Five-Point-Someone-by-Chetan-Bhagat

Ever since I read “Five Point Someone” about 3 years back, I really wanted to see a Bollywood movie “based” on it (and by based I mean a blatant copy, scene to scene.). Why? Simply because FPS had everything a super entertaining Bollywood movie can ask for. Comedy, emotions, drama, friendship, romance, supers one liners, witty dialogues etc etc. Being an engineering student myself, I loved and connected well with the characters of the novel, even if the book and the author, Chetan Bhagat was not in the good books of the literature lovers/ critics. Though I am not a fan of masala movies as such but would have loved to see an adaptation of FPS on screen. Then the news of 3 Idiots broke out and I am sure almost everyone who read the book must have got excited.

3 Idiots movie poster

After a about couple of years, more trailers came out and that killed most of my excitement. Reason: Casting. Aamir Khan, Madhavan and Sharman Joshi in the role of engineering students? No way. Sharman Joshi is still passable but Aamir Khan and Madhavan, I cant digest them doing role of a person 20-25 younger than them. Sure Aamir is a tremendous actor, my favorite actually, but come on! It is not that he did not act well, but he just doesnt fit for me. Sure he was desirable, (like he was in DCH) but not appropriate.  When can bollywood stars be expected to play roles according to their age? They cant be forever young!

Anyway, getting to the movie. I, though was not very excited about the cast but went to see the movie anyway with my two best friends.

Not much was heard about the movie till then so I had no idea how it was going to be. And once movie started, it never looked like a movie, it was like a journey of a student in engineering college. 3 Iidiots feels more like an ongoing interactive event then just a movie. You feel involved, more so if you are/ have been an engg student.
This movie is the closest depiction of college life you will see in a Bollywood movie. The rat race for marks,  rude professors, rough ragging, pressure of placements. Specially the character of Chatur (very very well played by Omi Vaidya), it can be seen in any class, in any college, engineering or non engineering. Truly heart warming to see such real life decpition of college life you live on screen. Movie is so close yet so far from the actual engineering college life (but it is surely the best one yet).

But where the movie lost me was some not so real life elements in it. Trust Bollywood to add some larger-than-life bits and pieces even where it is absolutely un-necessary. If 3 Idiots is most accurate version of Indian engineering college life, it also depicts somethings which, atleast I have never experienced in my college life. Girlfriends are not seen wandering around in boys hostel, and certainly not the daughter of the college’s principal. Student dont talk to professors like that.

Also, I start hating a movie when it starts challenging your intelligence. Bringing a dead boy back to life by singing “Aal Iz Well”. How dumb is that? Delivering a baby with a vacuum cleaner? What are they? 3 Superman? I would not have minded masala, infact, I would love to see a blatant copy of FPS. But scenes questioning my intelligence, and larger that life depictions are a no-no.

Aamir’s movie are generally clean and can be watched with friends and family. There is one particular scene, which without a doubt is insanely funny, no doubting that, but I am not too sure if I would have been too comfortable watching it with my family or female friends. Yes you are right, I am talking about the Chatur’s balatkar/ chamatkar speech in the movie. It may well be one of the most hillarious moments of Indian cinema but after first few lines, it became little too cheap for my liking. Even if you think the same, that would not have prevented you from laughing your hear out, just because of the timing and wit of the scene and the dialogues and brilliant delivery by Omi. The life of the trio in the college, how they became good friends also was not emphasized much which makes me believe that perhaps a tv series can do more justice to “Five Point Someone” than a movie.

Thats the story of 3 Idiots. You will no doubt witness a laugh riot and laugh your arses off, be entangled by the emotions, you will laugh bry, but it doesnt have a classic feel to it like Aamir’s some other movies, say Taare Zameen Par, Rang De Basanti, Dil Chahta Hai, not for me atleast. Its not like I hated 3 Idiots, but I simply dont thik of it as high as a DCH or a TZP or RDB. There are many awesome things in the movie which will make you forget/ ignore the shortcomings in the movie (infact I am also having trouble remembering points when I watched it only 8 days ago).

It is a great blockbuster entertainer, but not Aamir’s best, not a classic. The movie is enjoyable as a whole but has bollywood elements sprayed here and there. Casting was a weak point. Boman Irani looked perfect principal role. The guy who played Joy Lobo was very likeable, closest to being an actual student.

The movie has a strong message: Dont just mug up things, it can give you marks in college life but there are greater things to achieve in life than just a few extra marks. It has some well taught lessons for teachers as well. Some jokes in the movie are old but they are presented in such a way that they not only feel fresh but also give you a laugh. Thats the most important element of the move, presentation. Ra Kumar Hirani has excelled in this area. Timing and presentation is such, that nothing looks forced and old in this movie.

I loved satirical remarks like ” “Ajeeb desh hai hamara, pizza aane ki to 30 min ki gaurantee hai, par ambulance ki nai” Bulls eye! Sharman: “Ye le, ab daal de ye paste wapas is tube ke andar” (answering to nothing is impossible). Again, old, but does the job pretty well.

Watch 3 Idiots, you will love it. But if you hate typical Bollywood-ness as much as I do, you will probably not like it as much as others. (or you might as well end up ignoring the faults owing to the + sides of the movie).

Overall a good watch, total paisa vasool fun. Last year it was Ghajini, this year its 3 Idiots. (But I would watch 3 idiots 10th time rather than watching Ghajini for the second time).

3 Idiots: My rating: 3.25/5