Hichki

Aisha Chaudhary, played by Rani Mukerji, is a 31-year-old teacher who suffers from a rare neurological disorder called Tourette's Syndrome. This condition affects her nervous system, causing involuntary tics, facial spasms, and verbal outbursts throughout her daily life. The tics and spasms become so severe at times that they disrupt her classes, causing embarrassment to both herself and her students. Aisha's life takes a dramatic turn when she receives the news that her school, where she works as an art teacher, will be shutting down due to financial constraints. As the closure gets underway, a new school, National Public School (NPS), opens its doors, offering Aisha a chance to restart her career. However, the management at NPS initially refuses to hire her due to her condition, which they believe would affect her ability to teach. Undeterred by the setback, Aisha sets out to prove them wrong. She applies to teach at NPS again and this time, to her surprise, gets accepted to teach the Class 9 English literature students. With a bit of persuasion from her husband, Rajeev (played by Supriya Vinod's son, Siddharth Shukla), Aisha gets set on the right path to transform the lives of her students and more importantly, her own. As Aisha begins with her new class, she sets out to win over the hearts of her students. Despite an initial hesitation, they slowly begin to accept Aisha, with her unique set of experiences and her creative teaching methods, which they find quirky but endearing. The Class 9 students, consisting of students from different socio-economic backgrounds, find themselves drawn to Aisha's unconventional but engaging method of teaching. However, things become complicated for Aisha when she meets her new principal, the strict and formal Mrs. Narayan (played by Neeraj Kabi), who takes issue with Aisha's teaching methods. Narayan believes that Aisha's condition makes her unsuitable for the role of a teacher, and demands she either shape up or leave. Meanwhile, Aisha discovers that one of her students, a struggling boy named Rohan (played by Pragya Kelkar's son, Rohan Dey) is dealing with anxiety, low self-esteem and bullying at school. Recognizing an opportunity to not just teach but also connect with her students, Aisha decides to help Rohan by offering him a chance to speak his mind. With her guidance and encouragement, Rohan opens up about his struggles with anxiety and finds solace in sharing his fears with Aisha. Inspired by Aisha's empathy, the entire class begins to connect on a deeper level with her. The turning point for Aisha arrives when she receives news that she is being replaced as a teacher by someone else due to her condition being a major concern. The news devastates her, and in a moment of despair, Aisha realizes she must take drastic steps to prove that she's not only a capable but a caring teacher as well. In a bold move, Aisha confronts Mrs. Narayan with her own insecurities and fears. By sharing a harrowing account of a particularly intense episode that had her tics go completely out of control, Aisha challenges Narayan's preconceived notions that her condition will hinder her students' performance. Moved by Aisha's courage, Narayan agrees to give her another chance. However, Aisha faces one final hurdle when her students are put up for an English recitation competition. As per standard school policy, a teacher cannot be present on stage with their students during the recitation, citing that it would create distraction. Heartbroken, Aisha realizes that she will have to find a way to make this exception work for her. With her students' support and love, Aisha finds an alternative solution by having Rohan be her voice. She helps him prepare for the competition, which becomes a way for Rohan to channel his anxiety into a more positive force. Together, Aisha and Rohan come up with a plan where Rohan speaks the monologues while Aisha accompanies him with sign language. Their plan is accepted, and for the first time, Rohan gets a chance to shine on stage. The recitation day arrives, and the NPS students face off against St. Michael's School at their annual English competition. In a heart-pounding moment, Rohan takes the stage and Aisha begins to accompany his recitation with sign language, her condition becoming a blessing rather than a curse. With this unique collaboration, Rohan and Aisha create something truly remarkable, which leaves the audience and judges alike in awe. In the end, Aisha emerges victorious, having finally silenced her critics and proved that her biggest weakness is in fact, her biggest strength. This story serves as a beautiful tribute to those who dare to be different, proving that our imperfections can be the key to unlocking our greatest potential.