Management Lessons from Bollywood Movies

A) Lagaan: Facing challenges, skill and unskilled team management, over

confidence, Team building, Family involvement, Willingness to win, Do or die
sprit, Jealousy, Ego handling, and Emotions management.

B) Baghban: Family leadership, Finance management, Presentation skills and

Public speaking skills. Generation gap, Realisation of relationship and bonding,
Relationship management and Finance for Non-Finance people as well as
husband-wife bonding.

C) Fashion: Aiming at High dreams, Digesting success, sustaining success,

achieving success, how to raise from ones failure, Family interventions, Systems
prevailing in each industry, Bad habits a factor to rule you out, willingness to
comeback and regain the bygone glory, recovering from depression, leader is
never the best performer and facing different seasons in life.

D) Swades: Giving importance to Nation first, Building a team in a village, Love for
motherland, Resistance and change management, Imbalance in world and
society.

E) Gandhi : Balancing roles, Mission accomplishment, Values and Principles,

Power of mission statement, Power of prayer, Happiness is inside, community
benefit, love for the nation, giving top priority to Nation, Decision making,
Legendary attitude and Leadership through demonstration.

F) Munnabhai M.B.B.S: Effect due to Place and position, Power of positive

attitude, Interpersonal communication and relationship, Power of belief,
Applicable learning, Positive affirmations and People perform their best in what
they like even in all odds.

G) Chake De India: Goal Achievement, Team building, Team management, Team

spirit, Role of seniors, Coaching leadership, Focus, Benefits of homework, Positive
affirmation and Power of subconscious mind, Talent management, Organisational
goal versus, Individual goals, Sacrifice and win, Male dominance as well as
Women as a performer.
H) Taare Zameen Par : Role of academic institutions, Role of a teacher, Power of
creativity, Coaching leadership, Role of parents in their childrens lives, Creative
visualisation, Out-of-box thinking, Effects of comparison and Value addition to the
education system.

I) Jodhaa Akbar: Power of Wisdom, Decision-making, Consequences of doubts,

Behavioural games and negative attitude, Competency management,
Management by walking around, Supremacy of leadership, and Prime importance
given to Nation and organisation.

J) Waqt: Conflict between perception and communication, Gap between intention

and communication, Intention and behaviour is different, Effects of miss
communication, No alternative to hard work, Demonstration of devotion, Success
never comes overnight, Role of parents in moulding childrens lives and Role of
children in the family.

K) Veera Zaara: Leadership inspires people to lay their lives for you, Philosophy of
love, Commitment value in personal life, care and share, sacrifice and winning.

L) Black: Role of a trainer, Believe in results, Patience, Change is permanent,

Human Capital Management; Satisfaction is above money factor.

M) Lakshya: Mission statement, Goal achievement, Willingness to do and achieve,

Inner driven leadership, Visible change, Difference between ordinary and extra
ordinary and Daily homework.

N) Wednesday: Time management, Delegation and empowerment, Facing

challenges, Crisis management, Balancing roles, Mission accomplishment, Power
of technology and Killing instincts.

O) Dipti Naval: Family management, Relationship management of husband and

wife, Balancing work and family, Different priorities, Over lapping of
commitments, Love turning to hatred, Red feelings and Situational leadership.

P) Earth: Effects of bad habits, Relationship between husband and wife, Power of
values, Over ambition, Love is a need of life, Woman as an equaliser and creator,
Self-realisation.

Q) Ghajini: Corporate management, Egoless relationship, Helping society,

Unexpected positive strokes, Spiritual leadership, Power of communication and
silent, Life is spontaneity, Helping people before they ask and give more than they
expect, Imbalance in society and unethical leaders in power, Valuing relationship,
Sacrificing and winning, Physical fitness, Health management, Role acceptance,
Hard work, Change management.

R) Corporate: Power of ethics and values, Business rivalry, Pressure at work place,
Short-cut to success, Past forcing you to live in the contemporary future,
Valueless career, Association and unseen relationship of religious, politics and
business houses.

S) Om Shanti Om: Power of super divine, Reincarnation, Spiritual help and

blessings, Power of burning desire, Unethical business leaders, Talent
management.

T) (Naseeruddin Shah) Iqbal: Role of a coach, Limited resources, challenges to

become successful, Blaming and negative stroking, under expecting human
capital, Passion is everything, Create your creative workplace and Career is
beyond money.

U) Aankhen: Teamwork and team management, Adult learning and performing,

Power of external motivation, Benefits of homework, and Planning before any
action.

V) Guru: Power of ambition and vision, Conflict in relationship, Unethical business

houses, Growth without principles, Value addition, Changing your orbit,
Courageous corporate leader, Negotiation skills, Growth and speed and Self
confidence.

W) Sarkar: Loyalty, Handling conflicts, Pressure management, Unethical

leadership, Double standards in relationship, Action versus reaction, Family
leadership and Self-centric leadership.

