Rocket Singh and 3 Idiots

When R and I set out on our vacation, we knew exactly where we will see the two movies... R's brother, a new hotshot sales guy is the Rocket Singh in our family, while my li'l baby sis, tired of all the expectations and academic pressures to live up to what she has started, is my personal favourite idiot in the world. R and I just made it 3 :P

Rocket Singh did and did not work for me. Worked because it's sincere and adorably candid! It wasn't exactly realistic, but at least it wasn't preachy. And Ranbir Kapoor - the kid is a showman! Event in his pagdi and sardar avatar, he was the cutest, most sumptuous (ahem!) thing in Rocket Singh. That said, there were bits and pieces that were stretched a little too far - the story isn't powerful enough to excite me beyond the first few jokes and it did not hold my attention through the entire movie. Now that I look back, I am quite sure I laughed more than necessary at all the jokes, mainly because I was in a generally super holiday mood :) Overall a just above average movie, great timepass. 3/5 I say!

3 Idiots - It worked worked worked! And how! Right from the first minute into the movie, I was rolling on the floor. Its over the top humour, Aamir's super "wtf is wrong with you, prof" expressions, Sharman Joshi, the sad little jokes on even poverty and paralysis - everything was hilarious. Most of Aamir Khan movies have a message, this one did too. But what was awesome was how it was showcased with lots of humour. I know of people who have taken things like acads, engineering years, failures and successes a little too much to heart. Chances are 10 years after the coveted engineering degree, it's the front benchers who haven't done well (and for me, "doing well" is defined by happiness. STRICTLY.) and the back benchers who have had the most fun and have made decent money too. I may be wrong but I think the movie was ham all around mainly because it portrayed just how amusing people can get when they take life and things that don't matter in the big picture, so, so seriously. Of course there were many, many unrealistic moments in the movie - one of them the great Ladakh run to unite Kareena and Aamir. There were many predictable moments in the movie too - it wasn't a thriller after all! The music was catchy, the actors hammed a great deal but for me it added to the fun the whole package was. I simply loved Sharman's line, "aaj humne human behaviour ke baare mein kuchh seekha. Jab apna dost fail hota hai toh bohot dukh hota hai, just woh top karta hai toh aur bhi dukh hota hai". How many of us haven't been on at least one side of the wall? I am sure none. I have been lucky, I have been on both sides and I know exactly how it feels! So yes, the movie may have been unrealistic, over the top, even crude in parts, the message (if you want to see it) was out in the open - this is not all there is to life... A degree, being a front bencher, a great job - Things that are have been ingrained in our heads for so long now that we don't even stop to think about the futility of it all. That children have a mind of their own. That they at least have the right to have a mind of their own. 3 Idiots was a lot of fun for me. And yes, people like Chatur and Rancho do exist - maybe even in every one of us. Only in much smaller degrees, because I agree that the movie was hardcore exaggeration, and that was the fun part! I would give the movie 4/5 - simply for making me laugh like there's no tomorrow.

Of course now speaking of 3 Idiots, how can one not speak of Chetan Bhagat, 5 Point Someone, and the recent controversy. My heart goes out to Mr Bhagat, who in spite of being an IIM grad and in spite of having some 10 years of work experience, didn't realise he was being taken for a ride. The agreement says he will be given credit, and he got credit. The agreement does NOT say when and where, maybe Mr Bhagat should have paid a little more attention to detail. He got his money, he got his teenie weenie credit, he was happy until the movie became such a rage. Now he is clearly speaking of collecting awards. Now he says "he knew he was being taken for a ride" If I were him, I would have been smarter BEFORE the movie released. Because being a mamma's boy after the damage is done won't really help. Welcome to the real world, Mr Chetan Bhagat. You did not get enough credit - everyone knows that. But you have only yourself to blame! Don't blame people for ethically abusing the contract, next time just pay more attention to detail. Thank you very much!