Do you know that feeling when you come across something so beautiful, brilliantly creative and intelligent that it leaves an indelible mark on you, compels you to think about the issues that were deeply buried in your heart, search answers for the questions you always wanted to ask and does all that effortlessly without putting even slightest burden?
As I write this article, I am on a great high! Last week, I watched the movie, "Ship of Theseus". I can't call myself a movie buff exactly but I do love cinema as a medium of creative expression and enjoy good movies. The different genres of movies one gets to see these days is certainly reflection of the changing times and that makes me really happy and proud of the fact that Indian cinema is coming of age!
The movie took me back to one of my childhood memories. I remembered an incident that had put me in deep philosophical contemplation at very young age. My brother, a scholar in the house was reading us an article from a science magazine about how every seven years each cell in the human body is replaced by a completely new cell. My instant reaction after listening that fact was, "does it mean, we are born anew, if so, why don't we look/feel younger and if not, how do we remain the same in the new body?" Since there was no evident connection, even remote one between me and the studies, my question was ignored and laughed at. The movie "Ship of Theseus" starts with the question on precisely similar analogy; "If the king of Athens, were to restore his ship by replacing all its original parts, would it still be the same ship?"
I am not a film critic nor do I understand the technical aspects/ creative nuances of art of film making but what fascinated and inspired me to write this article is compelling tales of three different protagonists woven beautifully together with one common factor, their need for organ replacement; eye, lever, kidney. The movie poses very artistic, moral, ethical, social, philosophical and life changing questions. There are a few insightful gems that grow over you even after you leave the cinema hall.
The protagonist of the first story, Alia has lost eyesight due to cornea infection but has attained stunning vision for brilliant photography despite it through her other senses. When her eye sight is regained, she suffers a creative dilemma after her painful encounter with realization that in the process she has lost the inspiration and vision of seeing things in her unique style. It is easy for any photographer to identify with her pain of not being able to "see" things. In her brilliant argument with a very supportive boyfriend, she narrates a story about a frog and a centipede that suggests her predicament. (“How do you manage to walk on a hundred legs without ever stumbling?”), the frog asks the centipede. The centipede, having never dwelled on such details of technique, now starts thinking about them – and promptly trips over himself.
The second tale is about a Jain monk, fighting a case of animal rights. When he is diagnosed with lever cirrhosis he undergoes moral and philosophical dilemma about taking medicines that might have been tested on animals to save his own life. There is an interesting quandary he faces over his own values and principles. Some of the best dialogues of the movie are between the Jain monk and a young, curious lawyer who thwarts monk's philosophy by posing some very interesting questions. The exchange is richly intellectual, philosophical and soulful despite the profound tone of the story. Being a believer in karma, I enjoyed the philosophy discussed in this tale immensely.
Navin, a stock broker is the protagonist of the third story. He has undergone a kidney replacement and suspects it is done in unethical way. In his journey to find redemption he reaches out to a poor chawl dweller whose kidney is stolen. Navin's arguments with his activist grandmother are sheer delight and his interlude with the chawl dweller is an eye opener for social reality of how easily people are duped with lure of money that they don't mind parting with their own organs!
There are some poignant moments in the movie that are difficult not to be inspired by. I have already started looking at the subjects of my photographs bit differently after watching this film! I am planning to watch the movie again in case I have missed out on seeing, listening, enjoying and understanding from the vast canvas of this brilliant movie! "Ship of Theseus" is certainly one of those movies that one would love to watch again and I am sure, like it happens in art, it would unfold new meaning. I can't wait to relish the experience once more!
