Cinema often leaves audience with a lesson, and at times, those learnings come from characters imparting knowledge on screen. On Guru Purnima today, here’s a look at some iconic Gurus of Hindi films:
Event Context
Shah Rukh Khan played a teacher in Mohabbatein and a hockey coach in Chak De! India, and a common thread between both these portrayals is second chances. In Mohabbatein, he takes a second shot at the school where he lost his first love and teaches his students the power of love. In Chak De! India, he redeems himself by taking a team that everyone undermines to a world cup victory.
Aamir Khan made the nation see that it’s not just students who need to work on themselves, but also the teachers who need to do the same. Be it in Taare Zameen Par (2007), Dangal (2016) or Sitaare Zameen Par (2025), all three portrayals insist that it needs to be a mutual effort between the mentor and the mentee to derive the best out of each other.
Be it the hard-hitting portrayal of a man mentoring a blind, deaf and dumb girl in Black (2005) or a college head sticking to his principles even when pressured to cave in Aarakshan, Amitabh Bachchan exuded the qualities of never giving up and never losing hope whenever he played a guru on screen, and instilling the same when it comes to his students.
Based on mathematician Anand Kumar, who runs the Super 30 programme for underprivileged IIT aspirants in Patna, Bihar, Super 30 brought alive the story of dedication and hard work. With Hrithik Roshan leading charge as the revered teacher, he shows that while life has its way of putting obstacles towards your path of success, it’s about tackling them and never quitting that leads to glory.
Team Analysis
Hichki is about people who are considered misfits by society, finding each other and excelling with the others’ support. Rani Mukerji as a teacher with a tourette syndrome helps students who are made to feel they don’t belong, tap their potential and get the success they are capable of achieving.
Ajay Devgn stepped into the shoes of India’s pioneer football coach in the ’50s Syed Abdul Rahim in Maidaan that depicted the golden era of Indian football. It showed how grit and dedication, at a time when everyone doubts you, is the only thing that can lead you to the peak of glory.
