‘SPOILER ALERT’

The movie begins at a big event where the hall was filled with attendants. A man named Mr. Fugga Kumar, who has done path-breaking work in aerospace engineering, walked into the stage to make a speech. The crowd applauded as he walked into the room, and Fugga smiled in response, being grateful.

He began by talking about India, describing it as a developing country often seen as a source of cheap labor and call center workers. He pointed out the common stereotypes about India but then challenged them by mentioning that many big companies, like PepsiCo and MasterCard, are led by Indians. He even noted that the CEO of Google is also Indian, asking people to think about these achievements.

He mentioned how Columbus set out to find India but discovered America instead, showing India’s importance in history. With some humor, he said Indians invented the zero but forgot how to count afterward. He explained that Fugga means balloon. He shared that his father, who once sold balloons on the street, was now sitting among important people in the audience. He said this big change in their lives was because of one person, Anand Kumar.

In Patna, 1996, Anand Kumar is being rewarded. He was this year’s Ramanujan Debate Prize winner. The announcer called him, and the ministry of education gave him a medal. After the prize, the minister started giving a speech.

During his speech, the minister highlighted the need for Indians to think globally, pointing out that the world was not just for Americans, British, Japanese, or Chinese. He also promised to support anyone working toward India’s progress, regardless of their background. He mentioned the success of Anand and used him as an example to inspire others.

After the event, Anand ran to his house in excitement. He peeked through the door and saw his girlfriend, Supriya. He spoke excitedly about his plans to study at Oxford or Cambridge and earn a PhD in mathematics. He mentioned that Ishwar wants the same thing. Surprised by him calling his father by his first name, she proceeded to tell him that it would take years to achieve his. Unfazed, he then complimented her beauty using ratio, confusing Supriya. He took out her picture from his pocket and started explaining the calculation behind the numbers he used to express her beauty.

This resulted in a playful banter, and Supriya got up to leave. He pulled her in and reassured her that he loves her even though she compared his love for her with math. He sat her down next to him and gave her a love letter before fleeing out. She opened the folded paper and started at the binary numbers that he wrote as a love letter, confused.

After leaving, Anand went to the library and sat on the floor near a shelf, reading a foreign book. As he was doing so, a man approached and questioned him. The man demanded to know Anand’s full name, insisting he didn’t look like a student there. He told Anand that outside students were not allowed and ordered him to leave.

Anand initially ignored him but then tried to explain he was solving a problem and asked for a few minutes, adding that he came every week from Patna to read the journals. The man dismissed him, saying those journals were of a very high standard and doubted Anand could solve anything. Despite Anand’s argument that everyone has a right to education, the man grew angrier, accused him of arguing, and insisted he leave immediately.

As Anand was being escorted out by a guard, the guard mentioned that if he wanted to read those journals, he could write and publish an article in one. Doing so would grant him a lifetime subscription.

After this, Anand immersed himself in calculations, trying to solve a problem no one had managed to solve before. Using an old school building as his workspace, he worked relentlessly until he found a solution. Finally, he managed to do so and ran in excitement. He then went to his brother and asked for money, which he happily gave him after asking if he had solved the problem.

He then went to the post office to mail his discovery. Anand’s father, a simple postman, was his constant supporter. When he saw him in the post office, he asked what he was doing and Anand told him that he had solved the problem he was on. When Anand couldn’t afford the postage, his father gathered contributions from friends to ensure the article was sent.

The other men in the office seemed hesitant, but Anand’s father remained optimistic. He believed that if the article was published, Anand would gain recognition. However, others dismissed the idea, claiming that it would only help the West take India’s best talent. They argued that much of modern knowledge was already stolen from India’s ancient religious texts.

Anand’s father countered, explaining that knowledge grows when it is shared but loses value when it is hoarded. Another man scoffed, saying spreading knowledge does nothing and that only the king’s son becomes the prince. Anand’s father rejected this outdated thinking, saying times had changed and now only those capable of ruling would ascend to power. After saying this, he went out and rode his bike to his mother. He greeted and gave her the sweets he’d brought her.

Later that night, Anand’s father gave Anand a head massage and asked if he has a girlfriend. When Anand remained silent, he told him he shouldn’t hold his urges back and he should be free.

