3 Idiots

3 Idiots [Online image]. (2009). Retrieved July 25, 2015 from https://klling.wordpress.com/2013/03/24/3-idiots-2009/3-idiots-poster/

    The narration majorly surrounds the story of three engineering students, Farhan Qureshi, Raju Rastogi and Rancchoddas Shyamaldas Chanchad, who enrolled in Imperial College of Engineering, one of the best colleges in India. While three of them came from different backgrounds, hold distinct personalities, they still end up in best buddies and share the same hostel together. Out of three of them, Farhan was the only one that owns a dream himself, which is to become a wildlife photographer, but unable to pursue it due to his father’s strong expectation on him becoming an engineer. Despite that, Raju came from a poor family background, with his coughing mother, his father paralyzed in bed, their water supply from 24-hours water leaking roof, and his unwed sister, Raju was forced to study hard and graduates with a degree so that he would be able to find a fine job and earn money and bring his family out from this wretched living conditions. Unlike Farhan and Raju who came from modest background, Rancho was a wealthy genius that has a curious mind. Rancho was often question things and definitely a pain in the head for all lecturers, especially Virus, the designated “evil” protagonist in the overall film and the director of ICE. Ever the non-conformist, Rancho questions the ICE systems and always rejects the philosophy from Virus where one must compete and sacrifice other in order to reach the top position. However, little did he know that this system was the cause of many lives of students being sacrificed. Evidently, his son and one of the students in ICE, Joy Lobo committed suicide due to his cruel and apathetic on their learning ways and their passions towards their pursuit of career path.

    Rancho challenges Virus by teasing him in every possible way, including one of the events where Rancho and Farhan substituting obscenities into the script in which Chatur Ramalingam or “Silencer” would be presenting a speech at an award ceremony. As expected, Chatur ignorantly memorized every word in the script and mindlessly humiliated Virus in front of the students and guests without noticing anything was amiss. Chatur was furious afterwards and went to challenge Rancho where he makes a bet on which of them would be most successful after ten years though Rancho did not take it seriously. Not only did they offend Chatur, Virus also intended to make revenge on them. After the exam, Farhan and Raju fuddle themselves up as they came the last two whereas their best friend Rancho came first in the exam rank. Both of them challenged Rancho to propose to his love that is Pia, Virus’ second daughter if Rancho wants them to pursue their own dream and to break free from their family’s burdens. As a result, they went to Virus house in the middle of midnight where Rancho went to Pia’s room to propose while both Farhan and Raju urinate in front of Virus compound’s front door. Although they manage to escape from being caught on the spot, Virus knew it was their mischief. Virus then compelled Raju to make a decision whether to expel Rancho out from college or him himself disappointing his family. Raju who cannot bear to betray both his friend and his family went to commit suicide from Virus’ office window.

    Fortunately, after extensive care from his best buddies and Pia, he recovered from coma. From that day on, their friendship was more deepen and Farhan and Raju even follow Rancho’s advice of pursuing their own passions. At the end, Farhan and Raju found Rancho who had lost and out of contact for many years after the graduation ceremony. It was revealed that Rancho was impersonating this person to earn a degree for him and his real name was actually Phunsukh Wangdu. He had also become a successful scientist and a schoolteacher in Ladakh.

    The film emphasizes more on the social status quo nowadays, not only in India but also worldwide. Due to the fact that people nowadays excessively regard on having a high-paid job like engineer and the job status in the society, people forgot their passions and abandoned the values to pursue their own interests. Moreover, the film also intends to convey the message of education systems in modern days stress a lot on results rather than knowledge they obtained through learning. As a consequence, cases of students commit suicide increasing. It is also believed that the director intend to send the message to its audiences that there was many possibility to become success in life besides obtaining a degree in top college or university. He (Rajkumar Hirani) wants the audiences to understand that there is numerous ways to achieve material wealth and challenges the conventional ideology of earning a degree in study life. The director (Rajkumar Hirani) himself as well as the film “3 Idiots” clearly wants to portray the ideology of nonconformist to society. 

