3 Idiots - Movie - A critique

The movie 3 idiots in its true sense was a genuine Bollywood masterpiece drawing one’s attention to the most sensitive issue faced by the academic world today that is greater expectations and output demanded by parents and teachers from students. The movie mostly addresses the critical issues and flaws in the academic system of India and demands a remarkable and effective change in the educational structure of the country. Although there are no major flaws in the movie but my critical essay will mainly deal with the most controversial part of that movie that is the public message that the movie conveys and its impact on the youth.


                                   The movie by virtue of its message and script can be called as a movie especially for youth or young generation. The user rating it got from IMDB site (which is considered as the most authentic unofficial site for user ratings) was mostly from the people below 25 years but this does not restrict it from attracting the adult or senior section of the society mostly parents and teachers. “read more”

                                                               The first message that the movie conveys to its audience is “All is well”. The approach or the philosophy to which the movie adheres to tries to oversimplify the meaning and purpose of life and suggests a pathetic and impractical path to face hardship and sufferings in life. Life is not a bed of roses or a simple puzzle that can be solved by applying a single formula. Like in the movie when the characters are stuck in any trouble they just say “All is well” and the trouble vanishes.


                                     The movie favors the concept that students should be allowed to choose their profession and whatever they want to become. Students should be allowed to follow their dreams and choose their own destiny. The movie challenges the narrow mindness of teachers and parents in forcing the children to choose the profession which they consider suitable, keeping in view the prevailing perception in society regarding that profession. Moreover, the movie asks for building interest and deriving fun from anything that a person do. The key to success in any field is developing interest in that particular field and a man should enjoy his work. It is wiser to let the children take their own decisions about choosing career.

                                                                          The most controversial part of the movie is the general message or the theme of the movie in which parents and teachers are continuously criticized and held responsible for failure of educational system and the increasing number of students suicide cases. In this regard the suicide approach of the students is justified by arguing that such cases occur because of the pressure which the students undergo. Instead of guiding the youth how to handle pressure situation which the student undergo frequently during his academic life the movie portrays a heroic figure of the student who choose the third path of suicide just for an emotional appeal or to gain sympathies. Like in the movie when Raju is threatened by the professor to become a witness against Aamir khan or else he will expel him. Now this is a situation that is faced by each and every student in his academic life but the path that Raju chooses is completely non sense. I agree that this is the climax and the most emotional scene of the movie but what about the image that it left behind on the raw and immature minds of youth. This movie was banned in Gujrat (India) after some weeks of its release because 11 students committed suicide after watching this movie.

                                            The movie has blamed parents and teachers for the problems of students. While students are shown innocent despite of their mischiefs and devilments like when they urinate on the door of principal, insulting a studios person (silencer) or fooling a teacher. The movie is shown in such a way that the viewers have all the sympathies with students and teachers are shown as they are against the students at every point. At the end of movie one holds parents and teachers responsible for the problems of students.

                                                                                  The movie tells us that every student should focus on learning and get rid of the cram. The movie is a great sarcasm on rote learning. It is shown that grades don’t matter at all. The knowledge that one gains is all that matters. Just getting degree without learning anything is of no worth. Learning based on cramming system among students is discouraged. One can’t get any success in life by just memorizing the words without getting the concept of it. Learning without understanding can be very harmful.

                                                  The ending of the movie spoils the whole interest that is created from the beginning of the movie. The movie has shown real university life but the birth scene is something that can’t happen in real life. The girl gave birth on a table in an office. Moreover, when the baby dies after birth, he is again revived from just a silly statement “All is well”. So the last part of the movie lacks reality.

                                                             Throughout the movie we see that there is no respect paid to the teachers. Amir Khan and his friends are portrayed as heroes when they humiliate and tease their teachers by their funny mischiefs. Also the scene in which “silencer” is asked to deliver a speech in respect of his teachers, is made funny by the addition of abusive language which shows the negative aspect of the movie.

                              Now coming over the goofs in this movie. In the first part of the movie we see the name of Kareena Kapoor’s sister is Poonam but after some scenes it changes to Mona. The story in the movie is supposed to have happened 10 years ago but the characters use such technologies which isn’t available during that time in India. Like in the childbirth scene, Kareena Kapoor is using You tube video during the video chat with Amir Khan when there was no You tube. In the same scene Amir Khan is shown inserting a USB dongle based on EVDO technology offered by Bharti Airtel in a laptop. He does it to connect to the Internet in a wireless mode. But this technology was not commercially available in the Indian market until 2007.

                                  Overall the movie 3 idiots is a wonderful mixture of human emotions, love, success, failure, ambition and struggle. The director has done a wonderful job in raising this sensitive issue in such a skillful manner just like a sugar coated pill. The viewers’ interest and excitement is maintained throughout the movie through funny jokes and the audience are not depressed and bored by sensitivity of the message, the movie is trying to give.