TITLE: LAST CALL AT 8:37 AM
SUBTITLE: THE AJIT PAWAR PLANE CRASH – BARAMATI
FORMAT: NEWS DOCUMENTARY / SPECIAL REPORT
DURATION: ~24 MINUTES
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SCENE 1 – OPENING MONTAGE
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INT. NEWS STUDIO – DAY
[FAST CUTS: Archive shots of AJIT PAWAR at rallies, in Assembly, inaugurating projects. CUT TO: WRECKAGE of the Learjet near Baramati. Sirens. Smoke. People running.]
ANCHOR (V.O.)
January 28th, 2026. A foggy morning in Baramati. A Learjet on final approach. And a phone call… placed at 8:37 am.
[ON-SCREEN TEXT: “LAST CALL AT 8:37 AM”]
ANCHOR (V.O.) (CONT’D)
Ten minutes later, Maharashtra’s Deputy Chief Minister and NCP chief, Ajit ‘Dada’ Pawar, would be gone.
SMASH CUT TO BLACK.
SFX: PHONE RING TONE FADES IN.
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SCENE 2 – THE LAST CALL
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AUDIO BED: SLIGHT HISS OF A RECORDED PHONE CALL, UNDER.
EXT. SKY – MORNING – DRONE SHOT (RECREATION)
[RECREATED VISUAL: A sleek white LEARJET 45XR cruising above patchy fog.]
SUPER: “8:37 AM – APPROX. 10 MINUTES BEFORE CRASH”
SUPER (LOWER THIRD): “Recreated visuals – for representation only”
CUT TO:
INT. GRAPHIC – PHONE CALL VISUALIZER
[Waveform graphic pulses. Two labels: “AJIT PAWAR – ON BOARD AIRCRAFT” and “SHRIJEET PATIL – NCP WORKER, BARAMATI”. Subtitles appear as we HEAR portions of the real call, partially re‑voiced for clarity, partly paraphrased; we never sensationalize tone.]
AJIT PAWAR (V.O.)
(steady, matter-of-fact)
Shrijeet, I saw your message. Listen… we’ve chosen candidates so every community gets a voice. No one is being left out.
SHRIJEET (V.O.)
(over phone, slightly emotional)
Dada, people are worried in the taluka. Some feel they’ve been ignored.
AJIT PAWAR (V.O.)
That’s why I’m calling. You explain to them — Maratha, Dhangar, Mali, OBC, all castes — everyone has representation. We can’t do politics by excluding people.
[We STAY on the rolling waveform, minimal dramatization.]
SHRIJEET (V.O.)
I just messaged you, I didn’t expect a call from the plane…
AJIT PAWAR (V.O.)
(chuckles softly)
Range mila na… phone ne pakda signal, so I called. We’ll talk properly when I reach Baramati.
[The audio of the call gently FADES under.]
ANCHOR (V.O.)
This, NCP worker and distant relative Shrijeet Patil says, was the last call from Ajit Pawar. A brief, political conversation… ending less than ten minutes before the crash that stunned Maharashtra.
CUT TO BLACK.
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SCENE 3 – STUDIO SET-UP
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INT. NEWS STUDIO – DAY
[ANCHOR at desk, large video wall behind showing split: Ajit Pawar’s portrait, and aerial of crash site.]
ON-SCREEN TEXT: “LAST CALL AT 8:37 AM: THE BARAMATI CRASH”
ANCHOR
Tonight, we piece together the final minutes before the Baramati plane crash that killed Maharashtra’s Deputy Chief Minister and NCP chief Ajit Pawar and four others.
The Learjet took off from Mumbai a little after 8:10 am. At 8:37, from mid-air, Ajit Pawar called NCP worker Shrijeet Patil — to explain how he had picked candidates for the upcoming Zilla Parishad polls.
Ten minutes later, at around 8:45 am, the aircraft crashed short of the runway at Baramati.
[GRAPHIC WIPE: TIMELINE BAR appears along bottom of screen.]
ANCHOR (CONT’D)
What did that last call tell us about Ajit ‘Dada’ Pawar’s frame of mind? What happened in those final minutes in the cockpit? And how is Baramati—his political karmabhoomi—coping with the loss?
