??Nikhil and Jay



Descriptive Transcript



[Energetic music plays, door creaks, boing]



DESCRIPTION: In an animation, the front door of a townhouse opens, and Nikhil smiles. He has short brown hair and brown eyes and wears a red hooded sweater. Inside the house, his little brother, Jay, also has short brown hair and brown eyes. He wears a purple shirt with blue-green trim.



NIKHIL: Hi, I'm Nikhil.



JAY: And I'm Jay!



[Map rustles, boings, plane whooshes, Appa shouts, Amma laughs]



DESCRIPTION: Nikhil pulls down a map showing a small boat in the water off the coast of South India. Amma s face appears. She has chin-length brown hair with a yellow bow. A plane flies to England, and Appa s face appears. He has short brown hair and a beard. A heart-shaped outline surrounds them. Amma dances, and Appa holds a cat-shaped mug.



[Song] Here's a little story about where our family's from. It starts in South India with Amma, our mom. She caught a plane to England and met our dad, Appa. She loves to dance, and he makes the best cuppa. Oh. And then we came along. Oh. And this is our song.



DESCRIPTION: Nikhil and Jay dance with their parents.



[Song] Oh-oh, Nikhil and Jay. Oh-oh, Nikhil and Jay.



JAY: Nikhil likes...



DESCRIPTION: Nikhil peers through binoculars.



NIKHIL: Missions! Jay likes...



[Boings, energetic music continues]



DESCRIPTION: Jay bounces with his arms in the air.



JAY: Being loud!



[Chimes, coins rattle, rocket ship whooshes]



DESCRIPTION: They high-five and daydream about riding coins on a carrom board. In outer space, they peer through the window of a rocket ship.



[Song] We both love to dream. We can shoot a carrom pocket. Yeah, or blast off in a rocket. We make the greatest team.



DESCRIPTION: Nikhil and Jay fist-bump.



[Needle scratches a record, slide whistle]



NIKHIL: Wait.



JAY: What?



DESCRIPTION: Nikhil and Jay hold a picture of their grandparents, Ammamma and Thatha. Ammamma has short black hair and wears a yellow shirt and a blue saree. Thatha has short white hair and wears a yellow jacket, a white shirt, and eyeglasses on a chain around his neck.



NIKHIL: There's Ammamma and Thatha.



[Jim and Nana exclaim]



DESCRIPTION: Jim and Nana stand behind Nikhil and Jay. Jim has short brown hair and holds a tray of food. He wears a green shirt and brown pants. Nana holds her lollipop traffic sign turned red.



JAY: And Jim and Nana.



NIKHIL: And don't forget Max the cat.



[Max meows, crash, slide whistles]



DESCRIPTION: Max, an orange tabby cat, licks her paw, then lunges forward. Nikhil and Jay dance with their parents, Nana, Jim, and Max.



[Song] Oh-oh, Nikhil and Jay. Oh-oh, Nikhil and Jay. Oh-oh, Nikhil and Jay. Oh-oh, Nikhil and Jay.



[Door slams, Nikhil and Jay giggle]



[Title] Nikhil and Jay.



[Episode Title] Nikhil and Jay and the Star Birthday.



[Opening Credits] B.B.C. Based on the books by Chitra Soundar. Series Director, Jamie Teehan. Director, Nandita Jain. Written by Chitra Soundar.



[Adventure music plays, whooshing]



DESCRIPTION: In the backyard, cushions, a book, and a carrom board hold a blanket fort in place beneath tables. Inside, Nikhil holds Star and Jay holds Chickpea, moving the stuffies so they imitate walking past a pile of balls and a cricket bat. Chickpea moves around Star.



NIKHIL NARRATES: On their mission to find a golden crystal. Star and Chickpea approach the Golden Valley.



[Chiming, Max meows, boing, slide whistle, Nikhil and Jay scream, the music stops]



DESCRIPTION: On a plate balanced on books, a golden raisin gleams. Max pounces on the plate and knocks the raisin into the air.



