Indian cinema has always explored various shades of the student-teacher relationships be it in classic films like 'Jagriti' (1954), Parichay (1972), 'Imtihan' (1974), 'Bulundi' (1981), and 'Hip Hip Hurray' (1984) or relatively recent narratives like 'Mohabbatein' (2000), 'Munna Bhai M.B.B.S. (2003) and counting. This Teacher’s Day, we bring you five films with mentors and guides who made us all wish we had met them during our school and college years.
Taare Zameen Par:
This Aamir Khan and Amole Gupte directorial dealt with the issue of dyslexia in Hindi cinema for the first time and explored how insensitive our education system can be towards students with learning disabilities. Things however begin to look up for the eight-year-old dyslexic child Ishaan Awasthi (Darsheel Safary in an award-winning role) when at his bleak boarding school, he meets an empathetic teacher, Ram Shankar Nikumbh (Aamir Khan). After years of being treated harshly by teachers and his father, Ishaan is for the first time offered gentleness and care by Nikumbh who helps him regain his confidence in his artistic talent and academic abilities. Wouldn't it be wonderful if all schools had at least one Ram Shankar Nikumbh? The film was produced by Aamir Khan and also starred Tanay Hemant Chheda, Vipin Sharma, and Tisca Chopra. The movie is available on Netflix.
Super 30:
India has a large youth population and also a large section of young people who cannot realise their academic or professional dreams due to financial constraints. 'Super 30' demonstrates that miraculous change can begin with just one inspired individual. The biographical movie helmed by Vikas Bahl is about real-life visionary Anand Kumar who founded a program to empower 30 underprivileged students every year to crack the formidable IIT-JEE exam. Anand had to let go of the opportunity to study at Cambridge University but he then dedicated his life to helping promising students. For once, cinema paid tribute to a teacher who wasn't just a figment of imagination. Hrithik Roshan essays the character of Kumar in this movie jointly produced by Phantom Films, Nadiadwala Grandson Entertainment, Reliance Entertainment, and HRX Films. Mrunal Thakur , Aditya Srivastava, and Virendra Saxena also star in the film. You can watch ‘Super 30’ on Disney+ Hotstar.
Iqbal:
So many of our sports champions come from the most impoverished parts of India and behind each story of success is immense hardship and perhaps a guru, a coach who did not give up dreaming, encouraging, or inspiring. This 2005 National award-winning sports drama, directed by Nagesh Kukunoor is about one such story. It portrays how a spirited, hearing, and speech impaired boy from a remote village is helped to fulfil his cricketing dreams by a local mentor. Iqbal (Shreyas Talpade) is a deaf and mute young man with a great passion for cricket and seeks the help of Mohit, a former, failed cricketer and a local drunkard,(Naseeruddin Shah). His persistence and Mohit's guidance pay off and Iqbal gets selected into the Andhra Pradesh Ranji Trophy team. A nod of approval by cricket icon Kapil Dev helps him to win a place in the Indian Cricket team. Now, this is a story, we wish, unfolded more often in reality. Produced by Subhash Ghai, the movie also has Jnanpith awardee, the late Girish Karnad in a prominent role. The film is available on ZEE5.
Aarakshan
Is it possible to bridge economic, social and caste divides in India's education system? This Prakash Jha directorial shows how with just one determined teacher, countless gaps can be spanned and lives can be changed. The film delineates the commercialization of education and shows how an idealistic educationist, Dr Prabhakar Anand (Amitabh Bachchan) struggles to democratize education against the will of the private institution he works in. He resigns and embarks on a mission to provide quality education to all deserving students, especially those from underserved sections of society. Imagine what a difference it would make if all needy students could meet someone like Dr Prabhakar Anand in real life. Produced by A. A. Nadiadwala, Firoz Nadiadwala, and Prakash Jha, the film also stars Saif Ali Khan, Deepika Padukone, Tanvi Azmi, Manoj Bajpayee, and Prateik Babbar.
Habaddi
How many of us were bullied in school for something we could not excel at? Or just because we were different? This slice-of-life Marathi film and A Yoodlee production narrate one such story. It revolves around a boy with a speech impairment who is mistreated by peers and dismissed as a loser. It is easy to relate to the ten-year-old orphan Manya (Karan Dave) who has stuttering issues and has an undying passion to go to Mumbai to meet his crush, a girl who understands him the way nobody does. We root for him when he decides to join the local Kabaddi team to be able to travel to Mumbai. And we cheer for him when a mentor and former Kabaddi champion, Maruti Dhware (Mayur Khandge ), enters his life to help him defy all odds and emerge triumphant. Wouldn't all of us want a mentor who saw in us the potential that nobody else did? The film is directed by Nachiket Samant and also stars Karan Dave, Vedashree Mahajan, Arya Naik, and Jayesh Kardak. You can watch 'Habaddi' on Netflix.
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