[Gentle music]
I wish you'd talked to me before making such a big decision.
ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN
[Somber music]
Dad, discussing it would've felt like second-guessing myself.
[Spray irrigation]
Why do it? What was wrong with that job?
[Pours a drink]
[Sigh]
It's a long conversation, dad.
[Zipping the bag]
Maybe so, but it's one we need to have, son.
I need to know why you quit your high-paying job
to join an ordinary coaching institute.
[Cutting the box]
It's an EdTech company, dad.
- -One that my firm was dying to invest in. - But did they?
Did their goals align?
Did your company believe
in MT sir's vision enough to invest?
[Soft music]
No, but someone surely will.
And it's my job to find that investor.
[Gentle music]
Son, I'm a teacher too,
which is why I understand MT Sir's vision.
And I respect him for that.
But will it work?
The world has changed.
Ideals don't fuel businesses anymore.
You're right.
But we're the reason the world's changed,
and we can either turn it back to how it was
or build something even better.
Dad, I wouldn't be where I am today without MT sir,
I owe my life to him.
And if I can't help him,
then what's the point of anything at all.
[Sigh]
Alright.
Where are you put up in Jaipur?
I'm at sir's place for now
[Knocking on door]
but I'll get a flat soon.
We'll talk soon. I've got to go.
Bye.
Nice job setting up the room.
[Chuckles]
Nice.
[Door locking]
[Birds chirping]
Did you see the other classes that day?
No, sir.
- Not yet. - Wait up.
Here.
You shouldn't have. I could've ordered lunch.
Why? Don't you like my cooking?
No. It's really good.
Don't worry. Eat it guilt-free.
I'll deduct it from your salary.
[Chuckles]
I see.
In that case, you can take my dinner order.
[Laughing]
- Okay. - Let's go.
Bye.
[Car horn]
Let's go in my car.
[Gentle music]
- Bye. - Bye.
[Traffic noise]
Was that your Dad on the phone?
Yes.
What did he say?
I'm sure he wasn't thrilled about your decision.
[Chuckles]
He wants you to join back?
No.
But he's sceptical about your vision.
He says the times have changed.
He's not completely wrong.
What we're doing is risky.
Sir, but the biggest risk is not taking any risk at all.
At least, we're not doing that, right?
You start-up guys love using quotes.
You've got them in your room too.
[Chuckles]
Is that how you get funds sanctioned?
What's the logic behind funding?
Sir, funding doesn't work like that.
Who gets funded, is less about logic
and more about trends.
People just want to go with whatever is trending.
How will we survive then?
[Gentle music]
We're swimming against the tide.
We'll be like the River Narmada. We'll flow the other way.
That would make a great quote.
"Be like Narmada-flow the other way."
[Chuckles]
Stamp your name on it.
Good idea, sir. I'll put it up in your classes.
[Laughing]
[Car's door opens and closes]
[Car door locking]
I'll get it, sir.
- Good morning, sir. - Good morning, sir.
[Indistinct chattering]
Dad was right about one thing though.
Times have changed.
Students today don't judge teachers
for having a nice car.
Instead, they feel proud and inspired.
[Soft music]
[Footsteps]
I have a class now, you can work out of my office.
There's a vacant class upstairs.
We'll set up your office there tomorrow.
Sir, don't worry. I can work from anywhere.
Are you sure?
I'll just need the Wi-Fi password.
- Ashwini will help you with that. - Okay.
What's the plan?
It's simple. I have a list of potential investors.
I'll start calling them right away.
Okay.
- Best of luck. - Thank you.
[Dramatic music]
[Gentle music]
Take a break.
You don't have to do it all today.
Finish the rest at home.
Sir, I'm in the zone.
I'll just make a few more calls. You carry on.
Mansi will be miffed.
[Laughing]
I'll be home soon.
[Chuckles]
You haven't changed one bit.
Still stubborn as ever.
[Poignant music]
So, from the graph of f of x,
to create the graph of f of mod x, we need to do two things.
Firstly, the graph on the negative x-axis,
delete it. Is it gone?
Since it's a modulus function,
the argument of this function will always be positive.
Hence this function will treat negative values
like positive values,
which implies that the graph
on the negative X axis
will be the same as
the positive X axis.
A mirror image.
And that's how we get the F of mod x graph.
- Any doubts? - No, sir.
Yes, Abhishek.
Sir, what if the graph is not available on negative X axis?
