Estimated reading time: 16 minutes
The story is set in Varanasi and it starts with a teenage boy Mahesh visiting some isolated place in the night and buys gun after paying small amount. The man who gave him carries rustic look and speaks in rough language and even shows him how to use the pistol.
Abhay (the host) speaks that gun was being purchased and sold easily like that of selling/buying of vegetables. He speaks that in India it is illegal to buy guns but suggests that they are places where you can buy gun by just visiting there and making the payment to get one. There is no license, permit, age proof or verification. But the question arises, Why Mahesh has bought a gun since he was a meritorious student and ranked 12th in his state ? He was always surrounded by a pen in his hands and now he took pistol in his hand.
Mahesh Tripathi is aged 19 yrs and is seen doing prayers and sees his family portrait and then takes out the gun and soon hides it in the pants and goes outside. He speaks to his father who lives in a village and informs him of remembering the family. His father asks him to come for the Diwali and asks why is he speaking with few stops ? Mahesh carries a teary face and ends the call and leaves. The date is 17th March 2010, 9:30 am and the place is Excel Engineering college and he goes inside and the peon informs him of not able to meet the principal since he doesn’t want to meet him. Mahesh learns that the principal might be in a meeting at the staff room on 2nd floor and goes there. He tries to meet the principal and then is pushed down on ground. He takes out the gun and all the people there rushes to stop him and in that process he shots at a staff male teacher and everyone is shocked. The old peon who met Mahesh earlier sees the event and runs from outside.
Abhay (the host) asks whether it was an accident or cold blooded murder ? Abhay speaks on reading school shootouts in international news and asks whether such trend was starting in India. He asks whether life’s problems can be solved at gun point. What happened to Mahesh that his mind was in that state, and to what question was he seeking a reply ? Moreover, he wanted to get the reply from the principal at the gun point.
Mahesh after the shot points the gun at other people of that room and a teacher lady suggests that wounded man needs urgent medical help. He wants Dhananjay the principal’s son to call his father at the earliest and doesn’t want to hear anything and soon learns that media have arrived there. He also sees the TV news and learn that media came to know about the incident and how he has kept people hostage there. Mahesh speaks that he came to college to study and work hard and become famous and asks the people there on how has he become famous ? The story goes back to flashback and the day is 6th June 2008, 1:30 PM at Excel engineering college and Mahesh is seen sitting in a Maths class and the principal is teaching them some trigonometry problem. The principal learns that Mahesh have solved the problem very fast and wishes him of having a bright future. The principal’s son Dhananjay makes a taunt at Mahesh and suggests that he is trying to impress and after the class he is harassed and called Bhojpuri movie hero, Einstein and also makes a taunt on his accent. Dhananjay makes more fun of his accent and calls him studious but uneducated fellow. They all harass and bully him.
The story comes back to present and the day is 17th march 2010, 12:25 pm and the police have arrived outside the Excel engineering college and the media informs about police arrival there and even some commandos have came there. The lady teacher in the hostage room informs Mahesh that police is thinking him as a terrorist and not a student and suggests him to surrender. She coughs and he gives her a glass of water to drink and informs her that he will not surrender. ACP Prithviraj Kumaran comes outside the college and he learns that the boy who kept people hostage doesn’t have demands and just only wants to speak with the principal. A police officer informs the ACP that the principal has left for Delhi and he is being informed to come back by next flight. ACP learns that the student Mahesh has good record – topper in studies and there is no criminal record of him. He then informs Mahesh via a sound amplifier that his team is ready and waiting for his order and it would be better if he surrenders. Mahesh declines to surrender and wants only to speak with the principal. The commandos take sniper positions and keep an eye on mahesh’s movement. The ACP speaks that the principal is on the way but will take some time and asks Mahesh to leave the injured hostage who was shot since his life is in danger. Mahesh speaks of not releasing the injured teacher and then a young girl Suhani comes there and requests the ACP to let her talk with Mahesh because he will only listen to her. She informs to be his friend.
The story goes to flashback and the day is 21st October 2008 at the college, Mahesh is being harassed and ink is being thrown at his shirt by Dhananjay. Soon, a girl Suhani Pai aged 19 yrs comes there and interrupts Mahesh and seeks his help in studies. He didn’t identify her initially but when she introduced herself he came to know about her. He asks her whether the principal has told her to take study help from him. She asks him if he is not sure then they can go to the principal. Sooner then, he teaches Maths to her and she looks at his shirt and calls it boring. She thinks of him as Khadoos but still cute. He then asks her how many permutations are there in 1 shirt and 1 pant. She speaks of applying the formula to know the answer and he replies not even one. She asks whether it was joke. Just then he looks at her watch and comes to know about the time and leaves. He goes to teach some street kids and is seen teaching them under a tree with a blackboard. Suhani was passing by from the same area and she stops to look at him teaching the kids and feels awe. After teaching, he begins to leave with kids and carries one of them. She comes to meet him and suggests him as the bright boy of the college who always returns back fast from the college like a rocket so as to teach here. She suggests him to become a teacher at private tuitions so that he can earn some money. He replies that the kids cannot study there because of costs and if he goes on teach there then who will teach the kids ? Thus, he will prefer to teach kids and speaks of knowing the difficulty in studies.