CUT TO:
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SCENE 4 – TIMELINE RECONSTRUCTION
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INT. GRAPHIC STUDIO – TIMELINE ANIMATION
[Clean INFOGRAPHIC STYLE. A map: MUMBAI to BARAMATI, a dotted line showing the flight path.]
NARRATOR (V.O.)
Flight: Bombardier Learjet 45XR, registration VT‑SSK. Operator: VSR Aviation. Mission: a charter from Mumbai to Baramati, where Ajit Pawar was scheduled to address four back-to-back meetings ahead of local body elections.
[ON-SCREEN TIMELINE:
8:10 AM – Take-off, Mumbai
8:37 AM – Phone call to Shrijeet Patil
8:44–8:45 AM – Crash near Baramati runway
]
NARRATOR (V.O.) (CONT’D)
Around 8:10 am, the aircraft departs Mumbai. As it nears Baramati, the phone finds network. At 8:37, Ajit Pawar dials a party worker in Baramati.
We’ve heard parts of that call. It is calm, focused on caste balance, local pressure, candidate selection — the nuts and bolts of rural power.
[GRAPHIC CUT-IN: SYMBOLIC silhouettes labeled “ZP POLLS”, “All castes”, “Representation”.]
NARRATOR (V.O.)
Minutes later, the focus shifts from politics to survival. Approach number one to the tabletop runway is aborted. The pilot radios that the runway is not in sight. Visibility is reported to be poor.
[INSERT: RECREATED COCKPIT VIEW – foggy approach, runway lights barely visible. Text on screen: “Recreation based on DGCA sources”.]
RADIO (V.O. – RECREATED)
Runway not in sight. Going around.
NARRATOR (V.O.)
A go-around is executed. The aircraft lines up for a second attempt.
Officials later say: the last words heard from the cockpit — just before impact — were…
COCKPIT VOICE (V.O. – RECREATED, BEEPED)
Oh, sh—
[FREEZE FRAME on graphic of descending jet, just short of runway.
SFX: THUD / METAL CRUNCH (MUTED), then FADE under.]
NARRATOR (V.O.)
The plane hits the ground roughly a hundred feet before the runway threshold — still within the airfield perimeter — and bursts into flames.
FADE OUT TIMELINE.
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SCENE 5 – NEWS PACKAGE: ON THE GROUND
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EXT. BARAMATI – CRASH SITE – DAY (ACTUAL FOOTAGE + RECREATED)
[HANDHELD FOOTAGE: twisted wreckage, fire tenders, smoke. SUPER: “Baramati, Pune district – 8:50 am onwards”.]
REPORTER #1 (V.O.)
There was no mayday call. No survivors. Within minutes, news filters through local networks: Ajit ‘Dada’ Pawar’s plane has gone down at Baramati.
CUT TO:
EXT. KATEWADI / BARAMATI VILLAGE ROADS – DAY
[Villagers gathered around TVs and phones, many in tears. B-roll of shutters half-closed in markets.]
REPORTER #1 (ON CAM)
In Baramati, disbelief. People still say, “Dada idkya jato? How can Dada just… go like that?”
VILLAGER #1 (BYTE)
He was just here last week. Talking about irrigation, roads… We were waiting for his visit today also.
VILLAGER #2 (BYTE)
We thought it’s a rumour. Then we saw the TV… and the photos of the wreckage.
DISSOLVE TO:
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SCENE 6 – THE MAN BEHIND THE VOICE
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INT. DOCU INTERVIEW SET – DAY
[Soft light, simple background. Lower Third: “Political Analyst” / “NCP Worker, Baramati” etc.]
NARRATOR (V.O.)
Ajit Anantrao Pawar — Ajit Dada — was Maharashtra’s longest-serving Deputy Chief Minister. A blunt, often controversial administrator… but in Baramati, a towering local patriarch.
[ARCHIVE CLIPS: Ajit Pawar inaugurating a cooperative dairy, addressing a rally, visiting drought-hit villages.]
POLITICAL ANALYST (INTERVIEW)
That last call — from the plane — is very telling. He’s not talking about ministry, about power games in Mumbai. He’s explaining why every caste, every community, must get representation in the Zilla Parishad.