That makes our job easier.
That graph anyway had no value.
We erase it in the first step
so that it's out of the way.
Just make the mirror image of the positive side
and you're done.
Sir, will the graph F of mod x
always be even?
[Suspenseful music]
Ritesh.
Ritesh!
[Gentle music]
Can you please stand up and answer Abhishek's question?
What's the matter?
You did say you knew everything.
Answer him.
Can you repeat the question?
- I asked... - Abhishek!
Did everyone hear
Abhishek's question?
Yes, sir.
Then why couldn't you?
Are you deaf or plain dumb?
[Dramatic music]
I'm busy preparing for JEE.
I don't have time for inane questions in class.
Sir, what about the solution to the 5th question?
I'm still waiting on that.
Wait outside.
Take your bag and wait outside.
[Breathing heavily]
Yes, Abhishek.
The modulus function graph is always even
because it's symmetric near the Y axis.
- Okay? - Yes, sir.
- Is it clear? - Yes, sir.
If all the functions are clear, let's solve a question.
- Yes, sir. - Alright.
[Cleaning the blackboard]
[Scritch-scratch]
Start...
[Gentle music]
I'm done.
Good.
- Good. - [Pats]
While the others are solving this question,
you can solve this one.
[Scritch-scratch]
Done, sir.
[Suspenseful music]
Good.
Now solve this.
Done, sir.
Good.
[Paper rustles]
[Cleaning the blackboard]
[Scritch-scratch]
[Dramatic music]
Done, sir.
[Suspenseful music]
Next question.
Sir, done.
Next question.
Done, sir.
[Suspenseful music]
Done.
Sir, done.
[School bells]
That's all for today. We'll continue tomorrow.
Okay, sir. Thank you, sir.
[Zipping the bag]
Ritesh!
Are you okay?
I didn't intend to insult you in class,
but you saw how the lack of practice
slowed you down, unlike Abhishek.
I don't doubt your knowledge,
but practice is a must.
Focus on math and physics too, along with chemistry.
[Tongue click]
I appreciate your concern, sir. But JEE tests knowledge, not speed.
In-depth knowledge.
We have to solve 18 questions in 2 hours,
which are way tougher than the ones you asked.
Abhishek might beat me in objective-type questions,
but when it comes JEE level questions...
[Sigh]
Abhishek is not your only competition.
You need to be ready to compete against many other talented students across the country.
JEE is like life, it's highly unpredictable.
Anything is possible.
You never know what it will throw at you.
So, be prepared for everything.
[Dramatic music]
Ritesh!
[Utensil clanks]
Ritesh.
Hey!
What's wrong? Eat up.
[Spoon clanks]
This food isn't really edible.
[Thuds]
Hey...
Wow! We joined this mess for his sake
and he's mad at us?
Try studying for once.
I'm spending a bomb on you.
You're in a good school,
and now you also have access to tuitions.
Yet, your results are terrible.
Quit scolding me, grandpa.
You and dad weren't that bright either. How do you expect me to be a genius?
All I expect is that you pass.
Even we had managed to clear 10th grade.
Lord, save me.
What a bother this girl is!
[Temple bells]
[Indistinct chattering]
[Temple bells]
Hey! If you're planning to die,
jump off someone else's roof.
[Footsteps]
Grandpa gave you the room at my behest.
If his business shuts down because of you,
I'll land in deep trouble.
I don't need to jump off to die;
your mom's food will do the job.
[Dramatic music]
[Chuckles]
[Sigh]
Her food is not all that bad.
I've grown up eating it.
You've grown immune to it.
Once you step into the world outside, you'll discover what taste really means.
I see.
You were wrong earlier.
Genius isn't genetic.
If your dad and grandpa are...
Dimwits?
Does that mean, I can be smart, even if they are dimwits?
Well, I am.
Not academically though.
Only in the art of fooling people.
That's how I got you to join mom's mess!
[Gentle music]
[Chuckles]
But you look like a real genius.
The strict, bookworm types. What are you doing in 13th?
[Clapping]
I missed out by one mark.
I was supposed to be in the top 100,
but didn't make the cut.
One mark cost me a whole year.
[Poignant music]
So many of my friends are in IITs.
And I'm stuck here in Kota's Vigyan Nagar,
"The Great Vigyan Nagar"
The sewage system is a mess.
It's filthy with pigs on the loose.
And as for the teachers here - total god complex.
