Celebrate your mentors and guides with these inspiring stories

From ‘Jagriti’ (1954), ‘Imtihaan’ (1974) to ‘Dead Poets Society’ (1989), cinema has repeatedly paid moving tributes to teachers. On Teachers’ Day (September 5), watch theatre and film narratives that shed light on the many nuances of the relationship between mentors and students.

Sir Sir Sarla

‘Sir Sir Sarla’ written and directed by Makarand Deshpande, debuted on stage in 2001 and since then has been performed with great success across India. As a Zee Theatre teleplay as well, it has won over audiences across generations. The poignant plot traces the relationship between an idealistic student Sarla and Professor Palekar. When Sarla develops feelings for him, he convinces her to marry an affluent man but years later, she returns to confront him. Another person who has been impacted by Professor Palekar’s decisions is Phanidhar who loved Sarla. How the three navigate the storm of emotions that follows is compelling to watch. The play stars Deshpande himself, Aahana Kumra, Sanjay Dadhich, and Anjum Sharma. Filmed by Suman Mukhopadhyay, the teleplay can be watched on 6th September 2024 on Airtel Spotlight, Dish TV Rangmanch Active and D2H Rangmanch Active.

Super 30

Do marginalised youth have equal access to quality education? This is the question that the film ‘Super 30’ asks. Based on the life of Anand Kumar, a brilliant mathematician whose dreams of higher studies were crushed by his circumstances, the film narrates how he then went on to run a free coaching program for underprivileged students in Patna. The story depicts his struggles to train 30 students for the Indian Institute of Technology’s (IIT) entrance exam against great odds, death threats, and even an attempt on his life. ‘Super 30’ is a testimony to the miracles a committed educator can create in the lives of his students. Directed by Vikas Bahl, the film stars Hrithik Roshan, Mrunal Thakur, Pankaj Tripathi, Aditya Srivastava, Veerendra Saxena and Vijay Varma. Watch it on Disney+ Hotstar.

Chak De! India

This rousing film is not just about how little attention is paid to women’s sports but also about the importance of inspired coaching. It shows how an erstwhile hockey player with a painful past decides to coach a struggling and deeply divided women’s national hockey team. His first task is to unite the team members into one unit and then to mentor them to reach their full potential in the face of sexism, prejudice and discrimination. The team then goes on to win the Women’s Hockey World Cup. Directed by Shimit Amin, ‘Chak De! India’ stars Shah Rukh Khan, Vidya Malvade, Shilpa Shukla, Sagarika Ghatge, Chitrashi Rawat, Anjan Srivastav and Vibha Chibber. Watch it on Prime Video.

To Sir, With Love

E. R. Braithwaite’s 1959 autobiographical novel, ‘To Sir, With Love’ gained global fame when it was adapted into a film with none other than Sidney Poitier playing the lead role. Poitier plays Mark Thackeray, a black engineer who has suffered acute racial discrimination in the job market and is then forced to work at a resource-starved school of academic rejects. How Mark teaches them to respect themselves, develop a passion for learning and chase their dreams, is what makes this film such a classic.  Directed by James Clavell, the film also stars Judy Geeson, Christian Roberts, Suzy Kendall and Lulu. You can watch it on Apple TV or rent it on Amazon Prime Video.

Aarakshan

The contentious issue of reservation is tackled with great power and sensitivity in this Prakash Jha film. Amitabh Bachchan plays the idealistic principal Dr. Prabhakar Anand who heads the prestigious STM College. His dream is to make quality education accessible to all students regardless of their caste and economic background but when a power struggle breaks out between the faculty and also students, he is forced to choose a side and to vacate his post. He then starts free classes for students in need and soon his success begins to threaten coaching centres and STM as well. The story ends with a powerful message that until social inequities are addressed, a large section of India’s youth will remain underserved.  ‘Aarakshan’ also stars Saif Ali Khan, Manoj Bajpayee, Deepika Padukone and Prateik Babbar. Watch it on Amazon Prime Video.