The set was a chaotic mess of vanity vans and bouncers near a real tea stall in Old Delhi. Aryan Kapoor, the "Hero," was busy shouting at a spot boy because his protein shake wasn't cold enough.
Jai sat on a plastic crate, watching.
[ TARGET: ARYAN KAPOOR ]
[ Acting Skill: 12% ]
[ Ego Level: 95% ]
[ Current Influence on Film Quality: -40% ]
Jai looked at the Director, who was sweating under the sun.
[ DIRECTOR: SUNIL ]
[ Creative Desperation: High ]
[ Chance of accepting Jai's improvisation: 70% ]
"Jai! Get in position!" the Director yelled. "Aryan is going to grab your collar, you look scared, you say your line, and you run. Simple. Don't overthink it."
Aryan walked over, smelling of expensive cologne that didn't belong in this slum. "Listen, kid," he whispered to Jai, "Just react fast. I don't want to spend all day in this heat."
"Action!"
Aryan lunged forward, grabbing Jai's collar with a practiced, cinematic flourish. It was fake. It was loud. It was 100% "Bollywood."
Jai didn't move. He didn't look scared. He looked at Aryan's hand on his shirt, then slowly looked up into his eyes.
[ PROBABILITY OF SCENE STEALING: 99% ]
Jai didn't say the scripted line. Instead, he reached out and gently patted the dust off Aryan's expensive jacket.
"The blood will be harder to get off than the dust, Vicky," Jai said, his voice a hauntingly calm whisper that cut through the noise of the street.
The entire set went silent. The Director forgot to look at the monitor. Aryan froze, his hand still on Jai's collar, his 95% Ego suddenly flickering into 100% Confusion.
Jai continued, leaning in close. "You want to be the Sultan? Go ahead. But look around. Sultans don't have friends. They only have subjects who are waiting for them to trip."
[ CURRENT TAKE AUTHENTICITY: 100% ]
[ DIRECTOR'S ARTISTIC SATISFACTION: RISING ]
"Cut! Cut!" the Director shouted, but he wasn't angry. He was shivering. "That... that was... Keep the cameras rolling! We're doing it again from Jai's close-up!"
Aryan let go of Jai's collar, looking rattled. "What was that? That wasn't in the pages!"
"It was the truth, Aryan," Jai said, his Critic's Eye seeing the "Legacy Score" of the movie jump from 12% to 35% in a single take. "And the truth usually isn't in the script."
_________________
The silence on the set of 'Sultan of the Streets' was no longer respectful; it was heavy with the scent of an impending storm. Aryan Kapoor had retreated to his million-rupee vanity van, refusing to come out until the Director "fixed the script."
Jai sat by a rusted generator, cooling off with a five-rupee glass of cutting chai.
[ TARGET: CREW ATMOSPHERE ]
[ Tension Level: 85% ]
[ Sentiment toward Jai: 60% Respect / 40% Fear ]
Sunil, the Director, approached Jai. He looked like a man who hadn't slept in three days. He sat down on a plastic crate next to Jai, ignoring the grease and dust.
"You're a dangerous man, Jai," Sunil said, staring at the chaotic Old Delhi street they were filming in.
"I'm just an actor, Sunil Sir," Jai replied, his Critic's Eye flickering over the Director.
[ TARGET: DIRECTOR SUNIL ]
[ Artistic Awakening: 78% ]
[ Fear of Studio Retaliation: 90% ]
"No," Sunil shook his head. "An actor follows the marks. An actor says the lines. You... you're changing the gravity of the whole film. Aryan is the 'Sultan.' The movie is named after him. But in that monitor? When you looked at him with that pity... he didn't look like a King. He looked like a child playing dress-up."
Jai sipped his tea. "The truth is often unflattering, Sir. You know this script was meant to be a tragedy. Why are we making it a circus?"
Sunil flinched. The metadata above his head pulsed dark purple: [ Suppressed Guilt: 100% ]. "Because a circus pays the bills, Jai. Tragedies don't buy Ferraris."
"But they win National Awards," Jai said softly. "They build legends. Look at your monitor, Sunil Sir. Use your real eyes, not the producer's eyes. Which version of this movie do you want your name on?"
Sunil looked at the small screen showing the playback of Jai's scene. The 'Legacy Score' on the screen, visible only to Jai, was climbing steadily.
"If I keep your version," Sunil whispered, "Aryan will try to get you fired. He's already calling his father."
"Let him call," Jai said, his voice cold. "A King who needs his father to fight his battles isn't a King anyone will remember."
Just then, the door of the luxury vanity van slammed open. Aryan Kapoor marched out, his face a bright, angry red. His 'Ego Level' was flashing a warning: [ 99% - Critical Instability ].
"Sunil!" Aryan roared, ignored the crowd of junior artists. "What the hell is going on? Why is this... this extra... getting more close-ups than me? And why are his lines better? Rewrite the scene. Now. I want Arjun to be a sniveling coward who begs for my mercy."
Sunil stood up, his legs shaking. "Aryan, the scene worked. The emotional beats—"
"I don't care about 'beats'!" Aryan stepped into Jai's space, pointing a manicured finger at his chest. "Listen, you low-life. I am the star. People pay to see my face, not your 'method acting' trash. You're lucky I even let you stay on this set after you messed up the lines."
Jai didn't stand up. He looked up at Aryan, and for a second, he let the 'Critic's Eye' focus entirely on Aryan's soul.
[ TARGET: ARYAN KAPOOR ]
[ Dark Truth: Currently under the influence of unprescribed 'Focus Enhancers'. ]
[ Career Longevity Probability: 15% ]
"Aryan," Jai said, his voice flat and devoid of emotion. "You're 24 years old. You have three hits, all of them because of your father's money. But you're shaking. Your pupils are dilated. You're terrified that if I keep acting like this, people will finally realize you have no talent."
The set went deathly silent. Even the sound of the traffic seemed to fade.
"What did you say?" Aryan's voice was a hiss.
"I said, stop acting like a Sultan and start acting like an actor," Jai said, finally standing up. He was taller than Aryan, and his presence, honed by years of Hollywood experience, was suffocating. "Because if you don't, I won't just steal this scene. I'll steal the whole damn movie. And you'll be the one who looks like the extra."
Aryan lunged, his fist clenched, but Sunil stepped between them.
"Enough!" Sunil yelled, surprising even himself. He looked at Aryan, then at Jai. The 90% 'Fear of Retaliation' in his metadata was being overtaken by a new, golden light: [ 95% Artistic Rebellion ]. "We are keeping the scene. Aryan, get to your mark. Jai... don't change a single word."
Aryan stared at Sunil as if he had grown a second head. He turned his gaze to Jai, his eyes burning with a hatred that would last a lifetime.
"You're dead in this industry, Jai Vardhan," Aryan whispered. "I'll make sure your name is a Kalank that no one will touch."
"My name is already a Kalank, Aryan," Jai smiled, and for the first time, it was the smile of the Villain he used to be. "I'm just here to make sure everyone sees the stain."
[ NEW MISSION: SURVIVE THE PRODUCTION ]
[ SUCCESS RATE: 45% ]