5 life lessons from Rajkumar Hirani’s 3 Idiots as the Aamir Khan-starrer clocks 14 years

Time flies! It’s been already 14 years since 3 Idiots stirred emotions citing the Indian education system. Rajkumar Hirani’s blockbuster movie was released on December 25, 2009, with a stellar cast of Aamir Khan, R. Madhavan, and Sharman Joshi in titular roles, followed by Kareena Kapoor, Omi Vaidya, and Boman Irani in pivotal roles. Produced by Vidhu Vinod Chopra, 3 Idiots is loosely based on Chetan Bhagat’s best-selling novel – Five Point Someone. The film quickly resonated with the youths for its themes of educational pressure, suicidal thoughts, high competition, and the valuable lessons it taught to society.

As the movie clocks 14 beautiful years, let’s take a nostalgic trip to the coming-of-age story of three friends, who navigate career, love, and success in the backdrop of an engineering college.

Here are five lessons reflected in the National award-winning movie...

Life is not a rat race

As Rancho’s principal quotes, “If you don’t run fast, you will be like a broken anda,” which roughly translates to if you don’t run fast, you will fail. However, 3 Idiots taught us that life is not a race, everyone has their own pace and it’s totally okay to be YOU!

Sure, there is immense competition but only those who consistently make efforts are the one who lead the life in the long run.

Watch Kadak Singh, Chamak, Scam 2003, Duranga 2 and more on OTTplay, by subscribing to the Jhakaas monthly pack which provides access to 19 OTTs at just ₹49 for the first month.

Quitting is never a solution

Many of us still shed tears when the song “Give me some sunshine” plays, followed by Joy’s (played by Ali Fazal) suicide scene. The movie beautifully symbolizes that quitting might seem like an easy option but it is never the solution. One should talk to their family or friends before taking this drastic step. Every year, millions of students face the dilemma of societal pressure that pushes them to the edge but it is necessary to develop a thick skin for sailing under the pressure.

Also Read: Revisiting 3 Idiots: Rajkumar Hirani’s satire on the Indian education system completes 13 years of release 

Education is investment

The Indian education system gives more weightage to degrees than skills. Even today the harsh reality shows that a degree is prioritized over skills. However, education is not just cramming notes and concepts, it is accelerating towards excellence because in the end education should be treated as an investment and not an expenditure.

Also read - Rajkumar Hirani on outcome of Dunki - 'There is always pressure for success but I have never...' 

Follow your passion

The route to success becomes sweeter and straighter when you follow your passion and dreams. One of the key dialogues and lessons was when Rancho advised his friends, Farhan and Raju by giving a hypothetical situation in which students, even after loving a girlfriend, get married to some other girl. His context was that many a time, students chose the career paths laid by parents or friends, while ignoring their real passion. Farhan’s love and passion was wildlife photography but he forced himself into engineering because of his Abba (father). Kudos to Farhan and many other Farhans, who speak for their dreams.

Aal Izz Well

“When you can’t change the problem, face the problem” – Rancho revealed his secret of life to remain calm was the chanting of these three words, which means that everything will be fine. His life’s motive was to calmly face the critical problems and not get carried away by the negative thoughts. Even the song, Aal Izz Well, became a sort of national anthem for college-goers.

3 Idiots is currently streaming on Prime Video. So, if you’ve not watched it yet, watch it. And if you’ve watched it, then rewatch!