They think they can change everyone's lives.
MT Sir is one of them.
He won't stop preaching.
Today, one of his students even tried to one-up me.
They're getting on my nerves.
I hate this place!
[Poignant music]
I should've been in IIT.
I don't deserve this.
[Tongue click]
We don't always get what we deserve.
I deserve a better dad too.
Someone who doesn't live at the bottom of a bottle.
Someone who'd try to earn a living,
so Mom doesn't have to run a mess, and Grandpa doesn't have to manage this PG.
We all deserve a better life.
Yet, this is the messed-up life we live.
We've got to make do with it.
What?
Was that too much?
No. It wasn't.
What was the word you used...
- 'Soogli'? - Yes
- I didn't get that. - Don't you know what it means?
[Tongue click]
It means vile.
Like 'Yuck'.
Yuck.
Like that Abhishek, 'yuck'!
He's a horrid guy.
Yes.
He was trying to show off in class today.
I'll set him right in the next class test.
Vile fool.
[Laughing]
[Gentle music]
Stockdale Paradox.
What's that?
A way to deal with adversities.
It entails holding
two contrary beliefs
at once.
Meaning?
During the Vietnam War,
many American soldiers were held hostage.
Admiral Stockdale was one of them.
He noticed that
some prisoners who were optimistic,
and believed
they would be free by next Christmas,
never survived.
Because they'd desperately wait for Christmas to come.
Christmas after Christmas would pass
while they'd languish in prison. The grief broke them.
[Tongue click]
But prisoners like Admiral Stockdale
acknowledged their situation.
They knew they wouldn't be released by Christmas,
and would be tortured mercilessly.
Yet within, a different belief took root.
That some day, one day, they'd be free.
These prisoners
survived
and went home after the war.
Is there a connection between this story and fundraising?
Yes.
I didn't get it at first too.
Ritesh explained that fundraising is just like life in that Vietnam jail.
If you believe you will raise funds by a certain date, you're doomed.
But challenges like the business model not being scalable,
or even the vision itself - like we face,
have to be faced head-on,
with a firm belief that we'll find an investor some day.
Only then can we truly succeed.
Stockdale Paradox.
Is that why Ritesh has been toiling non-stop for the past month?
This whole start-up and funding thing is way over my head.
Same here,
but I'm learning a lot from Ritesh.
MT Sir?
Sir, do you know Sandeep Bansal?
- Sandeep? - Founder of that FinTech company 'Kharcha Pani'.
The one who took an exit last year and made close to 1800 crores.
Guess what?
He's ready to invest in Competishun.
Really?
How come? We haven't even pitched yet.
Sir, I had spotted his start-up and helped him get funding.
I talked to him on the phone, laid out your vision,
our plans, what we need, and he's really excited to join us.
Wow! Congratulations.
Thank you, ma'am.
[Laughing]
Don't overthink it. We have to meet him in Bengaluru tomorrow.
Start packing, we leave first thing in the morning.
[Happy music]
What are you doing, sir?
I should know my numbers as the founder.
The jargons you use - Sweat Equity,
Advisory Shares,
CAC, Revenue Rate are terribly confusing.
[Laughing]
Sir, don't worry. Sandeep won't get into that.
This meeting is just a formality.
The deal is already done.
I get that, but we must be prepared
just in case it comes up.
It's not always required to work hard.
Sometimes you just have to work smart.
And that's exactly what I'm doing.
We got this.
[Pages turning]
Last minute preparations don't produce toppers.
I'm just looking to save face, not top the class!
And I'm fighting for my life!
I can't eat the food made by Sheena's mom anymore.
My stomach's on fire.
I'm opting for another mess.
You're right. I'll do the same.
- No, you're not. - Why?
They can't throw you out now.
They won't find another tenant mid-session.
It's not that, it's about loyalty.
What loyalty?
We're not Raghuvanshi kings - our word isn't worth dying for.
We won't die. I spoke with Sheena, she'll sort it out.
I see!
[Patting on back]
Sheena to the rescue.
What's up with you two?
- Don't be silly! - Sheena on your mind!
[School bells]
[Gentle music]
[Paper rustles]
- Has he gone mad? - He deserves it, bro.
After all, he raised Series C funding with that shitty idea.
Pardon my French, sir. But he deserves to party like that.
In fact, I'm surprised he's not filled his jacuzzi with champagne yet.
