Nikhil & Jay

Descriptive Transcript

[Upbeat introduction music]

DESCRIPTION: Two brothers open the front door of their home. The older brother, Nikhil, has brown hair and wears a red hooded sweater with a dinosaur emblem. The younger brother, Jay, has brown hair and wears a blue-and-green sweater.

NIKHIL: Hi, I'm Nikhil.

JAY: And I'm Jay!

NIKHIL: Here's a little story about where our family's from.

DESCRIPTION: Nikhil pulls down a map. Illustrations of their mother, Amma, and their father, Appa, appear. Amma has brown hair and wears orange glasses. Appa has brown hair and a brown beard.

BROTHERS [singing]: It starts in South India with Amma, our mom. She caught a plane to England and met our dad, Appa!

DESCRIPTION: Appa and Amma dance side by side while Appa holds a cup of tea. Amma wears a blue top with orange pants. Appa wears a red quarter-zip sweater and blue pants.

[singing]

BROTHERS: She loves to dance, and he makes the best cuppa!

DESCRIPTION: Nikhil and Jay dance together and with their parents.

[singing]

BROTHERS: Oh! And then we came along. Oh! And this is our song. Oh-oh, Nikhil and Jay! Oh-oh Nikhil and Jay!

[singing]

JAY: Nikhil likes… Missions!

[singing]

NIKHIL: Jay likes… Being loud!

[singing]

BROTHERS: We both love to dream!

DESCRIPTION: Miniature versions of Nikhil and Jay play on a carrom board. The brothers fly through the sky in a rocket ship.

[singing]

BROTHERS: We can shoot a carrom pocket! Yeah, or blast off in a rocket! We make the greatest team.

NIKHIL: Wait.

JAY: What!?

DESCRIPTION: Nikhil and Jay hold up a tablet, displaying a video call with their grandparents, Ammamma and Thatha. Ammamma is wearing an orange-and-blue sari, and Thatha is wearing a beige shirt, with glasses hanging around his neck. Behind Nikhil and Jay are their other set of grandparents, Jim and Nana. Jim has gray hair and wears a green shirt. He is holding a plate of food. Nana has gray hair and wears a yellow high-visibility jacket. She is holding a crossing guard sign.

[singing]

BROTHERS: There's Ammamma and Thatha! And Jim and Nana! And don't forget Max the cat!

DESCRIPTION: An orange cat licks his paw. The whole family dances together.

[Max meowing]

[singing]

FAMILY]: Oh-oh, Nikhil and Jay! Oh-oh, Nikhil and Jay, Oh-oh, Nikhil and Jay, Oh-oh, Nikhil and Jay!

[Upbeat music ends]

[Opening credits] “BBC”.

[Title] “Nikhil & Jay.”

[Credits continue] “Based on the books by Chitra Soundar.”

DESCRIPTION: Jay narrates the episode title “Nikhil & Jay and the Butterflies.”

[Credits continue] “Series Director: Jamie Teehan. Director: Nandita Jain. Written by: Chitra Soundar."

DESCRIPTION: In the backyard, Amma sits at the patio table and looks at a sketchpad. Max is sleeping on the grass beside her, and a butterfly lands on his face. Appa is carrying a bucket of soapy water and spills some on Max. Max wakes up and walks away. Appa carries the bucket over to the greenhouse where a bike is parked.

[Appa whistling]

[Max meowing angrily]

[Bike bell ringing]

AMMA: Hm. Hm...

[Amma sucks her teeth]

DESCRIPTION: Nikhil rushes outside. He is wearing a backpack and holds a pair of binoculars and a walkie–talkie.

NIKHIL: Ha-ha!

AMMA: What?

NIKHIL: The butterfly ranger's here to spot a butterfly! Mission butterfly watch is go, go, go!

APPA: Good luck, Ranger Nikhil.

[Amma chuckling]

NIKHIL: Whoo-hoo!

DESCRIPTION: Nikhil jumps into the bushes. He pops out and looks around with his binoculars. He sees Max and Jay.

[Bushes rustling]

[Meowing]

DESCRIPTION: Jay is dressed in butterfly wings and antennas and holds a fairy wand.

JAY: Whee! I'm going to be a butterfly fairy!

[Jay giggling]

JAY: To help Nikhil!

DESCRIPTION: Nikhil holds up his binoculars, a book with bugs on the cover, and his backpack.

NIKHIL: I don't need any help. I've got my book, my binoculars, and a snack.

[Jay giggling]

NIKHIL: And actually, butterfly fairies aren't real.

JAY: But I am really real! The realest butterfly fairy.