    Bollywood is well-known for its light-hearted romance and action genres, with musical numbers inserted in the intervals of movie. Usually, the settings were decorated with elaborate designs especially during the dancing and singing parts. The use of massive people dancing and the random interchange of sets truly portray the theatrical performance where it also sustained the culture of Indian in film aesthetic language. Romance theme was normally the main plot or subplot for the thorough film. To emphasize the epic romance journey both male and female characters share, the stage setting in a theatre-like location was the most suitable visual place to show their strong love bond. Not only it entertained the audience’s eyes but also brings out the vivid culture dance and elaborated decorations that India has.

Portray of Pia's love relationship with Rancho. (2009) [Image, screen capture]

   Unlike classic Hollywood style, which applied skin-ship or kisses scenes to portray the romance relationship shared between the characters, Bollywood involved less kissing scenes in the overall film. Instead, the performance and interaction between the lover character through dancing and singing somehow uplift the romance atmosphere surrounds the two love birds. Besides, the melody would often imprint in every audience’s heart and the tune would be haunting everyone’s mind which also became one of the key elements for Bollywood became a hit in the blockbuster movie. For instance, the rhythmic tune melody of “All is well” in three idiots’ movie has recognized through worldwide. 

"All is well" melody. (2009) [Image, screen capture]

    Bollywood would usually focus on the issue on stereotypical gender role like gender, sexuality, Asian-Americans, globalization and postcoloniality. (Desai, 2006, p.3) It is a tool to define and construct dichotomies between nation and culture in India. (Ginta, 2004, p.3) Evidently, in the film “3 Idiots” it discussed about the stereotypical in job status in India. Moreover, the harsh society towards lower class also was portrayed in the film. For instance, even though Raju’s family live in poverty, there seems to be no social community provide help. Moreover, Virus did not took pity on Raju and insist on kicking him out of college study.  

    Returns to the topic of challenging dominant ideology of what drives success, the film “3 Idiots” did a good job by staging the story platform in college setting. Generally, college or university was the pre-staging for one to survive in a competitive society. Yet, education systems nowadays pay attention more on results than on the knowledge that students acquire. In this film, the director (Rajkumar Hirani) gave a different conception on pursuing success in different way. Having a prestigious degree wasn’t the only way to pursue material wealth in the future. The director (Rajkumar Hirani) also intends to convey the message of become open-minded in every possible way and restrict oneself by the boundaries set by the society. Thus, the fantasy character Rancho was born. He was both smart and often think out of the box. Through the perspective of society, he was a troublemaker, but that was because he breaks through the constraints of pursuing knowledge. The character itself was indeed a role model to fight the dominant ideology that many past generations had imposed on the new generations. Nevertheless, the pressure and expectations came from the past generations only force the new generations to a verge of depression and even commit suicide. By following the pace of Rancho through the film, there was much philosophy to be learned from his dialogue. For instance, there was the event where both Farhan and Raju drunk after failing to raise their position in the exam rank, Rancho gave his advice to both his friends. He assured Farhan to go pursue his passion of becoming wildlife photographer and stop obeying his father wish. Whereas to Raju who questioned Rancho that he still failed although he interested in engineering, Rancho stated that was because he was always scare of his family’s expectation and scare of unable to find a job. Both Farhan and Raju were the reflections of today youngsters who either forced to fulfill their family’s expectation or being compelled by the environment factors. The message that the film wants to transmit was none other than breaking free from conform to the established society’s beliefs and notions. 

Rancho is persuading both Raju and Farhan. (2009) [Image, screen capture]

    In terms of cinematography, the director (Rajkumar Hirani) cleverly guides the audience into the illusion of participation in the film. On the introduction of the narrative, the audience confusingly follow Farhan nervously and eagerly to meet Rancho. The audience saw how Farhan deceived the airline staff in order to get off the flight just to meet Rancho. Then again, we saw how Raju was too anxious to meet Rancho until he forgot to wear his pant out. At this point, the audience would start to look forward to this character that could drive both his friends so anxious to meet him. 

Farhan and Raju were eager to meet Rancho. (2009) [Image, screen capture]

    Furthermore, when they finally reached the destination, there was no sign of Rancho, but Chatur waiting for them. Even though Chatur was so arrogantly showing off his 3.5 million mansions and his luxury Lamborghini car, Farhan and Raju showed no interest on it, but keep asking Rancho whereabouts. At this point, Chatur mentioned the day when he bet with Rancho about whoever would become the most successful on the same date, September 5^th after ten years. The flashback of that day cut into the scene, revealing minor parts of that day event. 