NIKHIL: A tiger on the prowl!



[Max meows, boings, Jay gasps]



DESCRIPTION: The raisin falls, and Max hits it to Nikhil, who smiles and catches it.



NIKHIL AND JAY: Hmm.



[Upbeat music plays]



JAY: Tiger tickle!



[Boys giggle, Max meows, purrs]



DESCRIPTION: The boys rub Star and Chickpea against Max s sides.



[Adventure music plays, chiming, Jay gasps]



DESCRIPTION: Nikhil looks at the raisin.



[Awed music plays]



NIKHIL: At last! The golden crystal!



JAY: Oh! Raisin!



[Munching, upbeat music plays]



DESCRIPTION: Jay grabs the raisin and eats it.



NIKHIL: Jay!



JAY: Hmm.



[Boing, Nikhil and Jay giggle]



DESCRIPTION: Nikhil tickles Jay.



[Amma sighs]



NIKHIL AND JAY: Huh?



[Amma growls, the music stops]



DESCRIPTION: Amma s silhouette moves on the other side of the blanket wall of the fort.



[Jingling, Jay gasps]



JAY: It's a jingling giant!



[Nikhil gasps, jingling, popping]



DESCRIPTION: Nikhil and Jay poke their heads out of the fort.



AMMA: What am I going to do?



[Amma groans]



DESCRIPTION: Amma carries an armload of sleigh bells to the house.



[Upbeat music plays]



JAY: Ooh! Where's she going?



[Whooshing, Jay gasps, leaf rustles]



DESCRIPTION: Jay rolls out of the fort, and Nikhil hides beside it. On the patio, Jay sits on a planter and holds a leaf in front of his face. Nikhil hides beside the recycling and garbage bins. Amma looks outside.



AMMA: Hmm.



[Whooshing, Amma groans, adventure music plays]



DESCRIPTION: Amma walks back into the dining room. Nikhil taps Jay s shoulder, and Jay jumps to his feet. They both peek into the dining room through the open patio door. Inside, Amma puts her right hand against her forehead. In the kitchen, Appa watches as he dries a cup with a dish towel.



APPA: Hey! What's wrong, Banu?



[Dramatic music notes play, bells jingle]



AMMA: It's a disaster! The Morris dancers want their jingly costumes tomorrow, not next week! How are we going to prepare for the star birthday now that I have to work?



APPA WHISPERS: Hey! Hey! Hey! I thought we wanted to surprise the kids.



AMMA WHISPERS: Oh, it's fine. They're in their den.



[Upbeat music plays, Nikhil shushes, Jay giggles]



AMMA: Right. We need to make a traditional pudding.



[Slide whistle, thump, bells jingle, Amma gasps]



DESCRIPTION: Amma reaches for a book on a high shelf. It slips, and she catches it, and Appa catches the bells.



[The music stops, bells jingle]



APPA: Hey, it's all right. Maybe I could make the pudding while you finish the costumes.



AMMA: Are you sure? Oh, that would be amazing.



[Upbeat music plays]



APPA: Hey! We're a team. We'll make this a star birthday to remember.



[Pop]



DESCRIPTION: Appa hugs Amma to his left side, and a purple heart appears above them.



AMMA: Aw.



JAY: What's going on? Do you know what a star birthday is?



NIKHIL: Hmm. Could it be a star in the sky's birthday? Hmm.



[Whooshing, upbeat music plays]



DESCRIPTION: In a daydream, Nikhil imagines sitting on a planet in outer space. He wears a pink-and-green striped party hat and holds a present and his stuffy Star. His planet flies to a nearby smiling star.



NIKHIL: Is it your birthday?



[Chiming]



DESCRIPTION: The star moves back and forth.



SMILING STAR: Hmm.



[Whooshing, party horn blares]



DESCRIPTION: Nikhil flies to a star that has a black moustache and eyebrows and then blows a party horn.



