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We find ourselves in trying times. As if climate change, poverty, famines, droughts, and recession were not enough, we also have a deadly disease to add to our woes.
Dealing with setbacks and change can surely be exhausting. We fail, we get back up, and the cycle repeats itself. Harappa’s Embracing Change course helps you reframe your setbacks and failures as problems that you need to solve.
In the meantime, here’s a list of heart-warming movies to lift your spirits. If you thought you were alone in your struggles, you’re not. These characters will make you feel a little less lonely. Resilient, hardworking, and unwilling to give up, they are coursing through the ups and downs of life just like you and me.
So what are you waiting for? Log into your Netflix, Amazon Prime, Disney + Hotstar, or whatever account you have, grab some tissues (I cried, you will too!), popcorn (if it isn’t out of stock), and press play.
1. Gully Boy:
This is the story of Murad, a 22-year-old slum boy on his journey to greatness. Life isn’t exactly kind to him and keeps knocking him down. He is born into poverty and a conflict-ridden family. Murad feels that his life, like his father, will be spent driving cabs for rich people. He is unwilling to accept his fate and follows his passion of becoming a rap star. He fails and fails again before he is helped by other rappers in the slum. They push him to participate in competitions that help him get recognition. Through hard work and determination, he becomes a household name in the world of rap.
2. Chak De! India:
This is a story about a patriotic hockey player, Kabir Khan, who loses a crucial match and is blamed for the loss. On the road to redemption, he coaches a team of underdogs—the Indian women’s national hockey team. Divided by multiple prejudices, it isn’t easy for Khan to bring the team together. His first challenge is to get the women to drop their state identities and build a national identity instead. He does all he can to help them overcome internal challenges, even resigning as their coach to bring them together. Apart from internal differences, the team is also plagued with external ones, especially gender discrimination. One after another, Khan and his team break down these challenges to emerge victorious. The World Cup win, in the end, is the pivotal moment when they realize the potential of their hard work.
3. Ustad Hotel:
This is the story of a young man, Faizi, who dreams of becoming a famous chef in the UK, but life has other plans for him. While his father sends him to Switzerland to get a degree in hotel management, he ends up secretly chasing his dream of becoming a chef. He gets a coveted job in London only to be held back by his father. He is instead forced to work as a cook in a restaurant in Calicut run by his grandfather Karim. This movie is based on his journey of becoming a great chef while competing with a newly opened hotel in the area.
4. The Pursuit of Happyness:
Based on a true story, this American biographical drama film is the story of a homeless man who became a multimillionaire investor. Chris Gardner is an entrepreneur who leaves his job to chase his dream of becoming a securities broker. In the pursuit of this dream, he loses his wife, apartment and is driven to live on the streets. Despite all this, he continues to work hard and eventually gets on the path to achieving his dreams.
5. The Blind Side:
This movie tells the true story of an orphaned boy on his journey to becoming an all-American football player. There is no greater loss than the death of a loved one; and so when Micheal Oher’s parents die, he is completely lost. He is admitted to an all-white school where he is unable to cope with his lessons. He fails most subjects and is ignored by his teachers and perceived as a failure. He is on the verge of quitting and running when the mother of a kid in his class notices him and takes him home. He warms up to his new family, yet constantly struggles with his colored identity. This movie is about how this adopted family helps him overcome his grief and past life on his way to greatness.
Explore topics such as Self Awareness, Resilience, Charisma and Resilience Examples from our Harappa Diaries blog section and take charge of your growth.
Chandrima Chatterjee is a Specialist with the Curriculum team at Harappa Education. The Delhi School of Economics graduate also loves to read fiction and hopefully will write one someday.
