Hichki (2018) [Movie Review]

Dir: Sidharth Malhotra

Starring: Rani Mukherji

Dur: 1 hr 55 mins

Genre: Drama

Rating: 9/10

Adapted from Brad Cohen’s autobiography Front of the Class: How Tourette Syndrome made me the Teacher I never Had and inspired by the film Front of the Class, Hichki brings Tourette syndrome to the Bollywood screen in dramatic and heart-tugging fashion. It endeavours to tell the story of Naina Mathur, a young lady afflicted by Tourette syndrome and who struggles to find employment as a teacher despite her M.Sc and B.Ed degrees. Her persistence and patience pay off as she is offered a teaching position at the very school where she received her education but more importantly acceptance and help to rise above her affliction and achieve her dreams. She in turn gives her very best to offer what she received to her class of students who so happen to be slum-dwellers with little regard for education and the ‘high-class’ culture of the school. This more than suffices for you to get a fair idea of the film and predict its ending.

What is enchanting about it is not its storyline because that is pretty predictable but the nature of the challenge that is faced by both the teacher and the students. One of the opening scenes had me in tears (which is a rare thing to happen) and set the tone for the rest of the film. The acting and direction are pretty strong and deliver high quality results. The young actors who play the notorious students are adorable and yet serious in their performances. Keeping aside the predictability of the storyline which could weigh negatively against the film, it promises a great watch. Teachers are bound to find it inspiring since it is a story about them and their challenges although it romanticizes the whole process of education it at least fulfills its purpose of offering enlightenment on the Tourette syndrome and inspiration that “there are no bad students, only bad teachers.”