My own stage play - 'SECRET OF SUCCESS'

This is a story about a Business man who succeeds in bringing back his company after a huge crisis. The story starts with a shocking market crash and moves with a slow pace and ends with a twist.

The characterization of Srinivasan (business man) was depicted with much of royalty, mental strength, confidence, optimism, love, passion.

Just go through it and give your valuable comments.

Story & Screenplay - Gowtham ; 
Dialogue - Divya

CHARACTERS:  

Srinivasan - Business Executive of Metline (protagonist)

Poornima – Secretary

Sarawathi Srinivasan – wife

Asim Premji – Old Man

Johnson Selvaraj – Another Business Executive

Nurse

Scene 1:

     Location: Bedroom

     This scene as 2 characters: Srinivasan (protagonist) and secretary

Protagonist is sleeping. Mobile phone rings. He wakes up and attends the call. The secretary is on call and tells about the stock market crash.

Mobile phone rings. Protagonist wakes up and attends the call.

Srinivasan: Hello!

Poornima: This is poornima, your secretary.

Srinivasan: Hmmm…

Poornima: I got news for you.

Srinivasan: Yeah! Go ahead.

Poornima: There is a sudden crash in the stock market.

Srinivasan: What?

Poornima: Our Company’s alliance group is facing a great break down.

Srinivasan: So?

Poornima: I mean our company is under huge loss.

Srinivasan: What the hell….. (Pauses) (Coughs) (Gets up, sits on the bed)

Poornima: customers are demanding for the money.

Srinivasan: Bull shit! ...... (Long pause) will call you back.

Ends the call abruptly.

Scene 2:

Location: bedroom, road and park

Steps down from the bed, dresses up. Opens his door and walks out of the house, with lots of confusions and questions running in his mind. He (protagonist) walks by the roadside. Sees an empty bench in the park and enters inside the park, sits on the bench.

Scene 3:

Location: Park

     This scene as 2 characters: Srinivasan (protagonist) and Saraswathi (wife)

Sitting on the bench he (protagonist) thinks about all the circumstances. Then he starts questioning himself.

Srinivasan: Will I be loyal to the customers, who trust me?

                   Will I be able to save my family?

                   Why does this happen to me? What did I do?

Phone rings…. (after 3 rings) the protagonist sees the phone and attends the call. His (protagonist) wife calls him.

Saraswathi: Dear! Where are you?

Srinivasan: Hmmmmmm…… (He pauses and doesn’t reply)

Saraswathi: Where did you go dear? What is happening? Why are you silent?

Srinivasan: My sweetheart! I’m fine. Will be back in minutes dear. Miss you. Bye!

The protagonist cuts the call and switches off his mobile.

Scene 4:

Location: Park

     This scene as 2 characters: Srinivasan (protagonist) and old man

The old man sits on the park bench, next to the protagonist. Speaks with the protagonist and tries to help him out.

Srinivasan: Is there anything to save my company?

Old Man: (comes near the bench and sits next to the protagonist) (speaks with bold voice)

                Are you fine gentlemen?

Srinivasan: Yeah! (Harshly)

Old Man: You look worried. Is there anyway I can help you?

Srinivasan: (with strange look and anger) who are you to help me? Just bother about your work and stay shut.

Old Man: (after a long pause) sorry to interrupt you again. You reside in the next street right! I have seen you.

Srinivasan: So!

Old Man: I can see a trouble in your face. 

Srinivasan: Oh! Okay. So what you expect from me now.

The old man takes out a paper and pen from his coat pocket. Fills up the paper and handed it to the protagonist. It was a cheque.

Old Man: Take this money. It will help you. I’ll meet you here exactly one year from now, and you can pay me back at that time.

Old man walks away. Protagonist sees the cheque and he (old man) has filled in a cash amount of Rs. 5 crore. It was signed by Mr. Asim Premji (Chairman of Wipro). He (protagonist) was shocked.

Srinivasan: (speaks to himself) Where did he come from? Why did he help me? What is the reason to help me? How did he know that I was in trouble???

With much more confusion, he (protagonist) walks back to his house.

Scene 5:

Location: House

     This scene as 2 characters: Srinivasan and Saraswathi (wife)

The protagonist enters the house. Saraswathi comes running towards the protagonist. Asks him about the problem and tells about the repeated phone calls from the customers demanding for money.

