It’s been a while since 3 Idiots was released and all this while I had been resisting the insane urge to watch the movie for one simple reason: That I thought the makers did not give Chetan Bhagat his due credit. Today, however, my wife injected some sense into me by saying that I should watch it anyway and then take a call whether Vidhu Vinod Chopra was right in saying that the movie had a different storyline.
There is one point that everyone agrees on – that you have a right to comment on this controversy only if you have read the book and seen the movie. Hence I qualify to put forward my opinion. 3 Idiots is clearly based on Chetan Bhagat’s Five Point Someone. There is no denying that. The characters are straight out of the book. The setting is identical. Some sequences are reproduced almost verbatim. However, there is more to a movie than its characters and the backdrop. It is called “Story”. It is in this department that the movie and the book part ways. The movie has a completely new story line and is on a whole new emotional level altogether. While the book deals mostly with the three protagonists’ struggle to keep afloat in the IIT, the movie concentrates on the shortcomings of the education system; the rat race called “Competitiveness”. It talks about the silent killer – Stress and the need to acknowledge this as a serious problem.
My qualified opinion hence is that Abhijit Joshi and Raj Kumar Hirani deserve to be called the “Story Writers” of this movie. Chetan Bhagat also is an important contributor but I feel that the note “Based on Five Point Someone by Chetan Bhagat” is apt enough. This controversy is probably doing wonders to the sales of the book as well as the movie tickets. So I guess it is not hurting anyone – at least on a practical note.
Coming to the movie, it is a thoroughly enjoyable ride. There is not a single boring moment in the movie. You are served a complete thali of emotions. One moment you are laughing out loud listening to the speech of Silencer and then you are wiping tears off your eyes feeling for Raju. The songs are well choreographed and blend smoothly into the narration. The end is the most beautiful part of the experience. Set in picturesque Ladakh and Simla, you almost forget about the characters on the screen and concentrate on the breathtaking backgrounds. The twist in the last scene of the movie was totally unneeded and probably is my only complaint about the movie. For a movie that shouts from the rooftops that “Rat Race” and “Number One, Number Two” are bad, an end that believes in the same philosophy – doesn’t quite fit.
All in all – A must watch for anyone looking for good cinematic entertainment. I strongly recommend that you stop reading this blog and go watch the movie in the nearest theatre. It needs to be seen on the big screen.
Rating: Must Watch. 4/5
