6 movies with life-changing rags-to-riches tales, on Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and Disney+ Hotstar

Who doesn't love a good success story? The grit and resolve of the lead characters, the inevitable hurdles in their path, the falls that come before the rise, and finally, the breakthrough—all make for a compelling watch, even more so when they're based on true stories. If you're feeling a little stuck in your rut, we've put together a watchlist of some incredible rags-to-riches movies—both fictional and based on real events—to inspire you this weekend.

Super 30 (2019)

Based on the life of renowned mathematician Anand Kumar , this film chronicles his journey from an underprivileged student to one of the most revered teachers in the country. Anand (Hrithik Roshan) is forced to give up his dream of going to Cambridge due to financial problems, but gets a chance to teach aspiring IIT students at a coaching centre to turn his life around. His conscience kicks in fairly quickly when he sees that the education industry worships nothing but money and he quits his job. He decides to start his own coaching for a batch of 30 underprivileged, brilliant students and vows to get them into the college of their choice without charging a single penny.

Streaming on Disney+ Hotstar

The Pursuit of Happyness (2006)

Struggling to make money and sustain his family, salesman Chris Gardner’s life is on the ropes. His failures lead to his wife abandoning him and their five-year-old son. As Chris struggles to sell bone density scanners, things look up for him a little as he’s offered a six-month unpaid internship at a brokerage firm. He has a chance at getting a full-time job and works hard, leaving his son at a daycare centre every day. Never letting his circumstances hinder his performance at work, Chris has been one of the most inspiring characters on celluloid till date. The film is based on a real-life memoir.

Streaming on Amazon Prime Video

Guru (2007)

An ambitious Gurukant Desai lives in a small village and aspires to be extremely successful. His father often refutes his ambitions, telling him that it's worthless to dream. He travels to Turkey and starts working in the spice trade, but soon returns as he wishes to work for himself. He marries Sujata, moves to Mumbai and sets up a cloth trading business. Guru's company grows exponentially but his ambitions don't die down, which leads him to start using illegal means to increase profits. As the same doesn't sit well with people around him, he is exposed by a newspaper journalist. However, Guru refuses to stand down and decides to fight back to reclaim his business. The film is said to be based loosely on tycoon Dhirubhai Ambani's life.

Streaming on Netflix

Scarface (1983)

Tony Montana (Al Pacino) finds himself in a refugee camp in Florida in the ’80s. Soon, as he finds a way to get employed, he's offered a chance to attain a green card by working for drug dealer Frank Lopez. Following in his footsteps, Tony makes a reputation for himself in the business through his new, violent ways of functioning. But still unsatisfied, he aims to own everything that Frank does. While, eventually, he does succeed in doing so, he loses control of himself once in power. Tony's rash decision-making and short temper trigger the downfall of an empire he worked relentlessly to build. The film showcases the classic case of practicing illegal ways to rise from the rags to riches, only to face the inevitable consequences.

Available to buy on Amazon Prime Video

Rocket Singh: Salesman of the Year (2009)

Harpreet Singh Bedi is a fresh commerce graduate who, despite not being too bright, is an honest person. After getting a job as a salesman at AYS Computers, he comes face-to-face with the dark side of the corporate world where bribes and false advertising rule. Unable to digest this, Harpreet decides to start his own company named Rocket Sales Corporation and begins operations from within AYS. The company starts competing with AYS to the annoyance of the MD, Sunil Puri. Rocket Sales' reputation trumps all competition due to their dedication to customer satisfaction. However, things get out of hand when Sunil finds out the truth.

Streaming on Amazon Prime Video

Limitless (2011)

A washed-up writer, Eddie Morra lives a less-than-ideal life as he struggles to find success in his endeavours. He meets up with his former brother-in-law, Vernon, who gives him an experimental drug called NZT-48 to help with his creative block. After taking the drug, Eddie realises he has gained the power to control others and use his brain with extremely high efficiency. He seeks Vernon for more dosage but finds him murdered. While he does call the police, he steals the drug and a huge amount of money from his house. Using the newfound abilities, Eddie decides to invest the money in stocks and sees immense success. However, things take a drastic turn when he realises he's being hunted.

Available to buy on Amazon Prime Video

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