3 Idiots

Two friends are searching for their long lost companion. They revisit their college days and recall the memories of their friend who inspired them to think differently, even as the rest of the world called them "idiots".
Director: Rajkumar Hirani
Writers: Rajkumar Hirani, Abhijat Joshi | 1 more credit »
Stars: Aamir Khan, Madhavan, Mona Singh | See full cast & crew »

Genres: 

Comedy | Drama

Storyline

Farhan Qureshi and Raju Rastogi want to re-unite with their fellow collegian, Rancho, after faking a stroke aboard an Air India plane, and excusing himself from his wife - trouser less - respectively. Enroute, 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 recollecting hilarious antics, including their run-ins with the Dean of Delhi's Imperial College of Engineering, Viru Sahastrabudhe, race to locate Rancho, at his last known address - little knowing the secret that was kept from them all this time.

User Reviews

Wonderfully entertaining.

2 June 2011 | by planktonrules (Bradenton, Florida) – See all my reviews

It's hard for me to review this film, as I have not seen a huge number of Indian films--probably no more than a couple dozen. Most of the ones I've seen were wonderfully entertaining but I am far from an expert on Bollywood. Because of this, I have a hard time knowing how good this film is relative to other films from this country. So, consider this when you read this review. This may be among the very best India has to offer or it just seems that way to me.

Like so many Indian films, this is a very, very long film--with a run-time of almost three hours. When a movie is bad or just okay, this can seem like forever, but since "3 Idiots" is a very, very good film I loved its length. And, like most films of the genre, it has its share of the usual singing and dancing so foreign to films from other countries. One thing you should know, however, is that defining the type of film it is isn't really easy. Much of it is a comedy, but it also has many poignant moments (keep the Kleenex nearby), some existential moments where they explore the meaning of life and work and it's also a tender film about friendship. And, as my daughter pointed out when she saw the film, she loved that the men in the movie are not afraid to cry--something you rarely see in western films.

As for the plot, it's very long and involved and I could recount what occurs. But I don't want to spoil a single wonderful moment, so my advice is just sit back and watch--and if you give it a chance, I can almost guarantee you'll have a great time with this poignant and funny film. Wonderful and well worth your time--with a delightful script, wonderful characters and lots of moments that made me smile...and a few that brought me to tears. See this film.