No Idiot Business this!!

Bogged down by a lot of travelling, functions, leisure and catching up on work (and ofcourse Matthew Reilly’s new book), I couldn’t manage the necessary time or motivation to go watch a movie in over a month!! Almost every one around made me feel miserable about this, particularly in a time when 3 idiots was running!! I had been catching dough on this movie (coz honestly I was looking to replace my worn out Dil Chahta Hai dvd with a new movie) as it was much expected by all alike

So I finally decided to take the plunge in the new year and go watch the movie. For someone who had taken the pains to go to a cinema to watch some enthralling pieces of art like “Shortkut: The con is on” or “Sunday”, movies that should not be seen on even your worst hair day, 3 Idiots was like eating Vada Pav on a rainy day!! Though I generally do tend to sensibly keep my expectations down prior to watching a bollywood movie, this one struck all the right chords in increasing that expectation. I do not know if this elevated levels of expectation is the only reason I felt like “I did watch a movie better than most releases in the year.. Combined.. However, was this movie worth the attention it (is) generated(ing)”

The feel of the movie was good, certain scenes were really moving!! I presume that one of the minds behind the movie must have written the mid part of the movie, from lets say 80 mins odd to about 100 mins just prior to Kareena ala the runaway bride scene, after staying up a full night watching the Hum Saath Saath Hain genre of movies. This part of the movie somehow was so totally different from the other sections of the movie. Even during the interval I wasn’t enthused about the popcorn (I was then thinking it is such a big queue for popcorn, should I go stand now!!) but during this part I was so enthused about the popcorn that I literally had to be stopped by the doorman (he wouldn’t let me out since I didn’t have the tickets, and getting back to the seat and getting it was too much effort!!). But the part where Maddy talks to his dad and Sherman clears the interview were touching

The movie’s call to overhaul the education system cannot be ignored. I thought I was a victim of the “quote the book” clan though my field of expertise is so far removed from the concept of the movie. The system as an outer shell I felt was still the same. No insults to the numerous engineers, MBAs, CAs and other professionals that India produces, am sure they learn to apply what they read, without which India will neither be one of the fastest growing economy nor would Indians abroad be in positions that they hold. The system though lacks application oriented learning and testing of minds and that is an irrefutable fact. However, I do not think the message was conveyed that strongly and somewhere in the melodrama it was not as hard hitting as it could have been. The emphasis could have been on this in the sections where during a Mumbai flood, the hero delivers a baby using a vaccum cleaner!! Wasn’t necessary in my humble opinion!

The movie moves about in the same way DCH did, the music not as good though couple of songs are good and the re-recording complements the feel of the movie. Comedy was slapstick and not as mature as DCH, and emotional sections were clearly not even close to that masterpiece. Probably the reason I did not like the movie was a personal issue… probably that I kept pitting it against DCH in my mind, which may not be a good thing to do!! Unfortunately, to me that was the last bollywood movie that I can put a hand on my heart and I say I love everytime I watch it!! A cult, a breakthrough, an eye-opener, a true out of the skin feeling for the time and age day that movie released!! If on a scale of 5, I’d have give DCH a 10, I’d probably give 3 Idiots a 4. Which in other words might mean, that I was 200% satisfied with DCH, whereas 3 Idiots was probably 80% satisfactory. For someone who wants to go watch the movie I would say this: If you have watched any B’Wood movies in 2009 and thought it was worth it (even including kaminey, paa, etc!!) then 3 Idiots is a definite watch!! Else, wait sometime will the “Official DVD” is out and then go watch it. Don’t watch it on tv till then pls. Good movie for sure