X) Mohabbatein: Leadership with norms, Institutional leadership, Code of conduct

and Standardise norms in Institutes, Power of love, Disagreement of principles,
War of ideas, Philosophy and Ideology.

Y) Manthan: Rural management, Society building, People management, Semi-

skilled and unskilled work force, People upliftment and Creating organisation with
ownership feelings.
Most MBA students have little time to dedicate to whatever thing other than school and job
searching and even lesser time to watch time. But there are a few movies that polish your
management skills and hit finer points of being an MBA, including college life, finance,
investments, supply chain, entrepreneurship and ethics.

There have been various movies that have been taken up as a case study through which students
could study various aspects of management which could help them be good and effective leaders
in the future. Illustration aids always have added imprint on young minds, particularly in
rationally comprehending management concepts.

Movies can sometimes teach you the biggest lessons of life. Therefore B-school students are
suggested to watch movies to learn about administration, organization and other related issues
like ethics, plan, self-indulgence, entrepreneurship, and human emotions. Movies picture the best
and worst of human nature giving us an insight on how a human mind works.

Swades: How many times have you come out of a movie with pleasant recollections of a colorful
rural backdrop, a can-do attitude and a cheery temperament, all rolled into one? It is said, Indias
strength lies in its people, which are an benefit not a responsibility. And Swades is all about it,
We the People. There is much more that we can take back home beyond the three hours that we
spend in the theater.

The movie depicts the true colours of India and also how Indians scattered around the globe
come back only for holidays. The film includes all the burning issues concerning us today.
Swades is a good management lesson which teaches that while sticking to ones roots, an
initiative taken up by someone can make a difference to the world and that management
graduates should look for prospects, trying the eccentric and exceptional approach through
teamwork.

Band Baaja Baraat: A simple story revolving around a girl and a boy; young, ambitious and
passionate. As entertaining as the movie is, it also comes with its share of lessons on
management and entrepreneurship.

The movie talks about passion being more important than a degree or qualification. Being a team
player, sharing responsibilities, working together and of course, sharing profits. The movie talks
about showcasing confidence and that you cannot stat big, instead- there is always a first time
when you start. Ethics are the groundwork of business, starting small but dreaming big, not
bothering about competition and treat vendors as partners are a few other important lessons
learnt from the movie other than having a good time shaking your leg to the upbeat songs in the
film.

Rocket Singh: A movie about Harpreet Singh, a B.Com graduate bootstrapping his own parallel
sales company by using company resources and convinces his colleagues to join him. The
business lessons you can learn from the movie are to be ready to take risks- always, as playing
with risks is what makes the difference, minimizing expenses while starting a business, picking
up the right people, creating positive work environment and building a great team.
Harpreet Singh in the movie mainly portrays Customers as the Kings, keeping yourself informed,
a brand depicts a culture and the most important lesson- Values and ethics being depicted in an
organization can be drivers.

Corporate: A movie revolving around power games between two industrialists. Madhur
Bhandarkar's Corporate stands out because of its excellent description of the conflict between
wealthy corporates and the upcoming rich working class who run these corporates on a day to
day basis and portrays people at the helm of affairs in different tastes. The movie also shows the
reckless competition between two corporate giants in order to maximize their respective profits.

Lagaan: A 2001 sports-themed Indian Bollywood film written and directed by Ashutosh
Gowariker set in the Victorian period teaches how by dreaming big, defining goals and
successful management takes you to your goal. The movie provides insight into management
lessons like vision, motivation, leadership, team spirit and above all of it- passion required to
complete your job and towards your goal.

Make a beginning, team Building, to make things happen the way we want, we have to vision the
future, and paint a picture in front of the others of what we want to achieve. And to think of
Problems as Opportunities are important lessons you can take home from this Oscar-nominated
film.

Chak De: Chak De India, the Shah Rukh Khan-starrer about a resolute women's hockey team
that wins the world championship defeating odds is one of the must-watch films for MBA
students. One can learn a lot about team-building, watching how the Japanese and the British
deal with their respective teams in the film. Aspects of management such as planning, co-
ordination, strategy, motivation, time and stress management and goal setting are the highlights
of the movie.

Accept meritocracy, embracing discipline, hard work and sacrifices are lessons you can learn
from teams portrayed in the movie.

3 IDIOTS

Management Lessons from 3 Idiots Movie

Never Try to Be Successful

Success is the bye-product. Excellence always creates success. So, never run after the success, let
it happen automatically in the life.

Freedom To Life

Dont die before actual death. Live every moment to the fullest as you are going to die today
night. Life is gifted to humankind to live, live & live @ happiness.
 Passion Leads To Excellence

When your hobby becomes your profession and passion becomes your profession. You will be
able to lead up to excellence in the life.

Satisfaction, pleasure, joy and love will be the outcome of following passion. Following your
passion for years, you will surely become something one day.

Life Is Emotion Management Not Intelligence Optimization

Memory and regular study have definite value and it always helps you in leading a life. You are
able to survive even if you can make some mark in the path of the life. With artificial
intelligence, you can survive and win but you cannot prove yourself genius. Therefore, in this
process genius dies in you.

