3 Idiots
“3 Idiots” is a Bollywood movie released in December, 2009, in the U.S. India
Aamir Khan is slowly becoming a savior for Bollywood. The beleaguered Indian film industry for the last two years has faced diminishing returns at the box office. In 2008, during the Christmas week, “Ghajini” was released to a resounding box-office success. The movie generated record receipts at the box office and became the number-one grosser of all time for Bollywood. Fast forward to 2009, and it is Christmas time again for a new Aamir Khan movie, “3 Idiots.” Adjusted for inflation, “3 Idiots” is on a course to become the biggest blockbuster in the Bollywood history, surpassing “Sholay” (1972) and “Ghajini” (2008). Just like “Ghajini,” “3 Idiots” has provided the necessary impetus at the box office and created a semi-revival of the Indian film industry.
“3 Idiots” tells a simple of tale of three friends, inexorably connected during their college days at an engineering college. The movie begins when Silencer, played by Omi Vaidya, calls two friends, Farhan (R. Madhavan) and Raju Rastogi (Sharman Joshi), ten years after their graduation. Silencer claims to know the whereabouts of their third friend, Rancho (Aamir Khan). Of course, Silencer is wrong and this triggers a chain of events to trace Rancho.
The movie at this point switches to the flashback mode, where we get a first glimpse of the friends’ college life and how they met. Rancho, Rastogi, and Farhan were roommates during the course of their degree program. The college is headed by a strict academician, ViruS (Boman Irani), called Virus by the students. Through a series of events, we understand that ViruS’s teaching methods have put various students under immense pressure. Rancho takes issue with this and goes head-to-head with ViruS.
Meanwhile, Rastogi’s father has been bedridden due to a coma for quite some time, but recently his health has deteriorated. As a dutiful son, Rastogi is under tremendous pressure to graduate on time so that he can take care of his father and find an appropriate groom for his sister. However, things don’t go as planned. Raj and Farthan always end up as the last two students in the class, whereas Rancho always tops the class. One night, the three friends break into ViruS’s house and urinate on his door. ViruS finds out the perpetrators and rightly decides to suspend Raj from the college.
Along the way, Rancho falls in love with Virus’s daughter, Pia (Kareena Kapoor), which ViruS vehemently disapproves of through his actions. In the present time, right before the intermission, Rastogi and Farhan came to know about Rancho’s true identity. Teaming up with Silencer, Rastogi and Farhan again hit the road to find Rancho. Later, with the help of his friends and destiny, Rancho is united with his love, Pia.
There are various factors that contribute to the inevitable success of “3 Idiots.” The movie questions the very foundation of the Indian education system. Owing to considerable societal and parental pressures, prospective college students end up applying only to engineering and medical colleges, often against their wishes. In most situations, they don’t get a say in planning their careers if it is other than the engineering or medical field.
It is this aspect of “3 Idiots” that connects with a wider audience. At some point in our lives in India
The movie’s success also depends on how it highlights its core message. In a way, the movie’s message is non preachy, but for some viewers it may come across as heavy-handed due to its repeated references. Rancho’s methods to address the issue might not gel well with his teachers, but they open the door for a deeper introspection by its audience. “3 Idiots” comforts us with the idea that it is absolutely all right to align career options even if it means not getting selected into an engineering or a medical school. In fact, people should decide their career based on what they think is appropriate and desirable rather than letting others decide.
“3 Idiots” drops all the conventional stereotypes that are associated with a Bollywood movie, like unnecessary melodrama, forced comedy, and uninspiring dance sequences. In fact, “3 Idiots” packs all the ingredients--such as drama, comedy and drama--in the right proportions to create a highly entertaining flick. Apart from a few cheap jokes, the comedy surprisingly works at all levels. For instance, the Balatkar (Rape) speech and Pia’s interpretation of Dhokalas (a snack from the Western region in India
In addition, there a couple of stylistic choices that the director employs. For instance, the director deliberately switches between color and black-and-white modes in scenes showing Rastogi’s house. These self-citation scenes are reminiscent of Bollywood movies of the 50s. The limited black-and-white palette conveys that things are not pretty for Rastogi’s family and that they see him as the sole source of their financial well-being. The director, Hirmani, appears to be experimenting with the medium here, but it nevertheless works with the general tone of the movie.
Overall, the movie is warm and comforting, which enables us to connect to its characters. Nonetheless, there are a couple of issues in this movie. My biggest beef with “3 Idiots” is the way the writers have scripted the character of Rancho. For some viewers, this might be the biggest strength of the movie, but I consider it to be its predominant weakness. Right from the onset, we know that Rancho is a bright kid and that there is something different about him. However, his persona on the screen resembles that of a godsend angel who is the sole embodiment of knowledge in the college and that his friends and teachers are a bunch of losers. I understand that writers face pressure from producers to cast the main hero in the movie this way, but it tends to minimize the acting abilities of its otherwise competent supporting cast.
Aamir Khan, who plays Rancho, seems to be in command of his acting skills, although his role bears a resemblance to his previous efforts in “Dil Chata Hai” (“What Heart Likes,” 2001), “Rang De Basanti” (“Paint it Saffron,” 2006), and “Jo Jeeta Who Sikander” (“Whosoever Wins Is the King,” 1992). As it appears, his college-boy template is overly used by now. This is where “3 Idiots” is unoriginal and uninspiring, considering the portrayal of its characters. More so, Aamir Khan overshadows the supporting cast in every scene. Consequently, the supporting cast ends up being one-dimensional characters, where they tend to agree with Rancho and his methods.
Apart from this, a minor plot hole surfaces in the climactic scene. Rancho disappeared soon after graduating from college, thereby making it difficult for his friends to trace his whereabouts. For all these years, Rancho did not make any effort to find Pia. However, Rancho somehow found Millimeter (another character in the movie) and mailed him the train tickets to come to Ladhak. On the other hand, Pia ends up with the same guy that she rejected ten years before. How is that possible?
In spite of these shortcomings, “3 Idiots” reignites the old formula with new techniques, thereby making it a terrific entertainer. You will surely sing to its tune by saying “All is well.”
Parting thoughts:
“3 Idiots” has created a sensation in India India
In the past, Bollywood has been reduced to a one-hit industry. I just hope that this movie inspires other Bollywood filmmakers, as the filmmaking techniques used do not conform to the old Bollywood formula. The climax of the movie, with the prospective runaway bride, Pia, on a scooter, pretty much sums up the entertainment value this movie brings. I can guarantee that you won’t think of a vacuum cleaner in the same way as you do now after watching the movie. In the end, as people will say, “3 Idiots” is a complete paisa wasool (worth your money).
Ranjan’s Final Score: 7/10
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