Running Away

An Indian barrister forced into exile by the fear of violent death, hides in 1972 London.  To retain his anonymity, he works as a lowly clerk, subject to ridicule and racial hatred from his co-workers.  A young student becomes his colleague and confidante.  But has his past caught up with him? 

Based on the true story of a man I met while working in London, this screenplay was originally written as a short story, comparing the fate of an Indian barrister forced to flee his country after an attempt on his life by a gang of gold smugglers, with the decision of a young graduate whether to leave academia for the 'real' world, or whether to run away back to the comparative safety of the university.

I turned the story into a screenplay at the request of another Indian I worked with many years later who needed a script to film.  It was then that the idea of the young hitman emerged, in order to give the story a more definite ending.

The script was developed further by a graduate at UWIC in Cardiff as part of his MA in Film Producing.  At a pitching session to film industry professionals, the idea generated some interest, especially with a view to attracting money from the film industry in India.

© Nigel Holloway 2023