Not Your
Typical Student
3 idiots is an Indian comedy film
with enormous success from film critics’ penned good reviews and box office
performance reaches US 190 million, the highest box office film gross for a
Bollywood film.
The story is happening in a
fictional college called Imperial College of Engineering where 3 main
characters are the college students. Rancho, the protagonist of the film, is a
very intelligent student who challenges the education system. Farhan, the narrator
of the film 3 idiots, is aspired to be a wildlife photographer but his father
wants him to be an engineer. Raju, a poor student from a under privileged
family with a handicapped father and retired mother, he has pessimistic view on
his life during college years. Rancho, Farhan and Raju become friends during
their study life in college. They share their dream, struggle and emotion as
they care for each other very much. The film singled out the society issue in
negative effect of education destroys family relationship. Controversial topic
related to this theme like suicide, estranged family and education crisis flow
thru the story with various characters in different time zone. The film make
history as it praised for many reason, one of it is because it touches people's
heart by reflecting the students' feeling who go thru the education and inspirational
to revolutionaries the education in our reality world.
Life of Farhan is shaped base on the
expectation of his father during the first flashback scene in the film. His
father happily announces his son would be an engineer when he stills a baby.
Viewers could tell that Farhan is sad and disappointed thru his moody tone of
narration as he mildly complaints nobody in his traditional indian family ever
ask him what he wants to be in the future when he walks into the college. The
clash between two generations is a common scene for most family; especially it
involves career and study decision.
During the scene of college students
meet with Mr. Viru, the college headmaster for the first time, Mr. Viru is
giving speech of the competitive environment of his prestigious college. He
uses the bird Cuckoo as a metaphor, survival of the fittest to remind them the
high expectation and qualification of the college. To further reinforcement, he
drops a box of enrollment letters on the ground to tell them they are the
students chosen by the school over four hundred thousand candidates. The scene
is a symbolization of Indian society's obsession for doctorial and engineer
courses with the myth of bright future guarantee. After the speech, Rancho
raises his hand and asks Mr. Viru to use pencil instead of pen in outer space
can save cost of space pen’s development. Mr. Viru becomes nervous and the
students laugh because of it. This scene shows the innovative and critical
thinking to solve problem with alternative solution, which is the most
important part of education, not just reads thru books and go for exam.
Rancho’s desire for knowledge outweighed fear and humiliation, he would not
hesitate to ask for clarification when in doubt, and even the person he refers
is in a higher position as they are viewed superior in asian society.
Then,
Rancho’s refusal to submit to the traditional method of study by challenge the
authority when he asked to explain the definition of machine is another scene
needed to be highlighted. He gives a simple answer to the lecturer by defines a
pants zip as a form of machine. Fellow students laugh at him and his lecturer
calls him idiot and asks him to leave the class. Rancho standbys himself and
fires back to lecturer with complicate definition of a book which embarrass the
lecturer and his classmates laugh at it. Asian education system im general doesn’t
educate students, but to train a machine that gets grade A in the exam and it
is the major problem of education. The movie shares a clear message of the
traditional teaching method doesn’t work out, yet it destroys students’ spirit
who wishes to learn new knowledge.
After
the first dance sequence, Rancho sends a mini helicopter back to Joy Lobo, only
to find him commit suicide. This scene is the first climax of the movie as the
death creates shock value for viewers. Students commit suicide to escape study
pressure is quite familiar in all level of institution. It is a plague that
affects society that students face intense pressure everyday in school. In the
funeral, Rancho points out Mr. Viru are the real killer in this suicide case as
he is the one who gives Joyo Lobo harsh treatment. The headmaster is provoked
and turns angry when Rancho offers alternative and flexible teaching style.
This is a metaphor of our education for being old-fashion and stubborn to
accept new idea for better learning environment. As a result, staggering figure
of suicide cases would be the worst consequence if nothing changes from current
situation in the school as Rancho points out the seroiusness of it in India.
As a
Bollywood film, the Indian culture is easy to spot in this modern comedy. While
most scenes’ background is featuring campus and city, there are still many
touches of Indian thru the movie, especially with actors’ costume. Right from
the start, air-stewardess’s uniform is the Indian lady formal wear, sari. It is
the first impression for viewers to acknowledge this incident happens in an
airport somewhere around India. Next, Rancho with his gang wear pink neon
turbans in the Indian traditional wedding also highlight the cultural
reference. For the second wedding ceremony, Pia, the bride wears an orange
bridal gown to run away with Raju till she meets Rancho. The gold accessories
like nose ring and earring also compliment the bride in several scenes. On the
other hand, we can see the traditional wedding clothes of the groom as it is
the main prop of the joke in the marriage ceremony, not to mention the jasmine
flower headpiece Raju uses to cover up his face. The brightness of color attracts
the viewers’ attention thru the actors’ costume to reflect the beauty of Indian
vibrant culture.
There
are 2 dancing sequences with the first one to be collage male students dancing
around in the bathroom. It is a common trait for most Indian movie to feature
dance sequence while the actors lip-sync to the song, 3 Idiots is no different.
The first one happens in a public bathroom as the guys sing their heart out
with water splash and burst everywhere. The usage of water to convey the
actors’ feeling is constantly featured in rain, drizzle and water fountain. For
the second dance sequence, Rancho and Pia confess their love to each other in
Pia imagination. It is the dance that showed on most Indian film as love theme
is heavily featured in it.
For
sound effect, the first introduction scene of Pia has the sound of woman’s soft
hymn to enhance her beauty when she turns around. This is another signature
style of Indian film, together with the hair flows with the wind. Another interesting
sound effect would be the traditional Indian music instruments played at the
background of Indian wedding. It gives an exotic touch to this modern film.
The
movie 3 Idiots shines like a diamond in a sea of Bollywood films and creates
phenomenon success. Besides having the charming lead actor Aamir Khan to play Rancho,
the film success isn’t hardly to imagine as the plot tackles a lot of dark
topic in society with the infusion of comedy to balance thing out. The movie is
surprising highly entertain and inspiring for everyone who once a student for
now or before. People who watch this film would have a better understanding the
background of Indian society and appreciate the vibrant culture in Indian film.
Reference
[Somomon].
(1 April 2012). 3 Idiots.
