A day in the life of Lajja Shah. Afternoon. Train to Dadar.

Cinematographer: Shaina Anand

Duration: 00:18:15; Aspect Ratio: 1.778:1; Hue: 22.408; Saturation: 0.076; Lightness: 0.375; Volume: 0.096; Cuts per Minute: 32.646; Words per Minute: 17.528

Lajja Shah is a freelance stylist residing in Malad E. Most days are unpredictable and are spent networking through the city. Speed, mobility and connectivity are crucial; all modes of transport are exploited. Here filmmaker Shaina Anand (SA) follows Lajja on the train from Andheri station to Dadar station, as Lajja makes her way from the suburbs of Mumbai, into town.

Road view of Andheri station.
Western Railway
Andheri
andheri
station
Mumbai
commuter
first class
ladies compartment
railway
suburb
train

Banner: Speakwell English Academy
Ticket counters - Andheri station
counter
railway
ticket

Lajja walking into ticket counters - Andheri station
SA: Go lugs

Lajja getting a ticket. A child beggar with his hand out at the counter.
SA: Lajja stop.
beggar
child

L: Do (Two) first class....
Lajja goes over to another counter.

Lajja continues a phone conversation till she gets to the counter
L: Do (Two) first class.... Mahalaxmi.
Man: Jara hamara bhi nikaal de (Film us also)
SA: Go straight up.
railway

Lajja drops and picks up coins.

Lajja walks up the stairs
landing
stair case

Track shot with people walking up and down the stair case.

View from landing in between flights of stairs, looking down at ticket counters.
railway

Front view of Lajja coming up the stair case.
Lajja stop.

Lajja walks back down to landing.
L: Go?
SA: Yeah. Go.

Lajja walks up second flight of stairs.

Walk bridge view of railway tracks and car park.
L: (on phone) No, but you guys are going to have to pay for the damages that have just. It was on the photo shoot.
service train
tracks
walk bridge

Lajja walking on the walk bridge.
andheri
station
train

Track shot of Lajja walking on the walk bridge.
SA: Lugs walk faster if you need to.

Lajja walking down the stairs to the platform.
platform
stair case
track

Lajja running down the stairs to catch the train.

On the train, leaving Andheri station.

first class. ladies' compartment
In the First Class Ladies' Compartment

L on the phone.
Vile Parle

Santa Cruz

People getting into the compartment at Santa Cruz station. Some school buys get on and a lady selling hair accessories
hair band
hair clips
informal
sector
santa cruz

School boys find seats close by.

Lajja on her phone
Khar Road

Khar Road stop. Begging man gets on board.
beggar
khar road
old

Bandra
bandra
school boys
School boys: Bandra's coming on this side.
Khar

Looking out from the compartment as the train approaches Bandra station.
bandra station
Bandra

Pulling into Bandra station. Electronic display informs that the time is 1.32 pm and that the train is has 9 compartments,
compartment
display
electronic
time

Leaving Bandra Station. The chawls,
chawls

Lajja talks over the phone and the black water of Mahim Creek are in the background. Passing Mahim.
Mahim Creek
bandra
mahim creek

Pulling into Mahim station.
L: Train approaching.
mahim station
Mahim
train

Watching as the train speeds towards Matunga Road.
station
Matunga Road
matunga road

SA: We'll get one nice angle.

SA: Tell me about how often you use the train.
L: I use the train everyday. Because it's the most convenient mode of transport in Bombay, especially for long distances. So, if I'm travelling from my house, which is in the far suburbs, to somewhere beyond Bandra, then I definitely take the train. But if I'm somewhere in the vicinity of the suburbs, then I take the rickshaw because that's far more convenient. So, it depends on where I'm going. If I'm going to town, then definitely the train. Like we are going to town just now. This is half the time it would take to go by road. It's a lot more convenient, no pollution, no stress. Just reach from point A to point B in no time. And I have a First Class Pass, so I have no issues of standing in a line. So I just hop into a train and hop out whenever I want. I have a First Class Pass. I've taken a First Class Pass because of the population, the amount of people who travel in First Class is one third of what it is in the second class. So obviously it is a lot more comfortable than the second class.
Bandra
Mumbai
amount
auto
bandra
convenient
long distance
mode
pollution
population
railway pass
rickshaw
road
stress
suburb
town
transport
travel
use
Dadar
comfortable
first class
second class

That's the second class. As you can see there First Class is a lot emptier. There's place to sit. There's place to stand and place to breathe. Not so in the second class.
breathe
empty
place
sit
stand

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