Guru – shishya parampara in films, a Teacher’s Day special

By Subhash K. Jha -

September 5, 2016 - 1:15 PM IST

Teachers have always held a very special place in our hearts. Outside our homes they nurture our intellect and nourish our souls. But in films teachers often cross their traditional boundaries to play a far more pivotal role than permissible by social norms. Simi Garewal in Raj Kapoor's Mera Naam Joker and Jeetendra in Parichay were far more than traditional teachers to their students Rishi Kapoor and Jaya Bhaduri, respectively. Here's looking at some recent teachers-students relationships that broke the mould.

Guru – shishya parampara in films, a Teacher’s Day special

1. Aamir Khan in Taare Zameen Par: As the arts teachers Ram Shankar Nikumbh who gets emotionally drawn to his dyslexic student, Aamir Khan brought to the screen the humanism and empathy of Sidney Pottier in To Sir With Love. That he genuinely cared for the welfare of the disturbed boy was evidenced in every gesture and expression. This was a near-perfect teacher, made more believable by his imperfections.

2. Shah Rukh Khan in Chak De: With each of the 12 female hockey players in this Shimit Amin-directed film Shah Rukh Khan seemed to be speaking out personally, individually, telling them, hey it is perfectly fine for a girl to play a game traditionally dominated by men. Just go for it. SRK's Kabir Khan was not just a crazily committed coach. He was a closet-feminist and an unabashed patriot. Jai Hind!

3. Vikram Gokhale in Hum…Dil De Chuke Sanam: As the disciplinarian orthodox patriarch committed to teach Hindustani classic music to the happy-go-lucky dude from Italy Salman Khan, Vikram Gokhale as Durbar was a man of steel and a teacher who wouldn't hesitate to ask for his pound of flesh. The price he demands as his guru- dakshina from his student destroys the sanctity of the guru-shishya relationship. But what the heck. A Teacher, no matter how brilliant, is finally a human being.

4. Sushmita Sen in Main Hoon Na: As Chandni Chopra Sushmita was every student's wet-dream come true. 'Shishya' Shah Rukh openly drooled over his chemistry teacher with a brazen hunger that sent pulses soaring and libidos leaping as Sushmita in a clingy wet chiffon saree re-defined the educational space. Phew!

5. Madhavan in Saala Khadoos: We have seen the surly ill-tempered foul-mouthed sports teachers in many films. But this one was... something else! A loser, a boxer, a wannabe champ who vents his rage and frustration in training an aspiring female boxer played by a real-life boxer Ritika Singh. It all added up to a stormy ambiguous and exciting subversion of the guru-shishya relationship.