One day, Anand’s father rode his bike, passing by a group of people who were celebrating a holiday. When he reached home, he called for his wife with excitement. His wife went out, asking what was happening. He asked what she was cooking and gave her money to make sweets. He then shared the exciting news: Anand had been offered admission to Cambridge University, and there were no entrance tests required. The article Anand had written had reached England, and a professor there was so impressed that this once-unthinkable opportunity became a reality.

Anand heard this from the roof, unable to believe what he was hearing. He then squatted on the ground, letting his achievements sink in. He had only hoped to publish his work so he could use the library, but now he stood at the threshold of a life-changing journey.

After this big success, he decided to share it and returned to the library, where it all began. He took the book his work was published in and showed it to the librarian who had kicked him out before. He reminded him that he asked for his name before and opened the book to show him his name written inside the book along with the article he had published. The librarian looked at him in awe, but Anand walked out nonchalantly. As he was walking out, he saw the guard who gave him the advice to publish an article and thanked him for the life-changing advice.

Back at home, the joy was infectious. Anand’s father was practically glowing as he told everyone about his son’s brilliance. They got him new clothes and took him so that he could get his picture taken for a passport.

Encouraged by his father’s support, Anand decided to visit Supriya’s father. Although doubtful of Anand’s humble background, Supriya’s father couldn’t overlook the importance of Anand’s achievement and recognized his potential. He acknowledged Anand with a mix of politeness and skepticism, noting that people from Anand’s background rarely achieved such heights.

He asked whether Anand had secured admission and, more importantly, if he could afford to go to England, pointing out the challenges of such a journey. Anand explained that his father had taken a loan against his provident fund to cover half the expenses and that the Education Minister had promised to help with the rest. Supriya’s father seemed surprised but offered his best wishes, albeit in a slightly dismissive tone, as he ended the conversation.

The next day, Anand and his father went to see the Education Minister, hoping to secure his promised financial support. Anand politely reminded the Minister of his earlier visit to the college and the time he rewarded Anand. Back then, the minister had praised his achievements and offered help. The minister vaguely acknowledged the event, speaking in lofty terms about supporting anyone who contributed to the country. However, when Anand mentioned money, the Minister dismissed the idea entirely.

He started a lecture about the dangers of focusing on money at a young age, urging Anand to rely on hard work instead. He compared Anand’s situation to Bhagat Singh, emphasizing that true greatness comes from dedication, not financial concerns. Anand tried to clarify, explaining that he had secured admission to Cambridge and needed financial support to go. The Minister appeared impressed but quickly became distracted, listing a string of places Anand could visit, from Cambridge to various countries and cities around the world.

In the end, the Minister offered vague encouragement, urging Anand to remember his homeland, and dismissed him with empty well wishes. When Anand attempted to continue the conversation, the minister abruptly ended the meeting, leaving him and his father frustrated and without the promised support.

Anand and his father returned home. Anand was sad by what had unfolded during their trip back and his father tried to get his hopes up by telling him that they would find a way and he would go to England.

What followed was a relentless effort. Anand’s father sold his wife’s jewelry, tried to secure loans from banks, and even sought help from friends, but no solution seemed within reach. They couldn’t take loans using their house because it was not in their name. Every attempt seems to wear them out as they can’t achieve what they wanted.

One day, the family sat together, Anand’s mother cooking dinner for them. Suddenly, Anand’s father collapsed. Anand quickly picked him up and ran outside. He and his brother hopped on their bike and rode in the rain to reach the hospital. Suddenly, the chain to their bike broke and the bike came to an abrupt stop. Because of this, they couldn’t save their father.

This broke Anand. He couldn’t even go to Cambridge and started living devastatedly while helping his family. He even told Supriya to move on and marry someone else, feeling he could no longer provide a future for her. He asked her to forget him, but she cried as she heard this.

To make ends meet, Anand started selling cakes on his father’s old bicycle. His beloved math books were now reduced to wrapping paper for the baked goods. Each day, he went door to door and traveled on public transport to sell the cakes. At night, he would return home and prepare for another round of sales the next morning.

One day, as he handed a cake, he realized the paper he had used as a wrapper was his acceptance letter to Cambridge. He hesitated but eventually handed over the cake. Later, he peeked through the door and saw the letter discarded into a nearby fire.

Despite this, Anand continued his routine, cycling through the streets to sell cakes. As he was cycling, he almost collided with a car and fell. The car’s owner, a wealthy businessman named Lallan Singh, stepped out and scolded him harshly. Anand ignored the insults as he gathered the money he had dropped. Suddenly, Lallan recognized Anand and was shocked to see someone so talented in such a situation. He invited Anand into his car, offering to discuss matters further at his home.

