Posts Tagged ‘3 Idiots’
Music Review: 3 Idiots
The moment name Aamir Khan is seen in the credits, the word ‘quality’ comes naturally. Such has been the brand value Aamir has made around him that everything else, whether it is the director, composer or the co-star, comes secondary. Of course with names like Rajkumar Hirani, Kareena Kapoor and Vidhu Vinod Chopra involved, one can’t discount the overall package affair that 3 Idiots turns out to be. Still, when it comes to the music of the film, one can’t really claim to have huge expectations. Reason being that the composer at the helm of affairs is Shantanu Moitra who hasn’t had a single commercially successful album other than Parineeta. Yes, he has been critically acclaimed but due to the kind of music he has created and the genre he has explored, mass acceptance has still eluded him. Even a Lage Raho Munnabhai showed some good sales once the movie turned out to be hugely successful at the box office. This is the reason why one plays 3 Idiots (that has lyrics by Swanand Kirkire) with reasonable, rather than extraordinary, expectations in place – Aamir Khan notwithstanding.
MUSIC
It’s a gradual beginning to ‘Aal Izz Well’ that gives a clear indication of what the film is all about. Arriving with the theme of ‘care-a-damn’ attitude, ‘Aal Izz Well’ is completely different from dozens of campus tracks that have been heard over the years. Swanand Kirkire’s lyrics make an instant impression while Shantanu’s rhythmic treatment ensures that the song would be played in many a campus festivals and student get togethers from here on. Catching the pulse of youth, whether from today, yesterday or tomorrow, this Sonu Nigam and Shaan sung track, which also appears in a deserving ‘remix version’, belongs to chartbuster variety. One wonders though that why did Shanatanu have to croon like Anu Malik for an interspersing piece?
Only song in the album featuring a female voice comes in the form of ‘Zoobi Doobi’. The chosen one here is the obvious name without whom not a single A-list album gets completed today – Shreya Ghoshal. A song-n-dance affair that almost spoofs the conventional rain tracks that have been heard and seen in Bollywood over the decades, ‘Zoobi Doobi’ combines melody with rhythm with Sonu Nigam joining the show. Belonging to the 50s and 60s variety in the way it has been composed, ‘Zoobi Doobi’ (which too has a ‘remix version’ for itself) is good though its longevity would depend upon the way it has been choreographed and the extent to which the film succeeds.
From this point on, the album takes a situational turn, as visible in ‘Behti Hawa Sa Tha Woh’ which comes next. Starting on a pensive note, the number is about a couple of friends (Madhavan and Sharman Joshi) who are searching for their lost partner (Aamir Khan). The number has a distinct Bengali music touch to it, whether in terms of the way it has been orchestrated, arranged and even sung. With minimal instruments in the background, this number sung by Shaan and Shantanu Moitra describes the character played by Aamir and how he carried a carefree and lively persona. With a hint of sadness to it, ‘Behti Hawa’ is primarily for the screen.
Just like it’s predecessor, ‘Give Me Some Sunshine’ too has a slow beginning with Sharman Joshi narrating a line about youth being allowed to live life the way they want. Soon after Suraj Jagan starts singing this track about how kids are deprived of their innocence in the world of education that dictates what they should be doing rather than them making a choice. Meanwhile, Sharman keeps interspersing the song with anecdotes from the childhood (experimenting with chemistry, forced to get 99% marks etc…). Yet another campus track, though softer in mode and tone this time around, the song has its high point every time the line ‘Give Me Some Sunshine’ comes on the forefront.
The finale is interesting with Sonu Nigam coming up with one of his best renditions in recent times. He changes the pitch of his voice extraordinarily well in ‘Jaane Nahin Denge Tujhe’ which again appears to be the set in a mood where the friends are rooting for each other and making sure that they don’t fail in their pursuit for a better life ahead. After singing two popular tracks ‘Shukran Allah’ [Kurbaan] and ‘Don’t Say Alvida’ [Main Aurr Mrs Khanna], this is yet another quality outing for Sonu Nigam who hits just the right notes. Special mention to Swanand for his words that should make a definite impact in the film’s narrative.
OVERALL
3 Idiots is a good quality album that has two super strong tracks – ‘Aal Izz Well’ and ‘Jaane Nahin Denge Tujhe’. Both are poles apart though because while former is for mass audiences, latter should find a perfect placement in the film’s narrative. ‘Zoobi Doobi’ is nice while ‘Behti Hawa’ and ‘Give Me Some Sunshine’ would be known more after the film’s release. Immense curiosity value around ’3 Idiots’ would ensure that in the initial days, the album disappears quite quickly from the music stands. After that, it would be the strength of the film and its run at the box office that would do the talking for the album as well.
Movie Review – 3 Idiots – Aamir Khan, Kareena Kapoor, Sharma Joshi, R Madhavan
Life is all about listening to your heart and chasing your dreams. That’s the essence of 3 IDIOTS, directed by the supremely talented Rajkumar Hirani. Let me come to the point right away. There are films and there are more films. And then there’s 3 IDIOTS.
Come to think of it, 3 IDIOTS carries a huge ‘burden’ on its shoulders: The ‘burden’ of humungous expectations. And it’s not without reasons…
# 3 IDIOTS is Aamir’s next release after the record-breaker GHAJINI.
# 3 IDIOTS is Rajkumar Hirani and Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s third film together, after MUNNABHAI MBBS and LAGE RAHO MUNNABHAI, landmark films.
# Three actors from the path-breaking RANG DE BASANTI team – Aamir, Madhavan and Sharman – team up yet again. Plus, Aamir’s teaming up with Hirani. It couldn’t get bigger!
