The Nostalgic Nuances: 3 Idiots
“Reminisce, Relive, Revive” has been the theme of NITTFEST 22’ and I see no better way to do justice to it than reviewing a movie that holds a special place in our hearts. Who hasn’t heard of “3 Idiots”, a movie filled with gallons of nostalgia and not to mention, very relevant to an engineering student, or any college student for that matter?
“3 Idiots” is a movie that captures the very essence of the meaning of life. We have often grown up with the perception that “life is a race”, a dialogue associated with our beloved antagonist with a redemption arc, Virus. We behave as though each new challenge is a competition and the first to reach the finish line is deemed the most successful person in life.
Aamir Khan, through his enactment of the carefree, albeit brilliant Rancho, takes us through the journey of an engineering student in one of the most premium institutes in the country (well, this certainly hits home).
The movie demonstrates how Rancho tries to break the shackles of the hefty Indian education system by trying to change the perception of Indian society which usually revolves around an education that is centered on rote learning with the sole purpose of earning a hefty sum of money and ultimately settling abroad. Rancho, on the other hand, wants to shape society in a way where one follows their passion, however much others might discourage the path you pursue. I quote his dialogue, albeit dubbed when I say “Don’t chase success. Chase excellence, and success will chase you”.
His other iconic catchphrase “All is well” forms the crux of the entire movie. With these two mottos to go by, he manages to excel in all his semesters and holds the first rank. This he does, not by cramming information and studying day and night, but by identifying engineering as his passion. He’s forever curious when it comes to the internal working of any contraption involving engineering.
Chatur, who identifies himself as Rancho’s rival, is the epitome of how India’s colleges produce monotonous robots rather than develop the character of an individual. According to Chatur, Rancho’s ideals do not work in the real world, and following your passion without thinking about grades and a stable job equates to a child’s fictitious imagination.
Another aspect that the movie brings to life is the selflessness and the extent to which Rancho goes so as to convince his friends, Farhan and Raju to make the right choice. Farhan’s father had explicitly designed a career path for his son as soon as he was born. His words, “Mera beta engineer banega.” are almost a custom in Indian society. Rancho encourages Farhan to chase his dreams and become a wildlife photographer and chides his father for not letting his son choose a path for himself.
Rancho’s other friend Raju on the other hand doesn’t seem to excel in his exams despite his love for engineering. Rancho identifies that the root cause of this complication does not stem from a lack of interest in the subject, but from fear. He convinces Raju to get rid of the charms and rings on his fingers in the hopes that God might come through for him and guide him towards cracking exams. In due course, Raju stops fearing for the future, as he had been accustomed to, and starts focusing on the present.
This movie also deals with extremely relevant topics in today’s society like suicide, the inbuilt stereotype that boys grow up to be engineers and girls grow up to be doctors, and the academic burden students face in colleges. The ending is definitely something that elates us, seeing Rancho’s ideologies come to life in the real world. This movie is indeed the paradigm of an ageless masterpiece that will be remembered for generations to come.