Lallan instructed a man to retrieve Anand’s bicycle and then drove Anand to his house. Inside, Anand noticed a framed picture on the wall, which Lallan explained was of IIT—India’s prestigious Indian Institute of Technology. Lallan spoke about the fierce competition, with only one applicant out of every hundred thousand gaining admission. He described the booming coaching business in cities like Kota and Gujarat, where wealthy families paid vast sums to secure their children’s futures.

Lallan revealed he had started his own coaching center in Patna, called The Excellence Coaching Centre, and offered Anand a position. He compared Anand to Dronacharya from the Mahabharata, a teacher grooming the next generation of princes and warriors. To seal the deal, Lallan handed Anand a large amount of cash, offering him a stable job. After some hesitation, Anand reluctantly agreed to join the coaching center.

Lallan introduced Anand to a class full of students and left him to start his first lesson. It was announced that Anand will start teaching there and admission to the college doubled. Lallan shared this news with Anand happily. Lallan told him he needed a vehicle of his own and Anand got a motor.

Students flocked to the center, drawn by Anand’s innovative methods and clear explanations. The institute’s reputation soared, and with it, its fees. Lallan’s business flourished, and Anand became an indispensable part of its success.

Anand’s financial situation had turned around completely. With his new earnings, he even hired a housekeeper to give his mother a much-needed rest. His newfound success gave him the confidence to pursue a deeper relationship with Supriya. However, as his income grew and his reputation as a star teacher at the learning center flourished, Anand began to lose touch with his humble roots. His fame started to cloud his judgment, and he began forgetting the struggles that had once shaped him. When he saw a kid who couldn’t afford an admission fee, he harshly dismissed him, saying that there is no such thing.

One night, Anand attended a party with the wealthy elites of the town. After the event, he decided to head home on his bicycle. However, he was drunk and struggled to get started. As he sat on the bike, he noticed a young boy nearby, deeply focused on solving a math problem.

Curious, Anand asked the boy about his work. The boy explained he was studying mathematics despite having to leave school. When Anand suggested a method to solve the problem, the boy quickly applied it and confirmed it worked. Just as they were talking, someone angrily called the boy to do chores, shouting at him to drop his books and hurry up. The boy replied that he would come in a minute, then left reluctantly. As the boy went to answer the call, Anand stayed back and picked up the papers the boy had been working on. He quietly read through them, intrigued by the boy’s work and abilities.

As he was reading, a pedicab asked if he wanted transportation, and he got on the pedicab. Anand struck up a conversation with the driver, who turned out to be the boy’s father. The driver shared his frustration, saying his son spent too much time studying and not enough time helping the family. He bitterly remarked that education was a privilege reserved for the rich, while the poor would never have a place in society. Politicians’ and officials’ children, he said, were destined to lead the country, while people like them would remain invisible.

The pedicab driver’s words stirred something deep within Anand. Memories of his late father’s sacrifices flooded back—his struggles to fund Anand’s education, his determination to give his son a chance, and ultimately, his untimely death. Anand remembered the hardships he endured to study in a library as a poor boy and the promise his father had instilled in him: success wasn’t just for the wealthy. He remembered the time he had rejected the young boy because he couldn’t afford to pay.

Determined to honor his father’s legacy, Anand made a bold decision. He printed flyers inviting underprivileged children to study with him for free to prepare for admission to IIT. His brother asked why he was doing it as everything was going well and the family was doing well, but Anand ignored his comment.

This news reached Lallan. To fund this dream, Anand sold his expensive watch, motorcycle, and jewelry to open his school. His brother was against this idea but there was no changing of Anand’s mind. Back in school, students angrily asked for Anand, saying that they paid for his class and not other teachers.

Supriya, unable to accept Anand’s priorities, broke off their relationship, accusing him of ruining his own life. She told him she would marry another man and gave his love letter back. But Anand remained resolute, focused on helping those who needed him most. She walked away crying as Anand looked at her from behind.

Word of Anand’s free school quickly spread, and children from far and wide traveled to enroll. They were driven by hope and determination, no matter how far they had to journey. Kids quit their job to go and learn from Anand.

