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Ship of Theseus: Some observations
By Rajesh Naidu
What elements make a film masterpiece? How do you define a
masterpiece? This question can be very tricky. You can argue
aboutit till you are short of breath. But it would be in vainif the
person to
whom you intend to convey your experience and interpretation
does
not have the reservoir of experiences which you have
accumulated
through direct chidings and soothing whispers of unpredictable
life,
or inspired reading of a writer with whom you connect deeply
or
though a kindred spirit who positively influenced you to cope
with
unfaithful moments of happiness and sorrow. I am not sure
whether
Ship of Theseus is a masterpiece. But I am sure of one thing:
itpersonally affects me.
It raises some important questions for meit challenges the
verbosity in our expressions, confronts us with the triviality
of
arguments that are nothing short of a brief intoxication, shames
us
at the very core of our being for being so cosy in our cocooned
world
which functions on self-serving ideology, questions the very
definitions of pair of opposites in life and above all, it
defies the
long-established tradition of presenting a lopsided viewpoint of
acreative endeavour. It is a fruit of utmost detachment towards
the
subject at hand and it is very clear that Anand Gandhi has
treaded
this philosophical odyssey with utmost caution.
To leave the theatre with an answer is nothing short of watching
a
cookery show in which the chef displays the ingredients he would
be
using in making a particular dish and a mere look at those
ingredients evoke a sense of familiarity of taste in you. What
makes
a film believable and a leaf from ones own life is when it does
notinterfere with you but intercepts you for thinking at the state
of
affairs in and around you. And that interception can be suicidal
for a
director. It can be counterproductive. Gandhis film, though a
long
watch is episodicthis format has worked brilliantly in
raising
pertinent questions, and gives us sufficient time to imbibe the
sport
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laboratories to check the efficacy of various drugs. His views
are
questioned and challenged by an opinionated and loquacious
speaker who is an assistant to his lawyer who is fighting his
case.
What is interesting about this conversation is the futility
of
intellectualising things. The moment you intellectualise
thingsinstead of facing and experiencing them you miss the
pointthe
truth in those things. The monk who is on a journey of
renunciation
soon realises that his vow is an escape or to put it crudely
and
harshly, a sport. There is nothing to seek. But, there is
everything to
experience. He changes his mind. In the novel Siddhartha,
Siddhartha warns Govinda that words and thoughts are hurdles
to
what can be experienced, and he says wisdom cannot be passed
on. In this story also, Gandhi through the monk and the young
and
impatient man puts across these thoughts very well.
The final story is about a young man who embarks on a journey
to
find meaning in actions and their relevance in the large scheme
of
things. He has been living a simple and uneventful life. His
grandmother represents the moneyed class that is so obsessed
with
finding a substantial purpose in life. She questions his way of
living
and coaxes him to think about his contribution to the society.
This
young man has received new lease of life by transplantation
of
kidneys. He senses a racket in kidney transplantation and sets
off on
a journey to unravelling the truth. In the end, he realises that
truth
pales in front of hard facts of life. He realises that as
individuals we
are much more than the truth. And when reality dawns on us,
truth
becomes insignificant and what emerge as significant are the
moments and the circumstances of those moments.
These stories are deeply personal. It is a mark of a director
who
wants to ask questions. For whom the film is an exercise to
seekreactions and viewpoints. Even shunning the film is valid. But
we
dont know the answers. Because we feel answers also have a
different set of questions in them. And as long as the quest is
alive,
the search has purpose and meaning. The moment you are
certain,
the trouble starts. But when this realisation dawns on you,
how
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different are you from where you started? Are you treading the
right
path? Or is there something called right or to be more precise
is
there is a path to be followed? Just like the legend behind the
name
of the film, you dont know what is what even after a
transformation.
But you do know what Albert Camus said: It is absurd to
findmeaning (reasons, or order) in life.
Lastly I feel the essence of the film can be captured in an
observation by master filmmaker Sidney Lumet in his book
Making
Movies: Some movies tell a story and leave you with a
feeling.
Some tell a story, and leave you with a feeling and give you an
idea.
Some tell a story, leave you with a feeling, give you an idea
and
reveal something about yourself and others. Quite obviously,
Ship
of Theseus falls in the last category.
