By Shama Bhagat
A cross-section of Bollywood stars talk to In.com about who they would rate as their best teacher on Teachers’ day. We start with...
Vidya Balan: I never enjoyed my knitting classes when I was in school. I always took the help of my neighbour who is a Punjabi and she would complete the pullover for me. My craft teacher always asked me why I did not do knitting in class. I made some excuse or the other. During the final exam I lied for the first time and got caught by her. Unfortunately for me she remembered the color of the pullover which one of my friends had shown her and she found that all along I have been cheating. I failed in my knitting exam. But I didn’t give up and kept pestering her for days and asked her to forgive me. She finally gave us passing marks. Today, when I look back, I realize how much our teachers cared for us and whatever we are today it is because of the life lessons that I learnt from them. I want to wish all my teachers a very Happy Teachers’ Day.
Viveik Oberoi: I have a vivid memory of my drama teacher at Junior college in Mithibai. I was very eager to become an actor. There was an annual play that was being directed being set by a Gujarati drama teacher who he knew that I was Suresh Oberoi’s son. He said he there was a small role of a janitor in the play and whether I would like to do it. I accepted the role. We started rehearsing for the play and I was asked to stand near the door with a staff in my hand. I was not given a single dialogue and was made to stand there for three hours during the rehearsals. By the end of three hours, I was so tired that I had to sit down. The moment I sat down, my drama teacher threw his shoe at me and reprimanded me. He said I would never be a good actor as I was not committed to my work. That was my first lesson in acting and till date I have not forgotten that. Today when my films do well I give all the credit to that drama teacher.
Emraan Hashmi: I was always a very bad student and all my teachers hated me. I was punished everyday for some reason or the other so I have no good memories of my teachers. However, if there’s one person whom I can look upto then it’s my uncle Mahesh Bhatt. He has been my real philosopher, guide and mentor. He not only taught me filmmaking but has taught me all about life.
Alia Bhatt: My favourite teacher was my history teacher Ashita Naik at the Maneckji Cooper School. She was like a friend and guide. She used to pamper me and make me feel like a queen. I used to play lot of pranks but I was never disrespectful towards anybody in my school. I want to wish her a Happy Teachers Day. My best memory of Teachers’ Day in school is when we mimicked our teachers wearing sarees. I mimicked my English teacher.
Varun Dhawan: I was always scared of my teachers. My favourite teacher was my history teacher at Maneckji Cooper. I was a naughty student but was never disrespectful towards anybody. I have some wonderful memories of school. I believe that teachers or gurus lay the foundation of your life. Life is incomplete without their guidance or education.
Dia Mirza: I was in boarding school and studying was great fun. Though I come from a broken family the lessons or the values that my teachers inculcated in me during my school days have stayed with me even today. It has helped me build my own future today.
Shilpa Shetty: I studied at a girls’ convent school. Our teachers were very strict and so were my parents where education was concerned. In school I was always busy participating in all the extra curricular activities. With the help of my teachers I successfully learnt how to lead life even after school. They were my mentors. I still remember there was a boys’ school next to ours and we never had the opportunity to meet the boys as our teachers always kept a very strict eye on all of us.
Siddharth Malhotra: My fondest memories are of my teacher Parul Jain at Naval Public School in Delhi. She had given me the tag of Hot Male during my junior college level. She supported and taught me a lot. I would want her to see the promos of my film now and I hope she sees my film and finds me a Hot Male still.





