Bollywood celebs express gratitude to their teachers; say ‘Thank You’

NEW DELHI — On the occasion of Teacher’s Day, Bollywood celebrities shared heartfelt gratitude to their mentors, thanking their teachers for their guidance and love.

From an engineering student to a National Award-winning actor, Kriti Sanon has come a long way in her journey ever since this Delhi girl made her debut in the industry, just nine years ago.

Taking to Instagram Stories, Kriti shared a collage of throwback pictures with her mother and wrote: “From being my first teacher to my forever cheerleader Happy Teacher’s Day Mom.”

Kriti’s school teacher also sent a message to the actress on the occasion of Teacher’s Day about how proud they all are of their alumna.

The video shared by Kriti shows her teacher saying: “Hey Kriti, we are so proud of you. What a wonderful achievement to get a National Award for your film Mimi. We, at DPS RK Puram have always known that you were going to create a niche for yourself in the film world. In school, I remember in Class 6, what a wonderful dancer you were, and always occupying the centre stage.”

“And when I became your class teacher in 11th, I realised that not only were you a wonderful dancer, you were so academically oriented – one of our toppers, a great speaker and a great writer and you were a part of the poetry club as well, and the student council. It was always so evident that you will create a niche in your future life, doing engineering, going to the world of films and reaching here, at this point, getting the National Award. Congratulations to you, from all of us and all the best,” added Kriti’s teacher. 

Sara Ali Khan expressed gratitude to her directors for teaching and training her as an actor.

Sharing a collage with directors she has worked with to date — Aanand L Rai, Rohit Shetty, Imtiaz Ali, Abhishek Kapoor, Laxman Utekar, David Dhawan–, Sara said: “I feel that as an actor it’s most important to always be a student- and to keep learning and unlearning on every set. From Rohit Sir’s masala commercial cinema, to the sensitivity of Aanand Rai and the mass appeal of Laxman Sir to the quirky and unique story telling of Homi sir.”

“I’m very privileged and thoroughly grateful to have had such versatile experiences. I hope I can continue leaning and growing and entertaining my audiences under the guidance of my directors,” she added. 

Rajkummar Rao wrote on Instagram Stories: “Happy Teacher’s Day. A Big Thank you to all my teachers.”

Rakul Preet Singh said: “A heartfelt thank you to all the teachers who spend their time, energy, and love to educate our children. Happy Teachers’ Day!”

Veteran actor Anupam Kher shared a Reel video and conveyed his greetings on the Teacher’s day.

“My teachers played a great role in every aspect of my life. Whatever I am today, it is because of their education,” he said.

Kriti Kharbanda shared childhood school photos of her and penned a long note, saying: “When I was in class 2 at Baldwin Girls High School in Bengaluru, Mrs Sheila Mathews, my class teacher, looked at me one day and said you have such expressive eyes my dear!’ She was well-dressed, confident and so charming. I was in awe of her!”

“I looked at her straight in the eyes and said, ‘Miss, I want to dance in the class play’. The next thing I know, I was standing tall on stage, facing an empty hall, with just a handful of seats filled upfront with teachers. That was the first time I danced on stage and felt like I belonged. But so did she,” said Kriti Kharbanda.

The actress further said: “She was the first person who saw a fire in me, that maybe even I didn’t see at the time. She called in my mother and said we want your daughter to headline the play and my most amazing and supportive mother encouraged me to not just be a part of it but also contribute to our rehearsals post-school hours!”

“I got very lucky. This was probably the first step I took towards acting, in my own way. I’m grateful for everything that followed I performed in every lit club activity, auditioned for ads, shot for ads, watched movies day in and day out! I genuinely and honestly, thought about Mrs. Mathews the day I signed my first film too. This teachers day, I want to thank every single of my teachers, who helped me become a version of myself that I’m so proud of P.S. I don’t have a picture from this particular performance, but here’s a little something from another performance at school,” added Kriti.

Nimrat Kaur, who plays the role of a school counsellor in the show ‘School of Lies’, said dealing with young children is a different ball game. 

Nimrat shared her favourite Teacher’s day memory, and her shooting experience as a teacher for the show.

The actress said: “Teachers form an important part of a child’s life and while we celebrate our teachers, recognising and thanking the people who are key in helping us grow. I remember celebrating Teacher’s Day with such gusto – dressing up, performances, cards, roses and celebrations for our mentors in the best way possible.”

“School was fun because of them, in a way. But in today’s time what’s amazing to see is how teachers focus not only on students’ academic well-being but mental as well. It’s an added responsibility and they do it so well, without complaints,” said Nimrat.

“With ‘School of Lies’, I got a chance to step into their shoes in a way. While it was different than a subject teacher, dealing with young children is a different ball game altogether. Kudos to all of them who do it all day, everyday with such grace,” she added.

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