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5 Hindi films that inspire entrepreneurship
From inspiring leadership in the most uncommon situations to standing upright and taking criticism in their stride, these Bollywood masala films tell you why you must let your actions do the talking.
Rocket Singh: Salesman Of The Year
Harpreet Singh is an average commerce graduate whose work and talent is undervalued in the organisation he works for.
'Joker Sardar' as he's called in the film, surprises everyone when he quits the organisation with four other employees to start a fictitious organisation -- 'Rocket Sales Corporation' that forces his former boss to accept defeat and acknowledge Singh's success.
Why you must watch the film
- Among the many lessons the film teaches, the primary one is that academic excellence does not dictate success.
- Through the film, Rocket Singh's character teaches you to take failure and snide remarks in your stride and let your actions do the talking.
- The film is also a great benchmark to understand how leaders are born in the most unusual of circumstances.
- Singh sets a great example of a humble leader who inspires his team to look ahead of the challenges -- a trait every entrepreneur must possess.
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Guru
Gurukant Desai is the son of a school teacher. Unable to find relevant employment in India, he moves to Turkey where he takes up a job as a petroleum attendant.
He gets married to a rich businessman's daughter in return for dowry which he uses to set up his own polyester business in Mumbai.
How he drives this business to become one of the richest companies in the country and survives the challenges that lay ahead of him forms the rest of the story.
Why you must watch the film
- The film is loosely based on the life and times of Dhirubhai Ambani.
- While Gurukant Desai's character in the film may not teach you about business ethics, it does teach you to be ambitious, persevering and never call it quits.
- As an entrepreneur, Desai is ruthless -- he manipulates everyone and everything that comes in his way -- but at the same time, he is clear about his professional ambitions and encourages you to believe in your dreams.
- The crisp one liners make for inspiring lessons. Some of the best ones being...
- Maangoge toh milega (ask and you'll receive);
- Chalis saal pehle ek aur aadmi tha joh kanoon ke khilaaf tha ... aaj hum uss aadmi ko Bapu kehte hai (40 years ago, there was a man who stood against the law, today, we all know him as 'Bapu' (a reference to Mahatma Gandhi);
- Jab log tumhare khilaaf bolne lage samajh lo tarakki kar rahe ho (When people bitch about you, remember that you've have tasted success).
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Band Baaja Baaraat
Ask any young entrepreneur who've recently become wedding planners and chances are the film inspired them to chase their dream.
Band Baaja…is the story of how two fresh graduates who are absolute strangers, go on to start a wedding planning business by the name 'Shaadi Mubarak'.
There is inspiration, dreams, ambition, heartbreak, failure and lots of lessons for the aspiring entrepreneur in the film.
Why you must watch the film
- The film tells you the importance of being a team player, the need to appreciate and acknowledge good work and the ability to think on one's feet -- all of which are essential for entrepreneurs.
- When the two founding partners part ways due to personal issues, the company suffers and they fail to get business for their individual firms.
- This phase teaches them the importance of keeping their personal and professional lives separate.
- Both the film and the success of 'Shaadi Mubarak' rely on the single dominant theme: know your customer.
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ABCD: Anybody Can Dance
Vishnu is a choreographer for Jehangir Dance Company (JDC), owned and managed by Jehangir Khan.
When Jehangir hires Chris as a choreographer in Vishnu's place and shunts him to a desk job, Vishnu decides to leave and start his own dance group.
Why you must watch the film
- While most successful start-ups are born out of personal desires, a good number of them are also born out of circumstances.
- Much like Rocket Singh, Vishu gathers a group of raw dancers who are called 'jokers' and trains them to compete with the best dancers from Khan's group.
- The film sets an example for aspiring entrepreneur in more ways than one -- it inspires you to look beyond the obstacles in life, to be courageous enough to take on the biggies, and to value passion and art over money because the money will eventually follow.
- Another important lesson the film teaches you is to be disciplined.
- Much like in dance, it is important to work as a team and to follow the rules.
- The path of honesty and ethical practice may not get you steadfast results, but it wins you respect and eternal success.
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Manzil
Ajay Chandra is jobless and dreams of starting his own company.
He starts a galvanometer business but the company fails due to competition in the market, eventually burdening him with accumulated debts.
But Chandra is not willing to accept defeat and upon the advice of his mother, strives to repair the faulty devices and emerges a winner.
Why you must watch the film
- It is ambitious -- the film teaches you to follow your dream, no matter what the circumstance.
- They say, failures are stepping stones to success. The film teaches you exactly that.
- It teaches you to take defeat in your stride and stand up strong and determined after each time you fall.