8 inspirational movies every Bahraini entrepreneur should watch

Let’s face it, we all love a good movie, the amount of dramatization of films always puts us in a good mood and is something some of us live for, and sometimes the best way to capture reality is through fiction.

Movies are a great source of inspiration and motivation; an amazing film can turn a trip to the movie theatre into more than just an excuse to relax. Movies are there to stimulate vision and imagination, the opportunities to learn from movies is so vast – they can even help you become a better entrepreneur! Want to learn how? Then keep reading.

Let’s be real though, movies don’t necessarily give you to tools and skills you need to become a better entrepreneur; and things can get pretty extreme movies. Exhibit A: The Wolf of Wall Street, yes it may be based on a true story but the storyline itself was a bit too far-fetched (great movie though). It’s not always about the glitz and glamour, some of these movies have a deeper underlying meaning to it and a serious message they’re trying to portray – we came up with a list of movies that does exactly that. Behold, eight movies we think entrepreneurs should watch and benefit from:

This coming of age comedy-drama follows three friends and their journey during their college years. The film raises awareness on the state of education and regulated study environments; it questions the idea of students being pressured to study in the field their parents want to and the challenges some students face when trying to follow their passion. The movie looks beyond the life of burdened students and makes us wonder why so many entrepreneurs are college dropouts or not necessarily great in academics.

Key takeaways: Do everything with passion and take risks, and that success comes is a long road.

Probably the tamer version of The Wolf of Wall Street, Wall Street follows Bud Fox (Charlie Sheen), an ambitious stockbroker who adopts the mantra “greed is good” in attempts to change his future forever. The movie showcases how easy it is to get swept away in wealth and the glamorous life. Gekko (Michael Douglas) is also a good source of inspiration, his hard-ball, and his never-give-up attitude is contagious. Shout out to Michael Douglas for being amazing in this movie.

Key takeaways: Don’t do it for the money and stay true to yourself and your ideas.

Somewhat based on the life of Dhirubhai Ambani, the main character Gurukant Desai marries a rich businessman’s daughter and uses his dowry to set up a clothing business in Mumbai. The controversial film portrays how his ambition and drive for his business led him to create one of the wealthiest companies in the country. While the film doesn’t teach us much about ethics, it does, however, stress the importance of ambition, perseverance and commitment.

Key takeaways: Age does not dictate your abilities, know your real value, and timing is everything.

Now this one is a tear jerker. The movie is essentially a memoir of Chris Gardner (Will Smith) and follows his journey on his breakthrough to Wall Street. The odds aren’t particularly in favor of Gardner throughout the entirety of the movie due to his educational background and race. The movie stresses the importance of courage, hope, persistence, and the value of hard work.

Key takeaways: Bad days are inevitable, don’t let your dreams die, and hard work does pay off.

After graduating with only 39%, Harpreet Singh is employed as a salesman. Shortly after his employment, he is shunned and mocked by his colleagues, and so decides to start a parallel sales company using his company’s resources, he even partners with four other employees form the firm. A great lesson to be learned from the film is that success is not dictated by academic excellence, Harpreet’s hunger for success, ability to pick the right people for his team, and his value for his team is enough for you to be left inspired.

Key takeaways: Dream big but simple, don’t procrastinate and start now, and that everyone is born with great potential.

Based on the book “The Accidental Billionaires,” the Social Network follows the story of young Harvard undergrad Mark Zuckerberg and how his concept became the global social phenomenon Facebook. Although the accuracy of the film is questionable, the movie teaches us how to take our dreams and turn it into reality; something entrepreneurs tend to do a lot of.

Key takeaways: Think of content and community first then revenue, if you have a great idea money finds you, and be indispensable.

The film’s protagonist played by Shahrukh Khan works as a bright young scientist from NASA who comes back to his village to find his childhood nanny. The film portrays the contrast of life of the highly developed world of NASA in comparison to life in the village inspiring the protagonist to generate electricity for his village. The film addresses the issues of development at a grassroots level and teaches us that as entrepreneurs we mustn’t forget our roots and that we all need to work for a better future.

Key takeaways: Never forget where you come from, stay true to yourself, and work for a greater cause.

Probably one of the all-time best movies for entrepreneurs, the Godfather tells the story of the growth of a small family business and the struggles they face fighting off the opposition until they become the largest organized crime syndicate in New York City. The movie highlights the importance of relationships and building networks, and the importance of understanding the competition. The movies are intensely entertaining filled with thought-provoking scenes that will leave you prepared to tackle your next business challenge. Also, Marlon Brando and Al Pacino, who doesn’t love those two?

Key takeaways: Always communicate, have a solid team, and be diligent and persistent.

There you have it, eight movies that will surely leave you inspired to take on any entrepreneurial or business challenge you’re facing. The next time you’re feeling down and unmotivated, remember this list, go through it and choose a movie to watch. You won’t be disappointed, trust me.

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