A classic at the end of the 1980s, Dead Poet’s Society, directed by Peter Weir and released on June 2nd, 1989, left an unforgettable impression on me. Set in the austere, tradition-bound world of Welton Academy for boys in 1959, the film explored the suffocating weight of conformity through the eyes of a group of boys who found themselves transformed by their new English teacher, John Keating. In a time where education was rigid, obedience was praised, and emotions were rarely spoken aloud, Keating encouraged something radical: individuality. Through poetry and passion, he ignited a spark in his students — to think for themselves, to speak with conviction, and to ‘seize the day.’ But what began as awakening soon collided against the harsh realities of authoritarian schooling and parental control. Neil Perry’s desperate bid for freedom, crushed by a father and mother who refused to listen to his dreams of wanting to be an actor rather than a doctor and an institution that demanded silence to any voices for help, ended in tragedy by Neil’s suicide through his own hand — a sobering reminder of the cost of non-conformity in a world that feared it. And still the one who was defeated more so was not the parents who had made Neil feel like he was not their own (son) but Keating himself which is a miscarriage of justice. Though the film powerfully portrayed the pain of suppressed dreams and the danger of emotional neglect which were a reality in 1959, it left an aching question: what if things had ended differently? What if the world had made space for their voices, their love for art, their need to live fully?
Into the new Millenium, 2000 came the Bollywood film Mohabbatein, a film that felt like more than just a love story — it felt like a response. Directed by Aditya Chopra and released in 2000, Mohabbatein presented a similar world of tradition and control, this time within the grand walls of Gurukul, another elite all-boys Indian boarding school where discipline reigned and love was forbidden. Much like Welton Academy, Gurukul was governed by a headmaster — Narayan Shankar — whose ideals left no room for personal freedom or emotional expression. Into this world walked Raj Aryan, a music teacher with a quiet fire, who, like John Keating before him, believed in the power of love, of passion, and of living life with heart.
What struck me was how Mohabbatein seemed to pick up the thread that Dead Poet’s Society had left frayed. The three young students — Sameer, Vikram, and Karan — each struggling with their own silent longings for love, mirrored the boys of Keating’s class. Yet this time, when they were given the courage to speak, to love, to fight for what they felt inside, they were not ultimately punished by unfairness of the earlier movie — they were heard. Raj Aryan, haunted by the memory of his own forbidden love, does not fade away like Keating — he stays, he resists, and through his gentle defiance, he transforms the very institution that tried to silence him. Narayan Shankar who was, so much like Neil Perry’s father (who he has taken the place of in addition to that of the principal Nolan in Dead Poet’s Society), is not left unchallenged; instead, he is made to see what his rigidity has cost. While I first watched Mohabbatein and 15 years later Dead Poet’s Society, I now realize a quiet justice unfolding — as if a cinematic balance had been restored. I see the version of events I wished for in Dead Poet’s Society: where poetry, music, and love were not crushed under the weight of tradition but were finally allowed to bloom. It was not just a romance. It was a reclamation – one to be known as to how and why.
- Vikram
While Dead Poet’s Society and Mohabbatein were made in entirely different cultural contexts — one rooted in a New England boys’ academy in 1959 America, the other in a prestigious Indian boarding school at the turn of the millennium — the spiritual DNA of both films reveals deep similarities in theme, with striking differences in tone and (climactic) resolution.
Settings and Academic Institutions
Both Dead Poet’s Society and Mohabbatein unfold in the confined yet symbolic spaces of elite all-boys boarding schools.
At Welton Academy, set in 1959 Vermont, the school’s mantra — Tradition, Honor, Discipline, and Excellence — functions as both an ideal and a barrier. Individuality is seen as defiance, and education serves as a mechanism to preserve societal expectations rather than inspire growth.
Gurukul, in contrast, may be thousands of miles away in time and geography, but the spirit of authoritarianism remains. Governed by the stern Narayan Shankar, Gurukul upholds Discipline, Duty, and Honor — with the added commandment that love is forbidden. It is not just conformity that is demanded, but emotional silence.
In both settings, rules are sacred, questioning is discouraged, and students are shaped to fit institutional molds — until a teacher arrives to transform it all challengingly.
The Students and their struggles
Both films center around a group of students, each of whom struggles to break free from societal constraints both from academics and family and suppressed desires — their paths often intertwined with a mentor who challenges the status quo.
