Reflection 2: The 3 Idiots

The Fundamental Nature of Learning

                When we say learning, what would be the first thing that would come through our minds?  Now let’s define the word learning. According to Wikipedia.com, learning is acquiring new, or modifying existing, knowledge, behaviors, skills, values, or preferences and may involve synthesizing different types of information.  Therefore, education without learning is useless of course. All of us must be educated and learn something new with the use of our parent’s guidance and with the help of our teachers in our school.

                While learning, we have to struggle and go for the obstacles that are waiting for us in this big horrendous world. On the 15^th of July, I was able to watch the Bollywood film named “3 Idiots”. This film was released in 2009 and was first introduced to me when I was in my 2^nd year in college.  3 IDIOTS is not about idiots or nincompoops. It's about three engineering students who believe in 'I'll Do It On my Terms' and those are what the three characters achieve in life and that's what Hirani, Chopra, Aamir eventually achieve at the end of the movie. Our professor assigned us to have at least three thousand words in our essay about what are the reflections of the three characters in this story. That leaded me to watch the movie all over again. The movie was encouraging, entertaining and inspiring. The three main casts of the movie were Farhan Qureshi played by R. Madhavan, Raju Rastogi played by Sharman Joshi and Ranchoddas “Rancho” Shamaldas Chancahad/Phunsuk Wangdu played by Aamir Khan. To explicate my reflections about these three characters in the movie, let me start with Raju Rastogi.

                Raju Rastogi was the religious one among these three casts. He came to a very poor and unfortunate family. He has a very religious mother and a father suffering from a disease and has a paralyzed body. During his childhood, he already experienced all the sufferings and poverty in their family. His only dream was to bring their family away from poverty and achieve a brighter future with the use of his knowledge. By pursuing his dream, he enrolled in Imperial College of Engineering. As time goes by, he met his two best friends inside this college. His best friends were Ranchoddas “Rancho” Shamaldas and Farhan Qureshi.

                Raju Rastogi was afraid of all the things inside the college especially in his professor named Viru Sahastrabuddhe. He was so pessimistic in his life and he was too desperate to cure the disease of his father that was suffering in paralysis in his body. When the day came that his father’s disease was too severe, his friend Rancho tried to help his father. Rancho used his motorcycle together with his friend Pia to accompany the paralyzed body of his father to the hospital. Raju’s hearth was about to explode when he saw his father dying in pain. And when the time passed by, his father seemed to be okay and all of it was caused by Ranchos determination to help save his father. Then Rancho told Raju to be positive always. He said to rancho that friendship is the biggest asst of human. Then Raju slowly realized that thing and he was enlightened with those words Rancho gave him and hugs his friend as tight as he can.

                As he continues learning in the college of engineering, he had gain lots of experience together with his two best friends. One day, when they got drunk and they were at the middle of the conversation which involved Rancho’s admiration to Pia, they both agreed that if Rancho would successfully tell Pia what he really felt for her, Raju would have to go to a job interview and Farhan would tell his parents especially his father that he really wanted to be a wildlife photographer rather than to be an engineer. Soon, they both concur with these agreements while they were drunk. Raju and Farhan dared Rancho to go to Pia’s House to tell what his true feelings for her were. Rancho and his friends finally reached the house and Rancho slowly told Pia about her feelings. While they were in the middle of conversation, Raju decided to go away because they already knew that Pia’s father which is Prof. Viru was approaching towards them. They pee the door of the house and ran away as fast as they can. Soon Prof. Viru noticed the face of Raju because he was drank at that moment. Prof. Viru told a police man to find them, but they successfully entered their class room inside the college.  They slept inside the classroom and then they didn’t even notice that they were already late because they got drunk. On that day, Prof. Viru told Raju to go to his office, then Raju and and his professor had a little conversation. The conversation involved the topic of his parents and what would be the result for being expelled in the college where he was currently studying. So far, the professor would not tolerate the incident happened in his house last night that Raju and his friends had been drunk and got into trouble. His professor told Raju that he would be expelled in the college if he wouldn’t follow the instruction that was given to him. The instruction that was given to him by his Professor was not simple. This instruction involved his parents and his friend Rancho. He was commanded to choose either his family or his friend that would be an exchange for the purpose that he wouldn’t be expelled in the college. At the moment when he was choosing between the two of them, he didn’t choose anything at all rather he chose to commit suicide. He jumped off from the third floor and gained lots of injuries from his body.

