Pareeksha

Pareeksha is a 2020 Indian Hindi-language drama film directed by Prakash Jha that explores the flaws in the Indian education system. It highlights the immense pressure faced by both students and parents when it comes to performance in exams, often to the detriment of actual learning. With strong performances by its lead cast, hard-hitting dialogue, and an emotional storyline, Pareeksha succeeds in shining a light on the inaccessibility of quality education for the underprivileged in society.

The Role-players of Pareeksha

This Zee5 original film boasts of some powerful performances by seasoned actors who breathe life into the film’s pivotal characters.

Main roles

Adil Hussain delivers an authentic and nuanced portrayal of Buchchi Paswan. An autorickshaw driver determined to provide his son with a quality English medium education at any cost. His unwavering resolve in the face of mounting odds forms the emotional core of Pareeksha. Hussain brings a powerful intensity to his performance as a father willing to sacrifice everything – his savings, dignity, and even personal freedom – to secure a better academic future for his gifted son Parikshita. Yet he also manages to portray Buchchi as flawed but well-intentioned, with his obsessive tunnel vision born out of systemic marginalization rather than mere parental pressure.

Complementing him beautifully is Priyanka Bose as Buchchi’s wife who strikes the perfect balance between being sympathetic to her husband’s aspirations while clearly communicating her issues with his methods that threaten to tear their family apart. Bose puts in an equally competent performance as a strong yet conflicted woman grappling with supporting her husband’s well-meaning dreams for their son while trying to manage the increasing familial discord driven by scarce resources.

Supporting players

The young debutant Shubham Jha, showcasing talent that could easily place him among the actors in best drama movies , shows great promise in his sincere depiction of Buchchi’s son Parikshita, trying to cope with the pressures of living up to his father’s lofty dreams.

Sanjay Suri, Rahul Khanna, and Shraddha Kaul provide further depth to the film in supporting roles as representatives of a failing education system.

Critical Review of Pareeksha

With its timely narrative, Pareeksha makes a bold statement about the commercialization of education in India and its deepening impact on economically disadvantaged students similar to other films like 12^th Pass. Through the protagonist Buchchi’s relentless pursuit for a quality English education for his gifted son, the film brings to light the jarring inequality in access to academic opportunities in the country.

Hard-hitting social commentary

At its best, Pareeksha unflinchingly highlights the unethical profiteering and fraud plaguing budget private schools, where institutions blatantly prioritize money-making over actual learning outcomes for their students. It portrays the vast contrast between elite, privileged schools equipped with state-of-the-art facilities meant only for rich students versus the pathetic condition of under-funded, overcrowded government schools that leave much to be desired.

The film is unsparing in its criticism of the multiple systemic failures that prevent underprivileged children from getting a fighting chance at academic excellence. Through honest commentary and authentic acting performances, it exposes how students like Parikshita face active discrimination from apathetic teachers and wealthy classmates alike. It also points out the futility of a rot-learning based syllabus completely divorced from real-world context and meaning. The examination-centered academic pressure is shown to take a severe toll on both Parikshita’s mental health as well as the stability of Buchchi’s family.

Slow pacing hampers full impact

However, Pareeksha does suffer from some major shortcomings in its execution. The screenplay is unevenly paced and often meandering, which dilutes the film’s ability to deliver its strong social message with full force. Overemphasis on Buchchi’s relentless motivation to educate his son also results in the other supporting characters feeling underdeveloped at times.

The climax tends to simplify the actual complex systemic issues that perpetuate the vast gulf between budget private and elite schools in the country. It tries to end on a hopeful note by implying robust education reform is possible if teachers just teach with more empathy and sensitivity towards underprivileged students’ disadvantages. But in reality, bridging India’s education divide will take more than just well-meaning educators to overcome structural class barriers – it requires an overhaul of the fundamental pillars propping up our academic institutions.

So while Pareeksha succeeds as a well-intentioned critique of persistent discrimination in Indian classrooms, the screenplay shortcomings lead to an oversimplified, unrealistic ending that falls short of providing actual actionable solutions to enact tangible education reform across all levels.

Walkthrough of Pareeksha

Buchchi Paswan is a poor autorickshaw driver who manages to enroll his bright son Parikshita into a prestigious English medium school with high hopes for his future. But they soon realize how the system is rigged against them.

After spending his meager savings on school admission fees, Buchchi struggles to pay the increasingly exorbitant monthly costs of education and other expenditures like uniforms, stationery, transport, etc. Parikshita faces discrimination from wealthy classmates and teachers alike while grappling with syllabi way beyond his comprehension level.

The final straw comes when Parikshita scores low marks in a class test. Instead of supporting him, his teachers accuse him of cheating, a situation reminiscent of the systemic injustices portrayed in Bheed movies. A desperate Buchchi, much like the characters in Bheed movies facing societal pressures, then turns to fraudulent means to finance his son’s education, with disastrous consequences. He loses all his savings and goes to jail, while Parikshita is expelled.

Though heartbroken, Buchchi has now realized the harsh realities of the system. In a poignant climax, he teaches Parikshita basic Mathematics using real-life examples. The film ends on a bittersweet note, underscoring the message that true education reform in India needs an inclusive approach focused on conceptual understanding rather than narrow academic excellence.

Through the story of Buchchi and his family, Pareeksha deftly highlights the structural oppression that prevents accessible education for all in India. It sheds light on how rote learning takes precedence over actual concept building in schools, especially for underprivileged children who are set up for failure from the start.

Though screenplay issues lead to an oversimplified ending, the film largely succeeds as a scathing critique of persistent caste discrimination and income inequality plaguing our academic institutions. Hard-hitting dialogues, restrained performances, sharp commentary make Pareeksha a must-watch for every Indian invested in the state of our education system. It forces viewers to reflect on lasting solutions to bridge the educational divide in the country.