Recently their portrayal has taken on a more realistic form thanks to recent movies like "Stanley Ka Dabba" and "Aarakshan".
On Teachers' Day, which is on Monday, IANS lists down some Hindi films, which brought the teacher-student relationship in focus:
"Jagriti" (1954) - Way back in 1954, Satyen Bose highlighted the importance of unorthodox teaching methods for better imparting of education. With actor Abhi Bhattacharya in the lead role, the movie shows how a teacher works towards making his pupils culturally aware and responsible citizens.
"Mera Naam Joker" (1970) - This Raj Kapoor classic brought a school boy's infatuation with his teacher to the big screen. Rishi Kapoor, as the adolescent Raju, was shown smitten by his teacher, Miss Mary, essayed by Simi Garewal. Even if this plot made for just a third of the movie, this aspect of its narrative remains etched in the mind till date.
"Sir" (1993) - Naseeruddin Shah stars as an inspiring teacher who helps a stammering student (Pooja Bhatt) help overcome her problem, and even plays Cupid between her and a male student, essayed by Atul Agnihotri.
"Rockford" (1999) - The film, best remembered for its song "Yaaron dosti", took a look at how a student in a boarding school becomes friends with his PT instructor, who teaches him a lot of things.
"Mohabbatein" (2000) - Covering three generations of mindset, this Amitabh Bachchan-Shah Rukh Khan-starrer displayed the conflict in ideas and ideologies of two generations of teachers who have distinct styles of teaching and different ideas about falling in love in student life. While Amitabh's character Narayan Shankar is shown as a strict teacher, Shah Rukh plays Raj Aryan Malhotra, who believes in teaching outside the classroom and wants to spread love.
"Main Hoon Na" (2004) - The student-teacher angle is a little in the backdrop of "Main Hoon Na", but this film showed the glamorous side of teachers! With Sushmita Sen as the sensual chemistry teacher Chandni Chopra, clad in sexy blouses and avant-garde saris, the big screen saw love bloom between the teacher and her student, essayed by Shah Rukh Khan.
"Black" (2005) - This is an inspiring story of a blind and deaf girl, deftly essayed by Rani Mukerji, and her relationship with her teacher, played by Amitabh Bachchan, who goes out of his way to bring light into the life of his challenged student.
"Iqbal" (2006) - A deaf and dumb cricket-obsessed boy, played by Shreyas Talpade, gets no chance to play for a team due to politics, but a former cricketer, portrayed by Naseeruddin Shah, agrees to coach him and help him fulfil his dream of playing for the Indian national cricket team.
"Taare Zameen Par" (2007) - Another outstanding story of how a teacher (Aamir Khan) goes beyond his job of teaching, to recognise that one of his students, Ishaan (Darsheel Safary) is dyslexic. How innovatively and distinctly he helps the child overcome his disability forms the rest of this movie.
"3 Idiots" (2009) - A light-hearted, fun film, "3 Idiots" came with an underlying message that real education happens beyond the classroom and textbooks. The film also delved deep into the thought that one must only pursue what he or she is passionate about.
"Stanley Ka Dabba" (2011) - Amole Gupte's movie tells how a teacher, who is meant to protect his students, ends up attacking one of his students emotionally. And when he realises his folly, he walks out of the job.
"Aarakshan" (2011) - Corruption in education - that's what this hard-hitting Prakash Jha film hits at. Beneath the larger issue of quota system, "Aarakshan" takes a contemporary look at the ethics and morals of teachers, some of whom have vested interests in the business of education, while some believe in imparting education alone.