The story comes back to present and Suhani speaks to ACP that mahesh’s life had many difficulties but he never complained. She informs while crying to ACP that Mahesh’s has only two goals in life – helping others and passing in studies with good marks. He stops her and asks what he wants to ask the principal, is there any problem signs showed between them ? She speaks that the truth is principal always helped Mahesh and he even didn’t took the side of his own son Dhananjay. Abhay (the host) speaks that students, media and the police were thinking that Mahesh wants to take revenge from the principal but Suhani suggested that Mahesh didn’t have any reason to take revenge with the principal. Then, what was the question in his mind which he only wanted to ask the principal ? Its answer only Mahesh will answer. There was no guarantee that he will leave the hostages after principal’s arrival so the police have started the rescue operation which is their plan B. The ACP the same day at 1:10 PM is informing his subordinates that Mahesh will not be going to surrender and they cannot wait until the arrival of principal and suggests to start the operation and they have to catch Mahesh either alive or dead. Mahesh at his end learns that the injured teacher is beginning to die and he apologizes to him. He gets a call from Suhani and she asks him why is he doing such a thing ? He doesn’t give the reason and Suhani wants him to release the teacher upon ACP’s insistence and also informs him that police will not help them and they have lot of guns. The ACP wants the policemen to change their clothes that of medical support staff and they do the change in an ambulance. He informs his men who are now in medical suits to surround Mahesh after taking out the injured teacher. They go to hostage room and Mahesh allows their entry and identifies the medical men as police and threatens them to leave. The police disguised in medical support staff leaves from there. Mahesh wants the hostage to cooperate with him.
Abhay (the host) speaks that police have planned a smart rescue operation to release hostages but it backfired and they have underestimated Mahesh and his intelligence. And now, Mahesh possesses his old local made pistol and police pistol as well. Now, he was 10 times more angry with police than earlier.
The time is 2:00 pm and Suhani comes to ACP while crying and asks him why did he such a thing of sending policemen there in disguise ? She has trusted him and informs that Mahesh doesn’t like cheaters and puts the blame on him. The story goes to flashback and the day is 13th April 2009, 4:40 pm outside the college, Suhani finds Mahesh being beaten by some boys and he informs that the boys were beating him since he haven’t showed them the answers in exams. She asks him what’s wrong if he had shown them his answers ? He asks why he allow them to cheat and what’s the purpose of getting him in good marks. He speaks of tackling them which will happen when he will get good marks in his exams. She likes his vigor and appreciates it. He thanks her and she looks at him and smiles and then showers a hug to him. He becomes uncomfortable after the hug and she is sorry for it and starts to leave. He speaks of not behaving badly with her and suggests that he also likes her but he doesn’t want to distract from the things which he has to do there. He speaks of having lot of responsibilities on his head, and if he didn’t study well here then the villagers will taunt his family and how come he will fulfill their needs ? She stops him and suggests that after 3 years the best companies will come to the campus and will recruit him and that’s a promise. He wants him to smile and asks him to help her in studies and both leaves.
The story comes back to present and the time is 3:10 pm and the ACP learns from his subordinate Tiwari that the principal has left Delhi airport and can arrive there at any moment. Tiwari informs that Mahesh’s parents have reached there and the ACP goes to speak with them. He offers them water and then wants Mahesh’s father to call his son. He speaks to Mahesh and asks what is he doing ? Whether he has send him to the city to see this day and should hear from people that his son is a murderer ? Mahesh replies of coming there to study but now everything is taken from him. Mahesh ends the call and his father cries. Mahesh’s father speaks of not knowing anything about Mahesh’s words. The ACP goes to Suhani and asks her about the results. She initially doesn’t want to answer but then the ACP speaks of having many civilian lives at risk. The story goes back to flashback and the day is 5th July 2009 at 12:30 pm at the college, Suhani checks the results and informs Mahesh that she got 79 % grade and credits him for helping her in studies. She thinks that he has topped in the exam and he replies in sad voice of getting 45 % grade which is like grace number marks. She wants to check the results again and tries to take him. He informs of checking twice and informs that Dhananjay got 88 % (athasi) and wonders who will give him job at 45 % since the placement starts at 75 % and what answer will he give to his father. He doesn’t listen to her and leaves.