When the class began, the ground was flooded by students. The overwhelming response forced Anand to select only 30 of the most dedicated students. Inside the class, one student came to the class late and asked him to take him in. Anand told him that it was full but the boy persisted, telling him he would sit on the side. Anand, because there is nothing he could do, told him to work hard and come back next year.

After the boy left, Anand started asking the names of each student and what they wanted to be in the future. Along them was Fugga Kumar. He told the class he stole his neighbor’s hen to afford coming there. Each student shared their own story, and Anand took his time to get to know them.

While Anand was teaching, Lallan walked into the classroom. Anand greeted him, but Lallan looked upset and asked why Anand had left his coaching center without saying anything. He handed sweets to the students but quickly became serious.

Lallan sarcastically said teaching for free was good for publicity and suggested it could have been part of his coaching center. He told Anand to stop wasting time and come back to the center. Anand said no, explaining that the students needed him. Lallan argued that Anand’s savings must be running out, but Anand replied he would manage.

Lallan continued, mentioning that Anand’s effort would fail and harm the students as well. He offered to double Anand’s salary and said a good teacher like him should work with rich students. He even suggested finding someone else to teach the kids, but Anand refused. Anand said everyone deserved a good education, not just the rich.

Lallan laughed and said weak students couldn’t compete with the best. Anand disagreed and said he would prove that even the weakest could succeed with the right support. Lallan warned Anand that his plan wouldn’t work and most of the kids would still end up poor, then walked away.

Later that night, Anand contemplated what Lallan said while sitting with his brother. He then abruptly got up and went to the place where the students were staying. When he got there, he found the students dejected and unmotivated. He started telling them that they can’t give up to empty threats and they can’t give up now. He gave them advice on how to be strong and motivated them to change their lives for the better. He addressed each of them by their dream of what they wanted to become and it worked. Each of them made a promise to keep going.

Lallan faced problems from parents asking when Anand would be back. Lallan tried to play it down, saying that he will eventually be back but the parents were determined not to go without an answer; they threatened him, saying that their children will leave his center if Anand doesn’t come.

One day, Allan called his students and told them to shake hands with each other. After they did, he asked how many handshakes happened. The students didn’t give the right answer and he reminded them that they don’t have much time before the exam so they should improve.

He then received a call and went to talk to the person calling him. It was an officer. In desperation, Lallan resorted to underhanded tactics and asked the police to threaten Anand and demand he shut down the school, accusing him of disrupting the market. Anand stood his ground, calmly refusing to pay or close the school. Anand’s brother got angry and threatened the officer but Anand calmed him down, telling him to ignore the call.

Anand’s teaching style was unlike any other. He encouraged his students to use the world around them as their classroom. Instead of relying solely on textbooks, he turned everyday objects into tools for learning, calculating the speed of a ball, analyzing the movement of a train, and solving equations inspired by real-life scenarios. His goal was to spark their creativity and help them understand concepts rather than memorize facts. Soon, the students started excelling at their lessons.

Lallan was still trying to ruin Anand. One day he and his associates tried to sabotage the school by cutting off its electricity. But instead of panicking, Anand turned the situation into a challenge for his students. He encouraged them to find their own solutions, teaching them to be resourceful. Despite their limited resources, the students worked together to fix the power.

After this incident, a woman started screaming, saying that Anand ruined her life. The villagers gathered around her, including Anand. He then approached and asked what Anand did to her. The man next to her tried to tell her the man talking to her was Anand but she didn’t hear and everyone realized that they were lying. He made fun of them for their failed attempt and he went back to class to resume teaching.

As time went by, Anand’s savings were used up. He could not afford new books and he couldn’t get any new materials. Meanwhile, the students came up with their own solution. They made a projector from the materials they have and started studying together by sharing the books they have. This made Anand happy and he smiled in satisfaction.

But this was not the end of their problem; with the school not generating any profit, Anand couldn’t even afford food. He went to the bank but there was no collateral to secure loans. Anand was left with no choice but to approach Lallan for help. Swallowing his pride, he requested financial assistance to feed his students. Lallan made fun of him for coming to him and reminded him how he walked away from him.

However, Lallan saw this as an opportunity for a wager. He proposed a competition: if one of Anand’s students could outperform Lallan’s best student, he would sponsor meals for Anand’s school for three months. If Anand’s student lost, the free school would have to close, and Anand would return to teaching at Lallan’s institute. Reluctantly, Anand agreed. The terms of the agreement were written and signed in front of witnesses, including a mentor from Lallan’s institute.

