Between the Lines

Sri Devi's comeback film,which sees her playing the role of a housewife who enrols for an English coaching class to please her family,has everyone's interest piqued,not just to see whether Sri Devi still has her magic but also to get answers for questions like 'What are these classes like?' and 'Where are these classes held and who attends them?'

Sri Devi’s comeback film,which sees her playing the role of a housewife who enrols for an English coaching class to please her family,has everyone’s interest piqued,not just to see whether Sri Devi still has her magic but also to get answers for questions like ‘What are these classes like?’ and ‘Where are these classes held and who attends them?’

An evening spent at the curiously named Aggressor Classes in Gokhale Nagar gave a close peek into what really happens in the classroom. Our late entrance was greeted with looks of curiosity and giggles broke out in the room. The class was being held on the top floor of an old building and the only way to the room was on rickety stairs that threatened to crash any moment. The room itself was being used by two separate batches; one comprised a small group learning accounts while the other,larger group was studying English,huddled on the floor and scribbling in their books as the teacher discussed the subject.

The students,between 16 to 20 years,had studied in Marathi-medium schools and were now studying in different colleges such as Wadia,Symbiosis,Abeda Inamdar and others. Their purpose,more than anything,was to learn English to cope with academics in college and to help them find jobs later on.

Fittingly,on that day,the class was about preparing CVs or Curriculum Vitae. The students diligently filled in their details such as qualifications and skills as the teacher took them through the sample CV. The only break came when the teacher asked students what their interests were. Dancing, said one,while another said,DJ. Suddenly,a hand popped up and an excited voice said,Eating! and the laughter rippled across the room.

By the end of the class,it was clear that these students were keen to learn English to improve their chances at college and in life. Despite spending the entire day at college,they still came to class enthusiastically and answered every question that the teacher put to them. The teacher,for his part,single-mindedly went through the lesson and drilled it in each of the students. Not a single student’s attention was allowed to wander; not even the boy sitting in the corner of the classroom doodling in his notebook. Omkar,write it down, the teacher called out to him every five minutes.

Dot on nine ‘o’ clock,the students rose as one and there was an exodus of sorts as they all attempted to be the first to race out of class. Burning passion to learn English and succeed in life aside,the scene served to remind that they were after all,just kids.

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