'Ship Of Theseus' did not come easy to Anand Gandhi but the debutant director is happy to have chosen passion over money early in his career.
Gandhi started his showbiz journey at the age of 19 by writing short stories and hit TV sitcoms 'Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi' and 'Kahaani Ghar Ghar Ki'.
Bored by the monotony, Gandhi quit TV and started working on the script of 'Ship of Theseus', an amalgamation of three stories exploring philosophical questions about life.
After garnering critical acclaim in international film festivals like Toronto, Dubai and Tokyo, the film is finally releasing in India on July 19. It is being distributed by Kiran Rao.
The 32-year-old director admits it was difficult saying 'no' to money and rejecting offers to direct commercial films while working on the arthouse project.
"There were days, weeks, months and sometimes long phases lasting years, where I felt broken... Where I felt maybe it was a wrong choice to leave TV or leave the opportunities that were easier. But you really don't have a choice once you are committed to finding your enlightenment.
"It was difficult to refuse money at the age of 22 but I think you need to have a bit of naivety in you to think you are relevant. This film is the only thing which kept me going," Gandhi told PTI in an interview.
The director says up against money was his years of vision and a future full of philosophical enquiry, travelling, meeting people with most amazing minds around the world and enriching himself as a person.
