Though I am impressed with the story of the real life teacher Anand Kumar, his work and his achievements, somehow I did not feel like watching the movie made on his life. However, one lazy afternoon, with nothing else to do - I ended up watching the movie.
'Super 30', starring superstar Hrithik Roshan and directed by Vikas Bahl (Queen, Me Too) is a movie on the life of Anand Kumar - a teacher and mathematician. Anand came from a family with lesser means but he had high dreams and potential. He qualified for Cambridge but could not go as he and his family could not arrange the required funds. He did not give up his passion for mathematics but the family had to resort to make and sell Papads (wafers; thin, crisp discs) to make ends meet. He later went on to become a successful and much sought-after teacher in a private coaching center meant for helping kids prepare and qualify for Indian Institute of Technology (IIT). He later gave all that up to start free coaching for poor students. His institute has been successful and he has received several awards & accolades in India as well as at global level.
Super 30 is a good movie BUT is not an honest movie. The movie has good performance, fast-paced narrative, happy ending. However, somewhere the makers decided to make it a bollywood formula film instead of a biopic of an actual hero.
Several events have been dramatized but that is okay. After all, it is not a documentary and commercial cinema requires dramatization for entertainment purposes. However, several incidents have been overly dramatized and several facts have been ignored/omitted. I am not sure how Anand Kumar feels about it but I felt - by doing that - the movie undermines his 'actual' struggle.
I believe that Anand encountered several challenges but he found ways to overcome them. By exaggerating his challenges, I feel the movie - unintentionally - gives a message that his challenges were not 'challenging enough' and needed exaggeration. For example (and if I am not mistaken), Anand started a for-profit coaching center in order to fund his not-for-profit coaching center. Nothing wrong with that and it was a smart move. By omitting the fact about the for-profit coaching center, the makers probably tried to exaggerate his struggles and I firmly believe that was not required.
And there is a rather lengthy scene at the end where students apply what they have learnt for fighting off local goons. It was so much dramatized/exaggerated that it became impossible to digest. And someone who does not know Anand Kumar may not be able to resist questioning the rest of the story.
This is a good movie which could have been much better and much more honest.
As far as Hrithik is concerned, before watching the movie and from the trailers, I felt that his image and looks would come in the way of delivering a powerful performance. I was worried (not really, I do not care that much about Hrithik and movies) that he would not look believable. I was pleasantly surprised as he has not allowed his image to come in the way. He has turned in a great performance and looks believable.
Overall, I do recommend the movie. At least 80% of the movie is real and that is a story that people must know about.
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