Life of Pi

Rating : 9/10
Release Date : 23rd November, 2012
Time : 127 minutes
Director : Ang Lee; Writer : David Magee based on the book by Yann Martel; Music : Mychael Danna
Starring : Suraj Sharma, Irrfan Khan, Tabu, Adil Hussain, Gerard Depardieu, Rafe Spall, Shravanthi Sainath, James Saito, Jun Naito

This is a curious, incredible, cerebral and visually delightful film that left me only with an insatiable desire to immediately order for the book to ponder the varied messages – whether hidden or obvious – delivered through the enigmatic Irrfan in its lead role.

Pi’s father owns a zoo in Pondicherry and for various reasons decides to shift to Canada. However, the ship they’re travelling in, complete with their animals, runs into a massive storm and Pi finds himself travelling in a lifeboat along with a magnificent Royal Bengal Tiger. One adventure follows another. Hope gives way to despair, the proximity to death gives birth to a raw, fearless courage and Mother Nature’s wonders are given center stage in a film which reminds you what adventure is all about…

Amusing anecdotes punctuate Irrfan’s recital of his pre-adventure days. Of how his name of Pi came about. Of how he learnt swimming. Of how he followed three religions simultaneously. Of how his father taught him what the world is about, its harsh lessons. Of how he had his heart broken. Suraj Sharma, who plays the younger, ship-wrecked Pi, is as perfect for his part as were Irrfan, Tabu (Pi’s mother) and Adil Hussain as his practical father.

There are so many visual, aesthetic treats in the film that its hard to pick one or even some. The swimming pool, Piscine Molitor, which seems to float between the ground and the sky. The jellyfish which light up the ocean with a fluorescent blue. The island which has its own secrets. The images of his family, of the ship visible to him through the depths of the ocean. Its so hard to pick a moment.

On the intellectual level, am still trying to come to grips with what it all meant. Probably a reading of the book will help it come together better. For now, as most fantastic stories did when I was younger, it has left me wide-eyed with amazement, with a sense of pride that someone made a film with such a wondrous visual fabric. Vigorously recommend seeing it in a theatre, in glorious 3D, before it gives way…