- Oh I'm sure he's going to do that too. - He must.
Someone should show the world what f**ked up VC money can do to your head.
[Laughing]
They're investing blindly.
- It's crazy. - Indeed.
[Chuckles]
Anyway, great minds discuss ideas, not people.
Right? So, let's do that.
Sir, I like your vision and I'm completely aligned with it.
In fact, I agree many EdTech companies in the market
are just f****ing the students over...
[Sigh]
They're fooling students.
Teachers who pose as students' messiahs
turn corrupt once they receive funding.
So, there is clearly a need and space for an EdTech company
that intends to provide quality education to those students
- who really need it. - Yeah.
And that's exactly where we'll place ourselves.
But, sir, before that I need to discuss something with you.
The branding.
You mean the name, Competishun?
No sir, the name is totally fine.
In fact, I quite like it.
I'm talking about the style of teaching at Competishun,
and how it makes a student perceive the brand.
You don't like our teaching style?
Don't get me wrong, sir. It's effective.
Your results are proof of that.
But lectures at Competishun
seem to be serious and intense.
Lectures should be more...
[Tongue click]
fun.
- Fun? - Yes.
You mean with the use of text, animation, etc.?
No, you're doing that already.
I'm talking about a little poetry in class.
Some jokes, some songs.
Some fun with the students.
Lectures should be engaging.
Sandeep, I'm sorry,
I don't know which videos you saw,
but our lectures are pretty engaging.
There's no poetry, but jokes and stories based on topics
that help students understand better
are a part of our teaching style.
That's true, but it's not enough.
Have you seen the videos of other teachers?
Their entire lecture is filled with entertainment.
Because that's their focus.
We focus on studies.
We prefer jokes between lectures, not the other way around.
Then change the nature of the jokes, sir.
Generate some viral content.
Like that female teacher who had that slip of the tongue, remember?
That got their brand great publicity.
What kind of students will a shallow brand even attract?
Our focus is on quality education...
Sir, quality education comes at a cost.
Without a successful revenue model,
- we can't provide anything. - You're missing the whole point.
We spoke on the phone, right?
We're trying to do something different.
I know, Ritesh,
and I'm showing you the right way to do it.
We have to be practical here, right?
At the end of the day, it's a business.
We can't run it like a charity.
Sir, I've dug up some numbers.
There are some EdTech companies
that banked on their teachers' popularity
and reduced their CAC considerably.
Those teachers didn't get famous because of their intense lectures,
instead they went viral through their reels.
That is the best way to reach students.
[Poignant music]
Go back to your class, sir.
Start making daily vlogs packed with humor.
Talk about your heartbreaks and struggles. Let the sob stories flow.
Sir is a teacher, not a social media influencer.
He'll have to become one, Ritesh.
Teachers have to be influencers now
to attract students,
or their reach remains compromised, like it is with Sir.
He's right, sir.
[Suspenseful music]
- I think we're done here. - Ritesh, we'll have to be rational.
We're running a business, Ritesh.
Don't f*****g teach me anything about business.
And don't pardon my French.
Ritesh!
[Poignant music]
Sir, I hope you understand that I'm making sense.
Are you okay?
I f****d up, sir. I'm sorry.
Sandeep said one thing on the call but insulted you to your face.
Don't worry about me.
I'm not offended.
He didn't say anything
other investors wouldn't.
He's investing his money,
so he has the right to share his ideas.
He's not buying us off with his money!
Hey...
It's our fault.
We anticipated preferential treatment.
Things don't always go the way we plan.
Life is unpredictable.
Anything is possible.
[Somber music]
Anything!
[Paper rustles]
Settle down, please.
[Paper rustles]
[Indistinct chattering]
Yes, you heard it right.
Calm down.
The JEE council has made an important announcement,
which is especially important for students in the 13th batch.
JEE has changed its exam pattern.
- What? - Yes, let me explain.
There will no longer be any subjective questions in the exams.
The exams will now have multiple-choice questions.
Instead of 18 questions in 2 hours,
you'll have to solve 40 questions in the same time.
And to do that, we must work on our accuracy and speed.
We'll have to double it up.
JEE tests knowledge, not speed.
Abhishek might beat me in objective-type questions,
but when it comes JEE level questions...
[Somber music]
We have 5 months to prepare.
So students, buckle up.
We have to start anew and work harder.
In the next 5 months, we have to give it our everything.
[Somber music]