                His friend Rancho helped him immediately and they carried him all the way to the hospital. Rancho was determined to make him alive. He tried his best to help Raju fight for his life at that moment. However, Rancho was successful of all the things he made just to help Raju recover from his severe injuries.  In fact, Raju was determined to continue his dream of becoming an engineer and to graduate and help his parents. He was successful of finding a job interview and soon gained a job with the help of his best friends.  

                Raju was a good example of a weak student came from a less fortunate family that was slowly uplifted and gained confidence to pursue his dreams in life with the help of his friends. As I reflect myself into his life, I would probably say that I am also like him. The way he was so weak and pressured and so pessimistic when he entered his college life, these characteristics were all also the same to mine when I also entered my college life. During my college life, I was also a pressured student and always look down to myself. I like to have “self pity” every time I got lower grades in each of my subjects during college. Then, I slowly realized that these kind of attitudes where definitely wrong for me. I ask God to help me recover from these sicknesses. Committing suicide was never come to my mind to resolve these dilemmas in my life. I trust God and put my heart just to love my course. I always pray to God that he will always give me wisdom to understand the lessons that would be tackled by our professors especially in programming subjects.  So far, Raju’s life touched my heart and he made me realize the true essence of learning how to overcome stress and pressure. His story teaches me how to become a better person and achieve a life that’s full of good vibes.

                The second cast that I would be telling to you is Fahran Qureshi. Among all the casts, he was the one who made me think of having the right path to go and build my own future and follow what my heart truly desires. He is the only child of a middle class family. Given that birth he was already conserved to be an engineer by his father. He was pressured by his own family that is why he took engineering at Imperial College of Engineering. His parents, especially his father, really worked hard and did everything to make sure that their son will be a successful engineer someday to the point that they installed an air conditioner to Farhan’s room to make him comfortable while studying. His father did all of this because he expected his son to be a rich man in the future. Although he was lucky for being one of the students who passed the entrance exam over thousands of applicants in Imperial College of Engineering, his heart still stayed to his true passion – photography. His dream was to be a wildlife photographer but his father did not put his aspiration to consideration. If you are a college student like me or if you were a student before, it is possible to have a classmate who was just forced to take a degree instead of following his true passion by his parents. Let us face it, money is essential especially in these times but the reason why some professionals earn large amounts of money is not because of their professions but it is their willingness and passion to what they are doing. Let us take note that not all graduates of engineering courses or other degrees that is said to lead you to a high-paying job becomes successful. This makes me realize that it is not the profession that matters but it is where your passion is.

                Dealing with the situation of Farhan, from the day he was born, his family has already plans for his future career and it is to be an engineer. His father worked hard and expect too much that his only son will be an engineer someday that is why Farhan took up engineering at the Imperial College of Engineering. His father thinks that to be an engineer, it will give his son great success, glory and riches. Photography is what Farhan really enjoys to do, where he is so compassionate to give his best shot in capturing imageries. However, it is very contradicting to his father’s will so he still follow what his father’s dream and sacrifice his own happiness even if he was suffering to death. There comes Rancho, who inspired him to be telling his father what really makes him happy. Not money, not prestigious cars and houses, fame and high respect but a profession that will inspire him to achieve success and a passion that will lead him to excellence. At first, his father was very angry because Rancho influenced his son, but Farhan really tried to convince his father not in a drastic suicidal note but with love and so much respect to his father. In the end, his father realized everything so they have a happy ending. When your hobby becomes your profession, the passion becomes your profession. Fulfillment, joy, happiness and love will be the result of passion. Following your aspiration for years, you will surely become somebody one day.

                The last cast would be Phunsukh Wangdu who disguised himself as Ranchoddas Shamaldas also known as “Rancho”. Among all the cast, he was the very remarkable and very inspiring actor that I had seen. He did a great job helping all of his people around him. I also thought that this type of guy wouldn’t exist in real life. I think he only exist in movies like this. All of the things that he had made in the people around him were very awesome. I will elaborate those things he just made just to explain my thoughts more.