[Shimmering]

DESCRIPTION: Jay offers Nikhil his fairy wand.

JAY: Do you want to have a go?

NIKHIL: No, thanks. I'm on my solo butterfly watch mission.

JAY: Okay. I'll so...lo with you.

[Jay giggling]

NIKHIL: Solo means just me, Jay.

DESCRIPTION: Jay frowns.

[Amma’s phone is ringing]

DESCRIPTION: Amma picks up her cellphone and speaks into it.

AMMA [into the cellphone]: Oh! Hello? The suit? Ah, yes.

DESCRIPTION: A leaf blows in the wind through the backyard. Jay catches it.

[Jay gasping]

JAY: Ooh, a message for the butterfly fairy.

DESCRIPTION: Jay reads the leaf.

[Jay gasping]

JAY: Someone needs my butterfly fairy magic! Bye!

DESCRIPTION: Jay runs off. Nikhil crouches down into the bushes and looks through his binoculars.

[Bushes rustling]

NIKHIL: Butterfly watch mission begins.

DESCRIPTION: Through his binoculars, Nikhil looks around the backyard. He sees birdhouses, potted plants, a mud kitchen, and something orange rustling in the bushes.

NIKHIL: Trekking through the deep, dark forest. No butterflies found yet.

[Nikhil gasping]

NIKHIL: What's this? Something orange and twitchy. Could it be?

DESCRIPTION: Nikhil opens up his bug book. He looks at a page showing an orange-and-brown butterfly with white circles on its back.

[Nikhil gasping]

NIKHIL: A Painted Lady?

[Bushes rustling]

DESCRIPTION: Max jumps out of the bush.

[Meowing]

NIKHIL: Oh, it's only Max.

[Nikhil groaning]

DESCRIPTION: Sitting at the patio table, Amma frowns and looks at her sketchpad.

AMMA: Why can't I make this suit design work?

[Amma tsking]

AMMA: Ugh, something's missing.

DESCRIPTION: Jay, dressed as a butterfly fairy, dances around Amma. Amma smiles brightly at him.

JAY: A butterfly fairy, that's what's missing!

[Amma gasping]

[Amma giggling]

AMMA: Oh, thanks Joonam. But I don't think you can help. Unless butterfly fairies can design suits.

[Crashing and clattering]

DESCRIPTION: Nikhil pours out all the contents of his backpack onto the table, including a rubber duck, some apples, a banana, and a stuffed animal.

[Nikhil gasping]

NIKHIL: Found it!

[Jay giggling]

JAY: Found what? A butterfly?

NIKHIL: Nope, I found my snack!

DESCRIPTION: Nikhil holds up the banana.

[The banana shimmers]

[Jay laughing]

DESCRIPTION: Jay runs away. Nikhil takes a bite of the banana, puts his hand on his hip, and thinks.

NIKHIL: Hm… Where can I find butterflies?

DESCRIPTION: In his imagination, Nikhil’s banana disappears, and he is in a dreamland with a blue sky and green grass.

[Nikhil gasps]

NIKHIL: Oooh.

DESCRIPTION: A butterfly flies by Nikhil and lands on a flower.

[Wings fluttering]

[Nikhil laughs]

DESCRIPTION: Nikhil chases the butterfly, running past the flower and jumping through a pile of mud.

[Mud splashing]

NIKHIL: Ooh!

DESCRIPTION: Nikhil slides down a grassy hill and lands in a mud puddle, where flowers and butterflies surround him.

[Mud splashing]

[Butterfly wings fluttering]

[Nikhil gasping]

NIKHIL: Yeah!

DESCRIPTION: Back in reality.

[Nikhil gasping]

[Nikhil laughing]

NIKHIL: Actually, butterflies need muddy puddles and flower beds!

[Upbeat music]

DESCRIPTION: Nikhil takes a bite of his banana and walks off. Nikhil grabs his water bottle and walkie–talkie and walks towards the edge of his backyard.

NIKHIL: Mission muddy puddle go, go, go!

[Brakes screeching]

NIKHIL: Hm.

DESCRIPTION: Nikhil kneels on the grass and uses a painted rock to dig a hole in the ground.

[Scraping]

DESCRIPTION: Nikhil pours water from his water bottle into the hole.

[Splashing]

NIKHIL: Muddy puddle complete.

DESCRIPTION: Nikhil waits. In a montage, he sits, swings on a rope swing, eats more of his banana, and lies on his back, right next to the hole, waiting for a butterfly.

NIKHIL: No butterfly yet.

