Paathshaala (2010) Poster

(2010)

User Reviews

Review this title
12 Reviews
Sort by:
Filter by Rating:
5/10
Raises a relevant question but not in an amusing way.
bobbysing17 April 2010
Ask any parents and the most common problem being faced by them in the current times will bring out the real picture of the educational institutes functioning in our present social system. Fast moving towards the extreme commercialism of this noble profession, the schools and colleges of every major city are no-where less than any corporate business houses running with the sole motive of profits. Have they forgotten their actual task of imparting education to the future generation and Have they completely given up the nobleness of the profession….are the questions raised by this well intended project aptly titled "Paathshaala".

But unfortunately only the intentions are right here and the movies majorly fails in its execution. It only touches the outer core of the situation and that too in a very uninspiring way with no clear suggestions or solutions to the problem. The story is about a decades old reputed school and its honorable principal, Nana Patekar, who loves his profession with a passion. He sincerely wishes to raise his school standards matching the other famous schools in the area but is not willing to try some cheap media practices for the same. And when he bows down to the enormous pressure from his management, the school students declare a strike lead by their new English teacher played by Shahid Kapoor. The idea was good pointing towards the harsh realities being faced by every parent in the society. But it's the treatment which doesn't allow the movie to make any kind of serious impact on the viewers.

The weakest part of the movie remains its school sequences which repeatedly go over the top to the extent of being unrealistic. The way the school manager behaves with the parents, staff and his own school children is utterly unbelievable. In fact it is quite bizarre to see several rude sequences in the movie where at one end the school is increasing the fees & other expenses being charged from the students and at the same time also behaving like a vegetable seller selling some unique vegetables in the locality with an attitude. Particularly the scenes in the second half, involving the media professionals working with the students to create some media presence for the school are extremely cruel and unbearable. Students standing as a pyramid waiting for the photographer to click, a girl suffering from chilies gone into her eyes and a child standing outside in the sun for hours cannot be accepted as a normal practice in prestigious schools having a reputation.

On top of this, it's the climax which leaves you unmoved with Nana Patekar delivering a not so convincing speech to justify his decisions. The speech which should have been as hard hitting as a slap on all such institutions turns out to be very subtle and sweet lacking the required passion. Director Milind Ukey no doubt opted for the right idea for his project, but the delay in its release took away all the freshness from the subject. Recently we have witnessed far better version of the theme in 3 IDIOTS and also in TAARE ZAMEEN PAR in the past. Comparing to these two hit movies, PAATHSHAALA proves to be simply spineless in its projection of the problem. Its script is a collage of too many things happening on the school front ranging from class division to adolescence infatuation, which restricts any particular sub-plot to register it-self. Hanif Sheikh's music has also got nothing great in it but has one good song "Aye Khuda Teri Marzi Ke Aage Kya Hoga" sung by Kailash Kher.

However, performances remain the only merit of "Paathshaala", with Nana Patekar very calmly playing the willing principal and Shahid Kapoor enacting the revolutionary teacher with elegance. Nana could have left an even better impact on the viewers only if his last speech had been given much importance by the writers. Surprisingly he is also there in the movie for a very short span of time which pinches a lot. Shahid's otherwise brilliant performance also fails to shine brightly in absence of a well defined character in the script. His teacher act also reminds you of the one recently seen in his last dud "Chance Pe Dance". Still he looks very good and likable in his role of a Music cum English teacher. Ayesha glows on the screen with her cute smile. Sushant Singh, Sushmita Mukherjee and Anjana Srivastave are just fine but Saurabh Shukla plays it loud as the manager. The movie also has some actors in the supporting cast who can now be spotted in some famous tele-serials. For instance, just look out for the talented "Anandi" from the serial "Balika Vadhu" standing among the school kids.

To sum up, "Paathshaala" has the much needed message for all the Educational Institutes trying to become the money spinners for their trustees. But its lackluster execution would not be able to initiate any change in the society. I only wish it was that strong as a movie to have got something started.
8 out of 15 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
6/10
Good intention...Bad execution..!!!
maverick-vishal17 April 2010
Warning: Spoilers
Paathshaala - This is one such movie which proves the fact that only a good intention does not serve the purpose for movie-making. You need a thorough plot, strong and appealing characters with lines that they really mean and of course a flow of the story that is digestible to the viewer. As far as the characters and acting is considered, Nana Patekar, Saurabh Shukla and Shahid Kapoor do justice to their roles. But even their prowess cannot help lift the weak plot to a level where the viewer can feel satisfied. Basically the movie deals with today's commercialisation of the entire education system and the extent to which the management can go to earn the attention and moolah.

