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LITERATURE REVIEW
Self-discovery is not new to the society as we know. A journey of self-discover refers to travel, pilgrimage, or series of events whereby a person attempts to determine how they feel, personally about spiritual issues or priorities rather than following the opinions of family, friends, neighborhood or peer pressure. A journey of self-discovery is a popular theme in literature and is used to drive plot of play, film or knowledge. Films possess manic quality of being able to transport you into the realms of own self well beyond the identities and facades we keep in our quotidian existence. And it is this journey to self-discovery that makes cinema such a profound and thought evoking experience. Cinema is really powerful and effective medium and Bollywood has a lot of impact of the people. Films have subtle yet strong influence, movies shapes our thinking and Bollywood is often linked to portraying stereotypical notions of having perfect and sorted life. Whereas the reality is completely different from the movies. Ship of Theseus (2013) a film by Anand Gandhi with a staggering philosophical exploration of human existence and the purpose behind the creation of mankind is perfect example of self-discovery aspect in films. It asks you to look beyond your walls of belief, perceptions on life and reality. Geek author Theo Angelopoulos’s masterpiece ‘Eternity and a Day’ is most poetic, heart rendering journey to selfdiscovery ever captured in cinema. Angelopoulos masterfully showcases the certainty and uncertainty of what is ahead of the lives of the writer. Siddhartha is another classic example, based on a novel of the same name by the German novelist Herman Hesse, directed by the American film maker Conrad Rooks, with a predominantly Indian cast, led by Shashi Kapoor and Simi Garewal, traces the voyage in search of lie’s meaning by an affluent young man called Siddhartha, a contemporary of Gautama Buddha. The film talks showcases journey of a young boy to mind a meaningful life, the search takes him through periods of harsh asceticism, sensual pleasure, material wealth then self-revulsion and eventually to the oneness and harmony with himself that he had been seeking.
