by Anushree Ghosh
Carpe diem. Seize the day!
This adorable-adorable line from “Dead Poet’s Society” has been a mantra for me to avoid procrastination and I’m not saying I’ve cracked it yet. But the Mantra works when I wake up looking up to the things I wish to do – that morning coffee, little leaves popping up from my mini-plant collection, or to pen down a thought that has long been lingering on my mind. And I owe the inception of these ‘life implanting’ thoughts to the teachers who told me to “think” and “cinema” that exposed me to “different kinds of thinking”. So, let’s talk about those adorable teachers and professors who make us not only “think” but “think differently”.
Dr. Parimal Thripathi (Chupke Chupke, 1975): This role played by Dharmendra is adorable for umpteen reasons – Dr Tripathi was empathetic, charming, intelligent, charismatic, witty and goes to extreme lengths just to have a slice of life filled with innocent humour. Although there are no scenes of Dr. Tripathi teaching a classroom, imagine having a professor with these traits teaching the nuances of Botany – “I guess the students will start gifting each other with cauliflowers on their birthdays.”
John Keating: (Dead Poet’s Society, 1989): John was the kind of teacher that every student needs – and the earliest the better. His personality is an unusual mix of caring and rebellious. Regarding this quote by Henry David Thoreau: “I wanted to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life.” John’s fundamental teachings come to the forefront – to live to the fullest and follow one’s passion. The movie itself is a poetry that embraces the fact that “poetry” exists and flows through our nerves like blood – essential to life.
Ravi (Parichay, 1972): Loosely based on “Sound of Music”, we meet Ravi as a resilient teacher who is focused on making his students not only bookish but good humans. With time, there develops a beautiful bond between Ravi and the mischievous children. A bond so beautiful that we envy having it with one of our teachers whose presence enlightens our lives with wisdom.
Ram Shankar Nikumbh (Taare Zameen Pare, 2007): I dropped a fair number of tears while watching this movie about a child who couldn’t be understood, not even by his parents. And, at the most distressing point of his life, Ishan Awasthi needed a teacher like Ram Shankar Nikumb who could literally & metaphorically fill his life with colours. We all need that one guide and mentor who can tell us that “yes, you are different, but beautifully so.” And lead us to a life of belief and trust in ourselves.
Professor Dumbledore ( “Harry Potter” Series, 2001-2011): Portrayed by Richard Harris and later Michael Gambon, Professor Dumbledore is the wise and enigmatic headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He is the kind of professor that every student can look up to. The vintage wisdom for which you build a taste as you grow up in life.