Monday, December 28, 2009

Aal izz well !

Saw the season bollywood blockbuster "3 Idiots" yesterday. Here are my observations titled under The Good, and The Bad! This post does not detail the whole movie plot/sub-plots (which you can check on Wikipedia) but only my observations. So this post will be useful only for those who have seen the movie :-)
Before you begin, please remember I am an IIT Delhi graduate, and an educationist for 17 years. These were precisely the theme elements of this movie.

The Good

  1. The youthfulness of the theme is refreshing. Young faces (almost adolescentish), fresh dialogues, fresh new vocabulary, peep inside a leading engineering college's supposed daily life.. all make for a good combination.
  2. Aamir Khan is superb. His simplicity in carrying out his role, aptly supported by Madhavan and Sharman is enough to keep you glued to your seats.
  3. The desire of the Director Rajkumar Hirani to give a strong social message through slickly crafted movies is worth applauding. Given his talent, he could have easily made slicker commercial flicks that would draw in more money without any social message(s). But he has ensured he keeps churning out movies with a message. Good work sir! All strength to you.
  4. Humour! Since I am a humour freak, I loved the mature sense-of-humour used throughout the movie. Quite dangerous on some instances, although!
  5. The simple message - teach what is direct, understandable and usable - is something I have always practised and hence could relate to, and appreciate.
  6. The human values portrayed deserve an applause - help otherse even if they have nothing to offer / be grateful to those who helped you / have a sense of humour in tough situations / when it's action time, don't dither / judge people by their character, not the price of brands they can afford
  7. "Aal izz wayle" is a superb theme! It is very refreshing, very entertaining, and very very positive. All is well here!
  8. I liked that though they pulled punches on the Director ViruS, but they never really "insulted" him in any way. They stopped short of that always. (The urinating scene is open to controversial interpretations)
The Bad

  1. Display of a ragging scene as part of initiation into the first year of engineering, is not a good idea. Ragging is a punishable offence, and the Supreme Court of India has been exercised on this matter for long enough now for filmmakers to understand the importance of not taking any chances of portraying it in their movies, howsoever mature, for the danger of trivialising the issue.
  2. Use of some objectionable Hindi words was overdone. I think they could have done with a 50% cut in the use of such words. When watching with kids, it gets uncomfortable.
  3. The whole idea of Aamir Khan joining ICE to help his guardian father's incapable son get a degree surrogately, is objectionable. It significantly dents other positive moral virtues being preached in the movie.
  4. The movie's ending balances Chatur's successful corporate career with Rancho's highly successful scientific career. There is a slight hint of disparagement towards "primary school teachers" in the sequence, and the message anyway is difficult to understand at that point in time.
  5. Drinking liquor is shown as a regular and quite-a-normal affair. That's pretty dangerous, and it may send a signal to many! Pia's drunken outpouring is explainable though.
  6. The quality of Hostel infrastructure shown in pretty unrealistic. I remember by IIT Delhi hostel toilets - aarrgh!
  7. The idea that those who cram and crack college exams was portrayed well, but got overdone. I mean, do students really distract others before exams so their grades can improve, using tactics shown in the movie? (I know, I know the Director reserves creative freedom, but it stretches the imagination a tad too much for people like me who have seen all this at close quarters).
  8. Rancho's suggestion that grades should not be publicly displayed is a good idea, but in India, it will not work. A better idea is to display only roll numbers and grades, and not names. That will be a good balance between the needs of transparency and decency.
  9. For the point no.8 above, the argument given by Rancho that when you visit a Doctor, and he finds your protein levels are low (something like that), does he show it on TV? But this is wrong logic. We are not competing against 200 more people in protein tests. So..
  10. Three idiots were seen driving a scooter on streets of Delhi (I'm right?) without wearing helmets. A seriously wrong portrayal!  (though I totally agree with Rancho's driving Raju's ailing father facing an emergency to the hospital alongwith Pia on the same scooter).
  11. The whole message of the movie got garbled at the end (at least as far as I am concerned) when Rancho turns out to be a great inventor / scientist and hence checkmates Chatur's claims to superior material success implying his methods being better. I would have been happier if Rancho was a school teacher encouraging his students to invent/discover things as they wished, and then bravely would counter Chatur's claims to material success being better.
  12. Corporate recruiters will generally not hire you if you tell them that you are on a wheel-chair because you were rusticated for an unmentionable act and then tried to commit suicide. The graciously magnanimous recruiters shown are a dream for all colleges! Ha ha
Before I close, here are the really hilarious moments