Necessity Is The Mother Of Invention

Necessity creates pressure and forces you to invent something or to make it happen or to use
your potentiality.

Aamir Khan in this film, 3 idiots, is able to prove in the film by using vacuum pump at the last
moment.

Simplicity is Life

Life is need base never want base. Desires have no ends. Simplicity is way of life and Indian
culture highly stresses on simple living and high thinking, and this is the way of life: Legs down
to earth and eyes looking beyond the sky

Industrial Leadership

Dean of the institute in 3 idiots is showing very typical leadership. He has his own principles,
values and ideology, and he leads the whole institute accordingly. This is an example of current
institutional leadership. In the present scenario, most of the institutes are fixed in a block or
Squarish thinking.

Importance Of One Word In Communication

If communication dies, everything dies. Each word has impact and value in communication. One
word if used wrongly or emphasized wrongly or paused at a wrong place in communication what
effect it creates and how is it affected is demonstrated very well in this movie.
Lagaan is the story of a leader (Bhuvan) who develops the cricket team,did not known about
western management, do not have any idea about TQM, or but he developed the team spirit,
united all the villagers, motivated them and ultimately attained the objective i.e. won the match
against the British because to win the match, to create an affective team was his sadhana and he
attained his goal.

v A Lesson in Entrepreneurship:

The protagonist in the movie i.e. Bhuvans character is risk taking, responsible, confident,
encouraging; supportive with a never say die attitude which is an intrinsic character for any
manager.

It was the village ingenuity of Bhuvan that gave him the idea to challenge the British in a cricket
match and getting exempted from the tax Lagaan levied on them. Otherwise the villagers
couldnt have payed the tax in aftermath of a drought. Such risk taking and thinking out of the
box is required for every new venture or a commercial startup.

v A Lesson In Teamwork

The relentless pursuit of Bhuvan coupled with some team spirit and co-operation made the
villagers form a cricket team. A cricket team that went on to beat an established, professional and
well equipped British team. Bhuvan upholded this saying throughout fear not; only believe.

Giving his vision to his team that they can win and get through the tax debt by winning a cricket
match was key element that how to handle a team. Convincing people is very tough; the way
Bhuvan did it was really very good.
The learnings from Bhuvans team can be.

spirit and power of team work

will power and determination

unity and focus on common goal

v A lesson of relentless spirit to fight

There was terrible start to Bhuvans cricket match idea. The problem was villagers didnt know
how to play it some couldnt wield the bat. But Bhuvan with the help of Elizabeth led them
secretly to a real cricket match of the British team and later on emulated that in their own fields.
The team later on learnt by imitating Bhuvan and managed to get hold of the game. This gives an
important lesson Accept the challenge, be open-minded. It tells us even if you dont know
something you can learn and achieve it what is needed is perhaps the zeal and willingness to
learn.

Other lessons that we can learn & teach from the movie.

The importance of learning to survive & win.

The importance of accepting & working with diversity.

The need for a can do spirit, a positive attitude and the importance of fighting the
typical Indian despondency.

The need to stay focused single-mindedly on Results

the importance of being objective & unbiased.

The importance of trust despite betrayal.

The importance of learning to manage and work with limitations and minimum
resources.

The importance of taking chances & risks to make dreams come true.

20 must watch Bollywood films for entrepreneurs

Sourav Roy

16 May 2015

689





Films are often a reflection of our society but they also hold a mirror to us. It is no wonder then
that the good ones go on to show the tragedy and triumph of the human life, thereby influencing
all of us in some way. Weve handpicked these 20 movies that show the tenacity, passion and
undying spirit of its characters which all entrepreneurs can relate to.

Pyaasa (Guru Dutt, 1957)

The film follows the story of a young protagonist who has an undying passion for poetry. He is
frowned upon by his brothers, who sell away his poems as waste paper. His poems are quite
radical in which he laments about the poor, the destitute, and the arrogance of the rich after the
departure of the British from India. It is only after he grows sick of the hypocrisy around him and
declares that he is dead, that publishers embrace him and his work becomes famous.

The films message lies in the protagonists character and undying passion. His concern for the
downtrodden is admirable, especially his love and friendship with a prostitute, who is
sympathetic towards him, and assists him in finding a publisher. As the film ends with the
protagonist getting all the recognition and publicity he deserved, but him growing disillusioned
by the ways of the world, one cannot help but admire how passion and integrity triumphs over
success and richness.
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Satyakam (Hrishikesh Mukherjee, 1969)

The film is set in the final days of the British Raj in India, as a cohort of engineering students
graduate a few months before Independence. The films protagonist is stubborn and principled.
He refuses to compromise when it comes to doing the right thing, and as a result he struggles to
cope with the changing times. The film is considered to be Dharmendras finest acting
performance of his career. Director Hrishikesh Mukherjee called Satyakam his favourite film.
Considering that he has made masterpieces like Anand, Bawarchi, Abhimaan, Chupke
Chupke and Khoobsurat, this is a rare feat.

