Review of 3 Idiots (2009) by Kyra H — 19 Nov 2018

3 idiots, a reunion story of three best friends from university, is a truly bold and ambitious film, tackling the immense and devastating consequences of rigid parental expectations, the competitive nature of academia, and suicide. For a movie that unequivocally embraces the 'fun' and upbeat aspects of Bollywood, it incorporates these heavy topics with surprising skill. Though I was skeptical of the insistence that when one commits suicide it is the direct result of another's actions, thus placing blame, I appreciated the consistent reassurances, in both plot and character dialogue, that life is worth living and one can overcome even the most desperate of situations. Mostly framed as a flashback, the audience is able to get glimpses of the friends' eventual successes while they are still fully immersed in university hardships. The final message is of a father's moral obligation to fully support and accept his children, truly exemplifying the shifted 'KJo' family, a concept explained by Sangita Gopal in his book Bollywood and Globalization. He writes, "these films valorize the father's love rather than his authority and there is an odd reversal of generational priorities. The old do not oppose the desires of the young, but rather facilitate them" (p.24).

In its most fun moments, 3 idiots is over the top, self-referential, and cinephilic, which is exemplified when Rancho asks Pia, his love interest, whether her hair blows in the wind when she sees her supposed 'true love'. Pia responds simply " that doesn't happen in real life. This isn't a movie," which, of course, it is. In that way, the film reminds me of Main Hoon Na (2004) which stars fan-favorite Shah Rukh Khan. Khan's character, Ram, sings against his will in a forced swan pose to the woman he loves, making reference to another classic Bollywood trope. 3 idiots certainly diverges from classic Bollywood cinema in more ways than one, but still embraces and glorifies the best parts of its roots. I would recommend this film to anyone who wants a mix of serious hardship and inspirational triumph, but also to anyone who would like to see a dorm-shower dance number with at least dozen boys wearing nothing but towels and soap bubbles.