The title of the review itself should be inviting enough for every true lover of real cinema and it was indeed a highly satisfactory Friday this week, watching such an outstanding and meditative expression coming from our own Indian film-makers after many years (read decades).
But here frankly, I am not going into the practice of using all those exciting verbal phrases to praise this astonishing piece of work as you might have already read in many other reviews & write-ups. In fact the biggest respect, the highest acclaim and the loudest applause to this rare achievement in Indian Cinema would be, that you at once search for the theaters showing this in your town, find the time to catch it postponing all your other important works, travel whatever distance you may have to reach the venue and just go to see SHIP OF THESEUS right away to participate in this new age celebration being made on the silver screen. And in case the film is not being shown in your town, then simply curse the way movies are usually seen and exhibited here in our country, just to make some quick bucks without caring about the essence of the term ‘Cinema’ & its soul at all.
If I am asked then the only job of a reviewer here is to influence his readers to watch such significant chapter of Indian Cinema at the earliest without any further delay and that too by not revealing any major details about its unpredictable content, maintaining its precious sanctity intact. So from that angel I would only like to say that this is something, which can easily be termed as a beginning of a new shining phase in our country, which might bring in a fresh mature outlook in the way we watch movies and may cause a new digital revolution among the young creative minds of the nation.
As an indicative review, SHIP OF THESEUS is certainly a rare cinematic triumph from our Indian Film Industry which brilliantly amalgamates various human emotions on the screen quite mesmerizingly in its three different storylines of a photographer, a monk and a share broker. Its insightful title refers to the historical Theseus’s Paradox which raises a doubt or a question that if the different components of an object are replaced with exactly similar ones, then does the object basically remains the same or not. The paradox has been used quite beautifully in the film (and its skillfully designed poster too) which strongly stays with the viewer for next few hours and even days once he gets it. It has some intense & remarkable verbal interactions putting you into a deep thinking mode within its first 15 minutes itself, absolutely stunning visuals to take you onto another world altogether and a minimal yet graceful (natural) background score which simply lifts all its well conceived sequences on to the next level. Further, truly genuine performances by some extremely gifted actors never let you feel that you are watching a fictional film at all and its concluding moments merely turn you into a statue with the complete film jamming into your mind in a fast reversing mode like a loop.
Also, SOT has an extremely significant message for the viewers in its final scenes which needs to be discovered by every individual on his own and should not be ideally revealed in any review as such. Because as I feel, one has to interpret and contemplate on that presented thought individually, without any interfering explanation of a third person and that is how it can hit the viewer hard, reaching the deepest core of his or her sleeping conscience demanding an immediate action.
To tell you the truth, SHIP OF THESEUS is precisely one of those precious films for which I use the phrase, “Movies To See Before You Die” at this site. The reference of this five letter word DEATH, is essentially required to bring in that urgent need, that immediate interest and a passionate pull towards such ‘must watch’ films, which otherwise might get skipped or may not reach its deserving audience at all.
These are the films which can teach you life, the way to live it, the way to cherish its each and every (remaining) blessed moment to the fullest………… exactly like a beautiful piece of poetry, song, book or painting inspires a thinking soul. These are the films which have got the power to transform, hidden in their admirable meaningful subjects and the ones which might be able to teach you a valuable lesson of life, equivalent to the deep spiritual messages given in all the religious scriptures.
And after watching SHIP OF THESEUS this Friday, I had no other phrase in mind at all to express its two enlightening hours full of a splendid vision than the one mentioned above.
Actually the film is just like listening to an enlightening discourse which makes you realize that, Yes you are still alive with all your basic senses working fine in a healthy body, which is nothing less than a miracle blessed by the Almighty. Moreover, its concluding part leaves you in an intense thoughtful mode, reminding the fact that there is still lot to be done while we continue breathing and certain decisions need to be taken on an urgent basis which would help us all to be alive differently, even after our own ‘Death’ (representing the Theseus Paradox)
So as my personal vision, SHIP OF THESEUS is a kind of ‘spiritual document’ which should be shown to all youngsters studying in various schools and colleges across the country in order to make them aware of all the gifted treasures they have which can be shared even after the ultimate end of a body called Death.
Praising the sincere effort, I would like to add that since the last few years, whenever somebody asked me to name a few classic films, to be watched as a must for understanding the medium of cinema and its immense power. I always had suggestions of many English and foreign language films instantly coming to my mind and then a few Indian movies too made in the last century (mostly from the New wave cinema seen in the 70s & 80s). But very rarely did I have any name coming to my mind from the recent decades, of an Indian film which could be called as a Spiritual Lesson captured on the screen from any of the new generation directors.
However the case is not the same since last Friday post SHIP OF THESEUS, as now I have got a film, a masterpiece from our own Indian Cinema to proudly recommend as a must watch, which deserves to be seen before one dies in the most literal sense. So firstly I would like to congratulate its director Anand Gandhi for giving we Indian audience a film to be proud of (after a long time), a film which can easily be kept in the highest bracket among many other world cinema classics without any hesitation. Secondly, we surely need to thank the presenters of the film, Kiran Rao & UTV for making it possible to reach the bigger screen, since most of the times meaningful attempts like these just remain in the closed corridors of the festivals and never reach the general viewers.
Lastly but most importantly, I would like to address my fellow viewers with a humble urge that for a while just forget your favourite big stars providing the usual weekend entertainment repeatedly and please don’t let the medium of this film (which is mostly English), discourage you from watching it in the theaters, buying a costly ticket. SHIP OF THESEUS rises much above your expectations, incorporating a surprising element of humor too in its pensive content and keeps the viewer glued to the screen with an unpredictable progression throughout. So for once, simply pass any of your preliminary mind hurdles and watch this one of the most important Indian Film of the new millennium as a must, since it does have something worth to share……………..which might enhance the way you would be living your remaining years of life in the indefinite future.
Rating : It’s a Movie To See Before You Die in the most literal sense. So don’t even think of skipping it if you do consider yourself, a passionate Indian movie buff.
(Might be considered as 4.5/5 with the only minus point of having a Language Barrier for Indian audience)
(But giving it a second thought, its also quite sad to admit that one of most important and well made masterpiece of the recent times from India......is actually in English)