As the films protagonist moves from one job to another, he rejects all dishonest compromises.
He is constantly reminded of his failure, and makes up for it by increasing rigidity about
applying his principles in real life. While this leads to the huge number of struggles he faces, we
soon associate with the protagonists flare for rationality and integrity. For an entrepreneur who
often faces the same challenges of treading the road less travelled, Satyakam is a must watch.

Manthan (Shyam Benegal, 1976)

The film revolves around the story of a vet

doctor, who comes to a village with the aim of starting a milk cooperative society for the welfare
of the villagers. He receives resistance from a wealthy businessman and the sarpanch of the
village. The caste and communal dynamics of the village are also shown. Based on the real life
story of Dr Verghese Kurien, the father of the White Revolution in India, the film goes on to
show how Amul cooperative was founded.

An obvious entry to the list, there is probably no film that explains rural entrepreneurship in a
better way. The struggles involved in establishing a rural cooperative, in the backdrop of caste,
gender and economic inequality is subtly shown. The helplessness of the films protagonist is
very real, and we rejoice as he goes beyond the accepted norms of business, and works for a
setup that benefits the deserving many.
Manzil (Basu Chatterjee, 1979)
The film follows the ambition of an unemployed young man who has 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 huge debts. He had proposed marriage to his girlfriend by
lying to her, whose father, a lawyer, now sues him for business fraud. The protagonist mends his
ways and eventually emerges a winner.

The film teaches us to be ambitious, and follow our dreams, no matter what our economic
background and circumstances are. More importantly it teaches us to accept mistakes and failure
and learn to move on.

Related read: 11 Indian startups backed by Bollywood celebrities

Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro (Kundan Shah, 1983)

A dark satire on the rampant corruption in Indian

politics, bureaucracy, news media and business, the film revolves around two friends, who are
attempting to start their own photo studio. In their first assignment, they are suddenly exposed to
shady activists, the corrupt world of Bombay real-estate, political hypocrisy and bureaucratic
inaction. They soon get a whiff of a murder, and fight to bring the guilty to light, well, in a
humorous way.

The film shows everything that can go wrong when one tries to be an entrepreneur, and things
dont work in his favour. Through humour, the film brings out the dark side of Indias
democratic mercenary. By the end of the film, everyone except the two entrepreneur protagonists
is found corrupt. Perhaps the best comedy of errors centred on the idea of starting a business, the
film is a must watch for those who havent. And for those who have, well, weekend is around.

Ek Ruka Hua Faisla (Basu Chatterjee, 1986)

The Hindi remake of Sidney Lumets 12 Angry Men, the film follows 12 members of a jury
who gather in an enclosed room to deliberate their decision on a charge of murder against a
young man who has been accused of killing his father. Except the films protagonist, everyone is
convinced of the young mans guilt. The protagonist goes on to convince everyone of the
possible innocence of the young man.

The films greatest triumph is to depict how personal prejudices and biases often affect our
decision making. The protagonists stand against all odds is inspiring and reminds us of the great
heroic stories we have always heard only this time, he seems to be on the wrong side. As the
film progresses, we understand subjectivity and learn the importance of conversation and debate
in the astonishing human ability of factual decision making.

Ek Doctor Ki Maut (Tapan Sinha, 1990)

The film follows the tragic story of a junior doctor, who discovers a vaccine for leprosy, and the
war for recognition that follows. Eventually, two American doctors receive credit for discovering
the vaccine. As a final ray of hope, our shattered protagonist receives an invitation from a foreign
foundation inviting him to be a part of an eminent group of scientists working on other diseases.
He realizes that his research was fruitful, and decides to accept the invitation as he continues to
work for the betterment of mankind, and not immediate success or recognition.

The films primary message is to work for the larger goal and not for immediate perks. The film
goes on to make us realize that the world is not always a fair playing ground but it is these few
good men, on whose shoulders it stands. Belonging to this small group is greater glory than any
recognition can ever bring us.

Lagaan (Ashutosh Gowariker, 2001)

Set in the Victorian era, the film is about the people of a small village who stake their future on a
game of cricket against their ruthless British rulers. On one side we see veteran British cricket
players, and on the other side are villagers, including the protagonist himself, who have never
played the game before.

Cricket takes a back seat in the film, as the plot progresses to teach us to challenge injustice
through collective struggle, even in our smallest capacity. The film shows how even the
inexperienced, when working for a cause larger than themselves, have the capacity to work in
synergy and turn things over.

Swades (Ashutosh Gowariker, 2004)

 The film revolves around the issues that
development throws up at the grassroot level. The films protagonist, a bright young scientist
working as a project manager in NASA comes to his village, which is heterogeneous, colourful
and complex, to find his childhood nanny. The contrast between the highly developed world of
NASA, and his world back home in India is seen, and leads to the protagonists simple yet
meaningful quest to generate electricity for his village.

