Anand Gandhi's SHIP OF THESEUS is in one sentence an amazing story, amazingly shot. One rarely came across a film where narrative is powerful but the visuals add a whole new subtext, a new dimension to the overall experience. Without being too arty, intellectual or surreal, it is an original piece of cinema, where there are moments when you wish your characters to stay silent and they get into arguments and when you expect them to say the things, they stay silent yet speak a lot. It is a classic example of a wonderful use of the language of cinema. It engages your mind provided you have not left it at your home to watch a mindless entertainer. It is intense, sensitive thus overall a rare gem of cinema. Overall Good.

Ship Of Theseus (2012) : Brief Review -

Ship Of Theseus and Tumbbad- Anand Gandhi raising the Bar of Indian Cinema beyond Hollywood. Ship Of Theseus is PURE CLASS! INDEED A WORLD CINEMA MASTERPIECE! Fortunately both the films of Anand Gandhi came in watchlist and unfortunately i couldn't watch any of them in Theatre. Well it doesn't matter now because both the films have left huge impact on me and how, undoubtedly highest for any bollywood films in the last decade. I have watched over 800+ Bollywood films from the last decade and here are My Top 2 Best Films of the Decade, first is Tumbbad and 2nd is Ship Of Theseus.. both coming from One Creative Genius Brain Mr. Anand Gandhi. For Tumbbad i said, A lesson not just to Hollywood but also to World Cinema that how to turn a mythological horror film into Human Masterpiece. Anyways Tumbbad was Visually stunning and very cinematic operation but Ship Of Theseus is an Artistic and Realistic Cinema scoring at it's Best. There are no dramatic moments, there's not a single shadow of something called Cinematic Liberty, everything happens so realistically, so artistically, so purely, so simply and so incredibly. Hats off to Anand Gandhi for creating this Gem of Art Cinema with human resources and intellectual thoughts from Indian Lifestyle. Ship of Theseus is a story of everyone because it explores meaning of life, death, money, identity and giving something back to the world in which we live. From cinematography to dialogues this film is like an extraordinary art exhibition. I can't believe someone did have such a vision in Bollywood to shoot a scene on Road in one take with 2 minutes of argument between 2 Highly Intellectual minds talking about Life and Death, and the second scene shot in Mumbai's Slum. Writing, Screenplay, Dialogues, Cinematography and Direction everything is Perfect and by perfect i mean they always say 'Nothing is Perfect, yes but there's always something close to Perfection'. I believe, it will take some years for Indian Cinema to produce something like this. Ship Of Theseus is a MUST WATCH for Classes, a film and an experience not to be missed at any cost. Do yourself a favour and watch this film if you want to see Indian Cinema defeating Hollywood in Realistic Intellectual Cinema. And remember the name Anand Gandhi because i am not gonna forget it anytime soon. A MASTERPIECE OF IT'S OWN KIND!

RATING - 9/10*

The title of the review itself should be inviting enough for every true lover of real cinema to watch this rare classic at the earliest. But here frankly, I am not going into the practice of using all those exciting verbal phrases to praise this astonishing piece of work like 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 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.

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 mesmerizingly in its three different story lines 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. 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)

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. I always had suggestions of many foreign language films instantly coming to my mind and then a few Indian movies too made in the last century. 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.