Had Raju Hirani not left his engineering midway at the Nagpur Engineering College, the telling expose of our educational system would not have been done in as delightful a manner as it was reemphasized in 3 IDIOTS. The metropolitan cities may have responded to 3 IDIOTS in a different manner but the real success for it has emerged from the mofussil towns of the country.
Dharwad is one such town in Karnataka, which is considered as the cultural capital of Karnataka, boasting of the likes of Bhim Sen Joshi, Gangu Bai Hangal, as also Nanadan Nilekani as its illustrious residents apart from the fact that it is one of the most sought after educational centres in South India. No wonder, it is thronged by students from all over the country and these students have laid siege to 3 IDIOTS. Show after show is populated by the students from various engineering, medical and management institutes who are soaking in the mockery of the educational system of the country deliriously enjoying the gags of the film. There would hardly be a viewer in the crowd who has not crammed dialogues of the film by heart. Talking to one of the patrons of the cinema hall, it was revealed that it has happened after a long time that students are coming back as a repeat audience to view 3 IDIOTS.
It is the students who have really made 3 IDIOTS the phenomenal success that it has become. In fact talking to one of the professors in one of the engineering colleges, it was revealed that they are also happy that 3 IDIOTS has brought out the rot that has set into the system in such a delightful manner.
The phenomenal success that 3 IDIOTS has attained among the students is owing to the imposition of the career on them by their parents and the students are able to identify the existentialist dilemma that they have been besotted with. The parents need to understand what Khalil Gibran had said that "they can only give love to their children and not burden them with their THOUGHTS as their souls are going to dwell in the house of tomorrow which the parents would not be there to see".
It is the same trend all over the country and it indeed begs a question whether there indeed is a reason to have a relook into the functioning of our educational institutions as also in the manner in which the parents deal with their children in the present times. The dialogue of the film "chase excellence and success would follow", indeed needs to become the reference point for the educational institutions as also the parents who should instill in the parents the notion of excellence in the area that they wish to choose.
When the government is indeed giving a serious thought to overhaul the educational system of the country 3 IDIOTS indeed needs to serve as one of the reference points. May be, as it happened with LAGE RAHO MUNNA BHAI, when a special screening was done for the Prime Minister of the country at his request, this time around, Vidhu Vinod Chopra and Raju Hirani should take the initiative and facilitate it for the Prime Minister If it is done, the real purpose of 3 IDIOTS would indeed be achieved.