The film with its tag-line we the people gives out a strong message that a countrys strength
lies in its people. Addressing numerous burning issues concerning us today, Swades asks that
vital question as responsible and intelligent members of society, what is it that we can do?
The film teaches us to stick to our roots, and work for a better future, a lesson that entrepreneurs
must never forget.

Iqbal (Nagesh Kukunoor, 2005)

The films protagonist a deaf and mute son of a farmer from a remote village has a passion
for the game of cricket and seeks the tutelage of a washed-up, alcoholic ex-player. The story
follows his obsession as he aims to fulfil his dream of playing for the Indian cricket team.

Choosing a career that is already overshadowed by the rich and powerful, the films protagonist
leaves us bewildered as he treads his path with unmatched determination. The film goes on to tell
us that heroes are found in the rarest of situations, as our protagonist with a strict father, little
guidance, poverty ridden background, and physical disability goes on to make his dreams
come true.

Related Read: 15 Movies That Inspire Entrepreneurship

Corporate (Madhur Bhandarkar, 2006)

The film revolves around two corporate giants who compete in order to recklessly maximize
their respective profits, and is based on the 2003 pesticides issue in India, when a Delhi-based
non-profit organization published a report finding pesticide levels in cold drinks at levels 30
times that considered safe. The film shows the dirty juncture of business and politics and unveils
the games which the men in power play to remain on top, and how it affects the common man.

The only film in this list with a negative message, Corporate should be watched to know the
dark side of doing business. The film should remind entrepreneurs that all is not well with the
corporate sector and why it is important to be ethical, just and honest.

Chak De India (Shimit Amin, 2007)

This sports drama film is about a determined womens field hockey team which wins the world
championship against all odds. Through various conflicts, the film explores religious bigotry, the
legacy of the Partition of India, ethnic and regional prejudice, and sexism in contemporary India
through field hockey.

The film teaches one to go beyond petty differences and work for the larger goal. Team building,
planning, coordination, discipline, hard work, strategy, motivation, goal setting, time and stress
management are some of the many skills the film subtly teaches us.

Guru (Mani Ratnam, 2007)

Loosely based on the life and times of Dhirubhai

Ambani, Guru is probably the most obvious entry in this list. Gurukant Desai is an ambitious
middle class boy, who gets married to a rich businessmans daughter, and uses the money he gets
as dowry to set up his own cloth business in Mumbai. He pursues success ruthlessly; and
smuggles machine parts for his polyester mills, illegally creates goods, and manipulates stocks to
make higher profits. The controversial film follows how he uses his skills and ambition to drive
this business to creates one of the richest companies in the country.

The film is reflective of a mans desire for ambition and success, and how times have changed
from the period immediately after the countrys independence to the present we live in. As an
entrepreneur, Guru is ruthless, manipulative and cunning, but at the same time, he encourages us
to believe in our dreams. While the films protagonist may not teach us about business ethics, it
does teach us to be persevering, ambitious and commitment.
3 Idiots (Rajkumar Hirani, 2009)
The coming of age comedy-drama film follows the journey of three friends who question the
ways of learning and education in a prestigious engineering college. The film questions the
regulated study environment and revolves around the challenges these students face when they
try to follow their passion, and learn in an innovative and fun way.

The film is distinctive for featuring real inventions by little known people in Indias backyards.
The brains behind the innovations were Remya Jose, a student from Kerala, who created the
exercise-bicycle/washing-machine; Mohammad Idris, a barber from Meerut district in Uttar
Pradesh, who invented a bicycle-powered horse clipper; and Jahangir Painter, a painter from
Maharashtra, who made the scooter-powered flour mill. The film questions the idea of students
being forced to study in the field their parents want to, in a meaningless routine-bound and
regulated way. It also looks beyond classrooms and parents expectations and the burdened life
students are forced upon. Makes us wonder why so many entrepreneurs were either college drop-
outs or bad in academics.

Also read: 10 Bollywood celebrities with social causes

Harishchandrachi Factory (Paresh Mokashi, 2009)

Set in the early 20th century, the film follows the real life story of Dadasaheb Phalke who
abandons a well-established printing business and becomes unemployed, struggling for survival.
He soon gets introduced to films, and with his hard-working wife and kids by his side, he
ventures into a field unknown to his time, and goes on to make Indias first feature film, Raja
Harishchandra, thus becoming the first entrepreneur of the largest film industry of the world
today.

Although not exactly a Bollywood film, this Marathi film just couldnt be kept away from the
list. In a rare delight where the content and form of a film match to perfection, the humour and
light heartedness of the film fits into the character of Mr Phalke like a glove. Following the life
of a real entrepreneur, the film shows how the act of film making grips him to the levels of
obsession, and how he follows this passion till the very end. It also shows how having a natural
foresight and a knack for understanding the future makes a good entrepreneur.

