Reflections - Life of Pi

Life of Pi

Life of Pi was one of the most accomplished films of 2012. It is known for its amazing visual effects, its vibrant appeal, its breathtaking story, its Oscar winning direction and whatnot.

All this may be, but there is another, astounding side to the motion picture too. Recollect one of the last scenes of the film – when the adult Pi (Irrfan Khan), after narrating the alternate story asks the author-

Adult Pi Patel: So which story do you prefer?

Writer: The one with the tiger. That's the better story.

Adult Pi Patel: Thank you. And so it goes with God.

“And so it goes with God.” This, for me was quite a twist ending. The truth as to which story is real and which is false has been left to the viewer’s discretion. Let’s consider the alternate story – the one with the humans in the boat, to be true.

Pi Patel has been subjected to a catastrophic trauma, one which is extremely hard to deal with. He is leaving his beloved homeland behind, his ship gets wrecked in a storm, he somehow manages to escape in a boat, his father is dead, his mother is killed by a monstrous man, and he is stranded without any direction. Safe to say, this is one of the worst forms of hardships that can be faced by an adolescent man. So, what does he do in such a situation? Does he lose hope? Does he rest all the troubles on his tired and miserable shoulders? No; Pi Patel believes in God. He chooses to believe in another story, one which assuages his horrendous experience. He chooses to believe in a better story, because fake as it may be, it eases his pain. And so it goes with God.

One may face a lot of troubles in life, troubles that can destroy a person, make them morose and depressed. In such times, one can take to oneself and hold all these troubles on their shoulders. Or they can believe in God.

Now God does not necessarily mean the bearded old man sitting on top of the sky monitoring all your activities. God can be a higher entity, someone who is a figment of your imagination, an imaginary friend you may call him. You just unload your troubles upon him, and hope for good.

Now some may consider this a cowardly act, not standing up to your troubles isn't the most recommended thing when it comes to life. But think of matters that are out of your hand, like those of Pi. You can't do anything; you are in a sorry state. At such times, you can either choose to face all the pain, or share some with an imaginary friend. It is much like sharing your woes with a beloved person, only that this God of yours won't judge. Moreover, believing in an imaginary entity does not mean that you are going to step down and not face your problems. You are going to tackle them, just that those problems will be easier to deal with.

When did I realise I was God? Well, I was praying and I suddenly realised I was talking to myself. 

- Peter O'Toole

Believing in God is much like praying. When you pray, you are talking to yourself, just accepting your problems. A believer admits to all his misery. He asks God for help. By admitting, he rests his problems on God. This is acceptance, and acceptance is the first step towards solving a problem.

This is what you call faith - believing in good. You don't have to be a religious person to believe. You can be an atheist or an agnostic; it is just a simple matter of sharing your problems with a higher entity. For an atheist, this entity will be imaginary, for a believer, this will be God …