A film with humongous expectations and unprecedented box office collections under its belt, 3 idiots is an appelaing piece of entertainment product up for grabs. With that in mind set, I set out to watch the movie and the first hour did not disappoint either, it lived up to its billing.
Humorous scenes one after the other, sequences laden with realistic touches in tandem, it was sure to attract swarms of public to its gates and it did. The film has merits galore and Aamir Khan's superlative performance along with Raju Hirani's repertoire as a director matched and propelled the movie like a machine - a well-lubricated one at that.
The 'Balaatkar' speech is so well done - in fact, it is one of the most humorous scenes of recent times in Bollywood movies. It makes one laugh till the body parts start aching. The actor who delivers the speech is gleefully nerdy and he tickles the funny bone like no other actor has done in recent times. The scene in which he sliently slips pornographic magazine into the dorr of his classmates a night prior to the exam reminds us of our own college days when pals found numerous innovative ways to disturb others.
I grinned from ear to ear when the 3 idiots penetrate a party and take in their plates food akin to be enough for five people each. With no shame and little annoyance, they make stories when they find that the host is none other than their finicky Principal who knows only one way ie how to hate them. Boman Irani rocks in all his scenes and is a quintessential part of the setup. Thumbs up to him.
The scene in which a ragging senior gets electrocuted while peeing at the door is funny. However, for all the funny moments the film possesses, it has its down sides as well.
The director who delivers tenderly sensuous scenes in the first half falters when he makes the lead actress run away over a frivolous encounter from her wedding do, from the ceremony itself. Quite an insensitive move.
The child delivery scene in which a vacuum cleaner is used to deliver a baby who goes limp at birth and hets into life as soon as every body yell Aal Izz Welll is genuinely overdone and ludicrous; it takes the film down a few notches. Absurdity was neither expected of a seasoned actor like Aamir Khan nor of some one of the calibre of Raju Hirani.
The film that verges as one of the greatest movies in a few earlier scenes dive abysmally low so as to make the whole thing sound like an utter nonsense. Perhaps, senselessness is what sets apart Bollywood movies from the sensible ones in the other side of the Atlantic.
The college that is supposedly the best in India as depicted in the movie would have looked more authentic if the director concentrated on showing some academic activities as well. The students do not act as if they are from the elite breed and look down right foolish.
All in all, 3 idiots is in no way the greatest film Bollywood has seen as has been circulated in media; it has actually achieved more than what it deserves. If this movie is the best they can offer, it won't be a gargantuan task to better this mark. Hype kills at times, but this time around it has done wonders for a movie that does not deserve as much kudos as it has been receiving. Even then, 3 idiots is a must watch, an enjoyable movie, but for a few failings.
Salil Pradhan, Feb 2, 2010