This Teacher's Day, Let's Remember Iconic & Legendary Teachers Bollywood & Indian Shows Gave Us
Its Teacher's Day, and most of us will post about what an amazing impact our teachers had on us and changed our lives, yada yada yada (all the good stuff). We however, want to remind you of the teachers Bollywood and Indian TV and OTT shows have given us. I mean we are not going to forget Guruji from Sacred Games anytime soon. Some gave us some really good lessons, some taught us to not be shitty and some even taught us how to impress girls/boys.
Ram Shankar Nikumbh - Taare Zameen Par (2007)
This is one of those rare movies that makes me cry every time I watch it. Not only did it manage to sensitize people towards specially-abled children, it made parents WANT to connect with their children on a more emotional and personal level.
It teaches parents to not to compare one child's accomplishments to the other's. Most importantly, the movie gave Bollywood the character of Ram Shankar Nikumbh played by Aamir Khan. He is what we would call an ideal teacher. Nikumbh sir saw the potential in children, especially Ishaan Awasthi (played by Darsheel Safary) when no one did.
And his belief paid back. The movie flows like a dream and hands down is one of the best Bollywood has produced, exploring the relationship between a teacher and a student.
Naina Mathur - Hichki (2018)
We have seen a lot of movies which have struggling students but Hitchki is a story of a teacher who struggled with speech problems. Rani Mukherji plays Naina Mathur in Hitchki, a teacher, who has to overcome a rare nervous disorder called the Tourette Syndrome in order to survive in her profession. She breaks in a fit of hiccups every now and then.
Without a doubt she becomes a butt of jokes but she takes it in good stride. Even with her own problems she tries to pay attention to the needs of the kids. I think it is a lesson more for teachers out there who are struggling. The story gives them hope that even if things seem problematic, they can be solved patiently.
Guruji - Sacred Games 2 (2019)
Aham Brahmasmi. Guruji (Pankaj Tripathi) taught this to the ENTIRE NATION and not just Gaitonde. I mean he is not a guru in the traditional sense, majorly because he is teaching people to destroy the world.
But he did bring interesting stories from the Hindu mythology forward. He taught us that TEACHERS ARE NOT ALWAYS RIGHT! Some just want to see the world burn.
Mohit - Iqbal (2005)
The teacher in Iqbal is not conventional or cliched. Mohit (Naseeruddin Shah) is a drunkard, apparently a loser in life, has no purpose. However Iqbal (played by Shreyas Talpade) MAKES a teacher out of Mohit. There¡¯s is a symbiotic relationship.
If it was not for Iqbal, Mohit would not have got to teach cricket again and live his dream through Iqbal. This movie teaches us that not all teachers are ¡®goody goody¡¯ characters, they are grey and complicated and they might need some support from students sometimes.
Viru Sahastrabudhhe - 3 Idiots (2009)
Well, he only made lives difficult for the 3 idiots and mostly he was an incompetent teacher, indifferent to others¡¯ and his own daughter's emotions. What he taught us was that some teachers can be jerks.
I mean, we do personally know of teachers who are mean for no good reason. So HE personally did not teach us anything, his personality sure did.
Debraj Sahai - Black (2005)
Amitabh Bachchan played Debraj Sahai the tough guy or the bad cop in the movie as a teacher. He was unforgiving towards Rani Mukherji¡¯s character Michelle McNally, and at times you might find yourself hating him, wondering why he was being so harsh on a girl who is mute and has impaired hearing.
But we realise his methods are supposed to help and they actually work. McNally finds herself hating her teacher too, but eventually she realises that all the progress she has made in life is because of him and his stern methods. Sometimes teachers can be strict, but that might just be for the benefit of their students.
Anand Kumar - Super 30 (2019)
So, the movie is entirely based on the life of Anand Kumar, the man behind the organisation Super 30. However, what Hrithik Roshan brought to light is how Anand Kumar actually operated and the motivation behind.
Some teachers give all they have, to see their students succeed and this movie managed to articulate the same, beautifully.
Santosh Duggal - Do Dooni Chaar (2010)
Even though this is partly a funny movie, it makes us aware of the fact that life of teacher, coming from a middle class is not very easy. This shows the partial reality of the lives of some teachers who conduct coaching classes or teach tuition after school to make ends meet.
The dilemma of a middle class man who gets a chance to be rich in a jiffy, and the subsequent redemption of the teacher by not succumbing to greed is brought out quite poignantly in this movie.
Mohan Bharti - Zabaan Sambhal ke (1993-98)
Millennials might look back at this show with nostalgia. This is one of the earlier works of the veteran actor Pankaj Kapur. He plays the role of Mohan Bharti, an engineer who is made to teach Hindi to students of different nationalities.
The show is funny and mostly Mohan Bharti keeps complaining. I guess what we can take back from his character is that sometimes teachers have to do what they don¡¯t want to, they however, still do it. He was also very endearing towards his students.
Vidyapathi - Padosan (1968)
Well, this is not a conventional teacher role. Kishor Kumar plays the ¡®guru¡¯ to Sunil Dutt and teaches him various ways in which he can woo his ¡®padosan¡¯. Now we know that more often than not, he ends up in trouble. But this movie was among the baton holders of the likes of Partner.
Well, these were some conventional, some complicated teachers that Bollywood, Indian TV shows and OTTs gave us, whose characters were a teaching in themselves if not what they said or propagated.
If you can think of others, comment below and do not forget to wish your teachers, Happy Teachers Day!