  • "Tum Gujarati logon ke khane itne khatarnak kyon hote hain?" (why do you Gujaratis have such dangerously named foods?) -  Dhokla, Fafda, Khakhra, Thepla ..
  • "What? Pia Chanchad? No no.. I won't change my surname after marriage!"
  • "What? Pia Wangdu? No no.. I won't change my surname after marriage!"
  • "Millimeter, go get this from the Director's Office.. here is the key" (and both the Director and Aamir throw a key towards Millimeter.. Aamir's is the duplicate stolen one for which he has just been punished!)
  • "I was born at 3:15 and at 3:16 my destiny was pronounced by Dad. Mera beta Engineer banega!"
  • The politician is laughing heartily when Chatur is speaking out his crammed speech with all invectives inserted.. but the moment the joke is on him, the politician gets upset, and leaves!
So turns out education is a fairly complex thing, with everyone having their ideas about how to revolutionise the whole system, redefine the whole concept and reinvent the way the world should work! Strength to everyone, my Lord, strength to everyone.

And yes, I hate the popcorns priced at Rs 50, 70 and 100! Come on multiplexes, days of super-profit mongering ought to be over!  (the problem is - with kids, you can't even say No. Ha ha)
~

18 comments:

Unknown said...

Sir totally agree with your views on movie...

Rather than taking liquor in movie by Idiots and pia. A message of "Stay away from liquor" was expected.

smthin differnt said...

Respected sir,
ur reviews abt blog totally agree...bt in india dere is need 2 change education system vich nly demand marks nt intelligence v nt understand book is meant 4 help...in india many students commit suicide... parents nt understand child potential...sooo even the movie has masala bt hv message...the peak time 2 change nt bcm the part of race...do wat u like....

Akshay Kothari said...

Respected Sir,

After reading your blog i imagined "3 idiots" as a heart which got a severe heart attack and you as a doctor successfully did a "Bypass" of the movie removing all the good and the bad artries & veins.
Thats called the superb review.Not read such analysis about any movie till now.

But from a perspective of an MBA student if "3 Idiots" is being considered as a product, its so beautifully furnished and launched in the market with infinity of perfection that consumer is feeling proud of watching it.

Hats off to the team on and off the screen.They really deserve Billions.

ALL izzzzzzzzzz ofcourse well if something is innovated with that perfection and dedication.

Thanks
Proton Akshay
Fall 09

Unknown said...

good morning Sir,
Your analysis of movie was fruitful for us because after watching movie we were not thinking about all these thing, but after reading your analysis i realize that we had to think about both aspect of the movie.
thank you,
Sir

Unknown said...

Good morning Sir,
I am totally agreed with your views on movie but sir I contradict on one point that when result was declared many of the students do the same which was shown in the movie.One of my roommate doing the same.

Sir this movie also convey one message to us that always study for future do no mug up the answers and always go for excellence not for success because if you have an excellence,success run behind you

Regards
Prateek Khatri

Unknown said...

Good morning Sir,
I am totally agreed with your views on movie but sir I contradict on one point that when result was declared many of the students do the same which was shown in the movie.One of my roommate doing the same.

Sir this movie also convey one message to us that always study for future do no mug up the answers and always go for excellence not for success because if you have an excellence,success run behind you.