3 IDIOTS is over-hyped and that could be dangerous for any film since it’s the expectations which kill a film if the content doesn’t match up to the hype. In this case, all izz well!
Now let’s demystify the myths…
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 that’s what the three characters achieve in life and that’s what Hirani, Chopra, Aamir eventually achieve at the end of the movie. Making a movie on their terms!
One more thing! You cannot draw parallels with any other film, past or present, successful or unsuccessful. And though people may draw parallels with GHAJINI or the MUNNABHAI series, it would be sacrilege to do so. 3 IDIOTS [based on a novel 'Five Point Someone' by Chetan Bhagat] doesn’t tilt, it stands tall.
Here’s yet another illusion: 3 IDIOTS belongs to Aamir Khan. Yes, it does, but also to R. Madhavan, Sharman Joshi, Boman Irani, Kareena Kapoor and Omi, the entrant in Hindi movies, who delivers an equally sterling performance. The film would be incomplete without any of these characters.
To cut a long story short, all you’d like to say about the film is, All izz very, very, very, very, very well. Watch this film to know what it means!
Two friends [R. Madhavan and Sharman Joshi] embark on a quest for a lost buddy. As they make their way through the perilous landscape [Shimla, Manali, Ladakh], another journey begins: their inner journey through memory lane and the story of their friend – the irrepressible free-thinker Rancho [Aamir Khan], who, in his unique way, touched and changed their lives.
It’s a story of their hostel days that swings between Rancho’s romance with the spirited Pia [Kareena Kapoor] and his clash with and oppressive mentor, Viru Sahastrabudhhe [Boman Irani]. And then one day, suddenly, Rancho vanishes…
Who was he? Where did he come from? Why did he leave? The friend who influenced and inspired them to think creatively and independently, even as the conformist world called them three idiots. Where is the original idiot now?
Hirani is a genius and that has been proved twice in the past. He proves it for the third time with 3 IDIOTS. Screenplay writers Hirani and Abhijat Joshi and screenplay associate Vidhu Vinod Chopra narrate a story that’s straight out of life. A story that each one of us can relate to or identify with.
Very often, we’ve read news-reports of students committing suicides because they’ve to live up to the family’s pressure/expectations. This film depicts it at the very start, when a student commits suicide. But the issue doesn’t end there, for 3 IDIOTS raises a pertinent question: Was it suicide or murder?
Hirani balances the rough and smooth incidents in their lives beautifully. The sequences in the campus, right from the ragging sequence at the start, to Omi’s speech when the word ‘chamatkaar’ is changed to ‘balatkaar’ [superb; will bring the house down], to the trio getting caught in an embarrassing situation at the reception of Kareena’s sister [Mona Singh], to the dinner sequence at Sharman’s house, to Kareena and Aamir driving Sharman’s seriously ill father on their bike to the hospital… the funny moments would make your jaws ache.
The interval point is a shocker. The point at which the first half ends will leave you stunned. Now what was that? Kahani mein twist!
The mystery is solved soon after the intermission ends and a new journey begins. That’s one of the USPs of the film. Just when you think that the story would be solved, a new story begins. Of course, the pace dips slightly in its second hour, especially during the delivery sequence of Mona [which may appear filmy to a few], but the immediate sequence, when the baby boy is born and also the subsequent sequence between Boman and Aamir bring the film back on track. The culmination to the film is novel and yes, it’s a master stroke from the writing point of view!
Every person behind the camera gives his/her best to the film. Hirani and Joshi’s screenplay is the mainstay of the film. If you fondly recall ‘Gandhigiri’ from their previous film LAGE RAHO MUNNABHAI, you’d have a new phrase to chew on this time: ‘All Izz Well’. Muraleedharan C.K.’s cinematography is awesome. Note the aerial view at the very start, when Madhavan and Sharman begin the journey to Shimla or the picture perfect look of Ladakh… the DoP does a magnificent job.
Shantanu Moitra’s music may sound plain ordinary to ears, but when viewed on screen, the score is just perfect. ‘Give Me Some Sunshine’, ‘All Is Well’, ‘Zoobie Doobie’ are three tracks that would grow on you after you’ve watched the film. The choreography of ‘All Izz Well’ [Avit Dias] and ‘Zoobie Doobie’ [Bosco-Caesar] are eye-catching. The background score [Sanjay Wandrekar, Atul Raninga, Shantanu Moitra] is right.
3 IDIOTS belongs to everyone. But, yes, there’s no denying that Aamir makes you forget all his past achievements as you watch the amazing actor play Rancho. To state that this ranks amongst his finest works would be an understatement. Madhavan is incredible, especially in the sequence when he explains his point of view to his father [Pareekshit Sahani]. Sharman is outstanding from start to end. This was a difficult role to portray and only an actor of calibre could’ve pulled it off. Boman is superb as the vicious head of the institute. The scenes between Aamir and Boman are extra-ordinary and it’s a treat to watch these two powerful actors clash on the big screen, without getting overdramatic. Boman’s appearance, mannerisms and dialogue delivery are exemplary.
The length of Kareena’s role may not be as much as Aamir, Madhavan and Sharman, but she registers a strong impact nonetheless. Omi is excellent and the viewers are sure to love his acidic tongue and gestures in the movie. Mona Singh doesn’t get much scope. Jaaved Jaffery is competent. Pareekshit Sahani is decent.
On the whole, 3 IDIOTS easily ranks amongst Aamir, Rajkumar Hirani and Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s finest films. Do yourself and your family a favour: Watch 3 IDIOTS. It’s emotional, it’s entertaining, it’s enlightening. The film has tremendous youth appeal and feel-good factor to work in a big way.