Chalk n Duster

[source](https://images.indianexpress.com/2016/01/chalkndustermoviereview759.jpg)

Do you miss your school days and the teachers who taught you with so much passion that even when you have grown up and even attended university, you still have a soft corner for your teachers who taught you the alphabet?

Then, this movie is for you.

Chalk n Duster is a movie I came across only recently when life came to a standstill during the lockdown. It is one that kept me watching without a break and by the time it was over, I was feeling very emotional remembering my school teachers who were very good not only in teaching but also helped us become better individuals.

The plot

It is ethics versus greed story where the teachers of a reputed school function very well under a kind principal but she is removed and a rude lady takes her place and makes drastic changes with no mercy whatsoever for teachers who are not given any consideration. The harsh rules and the burden of work affects a senior teacher who suffers a heart attack. Another teacher, who is very close to her (they are nicknamed Chalk n Duster by the others) objects to all of this but both are terminated by the principal. The alumni along with other students and some of the teachers publicize the situation and public support is sought after which the teachers are challenged to a quiz which if they win will get a huge amount of money. The teachers do win the quiz and decide to give the amount to the former principal to start a school where teachers and children would be more comfortable.

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[source](https://twitter.com/rajusyangtan/status/1245357587362541568)

Tax free

This movie is in the inspirational category and was released as a tax-free movie in several states.

All the actors have done a wonderful job and dedicated themselves which you can understand when you watch the movie.

Divya Dutta who is a very endearing person plays the role of the rude principal which was surprising to me because she could pull it off. It is very hard to do both comedy and villain roles in my opinion.

The movie is in the Hindi language but you can get a copy with subtitles.

It is a must-watch if you like your school days especially.

Written for #cinetv and dedicated to all teachers on Hive.

The movie did well in the box office and amassed a collection of 1.66 crore rupees.

Chalk n duster is a 2016 Indian drama written by Ranjeev Verma and Neetu Verma, directed by Jayant Gilatar. With a run time of 2hrs 10mins, it starred amazing actors like Juhi Chawla, Shabana Azmi, Zarina Wahab, Divya Dutta, Arya Babbar amongst others.

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synopsis When the pride of a teacher gets trampled upon, all is set loose as she tries to make the wrong right with the assistance of other teachers.

The movie revolves around the lives of teachers, specifically that of Jyoti and Vidya whose love and passion for teaching makes them loved by their students. As teachers at a high school, they make use of different approach in their teaching methods in order to make it easier for the students to understand and also remember. At the high school, teachers were treated well, served free tea in the morning, seats were placed for them in the classroom to make use of and other nice treatment which encouraged the teachers work. However, things started to go wrong when Kamini Gupta became appointed as the principal of the school due to a change in administration.

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With the support of the school trustees, Kamini Gupta took every chance at modernizing the school with the major aim of making profit. Being the ambitious and greedy woman that she is, she was willing to stop at nothing to fulfill her devious plans. To put her plans into motion, she decided to force the experienced teachers to quit in order to employ new and young ones. Which however led to a blown national issue as one of the teachers who gave her years and hardwork to the school became so affected by the change. As one of the teachers, Jyoti, seek the help of a reporter to get the attention of the school, it is then left to fate and the public to decide, well and also the hot seat of Who wants to be millionaire quiz.

At first I thought the movie was just going to be a dull kind of drama but it ended up being a very touching one. I mean how many teachers get appreciated this days, having gone through school and being imparted by teachers they are still taken for granted, I guess we forget at times that being a teacher is also a profession that should be well respected. The movie was able to portray a very touching message relating to teachers, as they are like gods to every students. The movie reminds us about the quality of good education from passionate teachers who are willing to do anything for the success of their students. Thereby using methods to help them understand in class, like when Vidya uses rhyming songs to explain a formula to the students. I can also remember being taught that way when I was in high school, there was this topic on the names of different planet. So in order for us to not forget the names, my teacher made it easier by telling us repeatedly to say this and picking the first letter....

My Very Eyes Must Just See Under Nine Planet... M is for Mars, V is for Venus, E is for Earth, M is for Mercury, J is for Jupiter, S is for Saturn, U is for Uranus and N is for Neptune

This follows other interesting ways which helped many of us then, why? Well because it is easier for kids to remember either a rhyme or something more practical.

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Chalk n duster is a very inspiring, touching and an emotional drama coupled with great performances by the characters. Shabana Azmi is one of my favorite actors whose strong acting can not be missed. As Vidya in this movie, she was able to portray the emotions in a way that touches the heart of the viewers. Being a teacher that is unfairly treated, you can not just help but cheer for her as she fights to regain her respect and reputation as a teacher on the hot seat. Credit to Juhi Chawla whose performance as Jyoti was also an interesting one, although I initially could not understand her part but I got a hang of it after a while as she delivered her acts well. I also applaud Jayant Gilatar for his choice of cast and the setting of the movie. One could easily see that the focus was not about the fancy things but about the teachers, so you would not get distracted from the main theme of the movie. Credit also to other characters whose role in the movie gave the movie it's own uniqueness.

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The movie is a good one for me with a good message, but it could have been better. I did not quite get the music though, as it sounded a bit old and some loop holes here and there. But the performance and message was okay. Although not your everyday kind of movie but would not be a bad watch. So if you looking to see something simple and different, you can put this up on your watch list.

Watch Trailer here.... https://youtu.be/FtcubOnXgZk

MOVIE URL :https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/378301-chalk-n-duster?language=en-US

My Rating :5/10(A)

Thank you all for reading, do have a lovely day.

Bliss

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