Shahid as the English teacher and part time music teacher convincingly handles the role, but he would have done far better if the story had allowed him the same. Even Nana's role is cut real short but he is good. Saurbh Shukla - Great as the mean puppet of the management, Sushant Singh as the sports teacher also gives in a decent performance. The rest of the characters are a complete waste including that of Ayesha Takia. The kids perform good upto their abilities, although what was with the love sparks between two students, the fight between the girl's brother and the boy??? And the attraction of the teen girl to her teacher(Shahid)??? What exactly the director had in mind.???

The direction could have been far more better but again who to blame other than the script..!!!! After a initial push, where the movie goes, is not at all understood. They've tried to include all the flaws of the system without giving a thorough solution to any of them. Problems of the fee hike, managing the canteen and sports facilities in a profitable manner, bringing media persons on-board to highlight the talent of the school through Reality-Shows.....and what not!! And the hype of the students strike, someone please justify the same to me...!!!

As far as the music is concerned only the song Aye Khuda strikes the right chord. Others act just as the fillers.

The movie ends giving a very meek solution. Although one line by the principle which hit my mind and will appeal to many is 'Upgrading the facilities of the school may be necessary but not enough. Upgrading the thinking is more important'

My rating 6/10..!!
5 out of 11 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
4/10
Wasted effort
paragrk12 May 2010
Core idea of this movie is good; it deals with the transformation of Indian education system into a profit driven machine than puts money over education of the students. Slowly study pressure on students is being replaced by pressure to gain glamor and fame at young age. Every one wants their son or daughter to be in a reality TV show and win one. It is sad to look at these young kids going through these auditions and being made a mockery of by TV channels in front of the whole country. Parents of these kids have expectations for which many of these kids have no interest or basic training. It's only the attraction of quick fame that brings them to these auditions.

That said direction and screen play are mediocre at best. No memorable songs in the movie. Good actors cannot makeup for bad direction and screen play. Overall movie is a wasted effort.
3 out of 7 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
1/10
Get out while you can...
tinygreenmunkey10 November 2010
I sure did.

Principal stops kid on stairs and asks politely why he is late. Kid pees his pants and sobs. Principal leaves.

New English teacher dresses like a 16 year old, tries really hard to smile as boyishly as possible, gives a lame-ass speech about not wanting to teach music to kids cause he's here to teach English.

Cheery school Nutritionist likes to nonchalantly dress in super bright clothes, tries to delicately arm-twist English teacher into teaching the kids music.

English teacher is found lip-syncing really badly to an uninspiring song holding a guitar and pretending to play it but failing miserably as he "charms" a bunch of kids into singing along with him.

School Nutritionist leaps off exultantly with the wind blowing her perfectly curled hair away from her face...

... I couldn't bear it, so I Shift+Deleted the file.

Sorry, I have no clue what the movie was about but if the start was so painfully boring I couldn't force myself to suffer through another of Shahid's attempt at being the super-chilled-cool-happening-hip-Dude who quite frankly... isn't.
10 out of 23 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
3/10
Total disappointment
jatin08520 June 2010
After watching the first ten minutes, I thought the movie to be a remake of "Dead Poet's Society" closer than Mohabbatein but was totally disappointment.

The movie wants to deliver a great social message, the idea could be exploited better, the script could be made several times better, but the direction lacks all the essential effort. There's no parallelism in the script. No character buildup. No love stories either. The songs were well-sung and could be filmed as great love songs, but were grossly mistreated. Nana Patekar's acting was very introverted. I couldn't see any effort from other actors, except from Anjan Shrivastav. Only Shahid and Ayesha gave decent performances. Overall, it was a dull show.
4 out of 8 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
1/10
I demand the time I lost watching this movie!
mohaimeen25 May 2010
As excited I was to watch a movie with Shahid Kapoor, I was also hesitant because of the weak cast involved in the making of this film.

The movie started off slow, remained slow, and ended with a pace which would even make a snail feel sorry. Moving on to the story line - well, there was none. Just because it deals with an issue pertaining to the common Indian parent, doesn't make it a relate-able movie.

The movie incorporated outright cheap script, story dynamics, and horrible direction.

Super flop!

I want my time back!
4 out of 11 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
10/10
Can relate well with the script
sayakboral-124 April 2010
"It horrifies me that ethics is only an optional extra at Harvard Business School". - John Harvey

Finally, a refreshing film that deals with disgusting realities of some of these top-notch private schools in India: donation issues, discrimination against children based on their parents' financial status, the obnoxious atmosphere that reality TV shows create in a school's learning environment and unbridled interference by corporate trustees in school affairs.

The message of Pattshaala is simple - left to its own devices and without proper checks and controls, the teaching profession, one of the few remaining noble professions in this country, can also become victim of the same corrupt mindset that presently plagues other institutions especially corporate ones - putting profits before people, considering the end more important than the means and the top-down strategy of creating an environment of fear by dangling the carrot of money and the threat of expulsions.