NIKHIL: Is it your birthday?



DESCRIPTION: The star moves back and forth



[Nikhil sighs, whooshing]



DESCRIPTION: Nikhil flies to the smiling sun.



NIKHIL: Is it your birthday?



[Eerie music plays]



DESCRIPTION: The sun shakes its head.



[The music stops, whoosh]



DESCRIPTION: The daydream ends, and, on the patio, Nikhil shakes his head at Jay.



NIKHIL: Actually, not a single star is celebrating its birthday today.



JAY: Aw! What is a star birthday then?



NIKHIL: Let's find out!



[Upbeat music plays, slide whistle, Jay gasps]



DESCRIPTION: Nikhil and Jay stand, and Jay looks at Nikhil with shiny eyes. On a split screen, Nikhil raises his left fist. Jay smiles and stands on the ceiling. Chickpea and Star smile.



NIKHIL: Mission What is a Star Birthday is go, go, go!



[Popping, light music plays]



DESCRIPTION: Nikhil and Jay look through the patio doorway. In the kitchen, Appa stands behind a recipe book propped up on a stand on the counter. A recipe features pictures of the ingredients and of payasam in a bowl and in a pot.



AMMA: Right. Here you go. Follow this. It's Ammamma's recipe for traditional sweet payasam. You know, that milky rice pudding you like.



APPA: Oh, yeah! Yummy! Leave it with me.



[Bells jingle]



DESCRIPTION: Amma picks up her bells.



AMMA: Oh, thank you! You might have just saved Nikhil's star birthday. Wahoo!



[Appa laughs, Amma hums, boys gasp, Amma chuckles]



DESCRIPTION: Amma dances through the patio doorway. Nikhil pulls Jay behind the bins, and Amma dances across the yard.



[Popping, upbeat music plays]



DESCRIPTION: Nikhil and Jay poke their heads out from behind the bins.



JAY: Did you hear that? She said Nikhil's star birthday!



[Slide whistle]



NIKHIL: My star birthday? What does that mean?



JAY: Hmm.



[Jay gasps]



JAY: Maybe there's a clue in the Jingly Giant's Book of Secrets!



[Chiming]



NIKHIL: Yes!



JAY: Come on!



[Footsteps blap, Appa mutters, Max meows, slide whistle]



DESCRIPTION: Jay and Nikhil tiptoe through the kitchen while Appa has his back turned, looking into a cupboard. Max jumps on the counter, and Appa turns around. Max pulls the book stand, and Appa grabs the book.



APPA: Whoa! Whoa! Hey! Where's my apron?



[Scraping, Max meows, Appa chuckles]



DESCRIPTION: Appa puts the book back on the stand and pets Max.



APPA: Oh, yes! Soup explosion.



[Harp music plays, rock music plays, click, blender whirrs, Appa gasps, splat, Max groans]



DESCRIPTION: In a black-and-white flashback, App plays air guitar in the kitchen with Max sitting on the counter. He wears his apron, and colourful vegetables fill a blender, with the lid beside it on the counter. Appa hits a button on the blender, and it spins.



[Ding]



APPA: Oh! The washing pile!



APPA SINGS: Doo, doo, doo, doo.



[Upbeat music plays, slide whistles, Jay gasps, Max meows]



DESCRIPTION: Appa walks away from the counter, and Max wiggles her bottom, looking at the book. Jay and Nikhil pop up, and Jay grabs the book. Max pulls on the other side, and they tug it back and forth.



NIKHIL AND JAY: Huh?



[Boys grunt, slide whistles, Max meows, boys exclaim, slide whistle, thump, slide whistle, thump, Max meows, Appa whistles, Jay and Nikhil gasp]



DESCRIPTION: Nikhil and Jay pull the book one way, and Max pulls it the other. Max lets go, and the boys and the book fall on the floor. Max bellyflops onto the book.



NIKHIL AND JAY: Uh-oh.