[Clock ticking]

NIKHIL: Still no butterfly. Hm.

[Max meowing]

[Nikhil sighing]

NIKHIL: I'm never going to spot a butterfly ever.

[Nikhil sighing]

DESCRIPTION: Jay runs up next to Nikhil.

JAY: Maybe Butterfly Fairy could help! I have loads of magic left!

[Upbeat music plays]

DESCRIPTION: Jay daydreams of flying around on his butterfly fairy wings. He dances next to his drawings of butterflies with fruit for wings.

JAY: Yeah! Come on, Nikhil! Let's dance with strawberry and cherry butterflies!

DESCRIPTION: Back in reality.

NIKHIL: No thanks, I'm looking for real butterflies. The Painted Lady and the Purple Emperor.

[Jay laughing]

JAY: They don't sound real at all!

DESCRIPTION: Jay runs away.

[Nikhil sighing]

NIKHIL: One last try. Mission butterfly watch go, go, go!

DESCRIPTION: Nikhil looks through his binoculars and walks around his backyard. He is startled by Appa.

APPA: Hey.

NIKHIL: Wha?!

APPA: Need any pro tips? I came 11th in a butterfly spotting competition, you know.

NIKHIL: No, thanks, Appa.

APPA [Whispering]: You've got to be super quiet. Like a mouse.

DESCRIPTION: Jay pops up next to Appa and Nikhil.

JAY: Squeak, squeak.

[Jay giggling quietly]

DESCRIPTION: Amma is on the other side of the backyard.

[Amma yelling]

JAY: Is Amma okay?

APPA: I'll check.

[Appa apprehensively humming]

APPA: You carry on playing.

[Nikhil sighing]

NIKHIL: I'm not playing.

[Gasping]

NIKHIL: I'm looking for butterflies.

DESCRIPTION: Appa approaches Amma. Jay shrugs and dances away. Nikhil picks up his binoculars. On the other side of the backyard, Amma is meditating with Max. Appa quietly sits down with his legs crossed next to her, accidentally sitting on Max’s tail.

AMMA: Hm.

[Amma sighing]

[Max meowing]

APPA: Ooh, sorry, Max.

DESCRIPTION: Amma and Appa sit with their legs crossed, hands on their knees, palms facing the sky. Their eyes are shut, and they smile. Appa and Amma take deep breaths in and out.

[Calming music plays]

[Exhaling]

[Inhaling deeply]

[Exhaling]

DESCRIPTION: Jay sits down next to them in the same position, breathing loudly.

[Jay exhaling dramatically]

DESCRIPTION: Appa opens his eyes, smiles, and turns to Amma.

APPA: What's wrong, banu?

[Amma grunting]

DESCRIPTION: Amma holds up her sketch book and shows it to Appa. It displays a drawing of a suit with floral patterns, colour swatches, and fabric samples attached.

AMMA: This suit, it's so… meh.

[Amma sighing]

APPA: Can I help? I did come 11th in--

AMMA: Suit designing?

APPA: Helping. I'm a very good helper.

DESCRIPTION: Suddenly, Jay jumps between them and waves his wand.

JAY: Amma needs some butterfly fairy magic! Whoo-hoo!

DESCRIPTION: Jay runs around and in between them.

AMMA: Jay. Jay, be careful.

JAY: Whee!

AMMA: Jay.

JAY: Yeah!

DESCRIPTION: Jay nudges Amma, and she accidentally scratches a line through her drawing.

AMMA: Jay! Your butterfly magic has…

DESCRIPTION: Amma looks down at her drawing. A line is drawn through the suit.

AMMA: turned meh into magic! I love it! Look. A belt. It's just what the suit needed. Thank you,
butterfly fairy. Whoo-hoo, yeah.

DESCRIPTION: Amma gets up and walks into her studio.

[Jay giggling]

[Both laughing]

DESCRIPTION: Appa and Jay laugh with each other. Jay runs over to Nikhil.

JAY: Nikhil, Nikhil!

NIKHIL: Huh?

JAY: My butterfly fairy magic worked!

NIKHIL: What do you mean?

JAY: I magicked Amma's suit better!

NIKHIL: Okay.

DESCRIPTION: Nikhil turns to walk away, but he stumbles into a bucket of water. He tips the bucket over, falls, and his butterfly book lands in his lap.

[Clanking]

NIKHIL: Wha! Wha! Ooft!

[Sad music playing]

[Nikhil sniffling]

[Jay gasping]

JAY: Are you okay, Nikhil?

[Nikhil sniffling]

NIKHIL: No. I haven't spotted any butterflies. Maybe I do need some butterfly fairy magic after all.