In Dead Poet’s Society, the focus is primarily on Neil Perry, a young man with dreams of becoming an actor, but who is crushed by the weight of his controlling, authoritarian father and mother. Neil’s passion for theatre is constantly at odds with the rigid expectations set by his parents, who demand he follow a path in medicine. Alongside him are Todd Anderson, a shy, introverted boy who struggles to find his voice, and Knox Overstreet, who falls in love with a girl from a different social circle and pursues her despite the social risks. There are also other students, like Charlie Dalton, who rebels more overtly against the school’s constraints, and Richard Cameron, who initially embraces Keating’s teachings but later betrays him in fear of the repercussions. These students, each in their own way, grapple with the suffocating confines of Welton Academy, where their desires and dreams are viewed as a threat to the established order.
In Mohabbatein, the trio of main students — Sameer, Vikram, and Karan — all experience the quiet oppression of Gurukul’s repressive environment, which not only suppresses free thought, but outlaws love itself. Each of them falls in love with someone outside the boundaries of the institution — Sameer with a girl of a different caste, Vikram with a girl his father disapproves of, and Karan with someone forbidden by the headmaster’s rigid rules. They, like the students in Dead Poet’s Society, are taught to suppress their feelings and conform to societal expectations, but their journey is fundamentally different. They are encouraged by Raj Aryan to fight for their emotions, to challenge the system, and to live authentically.
The key difference between the two films lies in how the students’ struggles unfold. In Dead Poet’s Society, Neil’s pursuit of his dream ends tragically. He can’t find the courage to voice his true desires to his parents, and when their indifference and authoritarianism crush his spirit, he takes his own life. The other students are left grieving and voiceless, as Keating, the teacher who empowered them, is unjustly dismissed, and the school returns to its oppressive normalcy. It is a film about loss — of dreams, of youth, and of hope.
In contrast, Mohabbatein offers a far more optimistic resolution. Though Sameer, Vikram, and Karan face their own emotional battles, they do not succumb to tragedy. Through Raj’s guidance, they find the strength to stand up for their love, for their emotions, and for their right to live authentically. Raj himself confronts the headmaster, Narayan Shankar, and challenges the entire structure of Gurukul’s rules. In the end, the students’ voices are heard, their desires validated, and the institution undergoes a transformation. Unlike in Dead Poet’s Society, where rebellion ends in loss, here, love triumphs — not only in the hearts of the students but also in the very fabric of the institution itself. The change that Neil Perry never had the chance to see is brought about by Raj Aryan’s quiet defiance.
The Authority Figures
In both Dead Poet’s Society and Mohabbatein, authority figures play pivotal roles, often acting as the gatekeepers of tradition and the enforcers of conformity. However, the treatment and ultimate fate of these figures reveal significant differences in the films’ themes and resolutions.
In Dead Poet’s Society, the main authority figures are Mr. Perry (as well as his wife) and Headmaster Nolan. Mr. Perry, Neil’s father, is a cold, emotionally distant figure who represents the overwhelming weight of societal and parental expectations in the 1950s. His refusal to listen to Neil’s dreams of becoming an actor and his insistence on forcing Neil into a career in medicine leads to Neil’s despair. His lack of empathy and understanding directly contributes to Neil’s tragic fate. Headmaster Nolan, meanwhile, represents the rigid, authoritarian nature of the school. He expels John Keating, the teacher who encourages individuality and free thought, because Keating’s influence challenges the school’s rigid rules and pays no attention to the fact that Keating inspired his students to think for themselves and never really encouraged them to do what they wanted. Both figures, in their own ways, stifle the students’ voices and suppress their desires, and in the end, they remain unchallenged, continuing to uphold the system that caused Neil’s downfall. The film’s tragic conclusion is marked by the innocent Keating’s dismissal, as the school and both the cruel parents of Neil as well Nolan go unpunished for the pain they inflicted (and Nolan does not seem to understand that Neil wanted to act and his parents would not let him).
In Mohabbatein, Narayan Shankar, the headmaster of Gurukul, is a composite of the roles of both Mr. Perry and Headmaster Nolan. He too is a staunch enforcer of discipline, forbidding love and emotional expression at the school. He also serves as a father figure who, many years earlier, expelled Raj Aryan, who was a student at his school for daring to love his daughter, Megha, whose suicide because of that becomes the catalyst for Raj’s return to Gurukul. Shankar’s personal loss — the death of his daughter due to the oppressive emotional environment he created mirrors the tragedy of Neil Perry in Dead Poet’s Society. But in Mohabbatein, Shankar is not left unchallenged. Instead of remaining steadfast in his authority, Raj Aryan stands firm against him, not just as a teacher, but as a symbol of defiance. Raj’s emotional resistance inspires the students to speak up, and the headmaster is forced to confront the consequences of his rigid beliefs. In a powerful act of redemption, Shankar ultimately resigns from his post, symbolically handing the school over to Raj — a moment of poetic justice that marks the transformation of both the institution and Shankar himself.