Rocket Singh: Salesman Of The Year (Shimit Amin, 2009)

 After obtaining just 39% marks in graduation,
Harpreet Singh, who lives with his grandfather, gets employed with AYS Computers as a
salesman. He is shunned and mocked by his superiors and colleagues, and soon finds that
honesty is not the best policy. He bootstraps his own parallel sales company using his company
resources and partners with four other employees from the firm, leading to the creation of a
fictitious organization Rocket Sales Corporation. An entrepreneur is born.

Rocket Singh is another obvious entry into this list. One of the most important lessons the film
teaches is that success is not dictated by academic excellence. The protagonists hunger for risks,
ability to pick the right people for his team, and his value for his customers is inspiring. The film
also teaches us to take failure and unfair remarks, and let our actions do the talking. The film
shows that the most inspiring leaders are the most humble ones, and are born in the most unusual
circumstances.

Band Baaja Baraat (Maneesh Sharma, 2010)

The film revolves around a girl and a boy, two fresh college graduates who dont know each
other, and team up to start a wedding planning business. Although the films foreground is a love
story, the struggles and delusions a startup faces are shown beautifully in the narrative.

The most important message of the film is that entrepreneurs should know how to separate their
personal and professional life. The film talks about passion being more important than
qualification, and more importantly teaches us to be a team player. Knowing ones customer,
business ethics, dreaming big, not bothering about competition, and treating vendors as partners
are some other important lessons entrepreneurs can learn from this film.

Badmaash Company (Parmeet Sethi, 2010)

Set in the middle class dynamics of the 90s, the film revolves around four young friends who
graduate from college and start a business together. Using unorthodox methods, they proceed to
make large fortunes by smuggling expensive foreign goods and avoiding the import duty on
them.
The entrepreneurs in the film are cunning, over-ambitious and often funny. It shows how
entrepreneurs find their niche market and go on to exploit it. Although the film gives important
moral lessons on business principles, the film also raises vital questions of ethical versus
unethical in a light hearted manner. The film reminds us of the days when a typical Bollywood
villain was a smuggler, which became extinct after smuggling became legal post Indias
economic liberalization.

The Dirty Picture (Milan Luthria, 2011)

The film follows the journey of an average middle-class girl who wants to become an actor. She
runs away to Madras, and like hundreds of other young women, lines up outside studios to try
and get noticed. With her plain, next-door-girl looks, she gets ignored but as fate could have it
she is given a chance to play a minor role after she manages to sneak into the studios. The
amount of effort she puts in her meager side role makes her an overnight sensation.

The biographical drama film is inspired by the life of Silk Smitha, a South Indian actress noted
for her erotic roles. One cannot help but notice her passion, even in the smallest things she does.
Playing the role of a dancer behind the stars, she overshadows them all and rises to fame. The
lesson entrepreneurs must learn for the film is simple even if you are doing the smallest thing do
it with passion and give it your best shot.

Special 26 (Neeraj Pandey, 2013)

The film follows the story of a real life group of

con artists who pull off many clever robberies during 1980s, and rob famous businessmen and
politicians. The groups modus operandi is to pretend to be CBI or Income tax officers on a raid.
By intimidating their victims, they make off with black money hoarded away. Of course, the fear
of a bad reputation ensures that these victims never file FIRs against the group.

Although the comparison between Robin Hood and entrepreneurs is not new, the film stands out
simply because of the domain knowledge these con artists possess. Their team work and
foresight is also commendable something entrepreneurs can learn from.
Management Lessons from Movies: 2.0
October 4, 2013 by ashokbhatia

Smart managers are always keen to sharpen their saw. They always remain alert to new ideas
from all sides. Movies are no exception. These provide valuable inputs to managers at all levels
from green-behind-the-ear beginners to CEOs and owners.

Here is an update on the key take away lessons from some of the movies I am aware of: some
from Kollywood, some from Hollywood and many others from Bollywood.

ENTERING THE CORPORATE JUNGLE

Setting Realistic Goals (Manal Kayiru: A Rope/Thread of Sand)

Be Realistic, whether looking for a life partner or a job! The hero sets impossible conditions to
be met while seeking a life partner. As a result, he gets conned into marrying a girl who is
exactly the opposite.

In the arena of management, we work with customers, suppliers, employees, service providers
and other stakeholders. It helps us to be realistic about what we want from them.

Be SMART: Goals should be Simple, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time-bound!

Realigning Goals to our Passion (3 Idiots, Maya Kannadi: The Illusory Mirror)

Better alignment between inner self and outer self helps us to find joy at the work place. Money,
status and power are a logical corollary.

We should excel at whatever we do even if it is hair dressing! There is no merit in frittering

away our energy in trying disparate things which we are not good at. Our life is in our own hands
and we can shape it well.

A Personal SWOT Analysis: Overcoming Weaknesses (Black)

Getting a committed and competent guide helps us to learn to overcome our weaknesses.

High involvement invariably leads to high commitment. This, in turn, leads to higher
accomplishments in life.

We face negative energy in the shape of self-doubts which often plague us. By winning over
these, we can achieve great things in life.
The protagonist is a deaf and blind girl. Her tutor gets afflicted by Alzheimers disease towards
the climax.