                Phunsukh was forced to use the name “Rancho” during his college life. He did that just to save the career of the original Rancho. The original rancho was very rich. He could afford to buy a person just to save him from a horrifying devastation just to prove to his father that he could do what his father wanted him to be. His father wanted him to become a successful engineer thou he cannot afford to learn engineering subjects by his own that’s why he already decided to took some person that could handle his problems and made Phunsukh carry his own name. Phunsukh was so very clever when he first enter the I.C.E or Imperial College of Engineering. He was first noticed by his friends named Raju and Farhan in a ridiculous activity that all of the freshmen inside that engineering college must be shirtless. He was first commanded by a professor to take his own shirts off. At first, he didn’t agree what the professor commanded him because he thought that would be embarrassing for his own personality. As I also noticed, that kind of activity allows me to think why a male professor would tolerate this kind of activity that all of the freshmen would be shirtless. I mean all of these seemed to be like foolishness for a professor like him. It was useless and nonsense activity for me. While his professor commanding him to take his shirt off, he ran away to the room and locked himself. The professor didn’t want that to happen so he told Phunsukh to get out of the room in just ten counts. If he cannot do it within ten counts, he will pee the door of the room as a punishment. Soon, Phunsukh or Rancho didn’t want to get out of his room so he planned to create a device where he could easily throw the professor away. His creative mind made him a device when someone pees in it, the person will be electrified and suffer a devastating sensation. After that, the count of ten had ended and the professor slowly unzipped his pants to pee on the door then Rancho slowly slides his device under the door and the device was very successful.

                Another thing that Rancho made was to inspire and uplift his friends. During their college days, his friend Raju was really pressured in his studies. He has a lot of difficulty dealing with his life because of poverty. One day, Raju was caught by his teacher or professor which was Mr. Viru peeing in his door while he was drunk, Raju and and his professor had a little conversation inside the office after that incident. The conversation involved the topic of his parents and what would be the result for being expelled in the college where he was currently studying. So far, the professor would not tolerate the incident happened in his house last night that Raju and his friends had been drunk and got into trouble. His professor told Raju that he would be expelled in the college if he wouldn’t follow the instruction that was given to him. The instruction that was given to him by his Professor was not simple. This instruction involved his parents and his friend Rancho. He was commanded to choose either his family or his friend that would be an exchange for the purpose that he wouldn’t be expelled in the college. At the moment when he was choosing between the two of them, he didn’t choose anything at all rather he chose to commit suicide. He jumped off from the third floor and gained lots of injuries from his body.

                After that incident, Rancho encouraged him to continue studying and not to give up his life as long as he can. Then, Raju was healed by his words of wisdom. Soon, Rancho found a girl that would make his life wonderful. He found a beautiful girl named Pia. He realized that Pia has a boyfriend that was so pathetic and so materialistic. Pia’s dad was Mr. Viru and all he could do was to follow her daddy’s command. One of these commands was to marry the men he didn’t want. His name is Suha. Rancho made a way to open Pia’s eyes not to merry Suha. He showed how Suha reacted on the things that were simple. This attitude was hated by Pia and that’s why Rancho really showed to her what was the true color of his boyfriend.

                Rancho had done a lot of good things in this movie. He believes that in order to learn we must be doing what we want and not because of what other forced us to do and we must learn not because we are ought to do but we want to gain knowledge. Student like me would think of what if I was like him, I would definitely gain a lot of friends if I were Rancho. What would be my life if I would experience his entire journey when he was in his student’s moment? If God would gave me the power to become like him, I would probably do it on my classmates especially encouraging them to pursue studying the Information Technology course and not to give up immediately. If the course they’d chose was a big hindrance to their success in the future, then I would tell them to follow their true passion and follow their dreams in the future of their careers.

                The three attitudes or characteristics had thought me what is the real significance of learning and how Education is prepared. “All is well”. It is always mentioned in the film. This implies optimism and bravery. It tells the audience that one should not panic in difficult circumstances and be optimistic. Never give up and just believe in yourself.  Live every moment to the fullest as if today is the last day. For me, I was so encouraged and uplifted while watching this movie. I was so happy that this movie had done a great job developing my own personality and encouraging me to continue my studies. And always put God first in every step that you would take and don't ever dare to commit suicide.