CUT TO:
INT. MODEST HOME – BARAMATI – DAY
[SHRIJEET PATIL sits, holding his phone. Lower Third: “Shrijeet Patil – NCP worker & relative”. Subtle nat sound of ceiling fan.]
SHRIJEET
I had just messaged him about some candidates. I felt some people were sidelined.
He was already in the aircraft. Maybe when the phone caught range, he saw my message… and called back.
(beat)
At 8:37 am, he spoke for just a few minutes. He told me, “Shrijeet, I’ve thought of everyone. Don’t worry, explain this to the people.”
He sounded… normal. Calm. There was no fear in his voice.
[He looks away; brief silence is allowed to sit.]
SHRIJEET (CONT’D)
We hung up. Around 8:47, I saw the first alert on my phone… about a crash in Baramati.
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SCENE 7 – PARALLEL LAST CALLS
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MONTAGE – MULTIPLE LOCATIONS
NARRATOR (V.O.)
Ajit Pawar was not the only one making a “last call” that morning.
INT. MODEST APARTMENT – WORLI, MUMBAI – MORNING (RECREATION)
[Young woman in cabin crew uniform, bag by the door. Label: “Recreated – based on family accounts”.]
PINKY MALI (RECREATED)
(on phone, cheerful)
Papa, I’m flying to Baramati with Ajit Pawar. After dropping him, I’ll head to Nanded. We’ll talk tomorrow.
FREEZE on her smiling face as she hangs up.
NARRATOR (V.O.)
Flight attendant Pinky Mali. Like hundreds of crew across India, one more routine sector… until it wasn’t.
QUICK CUTS:
– ARCHIVE PHOTO: Captain SUMIT KAPOOR.
– ARCHIVE PHOTO: First Officer SHAMBHAVI PATHAK.
– PHOTO: PSO VIDIP JADHAV in uniform.
NARRATOR (V.O.)
On board with Ajit Pawar that morning:
[ON-SCREEN LIST APPEARS AS NAMES ARE READ]
NARRATOR (V.O.) (CONT’D)
Captain Sumit Kapoor, Pilot-in-Command.
First Officer, Captain Shambhavi Pathak.
Pinky Mali, flight attendant.
Vidip Jadhav, Pawar’s personal security officer.
None would return.
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SCENE 8 – THE AIRFIELD & THE MIST
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EXT. BARAMATI AIRSTRIP – DAY (DRONE + B-ROLL)
[DRONE SHOT of the tabletop runway, elevated, with drop-offs on sides. Superimposed labels: “Uncontrolled airfield”, “Training ATC by cadets”.]
AVIATION EXPERT (INTERVIEW – ON FIELD)
Baramati is an uncontrolled airfield. That means, instead of full-fledged Air Traffic Control, you have pilot cadets from flying schools providing basic information.
Combine that with a tabletop runway… and poor visibility… you are increasing the margin for error.
CUT TO:
INT. GRAPHIC – APPROACH DIAGRAM
[A simple side-profile showing the aircraft’s glide path, the tabletop runway, the undershoot area where it actually hit.]
NARRATOR (V.O.)
According to early inputs accessed by multiple news outlets, the pilot told the ground: the runway is not visible.
He executed a go-around. On the second attempt, the aircraft descended short of the threshold — crashing within the perimeter, around a hundred feet before the runway.
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SCENE 9 – POLITICS PAUSES
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INT. PRESS CONFERENCE ROOM – MUMBAI – DAY (ARCHIVE)
[CM DEVENDRA FADNAVIS on camera, emotional.]
FADNAVIS (ARCHIVE, HINDI – SUBTITLES)
Maharashtra ke Deputy Chief Minister aur zameen se jude hue jan neta, Shriman Ajit Dada Pawar ka ek vimaan durghatna mein bahut hi dukhad nidhan hua hai… For Maharashtra, this is an immeasurable loss. For me, a personal one.
CUT TO:
EXT. BARAMATI – COLLEGE GROUNDS – NEXT DAY
[Large crowd for funeral with state honours. Tricolour-draped coffin. Guard of honour. Leaders from across parties.]
NARRATOR (V.O.)
A three-day state mourning is declared. Government events are cancelled. Leaders who, till yesterday, were on opposite sides of the aisle… now stand together at one pyre.
