3 Idiots Movie review

“3 idiots”, the latest offering from the Raju Hirani-Vidhu Vinod Chopra team has definitely been different for them; atleast with respect to the level of hype created prior to the movie’s release. And with good reason. For one, it comes three years after the hugely successful “Lage Raho Munnabhai”. Secondly, it is loosely based on Chetan Bhagat’s cult novel “Five point someone”. Add to that a stellar starcast that includes Kareena Kapoor, Boman Irani, Sharman Joshi, R. Madhavan and, of course, Aamir Khan. If this does not generate hype, I don’t know what will!! Now that the movie is out, the big question is, “Does it deliver?”

Thankfully, in this case, Aal izz Well. Very very well indeed. Despite a run time of almost three hours (Hirani’s longest movie to date), the movie is never boring. Like his other two movies, this too is a clean,  light hearted entertainer that extols virtues like friendship, caring for others, and all the other good stuff; and proves that you don’t need cheap thrills to make a successful movie in Bollywood. For this could be Hirani’s most successful movie yet.

The movie starts with Farhan (R. Madhavan) and Raju (Sharman Joshi) embarking on a journey in search of their long lost friend, Rancchoddas Shyamaldas Chanchad aka Ranco (Aamir Khan). The journey takes them down memory lane to the halls of Imperial College of Engineering, where the three met, and they revisit the various events that shaped and indeed changed their lives. As the movie progresses in flashback, we are shown the unique bonding of the three idiots, amidst the hardships of life in a premier engineering college, made all the more terrible by the autocratic dean Professor Viru Sahasrtrabuddhe (ViruS, as the students “lovingly” call him). Add to that Rancho’s romance with ViruS’ daughter Pia (Kareena Kapoor), conflicts with the college nerd Chatur Ramalingam (Omi Vaidya in an impressive debut) and the enmity between Rancho and ViruS caused by Rancho’s revolutionary antics, and we have a full fledged college movie.

Like the Munnabhai movies, “3 Idiots” works primarily on the strength of its script, breezy narration and well defined characters. While the movie may not be as well written as “Munnabhai MBBS”, the movie still works on every level. The fact that some of the gags are not original does not make them any less funny.  However, the movie does slip into melodrama mode at certain times (probably to emphasise the seriousness of the subject of pressure on students); and one scene does verge on absolute stupidity (the scene where a baby is born). The second half does stretch a bit, but has some very powerful scenes forming the core of the film’s message (notably the conversation between Farhan and his father, and Raju’s job interview), so you won’t really mind. Music, like in every other Hirani movie, is more suited to the script than standalone listening, though “Aal izz well” and “Give me some sunshine” deserve repeated listening to.

As expected, the performances in “3 Idiots” are brilliant, and star-power gives way to the script. Kareena Kapoor does justice to Pia, despite limited screentime. Boman Irani has shown why he is a constant in all of the Hirani movies; he just becomes ViruS, who epitomises the rigidity of the college. Omi Vaidya has made his character (which could have easily become a caricature) flesh and blood. Watch him especially in the scene where he delivers a speech in Hindi. Absolutely mind blowing. A word of mention to the guy who plays Millimetre – he really makes an impression. Let’s also not forget the beautiful IIM – B campus, which becomes a character in itself. As for leads, R. Madhavan as Farhan proves that he is an actor equally watchable in Hindi as he is in Tamil. Sharman Joshi delivers a marvellous performance as Raju, the scared idiot with his share of family troubles. It’s hard to imagine another actor in his role. Last but not the least, the man who can transform himself to any character – Aamir Khan. It never crosses your mind that this is the same person who was a revenge seeking hulk just last year in “Ghajini”. Aamir Khan is Rancho in his every pore, as he adds one more to his list of outstanding performances. The chemistry between the three leads makes the movie.

To sum up, the worst thing you can say about “3 idiots” is “It’s nice”. It is definitely one of the best movies in a year which has seen quite a few impressive movies. And what’s more, it just adds to the festive spirit. Go ahead, enjoy yourself. “Aal izz well”, maamu.