The movie was inspired by the life and struggle of Helen Keller.

DOING WELL IN THE CORPORATE JUNGLE

Putting First Things First (Iqbal)

The hero has a passion to excel. He motivates a reluctant coach to take him under his wings. The
training methods are very primitive. At no stage does he dream of better facilities.

To play cricket for India is his dream. He works on it with the end in mind.

Being Proactive (Bhaag Milkha Bhaag: Run Milkha Run)

Milkha has a short-term affair with his coachs granddaughter and ends up losing at the 1956
Melbourne Olympics. He learns from this failure and goes on to win several medals for India in
the 400m sprint slot.

Perseverance, hard work and a passion to succeed lead him to eventual success.

Networking and Bonding (Dil Chhahta Hai: Do Your Thing, Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara: You Dont
Get to Live Twice)

Most work gets done in organizations based on informal networking and bonding.

The effectiveness of a better networked team is much higher, as it taps the potential of
underground cable connections.

Bonding encourages lateral thinking within the group, thereby improving its productivity.

Spotting the Potential of Individuals (Lagaan: Land Tax)

Team building involves a clear definition of diverse roles and the assigning of roles based on
individual strengths. Overcoming regional and social biases, the hero motivates a group of
villagers to form a team and beat the English rulers in a game of cricket, thereby leading to a
waiver of taxes for a period of three years.

Taking Good Care of People (Anbe Sivam: Love is God)

The conflict between a communist way of thinking and a capitalist one is brought out in this
Kamal Hassan and R Madhavan flick very poignantly. Better management of people, the value
of compassion and the need to minimize financial disparity is highlighted in the movie.

Delegation by Micro-managing (Udaan: Flight)

An overpowering father bullies a son into accepting a career and lifestyle of his choice. The
seeds of revolt sprout. How the hero, a 17-year-old teenager, overcomes his low self-esteem and
picks up the courage to walk out of the home to lead a life free of humiliation and abuse forms
the crux of the theme.

Aggressive bosses who tend to micromanage affairs in the name of delegation end up creating a
team with very low self-esteem. This could affect the long-term plans of the organization.

Delegation by Macro-managing (Sholay: The Embers)

In this case, the focus is on results, not on methods or means. The target of capturing a dreaded
dacoit is clearly defined. The assignment is clearly accepted by two small time criminals who

succeed in their mission, though one of them loses his life in the process.

Sticking to Values (Jerry Maguire)

When Jerry gets disgusted with the unfair practices in a sports event management company, he
chooses to come out with a Mission Statement: The Things We Think and Do Not Say: The
Future of Our Business. He goes on to build his own business as a sports agent and develops a
very close relationship with his one of his clients, leading to eventual success.

Leaving the Comfort Zone (Do Aankhen Barah Haath: Two Eyes, Twelve Hands)

Do Aankhen Barah Haath was based on a real life incident. A jailer proposes to handle six
hardened criminals in an open jail, so as to reform them and return them to society as responsible
citizens. The movie captured the spirit of innovation in solving a social problem. Lessons like
empathic counseling, strict discipline and a fair and transparent system of reward and
punishment are relevant for professionals who face white-collar crimes in todays business
world.

How the hero overcomes the initial disapproval and cynicism of his superiors in implementing a
novel scheme of this nature teaches us to try to walk out of our comfort zones once in a while to

scale new heights in our career.

Crisis Management (The Burning Train, The Towering Inferno, The Poseidon Adventure,
Independence Day)
The causes for a crisis could be many professional rivalry, an ego clash, or sheer chance. But
what wins the day is Rather than trying to pass on the blame; a professional would adopt a
rational attitude and take immediate steps to contain the damage. Cooperation, team work, level
headedness and fleet footedness are the pre-requisites for success to be achieved.

In all the movies cited here, a deep commitment to save lives comes first. When faced by a do-
or-die situation, new groups often get formed and assume a leadership role to tackle the crisis
effectively.

Strategy First, Execution Later (The Bridge on the River Kwai)

Implementing ruthlessly without understanding strategic implications could be injurious to the

organizations health!

The leader is ruthless in getting a group of prisoners of war to construct a railroad bridge during
World War II. He believes in demonstrating British engineering skills to posterity even though,
when completed, the bridge would help the Japanese troops. In a nutshell, the bridge is built,
only to be destroyed when the first train passes through!

LORD OF THE JUNGLE

Leadership (Norma Rae)

Based on the real life story of a wage earner in North Carolina, the movie captured the essence of
labor unionization and the leadership qualities required to achieve the same. We learn that people
follow us not necessarily because we are smarter or more knowledgeable; only because we are
passionate and clear about what we set out to achieve.

A Win/Win Strategy (Jodhaa Akbar)

Akbar, a Muslim Mughal Emperor, marries a proud Hindu Rajput princess, so as to forge
strategic ties with smaller states which are otherwise resisting his expansion plans. The princess
resents being used as a pawn in a political game and Akbar is fed by vested interests with
negative inputs as to her real intentions. Eventually, they learn to respect and love each other.

