“Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.” Movies are a popular source of entertainment. From the moment we indulge in watching a movie, we are transformed into a new world where our mind is at ease. They are inspired
Movies are a popular source of entertainment. From the moment we indulge in watching a movie, we are transformed into a new world where our mind is at ease. They are inspired by our daily lives and also inspire us in more ways than we can imagine. There are numerous effects and advantages of watching movies in our lives, and sometimes movies have the power to take us down the memory lane and bring back some good ones. Who wouldn’t agree that watching Chatur from ‘3 Idiots’ reminded us of ‘The Teacher’s pet’ we all had in our schools. Or how we sometimes just need to take a day off for ourselves from our daily lives like Ferris Bueller did. (Curse you Rooney, that’s all the poor kid ever wanted)
So here we are, taking a look at some of the Best Movies which showcase our Student Life and give us the rush of Nostalgia and Anxiety. So get on the Feels-Train, darlings.
Ps. We will not be discussing Student of the Year anywhere in this article, Period.
- Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikander (1992)
Recently completing it’s 25 years, Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikander was a cult film and then became a classic as it showed the mixture of student life and sports like never before in Bollywood. Class division, school rivalries, tricky love affairs and issues with family are all wrapped into this one big reel (it’s actually quite lengthy with over 2 hours and 55 minutes) where Amir Khan shows one of the first traits of his brilliance, as a prankster who goes through a transition after the ‘issues of adolescence’ start hitting him. Inspired by Archie Comics, as Amir as Archie and Pooja Bedi and Ayesha as Veronica and Betty respectively? Who knows but it is surely one of the best Bollywood movies to showcase school life and teach you lessons about some real-life rivalries and competition.
- Dead Poets Society (1989)
There are some movies that, if we watch for the first time at the right age, have the capacity and power to inspire and mould us: THIS is one such film. The primary characters included a group of hostellers who all have different ideas about life for themselves and a teacher that they share a very deep relation with, who teaches them that words and ideas can truly change the world. Revolving around the constraints these students were living in, from professors or parents, this captures beautifully how these teenagers overcome their issues in their own way and ultimately “Seize the Day”.
- The Breakfast Club (1985)
If we are just five high school archetypes from different social groups, stuck in a library for a long Saturday detention, no matter how disparate our backgrounds, we would arrive at a cross-clique understanding. Showcasing different themes like Punishments, Teen smoking, Alienation, Fashion, Bullying, Sexual Harassment, growing up to become parents, and most importantly, relationship with the parents, this film does the perfect Job of giving us something to relate to, if we’re being stereotyped in our High Schools, as an athlete, a nerd, a nutcase etc. It is a fun watch too, if you have nothing to relate to, where a bunch of kids tries to make their detention bearable and bond over it.
- Udaan (2010)
Following a story of a recently expelled young boy, who has to protest against his own father in the famous Arts v Engineering scuffle, this movie brings out the estranged feeling many teenagers experiences when they’re made to live away from their friends and under strict fathers. The strong narrative of this movie makes us aware of how some parents become over-burdening sometimes due to their own curtailed ambitions and how a boy struggles to break out from the ‘clutches’ of such a parent. Shot Beautifully in the town of TATA Nagar, this movie is sure to bring out a sense of sympathy for the main character because of the very common theme of this movie that we or some of our friends might relate to.
(Another major life lesson from this movie is, that you should always be a good sprinter, it helps.)
- 3 Idiots (2009)
It would be a surprise if there was a single person who hasn’t already seen this movie. The heart-warming story unfolds into a flashback which showcases the college life of the three main characters and the huge role reversal that takes place. Some people find their identity, some people lose their identity, and some simply never change. (Yes, you Chatur.)
This movie shows, how all of us are capable of doing ‘Balatkars’ in our lives, no matter what background we’re coming from, and ‘Sthan’ is never the only sole motivator for innovations in our techniques, lifestyles, and attitudes.
(replace words ‘balatkars’ with ‘chamatkars, and ‘sthan’ with ‘dhan’)
- 21 Jump Street (2012)
Not a very conventional choice for this list, but how could we have missed out this explosively funny action comedy, following two undercover cops who are sent back to high school to investigate and chase a drug dealer. This film captures how two officers come back to high school and find it hard to fit in as things have changed a lot since their time. (“Reading Comics is cool?”)
- Harry Potter Series (2001-11)
Is there a moment in Harry Potter films after seeing which, you don’t wish you were a student at Hogwarts? But being a student of Hogwarts wasn’t that easy. The movies are a perfect mirror of our student life, where people were always getting late for classes, having fun in Dormitories, actively participating in extra-curricular activities and competitions, breaking university/rules in a quest to expose the Dark-Arts Professor, and starting secret fraternities to fight Demons.
- Wake Up Sid (2009)
We all wish life was a big party, don’t we? Well Sid had the same ideas. The difference however, Sid’s parents were rich enough to happily pay his credit card bills. After completing his B. Com degree, we see Sid in a very relatable situation in life. He is confused and is trying to get on his feet independently. This is a very important film for all the 20-something students as it represents how the world may seem to go haywire as soon as we complete our courses and college. Amazingly portrayed by Ranbir Kapoor who plays the protagonist who takes on the journey of self-improvement, and learning to deal with broken friendships and relationships.
- Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986)
We all have that one guy in our class who is loved by everyone but hated by teachers. But what is the most relatable thing we have with this movie? It’s faking illness to skip school. Who would not have done that once in their school life? But this guy’s plans included taking a day off to spend the time with his lovely girlfriend and his best friend in Chicago in a Red Ferrari. Following the quest of Bueller’s Principle against this and doing everything in his power to stop him, this warm-hearted comedy is sure to bring back the memories of the school days when you decided to Bunk it.
- Jaane Tu… Ya Jaane Na (2008)
who never had that one friend with whom your parents always thought there was something cooking and your friends were in a constant effort to make something happen?
This film unwraps itself as a memory box for most of us and reminds us of all of our high school crushes, love-birds, and friends. Taking a very different view of the Budding Love that we experienced in our school/college days, this movie is our favorite romantic high school/college drama.
Bonus:
Main Hoon Na (2004)
The Tom boys, the Casanovas, Main Hoon Na was totally relatable, right? And who did not have a crush on their teachers? This film is sure to evoke some memories.