[Abdul] In 1991, after the demise of Rajiv Gandhi...
...the country got its new Prime Minister.
Narasimha Rao.
[Narasimha Rao taking an oath]
[Abdul] The new government may have been a coalition...
...but when the country was facing an economic crisis...
...Finance Minister Manmohan Singh, in a bid to relieve the country of economic pressures...
...opened the doors of the nation to multinational companies all over the world.
International companies established their businesses in several sectors.
Now, spiced soda was being known as Cola.
In this sprint to globalisation...
...Bharat was changing into India.
Everyone saw a mountain full of money before them.
And everyone wanted to establish themselves on this mountain.
(people screaming)
And just then, after the Babri Masjid incident...
...the country was fuelled by communal violence.
The worst flames of this fire rose from Bombay.
The riots hurt businessmen like us the most.
It became tough for me to step out of the house.
And yet, the two of us headed out to steal that one spoon of halwa...
...called stamp papers.
Let's first understand the route.
The journey of stamp papers starts here, in Nashik.
[Abdul] The security press at Nashik is a treasure trove.
All the stamp papers that are sold in the country, are printed here.
Like I told you, the value of every stamp paper is different.
They're weighed according to their price.
Stamp papers worth thousands, even millions...
...are loaded in trucks, under tight security.
(Train honks)
At the station, they are loaded into trains...
...supervised by guards, clerks, head clerk and the station master.
From Nashik station, they arrive at Wadi Bunder station in Bombay.
From Wadi Bunder station, a lot of stamp papers...
...depending on the consumption of Mumbai...
...are sent to the Old Custom House.
The other bogies carrying the remaining stamp papers...
...are sent to the yard along with the pilot engine.
From there, millions of stamp papers are distributed across the country.
We must do what we have to in the middle of all this.
I know that my dessert and cake story has pumped you up...
...but stealing stamp papers from this route...
...is not going to be a piece of cake.
Let's forget Old Custom House.
We won't find any friends there.
Brother. So, are we going to steal from...
...under the nose of the railway security?
We'll have to dare, my darling.
Anyway, we won't steal. We'll make it disappear.
Abracadabra!
[Title Montage]
- [Station Master] 'Sahebrao. - [Sahebrao] Yes, sir.'
Do one thing, check this entire stack once more.
- Once more? - Yes.
Confirm again and show it to me.
But sir, the tea is getting cold. Let's go.
No excuses, Sahebrao. I said, re-check it.
The mandate is to check it twice, understand?
[Station Master] 'Come on.'
[Station Master] 'All he cares about is his tea.'
Brother..
You speak of making it disappear.. I don't think we can even touch it.
Don't talk. Just watch carefully, and observe...
...what's going on here.
- Does it tally? - [Worker] 'Yes, sir, it does.'
Note it down.
[Abdul] The security at Wadi Bunder station is tight.
Stamp papers are recounted...
Then the boxes are stamped with the government seal...
...and the bogie is sent to the yard.
It's very difficult to steal it from the yard.
There are security guards round the clock.
Even if we do manage to break the seal and steal from Wadi Bunder...
...we may not get caught but our theft surely will.
We'll have to devise such a plan..
..that lets us do this robbery not once or twice but repeatedly...
..and that keeps both us as well as our theft safe.
The first link in this plan is Assistant Station Master...
...Sahebrao Kadam.
[Abdul] 'What do you think?'
What you're planning to do, is very difficult.
At Wadi Bunder, you may even get away with stealing grain, coal or vegetables...
- But stamp papers? - Just trust me.
If you're with me, nothing will go wrong.
If you follow my plan, no one will get caught.
How much is this for?
For 23 years, my father lugged people's baggage on his head.
He couldn't achieve anything.
He couldn't even build a house.
If you stick to your job, you won't achieve anything either.
You trusted the government all these years.
Try trusting me now.
This is your opportunity to change the future.
Make the decision today.
Forget this Bombay Duck.
You're going to have pomfret for the rest of your life.
Pomfret.
Don't you want to eat pomfret?
[Abdul] 'Don't worry about the money. We'll be paying...'
...way lesser than what we'll make.
Look, Sahebrao will handle the guard...
...and the pilot engine driver.
Moreover, he's also arranging the seal for us.
