Paathshala is a forthcoming Hindi film directed by award-winning Marathi director, Milind Ukey, and is also known to be presented by Anil Dhirubhai Ambani owned production house, the Big Pictures.
The star casts of this film are Shahid Kapoor, Ayesha Takia, Nana Patekar, Sunil Shetty, Swini Khara, Dwij Yadav, Ali Haji and others.
As the title suggests, this film is based on today's education, what most of the schools are doing now-a-days. The film's theme is about the fee structure of the schools and how much pressure is given on students and their parents. This film is set in a school campus. It is said that the film has been made very lavishly and revolves around student teacher relationships.
Despite being based on school theme, it is said that Pathshaala is a romantic comedy too.
In this film Ayesha Takia plays the role of Anjali, who is a teacher. Rahul (Shahid Kapoor) plays the role of a music & English teacher. Nana Pateker as Aditya plays the headmaster of the school. Sushant Singh appears in a cameo role whereas Saurabh Shukla has done an item number. Sunil Shetty has played Karan Oberoi.
This film deals with current and socially pertinent issues regarding children. With A perfect mix of drama, emotions and fun, this film sends a genuine message for all linked with school education such as children, parents and teachers.
Though teaching is a noble profession, but it doesn't hold true today because some teachers have made it business. Schooling has succumbed to modernization like other things, which is ruled by commercialization and advertisements in this age of cut throat market.
Everyday newspapers are full about students being tortured and bogged down under study pressures and parents are loaded with fees raises. Even teachers penalize students so ruthlessly that some students even commit suicides or land up in hospitals. Our education system needs to be reformed.
Paathshala brings in limelight above mentioned points in filmy manner so that the audience enjoy the film as well receive some message too. This spreads light on the drawbacks and immoral doings in today's schools where the high principles and basic moral values are related with the teaching profession. It's disgraceful that even education has fallen victim to the pressures of rivalry and the vices of profitable mantra. Paathshala tries to defy such philosophy that warns our children's expectations.
The story begins like this:
Rahul (Shahid Kapoor) joins Swaraswati Vidya Mandir (a school) as a new English Teacher. This school is situated in the periphery of Mumbai Suburbs. Unlike other rude teachers in our education system, he is friendly with the students due to which he strikes immediate bond with students and teachers alike. But soon he feels that there was something wrong in the pathshalla (school). As time passes, his suspicions prove true that the School Manager- Sharma (Saurabh Shukla) used to makes many monetary obligations obligatory on the parents in the name of additional activities. If the parents did not pay his demands, he would punish the students inhumanly.
Rahul wants to do something against the misdeeds by the manager so he unifies the teachers (Ayesha Takia, Sushant Singh, Kurush Deboo) to raise their voices against the cruelty and injustice of the school management. But the Principal Aditya Sahay (Nana Patekar) favours the management judgment.
Other teachers are shocked to know this because Mr. Sahay was known for his devotion and commitments as an educationist for last 32 years which had built the school's status very high. The condition becomes graver as school management becomes active with its development and involves media planners in the additional activities.
This strains the participation of students in TV reality shows and many other media PR actions used for constructing up the school reputation in public which starts shimmering on the students' trauma levels. The stress on young minds increases extraordinarily leading to unforeseen and harsh cost.
Trapped in the net of commercialization and inner revolution, the school's condition becomes so explosive that it at last becomes a nationwide concern. Paathshala challenges the growing immoralities and wrong practices in our schooling system. It analyses intricately the connection between students, teachers and the schooling system with compassion and emotional response. It reflects the proper strength of a schooling structure. Paathshala is a burning and desperate eye-opening task for our schooling System in the present day.
Here are some details of a few important characters about whom glimpse you have got some glimpses above.
Principal Aditya Sahay (Nana Pateker) is a man of honest ideologies. He has been responsible for the development and status of SARASWATI VIDYA MANNDIR for past 32 years. Teaching was obsession for him. For the high-quality of teaching and for its discipline, he can go to any degree. Students and teachers hold him in the highest regard though they also are scared of his severity. Aditya loves his students and continuously works towards the new resources and methods for the betterment of the study methods. He is extremely apprehensive about his school's reputation against other schools in the metropolitan. For him, every thing about schooling and the future of the students is a task, even if it means to give up his individual benefit.
Shahid Kapoor is a young English teacher who has joined Aditya's school newly and has very up to date and open-minded views about education and the development of students. He is adoring and considerate. He takes no time in creating connection with students and teachers alike. He goes to any extent to help the students. He alone stands against any unfairness done to students. His mission is to form a teaching structure based on true force, natural inclinations and development on the whole. As expected, others who don't agree with his view get jealous of him.
Ayesha Takia is an enthusiastic young teacher named as Anjali Mathur. She is all the time prepared to take any kind of task when it comes to the growth of students. She loves her occupation so much that she doesn't mind taking several odd jobs whether be it a ECA teacher, boarding house matron or a music trainer. When the unfair regulation & other irregularities in school trouble students, she favours and fights with Rahul Prakash Udyavar in his fight against school administration. She even sacrifices her job for the sake of her battle for righteousness.
School Manager Lallan Sharma (Saurabh Shukla) is a typical, impolite and unfair manager of the school. He misuses the powers of structure to trouble students with fees raises and extra charges. He is bad-mannered to students and employees and even misbehaves with teachers. He gets enjoyment in disturbing every person in the region of the school.
Vijendra Chauhan (Sushant Singh) is a sports teacher who is an ex-army personality and a man of regulation and principle. He loves his job and always works for the development of the sports in the school. When the school management brings new schemes to load the students, he protests against it. He later becomes an immense support to Rahul in his struggle against the unfairness on the students
Pathshalla is being released by Adlabs, and is slated to release on April 9, 2010. The release date may vary.