Behold! The space pen is yours

★★★ out of ★★★★

3 Idiots (2009)

Runtime: 170 minutes

MPAA: Rated PG-13 for thematic material, some disturbing images and crude humor.

3 Idiots reaches a high point in one scene where the Headmaster Viru Sahastrabuddhe hands down his space pen to the mischievous student Ranchoddas Chanchad. Scenes like this in films show us the culmination of effort, sweat, and tears our characters have worked countless ages on.

All the Bollywood presumptions are there: ridiculous, over-the-top performances, logic and physics-defying action sequences, dance scenes with characters moving scarfs around their necks and overdone 'PowerPoint Presentation' editing. 3 Idiots is a welcome and lukewarm surprise, largely avoiding these cliches that make the tone hard to take seriously, while also being a searing exploration on the education system and whether we're learning to score marks or to gain knowledge.

We actually start in the present, with former students Farhan Qureshi and Raju Rastogi, who intend to re-unite with their former college friend, Rancho. This is all after Farhan elaborately fakes a stroke aboard an Air India plane, and Raju excuses himself from his wife, forgetting his pants. They encounter another student, Chatur Ramalingam, now a successful businessman, who reminds them of a bet they had undertaken 10 years ago. The trio, while in frantic search of their friend Rancho, given that the only clue of his whereabouts is Shimla, recall the times they spent with him and how he inspired them to think differently, even as the rest of the world called them "idiots".

3 Idiots has a daring nature and is never afraid to venture in-depth into the education system and expose its corruption, through insightful and well-crafted dialogue throughout the movie, while offering interesting characters that support or oppose the system. As the film closes, it sends us a message of equal parts importance and consideration: Are we studying merely to obtain marks, and have lost the true passion for learning? Will a good career and a good income ultimately lead to a good life and happiness? Will we find happiness in doing a job we don't have our heart in?

Although it incorporates the usual iconic dance scenes, it mocks this traditional formula in smart ways like a 'in a dream' song: 'I've seen this happening in movies, but it's happening to us now.' There is also a 'comparison' to a 1950s Indian household to describe the impoverished state of Raju's home, and it does generate lots of laughs.

3 Idiots occasionally injects some crass comedy, like one of the most hilarious (though thoroughly offensive, I've warned you!) speeches I've ever listened to, where a student named Chatur is blindly reading a modified appreciation speech about the Headmaster screwing (serving) students for 32 years and appreciation for the Education Minister for his bosom (funds).

Another unexpectedly fine quality is the intense performance and character arc of the main antagonist, Viru Sahastrabuddhe, played by Boman Irani. He plays this fierce, terror-inducing and emotionless headmaster that shows no sympathy for his students and forces his children to pursue careers they're not interested in, leading to their suicides. Boman's performance truly shines when his character tries to hide himself from embarrassment and eventually admit defeat to Rancho.

Because 3 Idiots ventures into this prospect with sharp, biting truth, it's a slight disappointment that the final act loses a little consistency and turns quite messy. Characters make extreme and illogical choices which are honestly baffling. In addition, 3 Idiots also sags towards the end as it has the urge to tie up every subplot and fate of every character, lingering around for 20 minutes too long. Still, if the comedic tone sometimes gets too sweet and cheesy to be entirely serious, for the most part, 3 Idiots is a wildly entertaining ride.