Films Of The Fortnight — College Movies
College is a place of varying emotions across various occasions and periods. For most of the time, it is a place of friendship rather than competition. There are those who remember college as a temple of academic innovation and enlightenment, and then there are others who remember college as a single huge party day. Despite the mixed emotions, some aspects of college life that everybody agrees upon are the experience and the truly remarkable moments of nostalgia it gifts that define both your future and past.
In this list that we fabricated, we talk about not all but ten films which probably did all justice to the unforgettable grad school experience.
The one that nearly made it: Main Hoon Na (2004):
How long can an army major under the shoes of a teen survive in an unusual environment like a college? Main Hoon Na, supposed to be a serious thriller telling the story of Maj. Ram Prasad Sharma’s undercover mission to save his general’s daughter from a militant, ends up being a complete college entertainer, thanks to Shah Rukh Khan’s charming screen presence and Farah Khan’s ingenious writing! This flick nearly made it to our Top 10.
10. Premam/Kirik Party (2015/2016):
When everyone thinks of college movies. It is the movie with some bad-ass college hero and his various antics and cronies. Kirik Party and Premam are two movies which properly depicts that college life with mustache-twirling macho figures, doe-eyed college girls and college fights being the only thing more frequent than romantic tracks.
9. Kaadhal Kondein (2003):
An intelligent kid comes to town to join a top college. How could things possibly take a turn? Many ways. Number one, he is ugly, so everyone turns him down. Number two, he is an orphan raised by a church. Number three, he meets his childhood love. Number four, and the last, he has competition. Take a dive into the mind of a mad lad's perspective of a university and how obsessive he turns for his love!
8. 22 Jump Street (2014):
Alright, enough of high schools; let’s get into a college! Says the iconic duo Schmidt and Jenko from 21 Jump Street when they go undercover at a local college this time. Not all times are sweet. When their relationship comes under existential crisis, they’ll have to make a matured decision. What else, other than college, could be a better thing for them?
7. Uriyadi (2016):
College students are generally known to be having playful and care-free attitude. Well, there are exceptions. Uriyadi puts into light these fellas — what happens when four happy and go-lucky engineering students get stuck in a caste-political crisis? Sure, this isn’t bringing you nostalgia, but it tells the unknown stories of the other side of college. Regardless of anything, this movie has no reasons not to watch it!
6. The Social Network (2010):
The Social Network isn’t just a college movie. It is a brilliantly crafted biopic with razor sharp Aaron Sorkin’s dialogues. This movie is what we meant when we earlier said ‘academic innovation and enlightenment’. TSN reminds you that your college life shouldn’t be spent on fighting with strangers or thinking about girls, you could rather spend it on creating a multi-billion dollar enterprise. A bit cheesy, but certainly motivating.
5. Perks Of Being A Wallflower (2012):
Probably the most popular and watched coming-of-age film (thanks to Emma), POBAW couldn’t have been better adapted by anyone other than the writer himself, Stephen Chbosky. Starring Emma Watson, Logan Lerman and Ezra Miller in the pivotal roles, this film talks about how Charlie, an introverted kid dealing with a lot of problems already, is welcomed to the real world by his seniors.
4. Rang De Basanti (2006):
College is a time of rebellion and revolution or at least that’s what a lot of people expect. There has been no other movie which exemplifies those very emotions without making those very emotions feel very cliched. A very well formulated political drama, moments of excellence from Aamir Khan, Soha Ali Khan and Siddharth, and the present Indian political scenario — all makes this film relevant and watchable even after 12 years of its release.
3. Munna Bhai M.B.B.S (2003):
If you had watched Sanju and haven’t watched this film already, you’re lying. Loosely based on Robin Williams’ brilliant Patch Adams, Munna Bhai is a film set in a medical university where Munna Bhai, a don based in Mumbai, gets himself enrolled in the college to become a doctor and silent his in-law, who happens to be the dean of the institute. Will he become a doctor and marry his love, or fail to do so? What this film does best is the way it makes a mockery out of ‘strict’ medical colleges and high-billing hospitals in India, rather than just being a college-centric movie. (Remember to google ‘Circuit’ after reading)
2. Kadhilil Sodhappuvadhu Yeppadi? (2012):
Without comedy, friendship and romance, what is life at college? A perfect blend of all the three, KSY brings to you a wonderful 2 hours of college life on screens. The premise is simple — boy meets girl, girl meets boy, boy fights, girl fights, boy loses, boy apologies, boy and girl reunite, but the way Balaji Mohan cooks it is what makes KSY a total entertainer. KSY is like Idly-Sambar — the dish is simple. But there’s a clear difference between Murugan Idly Shop’s Idly and your college mess’ Idly.
1. 3 Idiots (2009):
A college list without 3 Idiots? That’s like making a superhero list without Batman. All is swell in this quintessential engineering movie, but is that all it is — a college movie? 3 Idiots is Rajkumar Hirani’s 2-hour-50-minute comment on the presently flawed education system of India, and his guide on ‘how to French kiss’. No matter how ‘Bollywood’ certain scenes are; simply working out the ‘follow-your-heart’ formula makes this a modern Indian classic.
Feel free to comment here with the movies that you think we missed out on!
We Are Film Society, NIT Trichy.
Image Courtesy: Google Images.