Hey. I know how to run a business. You focus on the batting.
I have my eyes on the scoreboard.
But the job is not done yet.
[Art Director] 'What's the name of the film?'
Navu Adannu Madutteve.
- It means, 'We Can Do It'. - I see.
So, who's the hero and the director?
Vijayshekhar Anna is the hero.
And the director is Sahebrao Reddy.
- Wow. Dr. Vijayshekhar Anna? - Hmm.
I worked on a film with him 20 years ago.
- Really? - Yes, I can't remember the name...
Well... There was a famous song...
Hold on... Give me a minute...
♪From silence...♪
♪- In silence... - In, yes...♪
♪She waits for my arrival♪
♪This is mad obsession♪
♪- In silence... - In silence...♪
♪From silence...♪
♪In silence...♪
So, tell me, what do you want?
For a few scenes in the film, we'd need stamp papers.
They should look real. Worth 100 and 500 rupees.
Why stamp papers? The audience doesn't understand stamp papers.
Yes, we know that, but you see, the story demands it.
Our director wants everything to be perfect.
You're such an established art director. So reputed in the industry.
Oh, it's nothing like that.
Vijay Anna told me that he wants stamp papers that look absolutely genuine.
Only you can do such precise work.
- It'll be done. - Huh?
[Art Director] 'It'll be done.'
Tell me, how many do you need?
Well, we need to burn the stamp papers.
So, if there are any retakes, we'd need more stamp papers.
- So, maybe a truckload.. - Sur...
- A truckload? - Yes, but you don't need to give us a full truck...
- [Art Director] 'Then?' - We're shooting in Madras.
Taking a truck from Bombay to Madras will be too expensive.
[Abdul] 'What do they call that...'
You can make a printing plate for us.
We'll get it printed directly in Madras.
- [Abdul] 'Okay?' - Yes, that's a good idea.
[Abdul] I knew that if we just steal, we'd get caught someday.
So, the plan was to make the stamp papers magically disappear.
For that, we had to replace real stamp papers with fake ones.
Now we had the plate to print fake stamp papers...
...but we still needed a printing press...
...where we could slyly print these fake stamp papers...
...like foxes pretending to hibernate.
[Old man] 'No, son.'
- I can't do this. - At least hear us out, Uncle.
- I said, I can't do this. - Why can't you, Uncle?
- You're out of business anyway. - Yes, we'll run your shop.
It'll help both of us run our households.
Look, Uncle, we're not doing anything wrong.
You'll make some money, so will we.
Just a couple of days a week, that's it.
Think about it.
[Abdul] And we made a deal with uncle.
He'd print wedding invites in the day...
...and at night, using the same printing press...
...we'd bring our artistry and magic to life.
Bloody hell!
Bhai... Listen..
We've printed these fake papers.
Let's just sell these.
Why take the trouble of stealing the original papers?
Why take the unnecessary stress?
If we try to sell these fake ones directly, we'll get caught.
We'll have to shut shop even before we begin.
We're going to shut shop anyway.
No matter how you look at it, the end result will be the same.
What do you mean?
Once these fake papers go into the market...
...and the government finds them, we'll be caught anyway.
There goes our shop.
- We won't get caught. - How's that?
When you were a kid, did you ever bathe in the village pond?
Yes, many times, but...
Have you ever urinated while bathing in it?
What are you even asking?
Yes, I have, but what's the connection?
- Were you ever caught? - No, I wasn't.
- You weren't. You know why? - Why?
Because urine becomes one with water.
Similarly, our fake stamp papers...
...will dissolve in the ocean of the original ones.
Look, from the yard, stamp papers are sent to all of India.
UP, MP, Punjab, Tamil Nadu...
In the same way, our stamp papers will reach different corners of India...
...along with the originals.
That too, weeks after we've done the robbery.
And they won't even amount to one percent of a spoonful.
The government doesn't have the time...
...to investigate and trace them back to us.
Even if they try, they won't be able to.
At best, they'll consider our fake stamp papers...
...of bad quality and discard them.
You're too much.
[Abdul] There's only one way to commit this theft.
Between Wadi Bunder and the yard...
...from a moving train.
Climb on the moving train, break the lock...
...get in, replace original stamp papers...
...with the fake ones, put the government seal back...