The key difference in how these authority figures are treated lies in the resolution. In Dead Poet’s Society, Mr. Perry and Headmaster Nolan both represent unyielding authority, with no consequences for their actions; although Mr and Mrs Perry are distraught by their son’s death, they accept no responsibility but instead request Nolan to open an investigation into their son’s death which causes a drastic consequence for another innocent person, Keating. In contrast, Mohabbatein offers a redemptive arc, where the authority figure’s downfall is a result of his failure to understand the value of love and emotional expression. Narayan Shankar’s resignation marks a symbolic victory, not just for Raj Aryan, but for the students and their right to express their emotions freely. While Dead Poet’s Society presents authority as a force that remains unchecked, Mohabbatein offers the hope of change and growth, suggesting that even the most rigid systems can evolve when challenged.
The role of Women
Both Dead Poet’s Society and Mohabbatein grapple not only against oppressive authority figures and repressive institutions, but also with the presence—or not enough activity—of women, whose symbolic and emotional weight shapes the characters’ actions and fates.
In Dead Poet’s Society, Welton Academy is a hyper-masculine world where tradition, honour, and discipline leave no room for female presence, either academically or socially. The only significant woman in the story is Chris Noel, a girl from a nearby public all-girls school pursued by Knox Overstreet. Through social circles outside of Welton, Knox gets to know Chris, who already has a boyfriend. Undeterred by her initial rejection and the threat of violence from her current partner, Knox continues to express his feelings — most notably through poetry and an invitation to Neil’s play. His quiet persistence pays off when Chris begins to return his interest, and their subtle romance becomes a rare act of emotional expression in a setting that stifles all such desires.
Meanwhile, Charlie Dalton (who adopts the rebellious moniker “Nuwanda”) openly challenges the system by writing an article demanding that girls be admitted to Welton. Though dismissed as a prank for which he is punished, his bold act reveals a deeper desire to disrupt gender exclusivity and break down barriers of emotional suppression. Yet, despite these gestures, women in Dead Poet’s Society remain mostly off-screen, their emotional impact indirect, and the tragedy of Neil’s suicide ultimately underscores how a system that silences emotional and romantic desire can destroy.
Mohabbatein, in contrast, brings women into the heart of the narrative, both as symbolic presences and as active participants in the emotional awakening of the male students. Raj Aryan’s decision to bring girls from a similar neighbouring all-girls college to Gurukul for the male students as dance partners on his birthday is more than a celebration — it is an act of defiance against Narayan Shankar’s authoritarian ban on love. Unlike Charlie’s rebellious assembly stunt, Raj operates subtly, introducing women into the boys’ lives as dance partners, giving them a chance to feel, connect, and begin to articulate their emotions. Though the institutional rules still limit these interactions, the women become symbols of emotional freedom and possibility.
Among the three romantic subplots in Mohabbatein, Sameer’s love for Sanjana most closely parallels Knox’s pursuit of Chris. Sameer and Sanjana know each other from their hometown, but Sanjana is already dating someone else. With Raj’s encouragement, Sameer stays true to his emotions and gradually wins her over — not by force, but by sincerity. Just as Chris begins to see Knox in a new light, Sanjana ultimately chooses Sameer after realizing the immaturity of her current boyfriend. Both stories reflect romantic persistence rewarded not with conquest, but with connection.
But Mohabbatein goes further in integrating the emotional consequences of repression through the character of Megha, Narayan Shankar’s daughter and Raj Aryan’s lost love. Her suicide — the result of being forbidden to express her feelings and love for Raj — mirrors Neil Perry’s fate in Dead Poet’s Society. Both characters are crushed by fathers who refuse to listen, understand, or allow freedom of expression. Yet there is a key difference: Neil’s death is a devastating conclusion since his father (and mother) accepts no responsibility for his death, while Megha’s memory becomes a catalyst for change. Raj does not collapse under grief; he returns to Gurukul to challenge the system that destroyed her, determined to protect future students from the same fate. Megha’s father too ultimately realizes he was wrong in preventing his daughter’s love for Raj.
The contrast is striking. In Dead Poet’s Society, women are nearly invisible, their emotional presence whispered rather than spoken. In Mohabbatein, women are central to the narrative, from the joyful defiance of the dance scenes to the deep sorrow of Megha’s tragedy. The film acknowledges both the beauty and the cost of love in a repressive world — and crucially, it allows the memory of a silenced woman to become the driving force behind transformation.
Ultimately, both films highlight how systems that repress emotional freedom — especially love — cause deep and lasting harm. But where Dead Poet’s Society mourns the loss, Mohabbatein offers a vision of hope, showing that emotional honesty, even born from tragedy, can lead to healing and change. In doing so, it underscores a crucial truth: emotional repression affects everyone, regardless of gender or class — and liberation must include the freedom to feel, to express, and to love.