Cinema's Best Loved Teachers

This Teacher's Day, we celebrate 15 celluloid teachers who inspired us, made us laugh and helped us realise how our lives are shaped by those who taught us.

Mera Naam Joker (1970) - This Raj Kapoor classic brought a school boy's infatuation with his teacher to the big screen. Rishi Kapoor, as the adolescent Raju, was smitten by his teacher, Miss Mary, played by Simi Garewal. Though a sub-plot, the bold theme is still talked about.

Jagriti (1954) - Way back in 1954, Satyen Bose highlighted the importance of unorthodox teaching methods to impart better education. With actor Abhi Bhattacharya in the lead, the movie shows how a teacher works towards making his pupils culturally aware, responsible citizens.

Taare Zameen Par (2007) - Another outstanding story of how a teacher (Aamir Khan) goes beyond his job in recognising that one of his students, Ishaan (Darsheel Safary) is dyslexic. Aamir helps the child overcome his disability through his unique style of teaching.

Iqbal (2006) - Obsessed with cricket, but visual and hearing impaired, Shreyas Talpade is helped by a former cricketer portrayed by Naseeruddin Shah, to fulfill his dream of playing for India.

Black(2005) - A teacher helps a visually challenged girl and is in turn helped by her when he develops Alzheimer's. Directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali, the film featured Amitabh Bachchan and Rani Mukherji in the lead roles.

Aarakshan (2011) - Prakash Jha's hard-hitting film on corruption in education takes a contemporary look at the ethics of teachers, some of whom have vested interests in the business of education, while some still believe in imparting education. Amitabh Bachchan plays Dr Prabhakar Anand, the principal who stands by his ideals.

Stanley Ka Dabba (2011) - This sensitive film tells the tale of what could be the story of any school, where children just want to have fun and teachers are spoilsports. There are wonderful exceptions, like the popular Miss Rosie (Divya Dutta) who encourages every glimmer of creativity in the children.

Mohabbatein (2000) - This Amitabh Bachchan-Shah Rukh Khan-starrer displayed the conflict in ideas and ideologies of two generations of teachers who have distinct styles of teaching and different ideas about love. While Mr Bachchan's character Narayan Shankar is shown as a strict teacher, Shah Rukh plays Raj Aryan Malhotra, who believes in teaching outside the classroom and wants to spread love.

Rockford (1999) - Nagesh Kukunoor plays Johnny Matthew, a PT instructor who stands by a boy who attends a boarding school for the first time. The boy learns to fend for himself in the school.

Sir (1993) - Naseeruddin Shah stars as an inspiring teacher who helps Pooja Bhatt overcome her stammer, and even plays Cupid between her and a male student, played by Atul Agnihotri.

3 Idiots (2009) - A light-hearted, fun film, 3 Idiots came with the underlying message that real education goes beyond the classroom and textbooks. Boman Irani played Viru Sahastrabuddhi or Virus, the grumpy dean of the college. A perfectionist as an educator and person, he is a teacher who values grades more than any human emotion.

Paathshala (2009) - Shahid Kapoor played a music teacher in the film with a message for students and teachers to stand against the ineffectiveness of school management.

Main Hoon Na (2004) - Who would skip class when the teacher is as sexy as Sushmita Sen's chemistry teacher Chandni Chopra? Clad in tiny blouses and chiffon saris, Sush gave a tongue-in-cheek twist to the school-life comedy-drama. Love blossomed between her and student Shah Rukh Khan, but thankfully he was really an undercover agent.

Student Of The Year (2012) - Rishi Kapoor portrayed the role of a college dean in Karan Johar's film Student Of The Year.

Dead Poets Society (1989): As John Keating, Robin Williams epitomised the teacher we all wished we had. His lessons were taken outside the classroom, he encouraged his students to rip pages from textbooks, he was comical and energetic and, most importantly, he taught his students to ‘carpe diem' - seize the day.