Director: Rajkumar Hirani
Starring: Aamir Khan, Madhavan and Sharman Joshi
‘A Magnificent Masterpiece’
Not many actresses in India are as beloved as Kareena Kapoor. Ever since her rise to fame in the 1990’s, Kapoor has become an icon in Bollywood. Whether it is romantic heroines, rebellious teenagers or prostitute hookers, Kapoor has portrayed many strong characters. Arguably, Kapoor’s strength as an actress has always been her charismatic presence. She is one of those rare actresses that has always elevated every film she has made through her powerful presence. Even when she isn’t the main focus of a film, she is one of those rare actresses that has often left a strong impression. An actress that has achieved great success, Kapoor has always been dressed to impress. Throughout a bold career, Kapoor has made many memorable films which are worth talking about without a single doubt.
I’m a huge fan of Kapoor and adore all the movies which she has made in her career. However, “3 Idiots” definitely stands out as being her funniest movie. Released in 2009, Rajkumar Hirani’s movie offered a powerful portrayal of rebel college students. Packed with breathtaking music, strong storytelling and phenomenal acting, it’s one of the best Bollywood movies ever made. At the centre of it all is an extraordinary performance by Kareena Kapoor, who portrays a woman in a romantic relationship with a college student. Ultimately, what makes “3 Idiots” a classic is universal appeal. Unlike most Bollywood movies about college students, it discusses themes everyone would relate to. A brilliant Bollywood classic about college, there are many strong reasons why “3 Idiots” is worth watching.
Set in India, “3 Idiots” tells the story about friends struggling to cope with challenges of the education system. Aamir Khan portrays Rancho, a rebellious student which feels out of place in his college. Rancho has a unique way of thinking that doesn’t entirely fit with the teachers in his restricted Indian college. However, Rancho’s life drastically changes when he develops lasting friendships in his school. Accompanied by his compassionate close companions Raju (Sharman Joshi) and Farhan (Madhavan), Rancho embarks on a journey to discover his identity. As he endures pressure posed by Indian education system, Rancho questions whether it’s truly possible to accomplish his dream. Facing a dilemma, Rancho wonders whether he can ever be a brilliant engineer in a competitive college in India.
Rajkumar Hirani is fascinated with themes of education. A fantastic Indian filmmaker, Hirani has told tales about education in his career. Before he directed “3 Idiots”, Hirani was well-known for making movies about education throughout his career. His iconic film “Munna Bhai MBBS” offered a powerful glimpse at gangsters seeking to be doctors. With “3 Idiots”, however, Hirani created his first ever satire about the education system in India. It was the director’s first attempt to capture the struggles of students unable to cope with intense pressure of India’s school systems, but he succeeded. Through strong cinematography, Hirani captures the journey of college students seeking to discover their identity. Visually, the movie 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 heartbreaking scene, the students are shocked to discover the grim suicide of their classmate. Through montages, Hirani captures hardship college students are facing.
Another admirable aspect of “3 Idiots” that is worth praising is production-design. From a technical perspective, the film is extremely well made. Hirani’s choices to shoot the film in real-life colleges across India is risky but it pays off. The real-life colleges lend strong sense of authenticity to the movie capturing the painful education system of the country. For instance, college locations enhance the class lecture scene. During this engrossing scene, Rancho is requested to stand up and teach the class a lesson by his teacher. One admires real-life classrooms capturing lives of students seeking victory in a competitive education system. Besides, the music score is extraordinary. Sanjay Wandrekar’s music is integral towards the success of the movie. It gives the movie an engaging atmosphere capturing the burden which college students bear. Through fantastic production-design, Hirani captures the lives of college students with mental health experiencing a terrifying decline.
Storytelling is one of the main reasons why “3 Idiots” is an Indian film that’s compelling. The film is well written, and effectively uses voice-over narration to capture hardships of students in education. In Bollywood, movies portray the education system in a way that is stereotypical. Movies about the education system are rarely true to reality. Fortunately, however, “3 Idiots” avoids the pitfalls. Hirani uses voice-over narration to capture lives of students facing mental health tensions. For instance, the narration elevates the opening scene. During this engaging scene, Rancho recounts intense memory of being a college student that shaped his identity. Voice-over narration is a complex technique. As Nitesh Tiwari’s “Dangal” demonstrated, narration enhances 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 appreciates amazing performances.
Kareena Kapoor delivers one of her greatest career performances as Pia. Kapoor earned recognition for playing romantic heroines in Bollywood movies. With “3 Idiots”, however, the actress took on her most complex role. It isn’t easy to portray a college student that rebels against authority, but she succeeded. This is the actress unlike you have ever seen her before: intense, charismatic and utterly emotional in her most iconic role. With bold expressions, she captures the angst, strong nature and reckless spirit of a woman that participates in college completions. It’s an extraordinary performance from one of the finest actresses in India today.
The supporting cast is superb and also worthy of appreciation. Sharman Joshi is spectacular, capturing the dedicated natures of a student seeking to provide for his downtrodden family. Madhavan is magnificent, capturing a serious nature of a student seeking success in school that requires a strong degree of commitment. Lastly, Aamir Khan merits appreciation. As a rebellious college student, he is unforgettable.
Finally, “3 Idiots” will earn the appreciation of everyone for capturing the struggles faced by students in education. Unlike most Bollywood movies, it discusses strong themes everyone will relate to. The film tackles strong themes of career, identity and education which 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 that will definitely strike a chord with everyone.
Fans of Kareena Kapoor will definitely enjoy “3 Idiots” and so would audiences that seek heartfelt entertainment. A terrific Bollywood comedy, it honours an actress with a lasting legacy.
Nearly 20 years following the release of an iconic Bollywood film about intense college students which fight an unjust educational system, it’s a fantastic reminder about an actress that has made memorable movies in India without any criticism which definitely deserve stardom.
5/5 stars
The Film Buff 