Translating 3 Idiots to the U.S.: Why the greatest success has limited success
One of the greatest effects of modern globalization is the rapid exchange of media, including films from all across the world. While Hollywood has maintained its dominance in the film industry, international films have begun to increase in prominence and popularity even in the western world. The best example of this is Bong Joon-Ho’s Gisaengchung, or Parasite, (2019), which became extremely popular in America despite being a Korean movie filmed in Korea spoken in Korean, due to its unexpected plot, interesting characters, and social issues of inequality.
Known even more for its film industry is India, which cranks out thousands of movies each year through Bollywood (Bombay Hollywood) and various regional industries. Viewers watch Bollywood films from around the world, primarily in other South Asian countries, Africa, the Middle East, and the rest of Asia, yet these movies generally lack an audience from Europe and the Americas. One Bollywood movie has performed better than others in America: 3 Idiots, a comedic romance film in which two college friends try reuniting with their third friend who challenged their harsh education system in their college days through silly pranks.
At first glance, it may seem as though the movie was popular in India because of the famous actors that starred in the movie, Aamir Khan and Kareena Kapoor. And it appears that the movie was successful in the United States because it is a lighthearted comedy. However, countless other Indian movies have had famous actors and actresses, and how many domestic American comedies exist? I argue that 3 Idiots was successful in India and the U.S. because it tackles challenges people in both countries experience in education through a unique and engaging way.
During the pandemic lockdowns in May of 2020, 3 Idiots was the most watched movie worldwide (Cinema Express, 2020). Any Quora search of “Why is 3 Idiots so popular in ____” will yield the same results. The lighthearted comedy, fun songs, and goofy characters challenging the education system is irresistible. TheresaB from Santa Monica says, “Well, there’s a reason that this film is still popular after all these years: Universal theme of being who you are; power of friendship; sometimes “those in charge” don’t have our best interests at heart; pursue what you believe. Endlessly watchable (Santa Monica Public Library, 2019).” People from both India and the United States can relate to the pressures of balancing fun with school, and people from both countries understand why one would want to change the educational system that puts little emphasis on mental health.
Alternatively, 3 Idiots translates well to middle-aged Americans because it resembles a “snob vs. slob” (Mecchi, 2006) comedy, like the American movie Animal House, that this audience is probably familiar with. Dramas over a child being excommunicated because he married someone he loves from a different religion or social class obviously are not applicable to an American audience, but a movie about a series of pranks by weirdos to expose the faults of the education system can be applied to American viewers. Steven Spielberg, the American film-directing legend himself, has seen 3 Idiots three times due to its “emotional undertones (Chauhan, 2020),” undertones, not overwhelming expressions of emotion. Perhaps this difference in style of 3 Idiots compared to other Bollywood movies is the reason why it is more successful in the United States.
Mental health struggles are universal, and so a movie that brings them to light can be applied anywhere. The most powerful scene of the movie is the scene where the main character flies a drone by the windows of a residential building, and everyone on the ground can see someone changing, and then the drone flies higher, and it shows a student who has hanged himself and written on the walls “I give up.” That stark difference is enough to force empathy upon anyone, regardless of background or socioeconomic status. Therefore, it is the central message of the movie 3 Idiots that makes it translatable to an American audience.
3 Idiots translates well to American audiences, but the extent to which Americans view the movie is heavily limited, especially relative to other countries. The movie was a huge success in China, Japan, and even Mexico, where they remade the movie into Spanish as 3 Idiotas (2017). Yet even though this movie is the most famous Bollywood movie in America, why did it still face limited success in the States compared to other countries? Mecchi, 2006 offers the explanation that American audiences tend to stray from movies on political or social movements, and the plot of 3 Idiots centers around social change in collegiate India. So while many Americans can relate to the struggles of keeping up mental health in school, not all want to watch a movie about it.
At the time 3 Idiots was released, it was India’s highest-grossing film, yet today, it is not even on the top 10, indicating that Bollywood films are becoming more widespread and popular. This means that with revived attention from social media, 3 Idiots may find itself popular again, this time among American youth, because of the emphasis on the issues apparent in education systems, especially considering how many American students can emphasize to some level the mental health struggles college students in India face. Therefore, in the near future, 3 Idiots and movies like it may translate even better to American audiences, whether during a pandemic or not.
Sources:
https://www.midstory.org/bollywood-hollywood-and-the-globalization-of-socially-conscious-film-a-review-of-3-idiots/ (Mecchi, 2006)
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