in trouble too, that’s why his boss refused.
Once, they buried a body in the cemetery behind the mosque
So you have to check these details.
The client backed out.
He was Hindu, but converted to Christianity
His family was reluctant and confused
But they finally cremated him.
It happened last night.
It’s alright... Can’t do much.
Yes.
If he doesn’t take his medicines…
He’s bound to have problems!
Oh Lord!
Perfect.
This kind of lowly work does not befit a Brahmin.
That’s what society has taught us.
But he has no choice, he’s not well educated.
If he does another job, how much would he earn?
He knows this work like the back of his hand...
His boss can’t manage without him.
The only thing that worries him is his reputation back in his village.
In villages, they won’t even let a person from a lower caste
stand in the vicinity of a Brahmin household.
They’re told to stay at a distance, even while talking or greeting.
He fears being ostracised for his profession, otherwise he’s very chilled out.
He shouldn’t waste his whole life doing this job…
He should switch to a more respectable job, so we can live more comfortably.
If we go to a funeral, we’re unable to eat that day...
And he attends funerals everyday.
He’s been doing this work for years.
And he understands it thoroughly.
At this age, it would be impossible for him to start afresh someplace else.
The God of Death takes the soul away…
But Praful takes care of the body and everything else.
My principle is that once my work is done…
I ask for forgiveness for any mistakes I made…
And that’s it.
I don’t dwell on it. I move on.
Often while working, one might accidentally elbow or hurt someone.
But a dead person can’t tell me if I hurt them, right?
So I make it a point to apologise.
If I made a mistake, forgive me.
I feel it’s very important.
Whether a person is dead or alive, one must say sorry regardless.
Brother, how much for that round one?
450 rupees.
And the white one?
Does that price include a train ticket to my village?
The white one should come with a return ticket.
There’s no light in it.
You have to buy that separately.
That red one…
200 rupees for that?
[Song]
Mr Kamble!
Who’s on duty?
My wife keeps telling me she doesn’t like my job.
What can I do?
I know that my work earns me the blessings of many people
And it’s those blessings have helped me succeed.
No cheating, fraud or dishonesty. I’ve stuck by my principles.
The goodwill this job earns me is priceless and incomparable.
To be able to serve someone on their final journey…
I consider it a matter of great fortune.
I’ve been doing this for so many years now…
I’ve driven a rickshaw, worked at a tea stall…
Delivered couriers and sold stationery…
I never enjoyed that.
I worked at a clothing store for two years…
No customer left our shop empty handed.
I could ensure that.
The rickshaw I drove was mine too. But my heart wasn’t in it.
I left all those jobs and got hooked to this.
Everyone’s on their way up. No one lives forever.
[CHANTING PRAYER]
Have some tea?
No?
Come on, have a little!