Rajkumar Hirani’s 3 Idiots is nothing short of a revolution. The film is an easy favorite amongst scores of Indians even today, after the film’s release 15 years ago. It is regarded as the Indian millennials’ cultural movement that revolved around the important issue of the Indian academic system. Hirani’s use of comedy in the movie is cherished by the movie’s fans till date. A clip from the movie was recently shared on The Academy’s Instagram; which proves how timeless 3 Idiots is.
What makes 3 Idiots so memorable to the youth
The reason why 3 Idiots has few haters is because it continues to be relevant even in 2024. The Indian academic system back then, had no room for creativity or choice. Students were already under academic pressure, and then parents joined in with their hopes and dreams about them. Around that time, society still shunned students who chose to pursue the arts professionally – which is what Farhan, the film’s narrator, goes through.
In that light, a character like Rancho (Chhote/Phunsukh Wangdu?) was unheard of. He had no fear of what the society would think of his out-of-the-box thinking. Not only is he a true friend, but is adamant on setting society right with his unusual methods. Case in point, he drops mint chutney on his would-be partner’s ex-fiance’s shoes, to prove his materialistic thinking. The second his shoes are ruined, the man screams out their price in agony. We, as an audience, were as amazed as the two friends at Rancho, who spoke important truths about life in an extremely simple way.
Lastly, the movie’s essence remains true friendship. 3 Idiots made people laugh and cry, all at the same time. The bond between Farhan, Rancho, and Raju is beautiful to see. Rancho brings in the light that the other two needed in their lives. Friendship like theirs is rare to find in today’s time. Theirs was built through experiencing life together; we have grown up preferring to be alone. But we still yearn for a friend who would be up and ready to meet us after a long gap, even if that meant forcing an airplane to make an emergency landing.
The comedy in 3 Idiots remains unparalleled, to this date. Gen Z expresses its love for the movie by using memes made from it. A very popular one is a teary Farhan saying ‘Abba nahi maanenge,’ which is used every now and then on social media. We relate to Rancho’s passion for putting oneself first always, and to stop caring about what society thinks about it. 3 Idiots is the kind of movie that never gets old, at least for Gen Z, and now The Academy. It shared the scene where the trio arrive late for an examination, and Rancho ingeniously makes the examiner accept their papers, who was adamant on not doing so. The reactions to the reel show how the film is very much alive in our collective memory, and never fails to put a smile on our faces.
