By Chetan Mehrishi
As a fan, I have been eagerly waiting for Hrithik Roshan to make a comeback. And he’s made my wait worth it. With the release of Super 30, the man seems to reclaim his throne as a stellar performer. The film works at certain levels, but not all. Read on to find out if a teacher’s tale of sacrifice for the betterment of the poor is able to meet people’s expectations as we present our this week’s review for Super 30.
The Story
Inspired by maths whiz Anand Kumar, who has seen an astounding success rate for IIT admissions year after year with his batch of kids, the film charts his motivating journey as a fictional account. A life dotted with controversies and hardships, Anand (Hrithik Roshan) literally rises from the rubble to mold his dreams. Son of a postman, a young Anand clinches an admission at the Cambridge University owing to his brilliance in mathematics.
But when he has to let go of this opportunity of life solely because he is unable to afford the fees, life hits him hard and breaks his spirit. He gets picked by Lallanji (Aditya Srivastava) to become a maths teacher for affluent students at an IIT coaching center, run by him. But soon, his true calling and passion catch up with him and he realizes that he must use his skills to give lesser privileged, bright students a fair chance at life.
Of course, along the way, he faces opposition and obstacles one after another, but never loses sight of what he sets out to do. Curiously (or suspiciously!) The story doesn’t touch upon the certain controversies surrounding Anand Kumar which have been reported in the media, focusing on his struggles and glory instead.
On The Upside
The film has numerous heartfelt and inspiring moments that touch a chord with the audience. When Anand says, “Aapatti se aavishkar ka janm hota hain”, you do believe him, especially after having seen how driven his batch of students are, leaving behind their impoverished lives and daring to dream big. Hrithik Roshan pulls off a solid performance essaying Anand Kumar, capturing his character’s sincerity and determination very well.
While his physicality may not be entirely convincing, his performance more than makes up for it. Nandish Singh is earnest and well-cast as Anand’s brother. Mrunal Thakur is effective in her limited screen time. Pankaj Tripathi as the unscrupulous politician is brilliant and Aditya Srivastava matches the villainy of his character to the hilt. Overall, the performances elevate the film. The cinematography (Anay Goswami) of the film, however, stands out and some of the dialogues hit hard.
On The Downside
Though, as mentioned earlier, the movie has plenty of emotional and inspiring moments, in the second half, the film’s lengthy run-time begins to weigh on the narrative. And some of the plot points come across as far-fetched and overly dramatic, with the background score dominating some scenes unnecessarily.
All In All
While the narrative does have its flaws, ‘Super 30’ is a human drama and the story of a teacher who triumphs over the many challenges that life throws at him, to set an example for the world to see. And just for that, it’s worth a watch. I’m going with 3 out of 5 stars for this Hrithik Roshan starrer. It is, however, much more than just his star power.