The significant date that Chatur bet with Rancho on who would become the most success. (2009) [Image, screen capture]

    This somehow stimulates the curiosity of this mysterious character named Rancho and question of “what’s happen ten years ago” would be the main key to guide the audience back to the past event. Thorough the film, the story was focused more on their college life with some present event punctuated into the plot, reminding the audience that they were looking at the past and that Farhan and Raju still tracking down Rancho. By portraying the actors’ exaggerated reaction and humorous manner, it ignites the curiosity of the audience towards the mystery identity of Rancho. 

    After the opening credit and Hindi music fades in, the story pattern was narrated in an alternate period between present and past events. It began with Chatur persuades Farhan and Raju to meet Rancho which he claimed to know his whereabouts. Then, the story altered to past events where Farhan and Raju first met Rancho. By following the story sequences between past and present events, the audience began to know this mysterious character; Rancho while also understands the reasons for Rancho to earn such trust from his two best friends. The director (Rajkumar Hirani) first creates the mysterious identity to Rancho and slowly reveals his characteristic and subsequent events that make today Farhan, Raju and Rancho. The purpose perhaps wants the audience to discover the mystery behind these men and to absorb the moral value behind this film deeper.

    Although the film reflects the stress condition in today society and intellectual systems, it did not preach the message. Rather, it gave the spectators two different opinions on becoming success – whether to have multiple wealth materials like Chatur or to achieve the passions in life like Rancho. The audiences were left to ponder on the topics themselves and to decide the real success through their own opinions. 

    By entitled the film “3 Idiots”, the film in fact discussed on who is the real idiots though the answer was vague and it depends on the point of view of the spectators. One of the events that best demonstrate the different perspective of learning was the event when Chatur and Rancho were still freshmen. During a lecture class, the professor wants the students to elaborate the definition of machine. At first, Rancho explains the machine in a clear and simple way, but the professor did not appreciate it. On the contrary, he only accepts Chatur’s answer which was complicated and pretentious. This scene was clear to show that people often prefer lengthy and intricate sentence without having to comprehend the meaning of the words. Thus, the professor chose to believe the learning way of Chatur memorize the definition like a robot than appreciating the way Rancho practice his critical thinking ability and apply it in everyday life surrounding. Rancho was claimed as an idiot by the professor and that was the second time the film title “idiots” being discussed. Nevertheless, that was the personal opinions made by the professors and it did not completely prove that Rancho was wrong.

The professor kicks Rancho out of his class. (2009) [Image, screen capture]

    In one of the scene when Rancho was forced by Virus to lecture in class since Rancho deny his education systems, Rancho randomly write down two words and gave everyone 30 minutes to define it. Everyone in class was panic and flustered on searching the definition through textbooks, including Virus himself. However, it was later revealed that the words Rancho wrote did not exist at all, he just promptly created it. Surely, Virus was infuriated by it, yet we audience noticed that the people who impose the “idiot” on Rancho was idiot by themselves as they did not think critically instead acted like a robot which solely memorized terms. 

Rancho was forced by Virus to give lecture. (2009) [Image, screen capture]

    The film intensely reflects today’s education too rely on memorizing and had neglected the importance of comprehending the true wisdom behind every learning process.  According to one of the film critics in India, he stated that not only institutions in India, but many institutions nowadays focus more on producing a bureaucracy to serve the corporate sector, than cultivate original thinkers. (Mayank Shekhar, 2009)

    The film’s storytelling sequence was definitely not new and uncommon in the film industry, yet what makes it different was the impact it has on the audience’s belief to the norm that has been obeyed by diverse nationalities and cultures. The director (Rajkumar Hirani) also invites the audience to ponder on the issues in education systems, whether to sustain the traditional standards of study or to break free from the boundaries and try a second way to help people to appreciate knowledge again and to regain humanity in the society. 

References

Chang, I. (2011, February). Three Idiots: A Trip of Discoveries and Enlightenment. manycinemas. Retrieved July 20, 2015, from http://www.manycinemas.org/Irenna_Chang.html

Desi, A. (2009, December 30). 10 Lessons From 3 Idiots. Retrieved July 20, 2015, from http://amreekandesi.com/2009/12/30/10-lessons-from-3-idiots/

3 Idiots. (n.d.). Retrieved July 20, 2015, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3_Idiots