Teachers enhance not just our academic knowledge but also our outlook towards life. Our consciousness, our morality, and our ethics are shaped by teachers more than any other individual. Be it academic or practical learning, we constantly imbibe their philosophies and lessons to lead life the right way at a very early stage in life.
While the world pays tribute to their respective teachers on Teachers’ Day today, we reflect on how we found relatable characters in Bollywood movies that left a memory or two of our own teachers. So here’s a look at a few characters that remind us of our own mentors
1. Aamir Khan (Taare Zameen Par) – the one who believed in you when no one else did. 
Aamir Khan’s Ram Shankar Nikumbh is the epitome of a mentor who goes beyond the traditional and conventional ways of teaching to help the student find his potential. He is the dream mentor – kind, patient and empathetic. The way he gently deals with and understands the gravity of difficulty a dyslexic Ishaan might face is something that many people aren’t capable of doing. Nikumbh connects with the audience on a deeper level for the sheer compassion and humanity he brings to the screen. He’s the mentor who would stand by when the entire world is against you and still somehow makes you feel special and seen.
2. Shah Rukh Khan (Chak De! India) – the ultimate motivator who pushed you beyond limits. 
SRK’s Kabir Khan was a man on a clear mission- to train his students into disciplined players deserving enough to be on the Indian team and march towards victory. Kabir goes from being despised by his team to being looked upon, a narrative that is equal parts inspiring and heartwarming. With a team of his supremely dedicated girls, he is ready to take on the challenge to help you achieve the goal, even if it means you despise him at times.
3. Hrithik Roshan (Super 30) – the inspiring mentor who saw potential in the underdogs. 
Cracking an IIT college is a dream that thousands of India aspirants hold. And the amount of effort that is put in by their educators especially is as important as their own. You would see a teacher fighting back tears, silently applauding for the success of his student who achieved the collective dream. And Hrithik’s Anand Kumar carries this very sentiment with sincerity and resilience. That being said, he also represents the alternate and harsh reality of challenges faced by the educators to achieve the goal, making the narrative even more relatable for the audience. He reflects the grit of a teacher who fights battles silently.
4. Boman Irani (3 Idiots) – the traditionalist who believed in discipline, rules, and results. 
Let’s be honest, we all dreaded the teacher who strictly abided by books and only knew one philosophy – “Life is a race… If you don’t run fast… you will be like a broken andaa…” In the first half of the movie, we find Virus very familiar because we have known many teachers who think at the same wavelength as him. But it is in the latter half we feel a connection with him when he breaks down his strictly built exterior. The fact that he accepts defeat in a rather emotionally triggering scene while giving Rancho his cherished pen, underscores that rare side of teachers that they sometimes don’t bring to the fore. It also speaks volumes about their emotions and perhaps also reasons why they’re so tough to crack.
5. Sushmita Sen as Miss Chandni (Main Hoon Na) – the charming one everybody had a crush on.
Miss Chandni is representative of the charming teacher everybody secretly admires. Sushmita in Mai Hoon Na was graceful, elegant and someone who could very much command the room with just her iconic walk. It was a light-hearted and honest portrayal of beautiful and poised teachers worth the praise. Despite having a relatively small role, Sushmita embodied the character so well, playing a huge part in the film’s immense success.
6. Amitabh Bachchan (Black) – the one who taught how to lead life with tough methods. 
Debraj Sahai is symbolic of teachers who don’t treat you any differently even if you are specially abled. Debraj is anything but calm and composed. He is impatient, stubborn and at times arrogant. But it is through these harsh measures that he teaches Michelle (Rani Mukerji) to be independent and live with dignity despite being deafblind. The only thing that keeps Debraj going is his firm conviction on Michelle’s potential. When the roles reverse in the end, Debraj is the one dealing with Alzheimer’s while Michelle shows him empathy. The duo becomes a moving reminder of giving our teachers back all the empathy for the long support they provide selflessly.
7. Rani Mukerji (Hichki) – the resilient teacher who turned her weakness into her strength. 
Rani Mukerji’s Naina Mathur represents the strata of society who turn their weakness into strength. Naina is a teacher battling Tourette syndrome, a condition that involves involuntary sounds and movements. Despite the odds, she is confident in creating an impact on her students’ lives. Naina becomes the perfect vessel to carry the strength and potential that marginalised people hold. She reminded us that knowledge can never be excused.
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