Tere Ishk Mein: Dhanush-Kriti Sanon film proves Bollywood can’t stop using UPSC as masala

The hero, who doesn’t know what “UPSC” even stands for, starts from scratch and ends up clearing prelims in his third attempt. This is a dramatic triumph which unlocks the next phase of the script. Bollywood has finally discovered what lakhs of aspirants already know: UPSC prelims is not just an exam; it is an emotional event and certificate for demanding respect.

But it raises larger questions:

Why is Bollywood so obsessed with UPSC? Why are love stories and thrillers suddenly wrapping themselves around an exam known for its brutal unpredictability? And can a UPSC angle alone save a film?

UPSC is the Middle-Class dream machine

Hindi cinema works best when it taps into the pulse of the middle class. And today, the civil services exam is one of the most powerful middle-class dreams in the country. Over 12 lakh candidates apply every year. Coaching hubs like Mukherjee Nagar and Rajinder Nagar in a single city like Delhi are cultural phenomena. There are other cities as well where dreams to clear the UPSC exam take shape, but not always convert to reality. Importantly, the aspirant ecosystem has its own elements which involve patience, heartbreak, family pressure, multiple attempts and rare victories. And for filmmakers, this world is narrative gold.

Vikrant Massey in a still from 12th Fail.

Recent examples prove that UPSC has become more than a backdrop; it’s becoming a genre. Aspirants (TVF & Amazon Prime Video) portrayed a UPSC love story, combined with coaching room politics. Meri Shaadi Mein Zaroor Aana makes you believe that a broken heart is a way to UPSC success. Perhaps the most significant of all was 12th Fail. Its success made UPSC aspirants cinematic heroes. There are other multiple regional films which include UPSC, IAS or IPS arcs to draw aspirational audiences. Tere Ishk Mein, the newest addition, uses the prelims stage of the UPSC exam itself as a dramatic turning point.

UPSC is no longer a “profession” on screen. It is a narrative device that can naturally attract an audience that respects power, ambition and social mobility.

But why does Tere Ishk Mein stress on Prelims? Why not the final stage?

Because prelims carries a mass emotional weightage. Ask any real aspirant and they will tell you. Clearing prelims is sometimes harder than cracking the final result. Prelims is the gatekeeper, the heartbreak stage, the unpredictable nature— where one question can end a year of preparation.

Bollywood knows this. “Prelims clear karke dikha do” is cinematic for many reasons. It creates a clear challenge and sets up an immediate struggle. Also, it allows visible transformation in a character, and builds empathy with a huge audience that understands the pain. Social media has already highlighted it so much that everyone understands this tough qualifying round, and moreover, it fits into the story plot.

Also Read | Tere Ishk Mein movie review: Dhanush, Kriti Sanon’s outdated, heavy-on-melodrama film takes us back to dark ages

But for all non-aspirants, are aspirants picking UPSC for love, status, or other narratives?

Films may exaggerate, but they reflect a real trend. It can’t be denied that many young people may be attempting UPSC for reasons beyond passion. The reasons may be for social validation, family pressure or relationships. Sometimes even as a “sabse bada comeback” narrative for themselves.

This is also why UPSC arcs in films resonate as the exam carries emotional currency. A character attempting UPSC instantly earns seriousness, respect, and depth. It may or may not matter whether he/she actually becomes an officer.

So why is Bollywood milking it so much?

Simply because UPSC checks three parameters that cinema loves:

1. UPSC stories are built-in high stakes: If you fail, your world collapses. If you pass, your life changes. So, in films, makers don’t need to invent stakes; the exam provides them.

2. An aspirant’s life on the big screen guarantees a middle-class connection: IAS and IPS have been aspirational symbols for decades. A film that includes them automatically taps into a nationwide sentiment.

3. UPSC angle in films has a ready audience base: With millions of aspirants, parents, siblings, coaching centres, films showing the UPSC part will have a huge, emotionally invested audience.

And what if the story flops? Well, then one needs to revisit the basics of filmmaking. The UPSC angle alone won’t save a film. The emotional thread needs strong writing, not just a prelims plot twist.

Will Bollywood’s UPSC obsession continue?

Most likely, yes. As long as the exam remains a national obsession, filmmakers will keep using it. But the challenge now is to move beyond clichés. The ‘sacrifices for UPSC’ plot, the overdramatic study scenes, or the romanticised “hero becomes IAS for love” storylines won’t suffice if the viewer has many options to watch.

The real UPSC world is far richer. The failures, dropouts, resilience, depression, reinvention, friendships, loneliness, and raw reality are what a true aspirant is aware of. That is territory Bollywood hasn’t fully explored.

Until then, we will keep seeing IAS dads, clueless heroes, and prelims as plot twists.

Whether the film with UPSC tadka will crack the box office? Unlike UPSC, it doesn’t depend entirely on merit.