Super 30’s recognition can help me open a school in UP: Anand Kumar

One of modern India’s most-talked-about teachers, Anand Kumar was in the city on Monday to promote the film based on his life. We caught up with teacher-mentor at a local school post his interaction with the students there. In his interaction with LT, Kumar talked about his feelings on the release of his biopic and how this Lucknow visit is special for him.
Having been to Lucknow several times in the past, the educationist felt this visit was special for him.He shared, "I have been to Lucknow many times before to select students, aur yahan baar-baar aana acchha lagta hai. But this time it is special because I recently got the news that Lucknow is among the two cities with maximum advance bookings for our film. So, I feel very happy and connected to the city this time."
Anand feels happy that Hrithik Roshan is reprising his character in the film Super 30 (BCCL)
Ask the Patna-based mathematician how does it feel when his biopic 'Super 30' is going to be shown on the silver screen and he was quick to respond, "It feels very good! Earlier, when we used to come to Lucknow to screen students for our coaching, we used to do a conference at Sharma ki chai ki dukaan. And now today we are sitting at a prominent school in the city. No doubt your popularity increases and people start recognizing you. But the best thing is that you also start getting association of more and more people who want to carry forward your vision and do good work for the underprivileged students. And gradually our reach is going to expand."
He further added, "I had wanted to open a school in UP. In fact, I had submitted the whole plan to the concerned officials, but the government changed in the meanwhile and things couldn’t materialise. Now, I am hoping that the film’s recognition would help me to open a school in UP. If the Uttar Pradesh government gives its support, I would like to open the school in Noida, because it is centrally located and more and more students can reach there from around the country. The admission in the school will not be on the basis of merit and not on religion, caste or class."
Anand Kumar gave some tips to the students at the school on how to crack difficult math equations (BCCL/ Vishnu Jaiswal)
Anand is also elated that Hrithik Roshan is playing his character on screen. "People would say he looks like a Britisher or a Greek God and you look like a villager. But he has encapsulated my character on screen perfectly. The amount of curiosity Hrithik showed in the film earlier and later the amount of hard work he put in for the film, I think he was the right choice for the film. For one whole year he kept preparing for the role. I mean, his dedication was so much that he first gave up gyming to fit into the character. He used to copy my Bihari-Hindi accent. He used to make my videos and then would watch it over and over again for the dialect and mannerism. Just like me, once when our meeting got over, he forgot to wear his slippers as he came down of this flat to see me off," said Kumar, while talking about his ‘hero’.
Earlier in the day, while interacting with the students, Anand Kumar gave them a glimpse into his past and the passion with which he has helped shape the future of several students. "A proper strategy, planned preparation and a skilled team can deliver astonishing results. This is the formula which has worked for me and it applies equally to everyone. Today, the world is looking at us with hopeful eyes, which not only augurs well for the country but for the world. We need to make India stronger. If we can contribute even the slightest bit in realizing this dream, we would have made our life and education meaningful," he said.
He also motivated students for a brighter future, "As you step into the professional world after studies, you must remember that the potential for learning is never exhausted. Education is a life-long process, I hope that your studies would have inspired you to seek knowledge at every stage in your careers," he added.