Director: Rajkumar Hirani
Starring: Aamir Khan, Madhavan and Sharman Joshi
‘A Magnificent Masterpiece’
Have you ever felt intense pressure to succeed in school?
Academic pressure is a common problem that impacts the lives of students. Everyone recalls memories of a time when they felt pressures to succeed in school studies. I remember facing an intense pressure to succeed in high school which changed my life forever. In 12th Grade, I faced pressure to succeed in a course which caused my graduation dreams to fade. Under anxiety, I struggled to cope with a math class in which I was destined to fail. Worried about my grade, I couldn’t cope with the challenges posed by a strict school system. Ultimately, I was able to overcome my anxiety to graduate from my school successfully. Nevertheless, the memory of academic pressure has stayed with me for my entire life shaping my identity. If there’s any lessons which I took away from my experience, academic pressure is a painful feeling that can have a negative impact upon a student’s self-confidence. Today, it’s safe to say that I have become aware academic pressure comes with a price to pay.
Few films I’ve ever seen have captured intense academic pressure which impacts students as powerfully as “3 Idiots”. Ever since its release in 2009, Aamir Khan’s movie has stood the test of time as a coming-of-age classic. Packed with breathtaking production-design, spellbinding storytelling and phenomenal acting, it’s one of the greatest Bollywood movies ever made. At the centre of it all is an extraordinary performance from Aamir Khan, who portrays a college student with a strong desire to succeed in school. Ultimately, the film delivers a meaningful message about the dangers of academic pressure which will resonate with everyone. Viewers don’t need to be fans of Bollywood movies to appreciate it. A mesmerizing Indian masterpiece, there’s many strong reasons why “3 Idiots” is a film that’s worth watching.
Set in India, “3 Idiots” tells a story about three friends struggling to cope with the challenges of the education system. Aamir Khan portrays Rancho, a rebellious student which feels out of place in his college. Rancho had a unique way of thinking that doesn’t fit with teachers in his regimented Indian college. However, Rancho’s life forever changes when he develops lasting friendships in college. Assisted by his close companions Raju (Sharman Joshi) and Farhan (Madhavan), Rancho embarks on a journey to discover his identity. As he faces the pressure posed by the Indian education system, Rancho questions whether it’s truly possible to achieve his dream. Facing a dilemma, Rancho wonders whether he can ever become an engineer in India.
Rajkumar Hirani is fascinated with the themes of education. A strong Indian filmmaker, Hirani has told stories about education in his career. Before he directed “3 Idiots”, Hirani was known for making movies about education in his career. His iconic film “Munna Bhai M.B.B.S.” offered an engaging glimpse at gangsters that seek to become strong doctors. With “3 Idiots”, however, Hirani made his first satire about the education system in India. It was the director’s first attempt to capture struggles faced by students unable to cope with intense pressures of India’s education system, but he succeeded tremendously. Through spellbinding cinematography, Hirani captures the journey of three college students seeking to discover their identity. Visually, the film is a feast for the eyes. Hirani successfully uses montages to capture the hardships that college students seeking success in India have to go through. For instance, montages elevate the All Izz Well sequence. During this unforgettable scene, the students are shocked to discover the grim suicide of a classmate. Through ingenious montages, Hirani captures hardships that college students in India often go through. Montages are tricky techniques to use in movies. Nevertheless, it works immensely in this movie. Through breathtaking visuals, Hirani captures commemorated Indian college students.
Another admirable aspect of “3 Idiots” worth discussing is the production-design. From a technical perspective, the movie is extremely well-made. Hirani’s decisions to shoot the film in real-life colleges across India is risky but it works tremendously. The real-life colleges in India lend a sense of authenticity to the movie capturing the education system of the country. For instance, the college locations elevate the class lecture scene. During this unforgettable scene, Ranchi is asked to stand up and deliver a lecture to his students. One admires real-life classrooms capturing lives of students that seek success in the education system. Besides, the musical score is magnificent. Sanja Wandrekar’s music is integral towards the film’s success. It gives the movie a tense atmosphere capturing the burden which commemorated college students bear. Through extraordinary production-design, Hirani captures college students facing a decline.
Storytelling is one of the main reasons why “3 Idiots” is an Indian film that’s compelling. The film is beautifully written, and effectively uses voice-over narration to capture the hardships of students in India’s education system. In Bollywood, most movies always portray the education system in a way which is stereotypical. Movies about education are scarcely ever true to reality. Fortunately, however, “3 Idiots” is an exception. Hirani effectively uses voice-over narration to capture the lives of students facing mental health tensions. For instance, narration enhances the opening scene. During this memorable scene, Rancho recounts memories of being a college student that shaped his identity. Voice-over narration is a complicated technique to use in films. Most Bollywood movies commonly have the tendency to use voice-over narration in ways that are unnecessary. As Nitesh Tiwari’s “Dangal” claimed, narration elevates commemorated sports dramas about wrestling. Nevertheless, it works tremendously in this movie. Through a spectacular screenplay, Hirani captures lives of college students in India that experience a painful price to pay.
One admires astonishing performances.
Aamir Khan delivers one of his greatest career performances as Rancho. Khan first achieved appreciation for playing cricket players in sports movies. With “3 Idiots”, however, he took on his most complex role. It isn’t easy to portray a college student seeking success in India’s education system, but he succeeds tremendously. It’s a commemorated role that gave the actor an opportunity to showcase his aptitude for comedy which he hadn’t shown in his career before. With riveting expressions, he captures the angst, desperation and rebellious nature of a commemorated college student seeking success in a competitive education system. It’s a phenomenal performance from one of the greatest actors working in the Indian film industry today.
The supporting cast is superb and also worthy of appreciation. Sharman Joshi is spectacular, capturing the dedicated nature of a student seeking to provide for his downtrodden family. Madhavan is magnificent, capturing a serious nature of a student seeking success in a school that requires a strong degree of commitment. Lastly, Omi Vaidya deserves appreciation. As Silencer, he brings hilarious comical relief to the movie.
Finally, “3 Idiots” will earn the appreciation of everyone for capturing the tensions faced by students in education. Unlike most Bollywood movies, it discusses universal themes everyone would relate to. The film tackles strong themes of career, identity and education which would resonate with everyone. Viewers don’t need to be from India to admire the movie. It delivers a strong message about dangers of academic pressure which will definitely strike a chord with everyone. Therefore, “3 Idiots” is one of those rare Bollywood movies everyone would adore.
Fans of Aamir Khan will definitely appreciate “3 Idiots” and so will movie-goers seeking meaningful entertainment. A mesmerizing Indian masterpiece, it captures the struggles faced by Indian students to succeed in education systems that are challenging.
Nearly 20 years following the release of a groundbreaking film about rebellious Indian college students seeking success in education systems that are challenging. it’s a riveting reminder about the dangers posed by academic pressures experienced by students in India that could contribute towards greater understanding about one of the world’s most misunderstood countries that has all-too-often been viewed negatively.
5/5 stars
The Film Buff 
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