Thank you sir

Regards
Prateek Khatri

Pratik Thacker said...

Great analysis Sir!!
Enjoyed reading!

Ronak Shah said...

Respected Sir, warm greetings.
I have read the fantastic blog with many valuable inside.
But I am not totally agree with you in certain points like they were travelling without helmet and cracking interview with straight forward attitude because it just in movie and no one generally takes it seriously.
other then it, it is full of inside and i really liked it.

keyur joshi said...

Respected Sir,

Thank you for your views regarding the movie '3idiots'.

Well, I saw that movie on last Sunday with one of college friend and it all reminds me about the 'DHINGAMASTI' we did while our graduation.

After reading your blog, I really felt that (according to me) you have forgotten to mention one of the really important good point.

Yes.. and that's about the friendship. Means how important the friendship is in our lives. Really, it certainly not helps us in our graduation only, it may also help us after graduation as well if we have good contacts of them. Like,, it may be possible that many of your IIT friends are still in your touch.. and they have been continuously help you in your business and in your social life as well. Its only about how much importance you are giving to them and how they may be useful to you.

In short, there is certain a place for friends in our life. No one knows when they may be useful to you.

Regards,
Keyur Joshi.(Symbiosis Institute Of Computer Studies and Research).

Unknown said...

Good Morning Sir,
Watching this movie just remind me of you because of your association with IIT. I just wonder that all this happen at engnn. colleges, is it real? but we all enjoy the movie which is having a important message inside it about education system. I also thinks that every time bookish language is not important what matter is the understandability of topic.

Thank you for this great analysis
Proton Nidhi Sharma

Dr. Maneesha Batra said...

Respected Sir,
Great observations sir.
Really loved reading it!!!!
Regards

Unknown said...

Good morning Sir,
It is really a nice analysis of movie.
I enjoyed the movie which is having inside about education system and living the passion.
I also think that only bookish knowledge is not important what matter is the understandability and practical knowledge of the topic. Also I believe that one should have to have enough knowledge in interested area.
As far as negative points in movie is concerned, I think, its just movie and not reality. Movie maker will show what consumer (viewer) wants. And thoda to chalta hai.

rs7025360 said...

Repected Sir,
Very thought provoking movie review. You us showed other aspect of the movie.

Regards.

Parul Pippal said...

Respected Sir,

It was a good analysis of the movie. I wanted to add one more thing in your "Bad" list.
I found Delivery scene a bit awkward. And the situation gets worse when the kids ask for the details.

Regards

Unknown said...

Parul - I totally understand.

Rakesh, Dr Maneesha, Prateek - thanks for reading and commenting!

Jayesh - yes, you are right. Dhoda liberty for director chalta hai. I have tried to help readers see more insights than a casual viewing would elicit.

Nidhi - life at IIT was (is) very demanding, and competitive, no doubt. Although the day to day stuff may vary significantly from what is shown in movies.

Keyur - yes, "friendship" is a sure benefit one derives from such places. I agree!

Rishi, Akshay, Ashwin, Ravi - thanks for reading and commenting!

manish chaurasiya said...

thank U Sir, for such a nice analysis. Its like virtually attending your lecture wherever in this world we may be.

No matter where do we go, but through such articles we would always feel connected to U and PT.

priyanka k. said...

sir thanks for a good review

YUVA said...

Good analysis by you.
i am just thinking what will be the song for the serious commerce graduates(although there are not many,except C.S,C.A's). I have tried for them,like---Sari umr hum.........jeene do.

kandho ........badhaya.
rishwat dena to society ne sikhaya,
75% se upper,to khushia charo aur,
nahi to bachcha DHOR!

Likh-2 kar yaad kiya hatho par ASSETS,CAPITAL,LIABILITIES ka chala,

Commerce ke pehle science aur maths ne pura bachpan jala dala.

I hope you like it.
For the movie i will say-ALL IZZ WELL!!!!!!!!!!!