[Quick inserts: PM MODI’s condolence tweet on screen; PRESIDENT MURMU’s statement; Rahul Gandhi bite calling it “extremely heartbreaking”.]
POLITICAL ANALYST #2 (INTERVIEW)
Whatever you thought of his politics, Ajit Pawar was central to Maharashtra’s recent history — irrigation, cooperatives, coalition arithmetic.
That he dies while flying to yet another round of rural meetings… says something about the relentlessness of his political life.
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SCENE 10 – BACK TO 8:37 AM
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INT. SHRIJEET PATIL’S HOME – DAY
[We’re back with Shrijeet in close-up. A slight hum of traffic outside.]
INTERVIEWER (O.S.)
When you listen to that call now… what stays with you?
SHRIJEET
(quiet)
Two things.
First, that even from a plane, minutes before the end — which of course he didn’t know — he was explaining… “We must take every community along.”
And second… he says, “We’ll talk when I reach Baramati.”
(beat)
Baramati was waiting. But he never reached.
[He looks at his phone screen — a CALL LOG that reads “Dada – 8:37 am”. CUT IN CLOSE on it.]
NARRATOR (V.O.)
In that call, party workers here say, lies a snapshot of his political mind: obsessed with numbers, with castes, with local anger — and with containing it.
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SCENE 11 – INVESTIGATION AND UNANSWERED QUESTIONS
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INT. DGCA OFFICE – GENERIC – DAY (B-ROLL)
[Officials poring over charts, mock-ups of aircraft, CVR/FDR units, etc.]
NARRATOR (V.O.)
As emotions overflow, the investigation begins. The DGCA and Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau examine wreckage, cockpit voice recordings, weather charts, and training logs.
AVIATION EXPERT (INTERVIEW)
There will be three main lines of inquiry:
One, the weather and visibility.
Two, the pilot’s decisions — especially on that second approach.
And three, the infrastructural limitations at Baramati’s airstrip.
Until the final report, everything else is speculation.
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SCENE 12 – LEGACY IN BARAMATI
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EXT. BARAMATI – COOPERATIVE SUGAR FACTORY / COLLEGE – EVENING
[Golden-hour shots of institutions linked to Pawar’s political career: colleges, sugar factories, roads.]
NARRATOR (V.O.)
Ajit Pawar’s life ran on two parallel runways: Mumbai’s power corridors… and Baramati’s dusty panchayats.
It was a WhatsApp message from one such panchayat worker that triggered his last call.
CUT TO:
EXT. SMALL CHAUPAL / TEA STALL – EVENING
[Local NCP workers sit around, chai glasses lined up, a photo of Ajit Pawar garlanded on the wall.]
NCP WORKER #1
Dada ko yaad aaya, toh turant phone kiya. Plane mein bhi woh yahi dekh rahe the — kis gaon ko kya mila, kaun naraaz hai.
NCP WORKER #2
Ab jab hum log ghar-ghar jaayenge, log pehle yahi poochhenge: “Dada ke baad… kaun?”
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SCENE 13 – CLOSING REFLECTION
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INT. NEWS STUDIO – NIGHT
[ANCHOR stands now, in front of a large still of Ajit Pawar with the super “1959–2026”.]
ANCHOR
A political life often ends with a speech, a rally, a last big election.
Ajit Pawar’s last recorded public words are split between a routine post on X — about Lala Lajpat Rai… and a short, almost mundane phone call at 8:37 am… about Zilla Parishad candidates and caste representation.
Between those two, his plane fell out of the sky.
[PAUSE. CAMERA SLOWLY TRACKS IN.]
ANCHOR (CONT’D)
Perhaps that is how power really ends — not in grand orations, but in unfinished conversations.
A call cut short. A flight that never lands.
FADE TO:
EXT. BARAMATI RUNWAY – DAWN (RECREATION)
[Empty runway. Morning mist. The camera glides along the centreline, then tilts up to the pale sky.]
NARRATOR (V.O.)
Last call at 8:37 am. Ten minutes from Baramati. A lifetime from closure.
FADE OUT.
ON-SCREEN TEXT:
“In memory of all five lives lost in the Baramati plane crash of January 28, 2026.
Visuals of flight and cockpit are dramatized for representation.
Final conclusions await the official investigation report.”
ROLL CREDITS.
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