We generally know well about the Glamour Quotient that College will add to our lives. Our far-off relatives often say- “Padle beta, Phir College mein to mauj hai.” All thanks to the Bollywood Flicks about Love-Romance-Friendship, that from early high school times, one starts anticipating the exuberant transitions that College brings into one’s world. It is no more about strict rules, home works or punishments but about :
1) The nerdy spectacle clad school-chic who metamorphoses into a sexy, fair and attractive lady.
2) The school time -cent percent attendance freak who juggles his/her way to meet the minimum attendance requirements.
3) The girl whose hair drops out of the piggy-tail bondage and floats free, often caressing her cheeks and forehead & The boy whose overgrown beard and moustache mold into French cuts, Famous celebrity cuts or simple stubble look for pulling off the ‘out of school’ look.
We have a fair idea that College is more about Fun-Freedom-Flings! We know that we are into the College Mode:
*When coming to college often means checking in & out of the college gate whereas the Probability of attending classes is measured by the parameter called Mood.*
*When the monotony of wearing a ‘uniform’ dress transmutes into the ‘swag’ of following the latest trends- lacy scarves, plethora of accessories, piercings & tattoos on bizarre parts, chest-hugging- biceps clutching t-shirts, and every possible fashion trend!*
No wonder! Alia Bhatt’s Sensationalism in SOTY, Pulkit Samrat’s Furkeypanti, Shahrukh’s Cool Collegiate mode in Main Hoon Na or Shahid’s chocolate boy Romance in Ishq-Vishq paint an enthralling cover picture of College Life! But nonetheless, College has more depth & profundity. Let’s look at such aspects of College through the Bollywod spectacle.
1) 3 Idiots
The Aamir Khan starrer, box office hit flick was a coming of age comedy-drama which distinctively featured real-inventions by less-known real people. This ‘All Izz Well’ fame not only shows us what is wrong with our education system and how cramming the exact words is not the reflector of real talent, it mainly focuses on the dilemma faced by millions of youngsters that buds from the famous household dialogue- “Char Log Kya Kahenge?” The movie teaches us that higher studies is about pursuing one’s passion and making out the best of what one enjoys doing the most. Ditch the ‘Char Log’ and follow your passion!
2) Yuva
This Mani Ratnam direction is a serious political drama featuring multiple leading stars. As the name suggests, Yuva is about the ‘power of youth’ and the role of youth in shaping the country. When one enters college, he is considered the torch bearer of the youth power, the so called ‘human resource’ of the country. The movie Yuva makes us aware of the responsibilities we should own up to as Ajay Devgan and Vivek Oberoi, two college students enter into politics in order to wash out the corrupt thugs. Another such movie is ‘Rang de Basanti’.
3) Student of the Year
Though SOTY controversially portrays the kind of college which is nowhere to be found in reality, it attracts our attention towards the very legitimate college life. No wonder, there are colleges which have the most talented crowd and a rat-race ambience. With the level of competition and myriad of activities around us, we often embrace Satan’s evil-mindedness. However, this movie brings it out clear that no competition should outdo the bonds of friendship that one builds in student life.
4) Wake Up Sid
Each one of us can relate to Ranbir Kapoor as a carefree college lad who spends his time hanging out with friends and avoiding studies.
But somehow, every Sid has to wake up and come out of his bubble life to face the reality that envelopes him. College is fairly about having fun but it is also about growing up and owning up to the responsibilities of life. It is about embarking upon a journey to find meaning in life.
5) 2 States
Let’s come out of serious responsibility stuff to some ecstatic yet true college experience! This Chetan Bhagat piece is surely about the Love between two people from completely different cultural backgrounds. However, when one broods deeper, it vitalizes the Hostel Life experience of college students. We know that hostel is a home away from home but with much more fun & ‘freedom to choose.’ Also, college is a place (away from prejudices and stereotypes) where we fall in friendship or in Love with people from different cultural backgrounds.