When businesses merge, the birth pangs of the new business entity are experienced by all
stakeholders. It is through cooperation, mutual trust, shared values and enlightened HR
communication that the bonds become stronger, thereby giving the business a synergistic
advantage.

Failure is Not an Option (Apollo 13)

When the third manned mission to the Moon gets aborted due to a technical snag, the challenge
before the NASA flight controllers is to get the three astronauts aboard back to Earth. With team
work and an out of box approach, the crew manages to make a difficult but crucial course
correction. The team lands safely.

When a boss decides not to take a no as an answer, amazing results often come up. Human
imagination and ingenuity, when pushed to its limits, truly knows no boundaries.

Innovation in Business and Processes (Vicky Donor, Munna Bhai MBBS)

An unemployed youth relentlessly chased by the owner of an infertility clinic ends up

becoming a sperm donor. The movie captures his trials and tribulations in a hilarious
manner. Goes on to show that lot of new businesses can be conceived by being alert to the
demand supply gaps in the society. By offering products/services designed to capture such gaps,
new business verticals can be designed to tap the market potential.

For a hospital, an empathic touch is necessary to heal better is one of the clear messages of the
Munna Bhai movie. Core service delivery taking care of the sick and the infirm cannot
become secondary to procedures, systems and paperwork is another important message.

Discovering Synergy (Chak De! India: Go, India!)

A hockey coach pulls off the impossible by coaching and leading the Indian womens
field hockey national team to win the World Cup. There are regional, racial and ethnic biases to
be overcome. There are ego clashes between players to be tackled. Players who keep their
personal success above that of the team need to be counseled. Then there are issues of eve
teasing and perceived sexual harassment which need to be addressed. The apathy and cynicism
of the government regulatory officials needs to be overcome. He does all this and leads the team
to an astounding win. He does so by seeking areas of agreement first, by building on strengths of

individual players and by compensating for their weaknesses.

The Leader Walks Alone (Elizabeth, Mughal-e-Azam)

The Queen gives up her romantic interests for the sake of a public life, rules England for 40
years; eventually learns to trust her own instincts

Likewise, a CEO has to set the bar very high and forsake quite a few mundane pleasures of life
to lead the organization to rapid growth

It is always lonely at the top; concern for organization reigns supreme

Factors which can help: strong relationships, pragmatism, flexibility, meditation

SOME KEY ENABLERS

 Giving Back to Society (Thirumalai)

The hero is a motorbike mechanic. He ends up falling in love with a girl whose father is a
rich businessman.

The father, not liking the match, hires local goons to kill the hero. Predictably, the hero survives.

In a key scene, he tells the father to behave himself and be straight and positive.

The key messages: Life is a circle: you reap what you sow; Discovering our Inner Voice.

Helping the Community First (Its a Wonderful Life)

The hero has given up on his dreams to help others and ends up committing suicide on a
Christmas evening. His guardian angel shows him how he has made a difference to others lives
and the community in general.

Think Green (Wall-E, Erin Brockovich, Avatar)

All these movies have themes which are centered around the concept of sustainable living.

Caring for the environment and Mother Earth is the central message.

In Wall-E, it is a small plant which makes humans come back to inhabit earth.

Erin Brockovich is all about a legal clerk motivating a group of sufferers to stand up against a
large company and get suitable compensation awarded by a court of law. It is based on a real life
incident.

Avatar also champions the cause of protecting our environment.

THE REEL/REAL LIFE

In reel life, we empathize with a hero we admire. We readily fall for the grace and charms of a
heroine and get infatuated by her. We love at least one doting parent. We come to hate rogue
villains.

In real life, we look up to some seniors who become our role models. We fall for the charms of
an organization whose image and brand equity we admire. We meet an experienced senior who
guide us, much like a doting parent. All those who shoot down our plans appear to be rogue
villains. In the process, they teach us to balance between divergent opinions and also help us to
grow professionally.
While entering the reel life, we willingly suspend our sense of belief and logic, leaving our mind
behind at the hall entrance. We simply get mesmerized for a period of two to three hours.

In some single owner driven companies, we learn to leave behind our ego and autonomy of
thought at the office entrance itself. It is a reality check which sometimes lasts sixteen hours in a
day. Thanks to technical gizmos and improved connectivity, it is well-nigh impossible to switch
off for the day!

AN OVERVIEW

Making movies is a high-risk business. Thanks to the multiplex business model, innovation in
themes appears to have picked up of late. In the realm of Hindi movies, think A Wednesday,
Bumm Bumm Bole, Barfi, Cheeni Kum, Dor, I am Kalaam, Lunchbox, Pa, Stanley Ka
Dabba, The Blue Umbrella, Udaan, Welcome to Sajjanpur, etc.
Movies are not only about entertainment. They are also about education, empowerment and
enlightenment.