...and get out. All in six minutes.
If we pull this off in six minutes...
...then we'll have arrived, darling.
After that, the train will move on...
...and in life, so will we.
[train honking]
What's this? Peanuts?
Make do with these peanuts for now.
You'll soon be invited to the feast.
- Yes, once we sell the goods. - Hmm.
[Abdul] 'It's a new business, a new beginning.'
So, we thought of starting with family.
- You two have started a new business? - Hmm.
You see...
...the law may be blindfolded, but I'm not.
What new trick is this?
It's not a trick.
You won't have to stand in queue to buy stamp papers anymore.
- Yes. - We'll give you as many as...
...you need, whenever you need.
- We will take away your stress. - Yes.
You two coming together isn't going to take away my stress.
- In fact, it's a matter of great distress. - Come on, Kamble Sir.
These are original stamp papers, there is no catch. Check them.
Let me show you.
This is the register of the one we buy it from. Look.
Entries and accounts are maintained on time. Look.
- Just tell us how many you need.
- Yes. - Okay, fine.
- Give me four or five. - Stop f***ing with us.
- What the f*** do you mean? - But, just four or five?
That's how many I need in a month. What should I do?
- Don't get upset. - Should I buy more to throw them?
- Why are you getting upset? - See how he's talking.
We thought lawyers needed it the most.
- That's why he was shocked. - That's fine, but you see...
...small-time lawyers like them need only these many in a month.
The corporate lawyers will buy more from you.
- [Kamble] 'Do you get it?' - Corporate.
[Kamble] 'Corporate.'
Okay, thanks for buying from us and giving your approval.
- Sure. Okay. - Bye.
[Accountant] 'If the 100 rupee ones are for 80...'
- ...how much for the 500 rupee ones? - 450 rupees.
20 percent discount on the 100s, and 10 percent on the 500s.
You see, sir, the discount is on the value of the stamp paper.
It's a 'surplus discount' from the government.
The government has fixed the rate, we haven't.
[Abdul] We had started selling the stamp papers...
...that we stole from Wadi Bunder.
We were selling them at all kinds of establishments.
We were even making double of what we did with gum wash.
But the problem was, we were unable to sell the stamp papers in bulk.
No one bought more than five to ten stamp papers at a time.
Because of this, our theft and magic was limited to once a month.
We had an ocean of stamp papers...
...but we could only sell a cupful of them.
Your smile is growing with the numbers.
You should smile a bit too.
- I don't see a reason to smile. - Why?
We're paying rent for the press...
...Sahebrao, the engine driver and the guard take their share..
Moreover, the 10 to 20 percent discount...
We're only left with 35,000 rupees.
That's 17,500 rupees each.
It's a lot. Enjoy.
I wanted to steal a spoonful of cake...
- ...but this is not even a morsel. - [Kaushal] 'It's fine, cheer up.'
Where have you brought me?
- This isn't your junkyard. - We go to the junkyard every day.
Let me give you a taste of paradise today. Come on.
I don't go to places like these.
Get lost!
[music playing]
[Song playing]
Sit.
I'll walk.
I've eaten too much. I need to walk. You go ahead.
You couldn't digest the glamour, could you?
Go on.
- Zia! Happy birthday! - Thank you!
- Zia.. - Thank you, Abbu!
Come on, kids...
Nafisa, tell me something.
You're happy with Abdul, aren't you?
Of course, Ammi. Why do you ask?
Well, Salim doesn't really tell me much.
Abdul also remains quiet.
They've shut down their previous business.
The police, jail...
I don't know what's going on.
I've heard the neighbours talk too.
But if I take it to heart, I won't be able to live in peace.
I have complete faith in Abdul, Ammi.
I've always believed whatever he said.
That's why I'm living in peace.
You mean, you're happy with Abdul, aren't you?
Yes, Ammi, I'm very happy. Don't you worry.
What is it?
Bhabhi was saying you've started a stamp paper business?
Tell me.
Make me a part of it.
We brothers will work great together.
Why don't you answer?
Go play with your friends.
Will you be able to handle the responsibility?
Just try me. I'm willing to take up any responsibility.
24 by 7.
Oh...
For now, Ammi is your responsibility.
I'll get you here later.
I'm already taking care of Ammi. I want to work.
Let's not talk about work today.
