When faced with the opportunity to watch a movie made by someone who has made movies which are fun but sensitive about our society at the same time, and in which one of my favourite actors has the lead role, I would be an Idiot to say no...
However, I did feel like a bit of an Idiot AFTER watching the movie. I went in expecting something much better than what was dished out.
3 Idiots is the story of three would be engineers with different backgrounds and different reasons to get into the premier college of the country. The premise of the movie, while borrowed from five-point-someone, is still wonderful enough to incorporate the director's take on a lot of problems plaguing our education system. And the setting is flexible enough to do this in a manner which is funny but respectably so.
However, the script and the screenplay leaves a lot to be desired. The movie starts off reasonably well, but very early in the movie the "pencil" joke sets the tone for things to come... That's got to be one of the oldest jokes in the world and not something you'd expect from someone who has given us Munnabhai. As the movie goes on, it has its moments. However, the difference between those other Hirani movies and this one lies in simplicity.
3 Idiots tries to tackle TOO many issues all at once - societal pressure of success, the education system, student anxiety and peer pressure, poverty, and in the process loses the one thing that had been evident in all Hirani's other movies - namely a taut, single-track story line. In the process of trying to do this in an entertaining way, Hirani loses the plot and the movie moves along in jerks. Stereotypes are the mainstay of most movies - they make a character easily identifiable. However, there's a thin line between them working and being insensitive. In more than a few sequences, they border on insensitive. Sequences while individually funny, seem forced, cliched. And in the end, the movie attempts to be simultaneously funny and serious, simultaneously sensitive and frivolous, simultaneously ideal and practical and in the process ends up being neither here, nor there.
When a sidekick (Chatur) ends up being the best character in a movie - you have a problem. He steals the show over the three idiots even though he is supposed to lose in the end, he wins in the acting department. The acting - while competent, is nothing extraordinary. Boman Irani is wonderful but loud in some cases. Rancho was supposed to be the soul of the movie - this ideal student who thinks differently, has fun, has a soul and is a top student as well. He hardly is - in fact this is one of Aamir's weakest performances. Sharman Joshi has had a better outing than Aamir. Everyone else chips in fine.
The movie has its moments. Its genuinely funny in parts and make no mistake, I laughed. However, given a choice I'd rather watch Munnabhai MBBS again, than watch this movie. If I want to watch a medley of funny scenes without taxing my brain, I'd watch a David Dhawan movie.
I'd give it a 3/5 if I am generous and all the credit it gets is for the star-cast and production values, with some for trying hard and for being a little funny. But to be honest, aal iz naat well!
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