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Review of movie An emotive
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Director: Prakash Jha Cast: Amitabh Bachchan;Saif Ali, Manoj Bajpayee Deepika Padukone;Prateik Babbar. By Mahadev Desai Prakash Jha, the well-known film director, who previously directed the outstanding movie, ‘Rajneeti’has tried to tackle the complex and emotive subject of reservation in public education institutions, in his current socio-political movie ’Aarakshan’. Mandal Commission was established in India in 1979 to consider the question of seat reservations and quotas in public education institutions and employment in public sector to redress caste discrimination. Education is the best catalyst of change and educating the backward classes is the surest way to improve their self-image and raise their social mobility and status. And despite the contention that quality of education might be undermined and merit compromised by reserving seats for the backward communities, affirmative action schemes are in place in many countries including USA, South Africa; Brazil etc. In fact, research in Harvard University on affirmative action program has shown that it is beneficial to the underprivileged section of the community. In India, in 1990,the Supreme Court mandated that 27% of public college admissions be reserved for students from lower classes. |
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Principal of STM, a private college in Bhopal. He is an idealist
and fair-minded Principal who believes in merit regardless of
class in his admissions and staff-hiring policies. Still, he is
compassionate about the under-privileged and lower class and
tries to help a few by mentoring and giving financial and other
support to enable them to complete their studies. In the opening
scene, Deepak Kumar (Saif Ali), who is son of a maid, who
despite facing hardships has aced his exams but despite being a
top achiever is unable to secure admission in an elitist public
institution.Prabhakar offers him a junior lecturer’s job in his
college. Deepak’s upper-class classmate Sushant,(Prateik
Babbar),a son of one of the College Trustees and who believes in
merit has a volatile argument with Deepak. Sushant taunts Deepak
and accuses the lower classes of being afraid of competition.
Deepak retorts,” Talk of competition after giving them a level
playing field’. Dr.Anand expels Sushant from College, and later
has an explosive confrontation with Deepak. He tells Deepak that
teachers should be above politics. When Deepak accuses Dr.Anand
of being a classist and asks him , “what is your take on
reservations?” is told ,”I don’t need to explain my position to
you”. Deepak walks off in a huff. Dr.Anand’s daughter Poorbi who
is in love with Deepak tells him to apologize to her dad but
Deepak refuses and leaves for America. Despite Dr.Anand’s
disapproval, the Trustees appoint Dr.Mithilesh(Manoj Bajpayee)
as lecturer cum Vice Principal. Mithilesh is a greedy, conniving
and unscrupulous man who is out to make a quick fortune through
his coaching classes. One day he is caught sneaking out of his
class to teach at his own coaching class. But before he can be
sacked, he colludes with the Mantriji and when Dr.Anand resigns
gets Principal’s post. He seeks his revenge and Dr.Anand is left
homeless. He even insults him saying, “You were a zero, you are
a zero and you will always be a zero”. Undaunted Dr.Anand with
the support of his loving and cooperative wife(Tanvi Azmi) and
daughter Poorbi, Deepak(who returns from US after completing his
studies and patches up with Deepika and Sushant) and Sushant
successfully offer free coaching to students in a cowshed and
ruin Mithilesh’s coaching institute across the road. 