Saraswathi: Is everything okay dear? What is happening around us?

Srinivasan: (hugs his wife) hey darling! Everything will be fine soon dear. Believe me.

Saraswathi: I believe you the most honey. I will be there by your side.

Srinivasan: Could you get me a cup of coffee? I will relax a while in the bedroom.

Saraswathi: Sure honey!

The protagonist enters the bedroom. Sits on the bed. Takes out the cheque from the pocket and keeps it on the desk. Thinks for a while seeing the cheque. All his efforts and pains behind the success of his company flashes through his mind so he wants to proceed with his talent instead of believing in some one else money. Keeping that cheque as a motivating factor he decided to tackle the situation with his hard work and skills.

Scene 6:

Location: bedroom

     This scene has 2 characters: Srinivasan and Johnson selvaraj

The protagonist picks up the phone and dials to Johnson selvaraj. Johnson is an another business executive.

Srinivasan: hello! Is it Johnson?

Johnson: yeah!

Srinivasan: It is Srinivasan here.

Johnson: I know. How are you?

Srinivasan: I’m fine. May I ask you for a help?

Johnson: sure! What is it?

Srinivasan: (explains about the loss his company is facing due to stock market crash) (pauses) so can you fetch me some money with my property. It’s urgent!

Johnson: okay! I will arrange for the money in a couple of days.

Srinivasan: Oh thanks! I will pay back the debts as soon as possible.

Johnson: I believe you. Collect the cash from me 2 days later.

Srinivasan

Johnson: bye.

The protagonist ends the call. After 2 days the protagonist meets Johnson and collects the money.

Scene 7:

Location: Office – conference hall

     This scene has 2 characters: Srinivasan and customers

The protagonist enters the conference hall with a hesitant smile. Holds the mike and addresses the gathering.

Srinivasan: Good morning everyone! I have to thank everyone for your patience and trust. I would like to tell you that the company is under huge loss. I assure that all your money will be safe. Believe me, I will never let you down. This company is like a ship and as a captain I cannot proceed forward without your support. I believe….(pause) you people will lend your hand to fix the whole in this ship. (With constant smile in his face) Thank you!

All the customers were amazed with his (protagonist) honest and confident speech.

Scene 8:

Fast track scene showing all the struggles and hurdles faced while in the process of his rescue mission.

The protagonist sorts out all the possible reasons and problems faced by the company due to the market crash. He took the responsibility to tackle the hurdles before him. His goal is to save the ship before it drowns. He listed out the hurdles and to reach his goal, he has to clear the hurdles in front of him. His effort made him own a company and the same effort and presence of mind made him face the difficulties before him. His confidence made his customers hold on to him. With renewed optimism, he invested the money in the business and implemented his skills for a new beginning. Within a few months of day and night hard work and effort, he was out of debt and making money once again.

Scene 9:

Location: park

     This scene as 3 characters: Srinivasan, old man and nurse

It was exactly one year before the protagonist has met the old man. As per the old man’s instruction the protagonist is waiting in the park to meet him. After a while he sees the same old man walking towards him. When he (protagonist) was about to share everything that happened in his life for the past one year, he saw a young lady shouting and running towards him. She is a nurse.

Nurse: I hope he (old man) didn’t trouble you?

Srinivasan: No. What’s the matter? You look so tensed?

Nurse: I’m so glad that I caught him.

Srinivasan: what?

Nurse: He always escapes from the hospital and tells people that he is Mr. Asim Premji.

Srinivasan: (with a shock and tremble) which hospital?

Nurse: J.K. Hospital, the hospital for mentally challenged people.

The protagonist is shocked and stares at them. The nurse walks away with the old man by holding his arm tight.

Scene 10:

Location: Park

This scene involves only protagonist.

After the departure of nurse and the old man, he (protagonist) out of astonishment started thinking about his sudden changeover. Finally he realized that it wasn't the money, real or imagined that had turned his life around, it was his new found SELF-CONFIDENCE that gave him the power to achieve anything he went after.

Believe in yourself strongly rather than believing others or any other thing.

THEME: Self-Confidence makes the people achieve.

TWIST: The Old man (Mr. Asim Premji) turning out to be a mentally challenged person.

CONFLICT: The struggle he faces during the retrieval of his company from catastrophe.