If all organs in our body are replaced, do
we still remain the same – asks the funny sidekick to his stock-market crazy
boss towards the end of the movie. This offhanded and funny remark pretty much
sums up what the actual Theseus paradox signifies. This movie is full of
moments like this.
Mumbai comes alive on screen – sometimes in
chaos and sometimes in deep, contemplative silence. Every frame is beautifully
etched and echoes the gloom of reality. One scene stood out for me in particular
– The photographer, who goes to a pristine mountain landscape, in desperate
need of some inspiration, realizes that she does not find any. Her anguish is
clearly reflected in the angry rivulet that gushes forth and in a moment of distress,
when she loses the lenscover of her camera, your heart goes out to her.
Another very poignant scene is where the
stock-market guy screams at his grandmother and says that happiness and
compassion is all we need, while she argues that he still needs to experience a
wider range of emotions. At this juncture, all of us are torn because we agree
with the guy and with the grandmother too.
What I really respect about the movie is
that it does not try to milk your tears dry with its overt sentimentality.
There are no scenes of animals being tortured endlessly, and no unnecessary footage
of the diseased monk frothing at his mouth.
The movie challenges several notions about
life, art, and religion. Is the photographer’s creativity worth more than life-saving
vision? Can the monk ever make peace with the fact that he is alive at the cost
of torturing several animals? Can the stock broker finally grasp what his
grandmother meant by ‘this is as good as it gets’?
Kiran Rao's 'Dhobi Ghat' left me thinking 'too wannabe arthouse', but this hits the nail right on. So, do watch the movie and be prepared to
leave the hall feeling unsettled.