[Max meows]



DESCRIPTION: Max leaps off the book, leaving it on a different page.



JAY: Retreat! Retreat!



[Nikhil gasps, rustling, dramatic music plays, footsteps patter, boings, Appa whistles]



DESCRIPTION: Nikhil puts the book back on the stand. The recipe pictures feature a chilli pepper. The boys run towards the patio as Appa hops into the kitchen, wearing his pink bunny apron.



APPA: Ah-huh.



[Jay sighs, pants]



DESCRIPTION: Outside, Nikhil and Jay stop by the bins.



NIKHIL: No clues in the book. But why did they say Nikhil's star birthday?



JAY: It's not your birthday, is it?



[Whoosh, upbeat music plays]



DESCRIPTION: Nikhil holds his right hand by his chin.



NIKHIL: Hmm. I don't think so.



JAY: Then what does it mean?



NIKHIL: Hmm.



DESCRIPTION: Jay picks up Chickpea.



JAY: Do you know, Chickpea?



DESCRIPTION: Jay shakes the head of the stuffy. Nikhil holds Star.



NIKHIL: Do you know, Star?



[Star squeaks, whooshing]



DESCRIPTION: Nikhil turns Star back and forth.



NIKHIL: Hmm.



[Chiming, triumphant music plays, Nikhil gasps, the music stops, whooshing]



DESCRIPTION: Nikhil stares at Star, then stars appear in his eyes. He turns to Jay.



NIKHIL: Jay! It must be Star's birthday. That's what they meant by Nikhil's Star birthday.



[Ding]



JAY: Yeah! Happy birthday, Star!



[Crashing, boys gasp]



NIKHIL AND JAY: Huh?



[Whooshing, Star squeaks, slide whistle]



DESCRIPTION: Nikhil and Jay peek into the kitchen from the patio doorway. Inside, Appa looks at the recipe book, looks under a container, and searches in a fruit bowl.



APPA: Hmm. Where is it? It's gotta be in here somewhere?



[Crashing, Appa screams, Max meows]



DESCRIPTION: Nikhil and Jay watch, and Nikhil puts his hand over Star s right eye.



APPA: Oh! Ah! No! Ow! Ow! Ow!



[Slide whistle]



DESCRIPTION: Nikhil and Jay move away from the door.



NIKHIL: Don't worry, Star. Even if Amma and Appa can't, we will plan the best birthday party for you.



[Chiming, party horn blares, exciting music plays]



JAY: Yay!



DESCRIPTION: In a daydream, Jay imagines dancing on a dance floor with Nikhil and Star. Everyone wears party hats.



JAY CHEERS: Wahoo! Yee-ha!



[Jay giggles]



JAY CHEERS: Whoo! Yeah!



[Star squeaks]



JAY CHEERS: Wahoo!



[Jay and Nikhil laugh, popping]



DESCRIPTION: Nikhil and Jay hold hands and change places. As they dance, smiling bananas and apples appear around them.



NIKHIL: Yee-ha!



[Fruit boings, Nikhil gasps, boys giggle, slide whistle, popping]



DESCRIPTION: The fruits bounce across the dance floor, and Nikhil and Jay follow them. They stand beside Star, and a three-tier birthday cake grows beneath them. On either side, a Chickpea stuffy plays drums.



JAY: Whee! Yeah! Wahoo!



[Fireworks whistle, boom, jumps boing, chiming]



DESCRIPTION: Confetti falls, and the daydream ends. In their bedroom, Nikhil sits on Jay s bunk, holding his notebook and a pencil. Jay jumps around, holding Chickpea.



JAY: Yay! I know what this party needs! Twinkly lights, music, and the best party fruit ever, ever, ever!



[Party horn blares]



DESCRIPTION: Nikhil writes in his notebook.



NIKHIL: Lights, music, fruit! What else? Huh?



[Toys squeak, wobbling]



DESCRIPTION: Jay holds an armful of stuffed animals.