The next day, Anand and his Super 30 students arrived at Lallan’s learning center to take the test. The competition drew considerable attention, with journalists present to cover the event. The following day, results were announced in the presence of the same witnesses and more reporters. To Anand’s surprise, the mentor overseeing the event turned out to be Supriya’s new fiancé. At this time, Anand’s brother came to Anand and told him that Fugga was nowhere to be found and the rest of their money was gone too.

As the announcement was made, things took a grim turn. Lallan’s institute scored marginally higher, winning the competition by just one percentage point. Lallan, triumphant, called Anand to the stage to declare the closure of his school. Anand stepped up, burdened by disappointment, while his students looked on with somber faces. But just as he began to speak, a reporter interrupted, questioning whether such an agreement truly existed.

Lallan, confident, called on the mentor to present the signed document. However, the letter was missing. It was revealed that Supriya had taken the document and exposed Lallan’s manipulations to the press. Her unexpected support allowed Anand to declare that his school would remain open.

Determined to uplift his students, Anand conducted a candid evaluation of the competition. His students admitted they had struggled to focus during the test, intimidated by the well-dressed and affluent children they were seated alongside. Their feelings of inferiority and the cultural gap between them had paralyzed their confidence. Some even speculated that Fugga, the missing student, had fled out of hopelessness.

Anand devised a solution. He canceled traditional lessons the next day, declaring it a holiday. Instead, he assigned his students the task of performing a 20-minute play entirely in English. They cannot talk in Hindi at all. Though baffled by the idea, the students complied. Stumbling over words and drawing initial ridicule, they persisted.

The crowd initially dismissed them but they persisted, screaming in unison and shutting everyone. By the end, their satire about class disparity had the audience, including the rich students, clapping along. The crowd enjoyed their dance and everyone joined, making the holiday memorable.

After some days, Anand went to a shop and talked to the owner. He predicted that he would go bankrupt in three years and proved his theory with calculations. The owner asked if there was a solution and Anand offered to give financial advice in return for groceries.

News of Anand’s actions made headlines, sparking panic for the Minister of Education, who had financial interests tied to Lallan’s institute. The minister pressured Lallan to ensure Anand’s students were barred from taking the IIT entrance exams.

Soon after, Anand faced a direct threat. A reporter came to warn him that assassins had been hired to kill him. One of the hired men, indebted to Anand’s late father for protecting his family’s dignity, refused to carry out the plan and instead tipped off Anand. Anand’s brother went to the police to report this but the police weren’t willing to help.

That evening, Anand was ambushed and shot in the stomach while delivering food to his students. The attackers attempted to finish the job, but their weapon malfunctioned. Anand resisted fiercely until his brother arrived with makeshift weapons.

Fugga, the missing student was staying with the men who attempted to kill Anand. While there, he heard Lallan scolding the men for not finishing their job. Meanwhile, Anand’s condition was getting worse because he couldn’t get immediate help. Everyone collaborated to convince the doctor to help him first and he was taken to a surgery room.

Fugga returned just in time with a renewed determination to fight for his teacher and peers. Together, the students used their resourcefulness and lessons from Anand to fend off the attackers. They used the lessons they learned in class and managed to be victorious.

Despite the chaos, Anand and his students arrived at the IIT exam center, weary but prepared. As they awaited the results, Anand encouraged them to reflect on their journey, the sacrifices their families had made, and the struggles they had overcome to pursue a better future. When the results were finally posted, it was revealed that all 30 of Anand’s students had secured admission to IIT. The students gathered around him and all laughed in joy.

The achievement was groundbreaking. Anand’s efforts not only transformed the lives of 30 students but also inspired countless others. Time magazine recognized “Super 30” as one of the best schools in Asia, and even President Obama’s envoy hailed it as a model of innovation.

To this day, Anand continues to teach in the same building where his journey began, refusing government aid and holding firmly to his principles. He has faced threats and challenges, but his mission remains clear: to prove that education is not a privilege reserved for the wealthy but a right for everyone.

In the present, Fugga finished his speech by being grateful for Anand and for the lives he changed throughout.

Anand Kumar’s journey shows how determination and selflessness can break the barriers of poverty. With his “Super 30” students, he proved that education is the greatest equalizer, turning underprivileged children like Fugga into shining examples of resilience and success. I hope you liked the movie and got a lesson from it.

Super 30 .