They were unlikely roommates, bound together by the soaring rents of the city and a friendship that had survived decades. Their life was a daily battle with the title of their favorite old Bollywood film: Aamdani Atthanni Kharcha Rupaiya (Income 50 Paise, Expenditure 1 Rupee).

The tension came to a head one rainy evening. The monsoon had arrived with a vengeance. Raju’s taxi had broken down, Sameer’s latest painting had been ruined by a leak in the roof, and Dinesh had just received a notice of a rent hike. To make matters worse, their landlord, Mr. Sharma—a man who could give the film’s villain a run for his money—stormed into their room.