JAY: We've got to have party guests, too!



DESCRIPTION: Nikhil writes in his notebook.



NIKHIL: Guests? Check!



[Rustling, upbeat music plays]



DESCRIPTION: In the foyer, Jay takes flashlights out of a cupboard beneath the stairs.



NIKHIL: Twinkly lights? Check! Next.



DESCRIPTION: In the notebook, Nikhil puts a checkmark beside a drawing of a disco ball and two lightbulbs. Below is a drawing of a person and drums.



NIKHIL: Drums.



[Clatter, toys squeak]



DESCRIPTION: In the hallway, Nikhil holds the flashlights, and Jay holds the stuffed animals. They sneak toward the dining room, and Nikhil peeks into the kitchen.



APPA: Where is it? Where's the one I'm after?



[Slide whistle, thumping, tires screech, clattering]



DESCRIPTION: As Appa searches in a low cupboard and throws a pot across the floor, Nikhil and Jay run to the patio door. Nikhil runs back to the counter and picks up two large pots.



APPA: No. No, that's too big, that one. That's far too small. Oh, no, no.



[Jay giggles, drumming, upbeat music plays]



DESCRIPTION: Outside, Jay taps on the upside-down pots. In the notebook, Nikhil checks the box beside the drums. At the bottom of the page is a drawing of fruit, including cherries, apples, grapes, kiwi, a watermelon slice, an orange, a strawberry, and a banana.



NIKHIL: Drums. Check. Just one more thing. Party food.



[Pots clatter]



DESCRIPTION: In the kitchen, Appa stands, holding stacks of pots. Pots fall off the top.



APPA: Hey! Oh!



[Appa groans, Jay gasps]



DESCRIPTION: Nikhil and Jay watch through the doorway.



JAY: From in there?



[Upbeat music plays]



DESCRIPTION: Nikhil and Jay retreat to the patio and kneel, facing each other.



NIKHIL: We can do this.



DESCRIPTION: In a split screen, Nikhil raises his left fist; Jay stands on the ceiling and smiles, and Chickpea and Star smile.



NIKHIL: Mission Party Food go, go, go!



[The music stops, squeaking, Appa hums, mutters, light music notes play]



DESCRIPTION: Nikhil crawls into the dining room with Jay crawling behind him.



APPA: Right!



[Whooshing, creaking, Max meows, clattering, tapping, upbeat music plays]



DESCRIPTION: Appa turns his back, and Nikhil grabs the fruit bowl. On the counter, Max licks her paw. She leaps away as Appa returns, holding a jar. Nikhil puts the empty bowl back on the counter. Appa looks at the empty bowl.



APPA: Hmm. Huh? Where's all the fruit gone?



[Max meows]



DESCRIPTION: Appa shrugs, then turns and reaches into a cupboard. Jay grabs the jar, and Max leaps to the other side of the counter.



APPA: Righty-oh. Where did? Hmm.



[Max meows]



DESCRIPTION: Appa looks at Max with narrowed eyes.



APPA: Hmm.



[Clattering, creak, Max meows]



DESCRIPTION: Appa turns back to the cupboard, and Jay puts the half-full jar back on the counter.



APPA: Hey! What's it? What?



[Appa groans]



APPA: Right. Let's chop this chilli.



[Appa sniffs, gasps]



DESCRIPTION: Appa sniffs the chilli.



APPA: Oh.



[Whoosh]



DESCRIPTION: Amma pokes her head into the room through the patio doorway.



AMMA: I'm back! Hey! How's the payasam going?



[Appa chuckles, slide whistle, discordant music note plays, whimpers]



DESCRIPTION: Appa looks at Amma with tear-filled eyes and gives her a thumbs-up.



AMMA: That bad?



APPA: No. It's, it's just the chilli.



AMMA: Chilli? What do you mean? There's no chilli in payasam.



DESCRIPTION: Appa shows Amma the recipe.



