All of you are preparing for some or the other entrance level examination. Every one you know, is talking about you & your preparation. This is the topic of breakfast conversations too. Telephonic conversations start with ‘Kitna percent syllabus complete ho gaya IIT ka’ (How much percent of the syllabus are you done with?) or the sound of it. People unknown to you have become interested in your marks in Mathematics. You take tests and somehow worse, you get scores. Comparisons follow and judgments on your selection are passed, based on scores in ‘One Test’. Your friendship is troubled because your parents somehow believe your friend is behind your one time poor performance.
Someone to talk to, to vent it all out, could be the best thing for you right now. You can’t always talk to your parents. Your best friend is in a similar situation. What’s the next best thing then? Well, I’d say looking for inspirational movies would be perfect. I strongly believe, movies and books are the greatest things there can be. I am sure you have held on to the latter for a fairly uncomfortable time now. Let me offer you a list of movies in return for your word to watch them when you are stressed.
Dead Poet’s Society
The movie is about instilling free thinking in students. Robin Williams introduces unconventional teaching methods which makes him popular amongst his students. At the same time, he asks them to sieze the moment. This has inspired me to always try and do my best in the direst of the situations & question the convention. I’m sure you will be coherent with me after watching it.
Forrest Gump
Forrest gump is about a low IQ boy suffering from moderate mental disabilities who goes on to achieve great feats in life. One of the best movies of Tom Hanks, it shows how despite the hurdles set upon your path you can achieve unimaginable heights. If you feel dull & momentarily incapable, this is one of the best inspirational movies for you!
The Pursuit of Happyness
This is a real story based on the life of Chris Gardner who goes on to become the Founder of a Stock brokerage firm, Gardner Rich & Co. from a homeless salesman. Will Smith in lead, the movie is a great one to lift up your spirits if your test results go south. This was screened on my first day in college. So, I hold this movie very close to my heart.
The Shawshank Redemption
The movie story revolves around life of Andy Dufresne in prison. Words will never be enough to describe the beauty of this movie. This movie teaches you that Hope is a good thing and no good thing ever dies. It shows how you can achieve a thing that has been tagged impossible by the world . A release of 1994, this movie tops the list on IMDB. Whenever you are down and desperate, watch this movie.
Good Will Hunting
This is based on the life story of a young genius mind as yourself. Will Hunting works as a janitor at M.I.T. Although fiction, it teaches no matter how good you are with a subject, it won’t be sufficient without action. This is one of the great inspirational movies for those who enjoy mathematics.
Patch Adams
A biopic of Hunter Adams who founded the Gesundheit! Institute. The institute dedicates itself to reforming healthcare services by replacing greed & competition with generosity & compassion. It describes how you can overcome any weakness by a change in attitude. I can surely say, this is a must watch for all those preparing for AIPMT.
October Sky
This is another great movie based on a true story of a coal miner’s boy Homer H. Hickam who, against his father’s will, goes on to become a NASA engineer. It will definitely invigorate you if you dream to make it large.
Invictus
Invictus is based on how Nelson Mandela used the game of rugby to unite South Africa. It’s staged around 1995 when South Africa hosted the Rugby world Cup. ‘Invictus’ is actually a poem which inspired Mandela while he served his time in prison. I watched it right before the 2010 Cricket World Cup and my experience of the tournament was different altogether. I suggest you watch it when you are done with your preparations and need activation to practice hard!
Life is Beautiful
This is staged around the Holocaust. It revolves around story of a family which is taken to the Nazi concentration camp. The father convinces his son that these camps are like his games. This movie depicts no matter how bad your situation is, you should always try and make things better. This is one of the inspirational movies which is best enjoyed with family.
The Theory of everything
You must have heard of Stephen Hawking. This is based on a book written by his wife Jane, titled ‘Travelling to infinity: My life with Stephen’. It is an illustration of however bad life may seem, while there is life there is hope. It is a good watch for students particularly who love physics.
All these inspirational movies have one thing in common i.e. perseverance. Talent is definitely important but it is perseverance which takes you there!! For more interesting reads & important updates follow this space.
