Starring Aamir Khan, R. Madhavan, and Sharman Joshi
Produced by Vidhu Vinod Chopra
Distributed by Reliance BIG Pictures
Rated PG-13 for thematic material, some disturbing images and crude humor.
3 Idiots (2009), a Hindi-language coming-of-age film, follows the story of three engineering students at the Imperial College of Engineering (ICE), one of the top engineering universities in India.
Among them is Rancho, who stands out from the other students because he isn’t there to outperform his classmates or stress over landing the best job offer; rather, he attends university purely out of passion for engineering. He puts more effort into conducting experiments and making gadgets than into studying for exams. In this high-pressure environment, most of the students believe that the only way they can succeed in life is to maintain a good academic record; the teachers, sharing the same belief, constantly rank and threaten to expel students based on their academic performance.
During their college orientation, Viru Sahastrabuddhe, the head of ICE, compares the best students to cuckoo birds, which he says lay their eggs in other birds’ nests and kick out the original eggs. “[Cuckoo birds’] life begins with murder. That’s nature. Compete. Or die,” Sahastrabuddhe announces the mantra of the school for all students to carry in their hearts.
But Rancho refuses; he follows only his own judgment. He skips classes he deems meaningless, challenges teachers’ authority when they are unreasonable, and above all, focuses unwaveringly on innovation while the rest of the students plunge into memorizing textbooks. While stress and anxiety dominate other students’ lives, Rancho skips down the hallway with curious eyes, searching for the next thing to fix or improve. The old-fashioned teachers, who have never seen such a carefree student, often call him an “idiot.”
All the authority figures expect Rancho, with his intelligence, talent, and dedication, to have an air of importance: They expect him to walk with rigidity, talk in professional jargon, and puff up his chest with pretentiousness. However, he brushes off these expectations, as well as others’ opinions about him, and maintains his childlike wonder and characteristic goofy joyfulness.
The other two “idiots” are his friends, Farhan and Raju. In contrast to Rancho, they aren’t studying engineering out of passion. Farhan fears that he will disappoint his father if he doesn’t become an engineer, and Raju needs a job to alleviate his family’s extreme poverty. However, unlike the majority of students, who pray desperately for Rancho’s downfall, these two recognize his uniqueness and are eager to learn from him. Rancho’s actions demonstrate the harm of living life by social expectations and show Farhan and Raju how to focus on what truly matters in life. In the beginning, Rancho comments that Raju “is living in fear, and [Farhan] is not living at all!” However, as the story progresses, we see Farhan and Raju gaining the courage to think and act for themselves and the transformation their newfound independence brings to their lives.
Although the story grapples with heavy topics such as depression and suicide, and comments on India’s problematic education system, the movie maintains a lighthearted tone, punctuated by Bollywood singing and dancing. Viewers unfamiliar with Bollywood movies may find it odd when the idealistic protagonist suddenly breaks into a frivolous song with exaggerated movements (my friends were thrown off by the first song). However, this juxtaposition is perfect for the story of the film: three young minds discovering how to flourish.
The combination of lighthearted tone and serious topics is endearing. Although this movie communicates an “individual versus the group” theme, it doesn’t focus on the difficulty of the individual’s struggle. Rather, it focuses on the happiness a man can achieve when he lives for himself.
In the movie, Rancho shares his secret to maintaining calm in stressful environments: “This heart scares easily. You have to trick it. . . . However big the problem is, tell your heart ‘all is well, all is well.’”
“Does that solve the problem?” Raju asks.
“No, but you gain the courage to face it,” Rancho answers.
3 Idiots is a cheerful movie you can enjoy in nearly any mood, by yourself or with good friends, to experience laughter, tears, and a more centered sense of self.
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