The film is indeed a hard-hitting commentary on the impact that can take place over an entire organization (in this case, a school) when the leader (the Principal, played by Nana Patekar) decides to compromise core ethical values, and buckle under outside influence to create an unlivable atmosphere in the school, for both students as well as teachers. Against this backdrop, a lone protagonist (played by Shahid Kapur) resists, rising up to unify all teachers and students in questioning the decisions of the management and Principal, and giving a live demo to their pupils that passive resistance is the only way to achieve social justice.

An oft-quoted liner from the film, "The age of revolutions is not been relegated to the past. It can occur anytime, anywhere today." Indeed, for too long we Indians have relied on Gandhi, Subhash Chandra Bose and other charismatic leaders of the independence era to find our ethical compass as a nation- fact remains, with each passing generation, we need a new set of leaders, young and dynamic, who are able to selflessly dedicate themselves to refashion the youth's moral fabric.

And let me add, such people do exist. But, the media largely ignores their contributions, instead focusing on uninspiring and irrelevant stories that glorifies all sorts of scoundrels I see on TV today.

In summary, Patahshaala is a must-watch film, and a real exercise in coming face to face with your moral backbone. The film poses an interesting set of questions - what should one do when faced with dilemmas that are faced by the school principal depicted in the film.

Indeed, the author is of the opinion that ethics should be a compulsory subject in all primary schools of the country, and also institutions of higher learning, no matter what the stream is, technical or non- technical. Well, we do have something called "social studies" in schools but in my opinion, the subject can be broadly restructured to incorporate a strong ethical element, that too with practical lessons. Past studies has shown that if children are exposed to ethical decision- making through intensive class- room discussions, they're more likely to grow up into well-rounded citizens as adults, and question the wrongs and moral decay in society.

Performances by all lead characters were good, and thoroughly convincing. A few characters, such as that of the repugnant school administrator were a bit over-the-top and exaggerated, but understandable from the point of view of the script - there's no point in showing such characters in grey. Their underlying motive is abhorrent, and should be exposed in the true light.
11 out of 14 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
10/10
Most light hearted movie
sujith-9610227 June 2018
It is one of my favourite movies since 2010...has an awesome soundtrack with great background score...filled with emotions, & Will teach you a lot about life... will make you smile and cry... Above all you would just want to go back to school days in your head...and happily remember those days, when life wasn't so complicated,but filled with complete joy...
2 out of 2 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
8/10
Education, Modernaziation, Commerciallization, or Reality
BiswajitSince200511 June 2010
Warning: Spoilers
Teaching is supposed to be a noble profession and school is supposed to be a temple. It was so once upon a time. Has it remained so. This is what the movie tries to say.

The movie is a satire and a blow to all those schools who want to make a business out of the school by modernizing them. This is a blow to all those parents those who want their child to be seen in television reality shows rather than top in studies.

They have tried to show the pressure on the students, random fee hikes, punishing the students inhumanly. The movie tries to answer many such questions in this movie and they have successfully shown it. They have tried to show that education has taken a back seat while everything else is being highlighted.

Shaheed Kapoor has Rahul Prakash Udyavar has done a wonderful role as the teacher and Ayesha Takia as the Nutrionalist is watchable. Overall, the movie is good.
3 out of 4 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
10/10
Movie made from the heart
spinoza_lb16 May 2010
Some reviewers here go on rambling on about matters of movie making technique. It is just like how Indians discuss cricket - every one has a theory about how the players played - but less than 0.004 % have ever picked up a bat in their lives.

Great deal of art does not have to do with technique but it has more to do with conveying the feelings of the artist. It is like love making - after the act is over - the only thing that endures is whether it was done with feeling. Paathshaala is a sincere movie and one with a circumspect message. If that message resonates with the viewer, this movie is splendid - splendid enough for me to register and write my first review in IMDb.
4 out of 8 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
10/10
Music, Direction and Storyline, everything was just next to perfect.
vinayshri7 July 2020
I can't believe this film is so underrated. It should've been on the most watched film. What a concept! This is the actually reality these days. Now I get know why people call Nana Patekar Sir as "Natsamrat" (Emperor of Acting Industry). What a performance of Nana Sir and Shahid Kapoor. I can't forget to mention about Music in this movie. That was truly amazing! Must watch. Thank you.
1 out of 1 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
10/10
Movie is wow,
alokakak-712015 February 2022
As per my subject, wow because we all are knows nana patekar and sahid Kapoor and Ayesha takia they are the best actors.

Story of this movie is great..
0 out of 0 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink

See also

Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews


Recently Viewed