3 Idiots (Theatrical)

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"3 Idiots" is a Bollywood movie released in December, 2009, in the U.S. (with English subtitles) and India. I invited my friend, Seema Garg Jindal, who watched the movie in India, to join me with her thoughts on the movie as well.

The film according to Ranjan:
Aamir Khan is slowly becoming a savior for Bollywood. The beleaguered Bollywood 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 for Bollywood.

Based on the book, "Five Point Someone", by Chetan Bhagat, "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 ViruSs teaching methods have put various students under immense pressure. Rancho takes issue with this and goes head-to-head with ViruS.

Meanwhile, Rastogis father has been bedridden due to paralysis 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 dont 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 ViruSs 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 Viruss 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 Ranchos 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 dont 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, we would have dealt with this issue, some finding support for their desired career options, while others might have to yield to the wishes of their parents. The mad rush to get into engineering and medical schools is overwhelming for some, which is very well depicted in "3 Idiots."

The movies success also depends on how it highlights its core message. In a way, the movies message is non preachy, but for some viewers it may come across as heavy-handed due to its repeated references. Ranchos 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 Pias interpretation of Dhokalas (a snack from the Western region in India), are laugh-out-loud scenes, specifically the Balatakar speech, which now has a cult following on YouTube.

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 Rastogis 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 Rastogis 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.