Few Flaws in 3 Idiots
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The last time I was entertained like this was by Lage Raho Munnabhai. Judging by the people’s reactions around me, my guess is the film will make everyone involved in its making happy, and the 3-hour running time will hardly be a concern.
Having followed Hindi films closely for decades (I’m from the mad Sab Chaltha hai Amitabh era), having seen a sea change in what I seek nowadays in movies, and being a perfectionist and a writer (no, not my profession, that has always been working with bugs I cannot see), I have learnt to express minimally. And saw flaws in 3 Idiots. Some minor, some jarring (even after considering the extra emotional meat that the Indian audience seeks).
First, let me talk about the scene between you and Boman Irani where he gives you the prized pen. I thought while your reaction was sufficient, Boman overreacted. His body language, while in control during the most of the movie, was over-the-top here (similar to some of Amitabh’s body language in Black). The scene could have been toned down without compromising the impact.
Second, the baby scene (which I’m sure you have thrashed out and dissected with many folks); this scene didn’t sit well with an otherwise no-nonsense-nothing-extraneous attitude in the script. It jarred. I know you wanted to get the baby to kick and draw the ‘footballer benega?’’ comment from Boman. But that could have been achieved without unrealistic drama about a potential still-born. The focus of the scene is neither the baby nor the delivery process; it is on an imminent attitude change in Boman. The baby coming out in your arms (with a vacuum cleaner) was impactful enough (going by the audience’s reaction, and my own); you could have made the little one kick Boman as he picks up the live baby and someone comments, “All izz well.†This would have been equally dramatic/funny.
Third, more minor, in the early scene where your friends react to Chatur’s I-phone pictures: didn’t one of them throw the instrument down and smash it? Now, I-phones are not cheap, especially for a money-minded guy like Chatur. I didn’t get any reaction there. Also, even more affluent guys don’t carry many cell phones on them. But Chatur continues to talk on a phone uninhibited till the end of the film.
In the last scene, after you had expressed surprise at seeing Chatur in the first place, and after you reveal your real name to your buddies, you promptly call Chatur to stop him in his blocks as he walks away with the prized pen. Now, does it mean you knew you were calling the same Chatur all the while to make a potential company deal? No, you didn’t. You didn’t know this yourself till the end. Maybe Hirani could have made Madhavan or Joshi whisper something in your ear after you reveal your identity. Now, your quick call to him would make sense.
This is all I had for now. Could these still be rectified? Maybe not.
Meanwhile, I’ve asked my wife to go see the movie with her friends. [we cannot go together because of our little twin girls who might need attention]. So that she could get thoroughly entertained by arguably the best college-drama Hindi movie I have seen.