[Jay giggling]

[Jay laughing]

DESCRIPTION: Jay and Nikhil run over to the patio table and sit down. Max is sleeping on top of Nikhil’s backpack, but jumps in fright and runs away at the brother’s noise.

[Max purring]

[Max meowing]

JAY: Oops.

BOTH: Sorry, Max!

[Max meowing]

JAY: What kind of butterflies do you want to see?

NIKHIL: Real ones.

JAY: Hm. The real ones are usually… Near muddy puddles and flower beds. I made a muddy puddle, remember? But it didn't work.

JAY: Hm. Maybe we need a ginormous puddle!

[Gasping]

DESCRIPTION: Both run over to the spilled water bucket, which has now turned into a giant muddy puddle.

BOTH: Yeah!

NIKHIL: We also need flower beds.

DESCRIPTION: Jay shakes his fairy wand at the puddle.

JAY: Grow, grow, flower beds! Hm. Maybe it's not working.

AMMA: Ta-da!

DESCRIPTION: Amma walks out of her studio. She wears a hot pink suit with floral designs on the pants' cuffs and arms, and a belt around her waist. She also wears rainbow high heels.

AMMA: What do you think? I'm calling it floral magic.

DESCRIPTION: Amma wobbles in the high heels.

AMMA: Whoa! Whoa-hoo-hoo.

[Both brothers laugh]

[Jay gasping]

JAY: That's it!

[Gasping]

AMMA: Eh? Whoa!

[Giggling]

DESCRIPTION: Jay runs into the studio. He comes out with something behind his back and looks at Amma, who nods. Jay holds up two pieces of scrap fabric from Amma’s suit. The fabric pieces are floral, hot pink.

JAY: Nikhil, I found flower beds!

DESCRIPTION: Later, Jay and Nikhil have surrounded the mud pile with scrap fabric from Amma’s suit.

JAY: There, a ginormous muddy puddle and flower beds. Ready.

DESCRIPTION: In a montage, Jay and Nikhil wait for butterflies. They lie on the ground, hide in the bushes, and sit by the puddle.

[Bushes rustling]

NIKHIL: Hm. That didn't work either.

JAY: Hm, there's one thing left to do. We need to magic into butterflies, then the real butterflies will want to be our friends.

DESCRIPTION: Jay and Nikhil stand up and hold out their arms, as if they are wings. Jay smiles brightly, but Nikhil is frowning.

[Jay giggling]

JAY: Fly, butterfly, fly! Come on! If you want the butterfly fairy magic to work you've got to be a butterfly!

[Nikhil sighing]

DESCRIPTION: Jay grabs Nikhil’s arm, and they run around the backyard, waving their arms. Nikhil smiles.

[Laughing]

[Upbeat music]

[Both giggling]

[Laughing]

DESCRIPTION: After a while, Nikhil and Jay lie on their backs on the grass.

[Sighing happily]

[Sighing]

DESCRIPTION: Just then, an orange butterfly lands on Nikhil’s nose.

[Wings fluttering]

[Gasping]

DESCRIPTION: Two butterflies fly around the muddy puddle.

NIKHIL: Wow. A Painted Lady. A Purple Emperor. Wow. Thank you for helping me, Jay.

JAY: Just a little butterfly fairy magic.

APPA: Well done, Ranger Nikhil.

AMMA: And you too, Butterfly Fairy.

DESCRIPTION: A butterfly lands on Appa’s nose.

APPA: Ooh. Hello, there.

[All laughing]

DESCRIPTION: Later, inside the house, Amma is on the phone.

AMMA: Yep, all done. I think you're going to love it.

DESCRIPTION: Amma stumbles in her high heels and trips over the carrom board, where Max is napping.

AMMA: It's... ahhhh!

[Meowing]

AMMA: Magic.

[Dial tone humming]

AMMA: Hello? Hello?

[Upbeat music]

[End Credits] “Cast. Nikhil: Shiv Senthilkumar, Jay: Sai Ganesh Nadesan, Amma: Charithra Chandran, Appa: Ben Harris, Mr. Awan: Tez Ilyas, Max: Harriet Carmichael. Casting: Brilliant Casting. Additional Voice Direction: Jessica Hann. Composers: Sidh Solanki & Shridhar Solanki. Lead Storyboard Artist: Rosie Cash. Storyboard Artist: Sophie Osinski. Script Editor: Becky Overton. Produced with funding from the Northern Ireland Screen & Cake. King Banana, Paper Owl Films for BBC. An Albert Certified Production.”