Later, Mahesh meets the principal who informs him that lakhs of students write exams every year and there can be some instances where papers are misplaced and is a common thing. Mahesh tries to speak that he got 39 % and then the principal speaks of understanding him and has a solution. He wants Mahesh to fill in the reevaluation form and is sure that his numbers will be increased. Mahesh speaks of having higher fees for reevaluation and he cannot support it. The principal wants him to not worry about it and suggests that he will take care of it. The story comes back to present and Suhani informs the ACP that Mahesh got lesser marks in the reevaluation and in second semester he got not more than 40 % and 10 days ago they got the results of 3rd semester and he has performed badly in those exams as well. She speaks that he went into depression since he is a very good student and he tops in class tests and doesn’t know why he doesn’t fare well in exams. She speaks all those things while in teary voice. The police officer Tiwari wants Suhani to speak with Mahesh again and she replies that now nothing can be done. Mahesh’s father requests her to go and speak with his son and Suhani calls Mahesh and informs him of coming there and wants him to leave the injured teacher. Mahesh replies of not trusting the police and she informs of coming and asks whether he trusts her ? He ends the call and she goes with medical support staff there and the staff finds the teacher to be dead. He becomes nervous and Suhani cries and asks what has he done ? He speaks of the cheating which was meted out at him which has destroyed him. The story goes back in flashback and the day is 10th March 2010, 1:40 PM, Excel college’s office. Mahesh is seen asking about his results and the staff speaks that he haven’t received the reevaluation form and thus results cannot be given. Mahesh tries to go and speak with the principal but he doesn’t reply to his requests.
The story comes back to present, and Suhani hugs him and cries. The ACP meets the principal Mrityunjay Sharma who reaches outside the college and he asks him whether he wants to meet Mahesh since Mahesh have earlier declined to speak with him even on phone. The principal replies of the need to go there since his son Dhananjay is also hostage. The ACP informs Mahesh of sending the principal at his end and wants him to release the hostages and such thing will be good for him. The principal reaches Mahesh’s place and Mahesh asks him why he took 10 days to meet him ? He replies on knowing why he got less marks and why there was no news about his reevaluation form. Mahesh points the gun and the principal speaks of changing Mahesh’s exam papers with that of his son Dhananjay. The principal suggests of doing it knowingly well that the boy who has passed exam with grace marks will not get a good job and people will laugh on him suggesting that a principal’s son gets low grade. Mahesh asks the principal on how he haven’t thought about his future and have destroyed him. The principal speaks of changing the roll number on the exam papers since the papers doesn’t have the name. Mahesh is on police sniper’s gun range. The principal also informs of not submitting the reevaluation forms and Mahesh becomes more angry. Sooner then, the sniper shots at Mahesh who gets hit in the chest and dies on the spot. Mahesh’s parents and Suhani cries at his death and the ACP arrests the principal and his son.
Abhay (the host) speaks that University corruption, teacher and student deceitful relation, principal’s abusive power have taken many lives – Mahesh, male teacher, and the hopes of Mahesh’s parents. He speaks that principal was more responsible than Mahesh and believes that mistakes doesn’t have explanation and only there are excuses. He speaks that holding gun and threatening others is not justified. Mahesh was upset but there were many options for him to deal in that situation instead of holding gun. Some of those options were RTI, lawyer advice, student union, education body, and media’s help. He speaks that violence is not the answer so before taking any drastic step take a moment and look at the options. He speaks that nobody is born a criminal but one wrong thinking and wrong step can make an innocent astray (Gumrah). Mahesh’s parents continue to work as farm labourers and face difficulties in life and couldn’t forget their son. Dhananjay was restigated from the college and his future is dark and Suhani has decided to work with underprivileged teenagers to ensure they have a chance for a bright future. She wants to become the professor of engineering college and help the needy students like Mahesh used to do.
Additional Note:
* Gumrah Season 4 have turned bi-weekly from 11th October 2014 and thus will telecast every Saturday and Sunday at 1 PM IST.
* We (TellyReviews) believe that the plot was layered and executed with finesse, and lead actors and the team have given an amazing performance in acting. Kudos to Gumrah team including Abhay and Actors.
Episode Video:
http://www.startv.in/episodes/a-biased-principal-ruins-the-life-of-a-meritorious-student/73255
Sneak Peek:
[youtube id=http://youtu.be/kNWrJCvNpaM]
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