APPA: Hey? But that's what the recipe says. See?



AMMA: What! This is the wrong page!



[Tense music plays]



APPA: Oh, no! Have I ruined the star birthday?



[Amma groans, sad music plays]



AMMA: I think we have ruined the star birthday.



[Popping]



DESCRIPTION: Appa puts his right arm around Amma s shoulders, and Nikhil and Jay look into the room through the patio doorway.



NIKHIL AND JAY: Huh?



[Appa whimpers, sniffles]



NIKHIL: Don't worry, Amma. Star is still gonna have a great birthday!



[Star squeaks, chiming]



DESCRIPTION: Nikhil holds Star up and he and Jay smile.



AMMA: Huh?



APPA: Star's birthday?



AMMA AND APPA: Oh.



[Amma and Appa laugh]



AMMA: No! It's your star birthday, Nikhil.



[Dramatic music note plays]



NIKHIL AND JAY: What!



NIKHIL: My star birthday? I don't get it. What is a star birthday?



[Chiming, mellow music plays]



DESCRIPTION: Amma kneels and picks up a raisin.



AMMA: Come here, boys. So, on the day Nikhil was born, a special star called Revati sparkled bright in the sky. Every year, that star returns during his birthday month. Whish!



[Boys giggle]



DESCRIPTION: Amma flies the raisin over Nikhil s head.



AMMA: And that's when we celebrate his star birthday.



NIKHIL AND JAY: Wow!



[Appa chuckles]



APPA: Well, to be honest, we normally forget, but this year, we wanted to make it special.



AMMA: Because Ammamma and Thatha always made it special for me.



[The music stops, Appa sighs]



APPA: Sorry, Nikhil. We'll make sure we do it properly next year, yeah?



[Dings]



DESCRIPTION: Nikhil and Jay wink at each other.



JAY: No need to wait for next year! Follow us!



[Jay giggles]



APPA: Hey?



AMMA: Huh?



JAY: Yeah!



[Boys giggle]



DESCRIPTION: Nikhil and Jay lead Amma and Appa to the backyard. Later, beneath the twilight night sky, Appa s legs poke out of the blanket fort.



APPA: Oh, hey!



AMMA, APPA, NIKHIL, AND JAY: Wahoo! Yeah!



[Crunching, upbeat music plays]



DESCRIPTION: Appa eats a snack as Jay stands behind the overturned pots. Nikhil shines a flashlight at a ball with multi-coloured lights, and Amma holds sleigh bells in both hands.



APPA: Oh, bananas and raisins. Mmm. So good! Mmm.



[Jay giggles, bells jingle, drumming]



DESCRIPTION: Jay taps the pots, and Amma shakes the bells.



NIKHIL: Whoo-whoo!



[Amma laughs, boys shout, laugh]



AMMA: This is definitely a star birthday to remember.



[Appa chuckles]



APPA: Yep. It certainly is.



AMMA: Aw! Thank you, boys.



AMMA, APPA, AND JAY: Happy star birthday, Nikhil!



[Max meows, everyone screams, bells jingle]



DESCRIPTION: Max bellyflops onto the bells.



NIKHIL AND JAY: Tiger!



[Amma laughs, Max meows, carrom coins clatter, everyone laughs, chiming]



DESCRIPTION: Outside, the carrom board and coin pieces fall off the table and the blanket shakes. A shooting star passes overhead.



[Upbeat music plays]



[End Credits] Cast: Nikhil, Shiv Senthilkumar. Jay, Sai Ganesh Nadesan. Amma, Charithra Chandran. Appa, Ben Harris. Max, Harriet Carmichael. Executive Producer, Chitra Soundar. Produced with Funding from Northern Ireland Screen. Produced with Funding from Cake (trademarked). Copyright Paper Bananas Limited 2024. Copyright Nik and Jay Series One Limited 2024.



[Logos] King Banana, Paper Owl Films, for B.B.C., Albert Certified Production.