We'll talk later.
[Abdul] 'Should we cut the cake?'
He's up to something.
That's why he isn't telling me.
- Where do you want to go, sir? - I have to meet him.
Excuse me. I'll go meet him. We'll speak later.
How much commission are you willing to give?
- You tell us? Five percent? - Eight percent?
I need around 70-80 a month, mostly worth 100 and 500.
- You'll get them. - Show me your license copy.
- In whose name is the license? - License?
I can only deal with licensed vendors.
It's a strict policy.
No, we deal with licensed vendors too.
So I will talk to the vendor directly.
We can give you more than just the commission.
The commission is enough. Come with your license.
[Broker] 'Look, making a stamp paper vendor license...'
...is a lengthy process.
- Right, Kamble Sir? - Yes.
There's no point wandering from person to person.
Eventually, the application will come to the ghost.
Ghost?
Bharade Sir.
You see, everyone refers to him as the ghost.
Tea.
You see, he takes so long to pass an application...
...that the client can die and yet be waiting for it.
Well, I don't have that much time.
There must be a shortcut.
Shortcut? No way, there's no shortcut.
I'm sure there's a way out. We'll manage.
[Kamble] 'Yes.'
Mister, I just told you, there is no shortcut.
The one who knows his job knows of a shortcut to do it too.
What do you mean?
Kamble Sir, don't I know my job?
- Kamble Sir, this is... - Hey...
You're getting it wrong.
Hey, Abdul. The same trick does not apply everywhere.
I'll tell you what, just file an application on Abdul's behalf.
We'll see what happens.
- I'll need some documents. - Okay.
- I'll call you at night. - Okay.
- Bye. - Okay, bye.
[Song playing]
Hey. Why are you sulking?
We are back to square one.
Where? Just enjoy.
This bar has become a second home to us.
[song playing]
- I'm not talking about the bar. - Then?
I'm talking about the business.
Give me.
Listen.
I felt bad too. But forget these corporate guys.
We don't need them.
Our connection with the lawyers is great.
In the beginning, I too was upset that we'd only sell four or five..
...but it's fine, at least there's no competition.
It's just the two of us.
Selling eight to ten stamp papers a day. It's more than enough.
[song playing]
Whether it's stamp papers or stamps, we're making small change.
We have a brilliant idea, and we're dealing in peanuts.
Eight to ten are not enough.
Listen, we're making almost 1000-1500 rupees a day.
What else do you want? Forget it.
I want to run like a cheetah, not an ant...
...and for that, I need a vendor licence.
Listen.
Let things be as they are.
If we run too fast, we'll fall...
...and ruin what we already have.
I don't want to go to a hundred places...
- ...to sell single stamp papers. - Then?
I want to sell hundreds of stamp papers at every single place.
We can make a lakh rupees every day. Understand?
We're just managed to get our names off police records.
You want it back?
If we get greedy and run after the license...
...things will get messy, we'll end up paying more...
...and we'll get into trouble.
33,000 crores... 250 crores... a spoonful of 70 crores...
All this seems nice on paper.
I feel...
Dreams should be according to one's status.
[Police siren]
[indistinct chatter]
[Rawat] 'Hey, stop everything.'
Hey, stop it. Move aside.
[Rawat] 'Check everything.'
'Name?'
Abdul.
Abdul Karim Telgi.
Since when have you been selling illegal liquor?
Liquor? Sir, you're mistaken.
We.. here.. This is a printing...
[Constable] 'Rawat sir, we're at the wrong place.'
'There's no liquor here, Sir.'
If you weren't doing anything illegal...
...then why were you scared?
Well, sir, you spoke so strictly, hence...
I know, all the illegal activities that happen here.
Be careful.
Put them in the van!
[Kaushal] 'We would've been caught today.'
It can't go on like this. This is the third time.
We have mountains of stamp papers in there...
...and uncle's shop is raided every other day.
Is there any place...
[Kaushal]...'where the police can't reach?'
We'll have to think of something.
I'm ready to bear all the expenses, Imam Sahab.
But the dargah should shine like it used to.
I spoke to a lot of people about this.
But it's all Allah's will.
Allah sends angels like you when needed.
I pray Allah fulfils all your wishes.
I do have a wish, Imam Sahab...
...but we need not bother Allah for that.
- You can do it too. - Tell me, what can I do for you?
I run a business, a small printing press.
- Okay. - It's in our locality.
- I see. - You know how defamed...
...our locality is, thanks to a few people.
Because of them, the police bothers even businessmen like me sometimes.
Well, you're not the only one facing this issue.
This is the entire locality's problem. Do you understand?
Yes, but not everyone in the locality is a don, Imam Sahab.
If you could... I mean, if someone like you...
...could support us, this issue can be resolved.
Look, when you feel out of place...
...and if there's someone you don't get along with...
...make a place for yourself in their hearts.
And make such a permanent place in their hearts...
..that the police don't harass you ever.
This is the only solution to your problem...
...and the problem of the locality.
I hope you understand what I'm saying.
- Yes. - Okay, I'll take your leave.
Khuda Hafiz.
[Abdul] Imam Sahab may not have helped me directly...
...but indirectly, he ended up giving me an idea.
- Dombe sir. - Come with me.
[Abdul] An idea with which...
...the law and I would walk arm in arm.
[Dombe] You wait here.
You sit, I'll be back.
[indistinct chatter]
[Abdul] 'Sir, you already know...'
...that the condition of the locality is not how it used to be.
The police have some misconceptions...
...about the people in the locality.
I mean... not everyone there is a criminal.
You came there the other night, didn't you?
I have a solution to this.
We can resolve the tension...
...between the police and the people of the locality.
I'm getting the dargah renovated.
It'll cost around 30 to 40 thousand rupees.
But I don't want to pay that amount directly to the dargah.
- Please... - Yes. He will put...
...30 to 40 thousand rupees into the police fund.
- The police fund? - Yes.
What's the benefit in that?
The benefit is, a Muslim...
...is depositing 40,000 rupees into the police fund...
[Dombe] '...and we'll donate that money...'
...to get the dargah renovated.
[Abdul] 'You'll set an example of religious unity.'
And your photos will be published in the papers.
Isn't it good PR, sir?
But why are you doing this?
Well, sir, whenever you raid the locality...
...businessmen like us suffer the most.
I'm only trying to save my business.
Moreover, I'll make friends like you.
And along with the dargah, our police department...
...will also get a makeover amongst the people of the locality.
[Dombe] 'Isn't it a great idea?'
Congratulations.
[Abdul] 'You look good, Rawat sir.'
Smile for the camera.
[Song playing]
- [Rawat] 'Dombe, tell me how you did it.' - Huh?
Tell me what you did. I want to do it too.
Come on, it's nothing.
How did you do it? I want to do it too. Tell me.
- What are you talking about? - That's what I want to know.
How did he get posted on the international airport...
...without any hustling?
I want to do it too. Tell me.
Rawat, there is no hustling.
No trickery.
- Hardwor... That's it, hard work. - Hmm?
- Hard work. - Yes.
What hard work?
It took me many years...
...to cultivate connections.
It's true. If you have connections in Mumbai...
...then anything can be done.
Political connections?
Salute and move up. Salute and move up.
- Dombe sir? - Yes.
Actually, I wanted to ask you for a favour.
Go ahead, ask away.
I want a stamp paper vendor licence.
Could you talk to someone about it?
Some political connections?
- Tukaram. - Tukaram?
He's an MLA.
He's skinny, but he's forever hungry.
Feed him just a bit...
...he'll do your work in a jiffy.
How much will he take?
Well, he has an NGO.
He started it just so that he can take money.
Just go and give money to his NGO.
Yes...
Before you give him money, give me some. Come on.
[Song playing]
[song fading]
- [Zuben] 'Seven fours are? - [Students] 28.'
[Zuben] 'Very good.'
- [Zuben] 'Seven fives are? - [Students] 35.'
[Zuben] '35.'
- [Zuben] 'Seven sixes are? - [Students] 42.'
42. Very good.
- Seven sevens are... - [indistinct chatter]
I wanted to talk regarding a donation.
Yes, sir, tell me?
Tukaram Sir is connected to your NGO, right?
Yes, sir. Look. He's the main promoter of our NGO.
And we work actively in underprivileged areas.
Sir, small business setups and community connections.
Look at this, sir. We're focusing on hygiene and education now.
Why would anyone make a donation to you?
Come on, sir.
I mean, will they look at your noble work...
...or have mercy at these pictures of poor people?
Or your faces?
Well, people could have mercy on your faces too.
No, sir, we're not trying to sell anything.
- Our NGO... - You don't know how to...
...but you are selling your NGO to me.
If you were salesmen, you'd have understood.
You're not salesmen, so you won't understand.
Anyway, I need to buy something from you.
Tukaram Sir's birthday is approaching, right?
Yes.
It's up on posters everywhere.
I want to celebrate his birthday.
I'll give in cash the amount that I've written...
...as donation. Do tell him, okay?
Sir...
I'd first like to thank Imam Sahab.
Zuben, Suleiman, Mr. Abdul.
I'd like to thank you all as only because of you...
...I'm being able to celebrate my birthday with all of you.
[Tukaram] But, I won't cut a cake today.
The conditions here are such that people have been working hard...
...and tirelessly. And yet, they don't get two square meals.
So today, how can I cut a cake...
...and celebrate my birthday?
- [Man1] 'Wonderful! - [Man2] Long live!'
- Tukaram Dada! - Long live!
- Move back... - Long live!
[cheering fades]
[Tukaram] 'What's the plan, Mr. Abdul?'
I need a license to sell stamp papers.
Stamp papers?
Need is a beautiful thing in business, Tukaram Sir.
The day you understand another person's need...
...is the day you understand business.
Say I help you get the licence...
How am I to benefit from it?
Partnership is full of benefits.
Partnership is the wise thing to do.
If you want, you can lay the foundation of this partnership.
We won't earn money, we will make it.
You speak well.
I am even better at delivering.
Come.
[Tukaram] 'He wants a stamp vendor license.'
Have you filed an application?
- Yes, I have, sir. - What's the number?
2019.
Tukaram Sir, there are 1500 applications before him.
You tell me, what can I do?
He's our man. See if you can do something.
Of course. 800 out of those 1500 are our men too.
They belong to the party.
How many should I approve?
And even if I do, what about the background check?
Is your background clear?
And anyway, there's hardly any profit margin in stamp papers.
[Bharade] 'Look at the competition.'
They are all old players.
They won't even let a new kid enter.
Why don't you push him elsewhere instead?
There's BMC, there's revenue...
Sir is right. Yes.
You see, a hundred or two would have been fine...
...but 700-800 is too much. Try something else.
[Tukaram] 'He'll help you out.'
It's okay, Tukaram Sir. I'll try something else.
Something that offers higher profit margins.
[indistinct chatter]
How much did you pay...
...to Tukaram's party?
I mean his NGO?
[Kaushal] 'You must have paid Tukaram separately also, right?'
And then...
...30-40 thousand for the renovation of the dargah.
How much did you give the cops?
I saw you throwing money away.
If you saw it, then why didn't you come with us?
You f***er.
This money is not yours alone...
..to shove up everyone's a***s.
- This business is mine too. - But the idea is mine.
Now you're showing your true colours.
It's your idea, isn't it?
Forget all this.
If we could get the license, both our lives would have been set.
That's why I did it.
Oh, yes, the license... Your permit...
Where is your licence? Where is it?
The policeman, the custom guy, even Tukaram...
...they all fooled you.
Hey, wait. Wait!
Stop!
I'm not a fool, you are.
What do you even know?
All you do is steal and scavenge.
Who are you?
Who the heck are you?
You are nothing, you f***. You're nothing.
Bribing won't always help, understand?
Money doesn't always gets things done.
And your true place is that of Shaukatbhai's receptionist!
I was the one who told, dare a little, darling..
..you f***ed this darling over.
You are a born beggar, you m**********r!
How dare you!
You beggar!
I'm a beggar?
Calling me a beggar?
[Abdul screams in pain]
I held your hand, and you turned out a b*****d.
And you raised that hand today. We're quits.
- You started it! - I started the business too!
You talk about status, don't you? Keep your status to yourself!
You... You can't buy intelligence with status.
I'll build my status with my intelligence, you rascal.
F**k off.
Go to hell, you m**********r.
I've come from hell to make a better life, you a*****e!
You go to hell!
Go to hell. I'll do it on my own.
[Abdul groans]
[Theme Music Playing]