3 Idiots, released on December 25, 2009, is an Indian Hindi-language comedy-drama film. It is directed by Rajkumar Hirani and produced by Vidhu Vinod Chopra. The screenplay, co-written by Abhijat Joshi, is loosely based on Chetan Bhagat’s novel Five Point Someone. Starring Aamir Khan, R. Madhavan, and Sharman Joshi in the lead roles, the film revolves around the friendship between three engineering students.
The film also star Kareena Kapoor, Boman Irani, and Omi Vaidya in pivotal roles. The narrative of 3 Idiots unfolds in two timelines, one in the present and second is a decade earlier. It offers a satirical take on the societal pressures within the Indian education system.
Why did Chatur reach out to Raju & Farhan?
3 Idiots starts off with Chatur Ramalingam, a vice-president at a company in California, reaching out to his former engineering classmates Farhan Qureshi and Raju Rastogi. He reminds them of a bet he made with their fellow classmate Rancho a decade ago. As they reunite, they embark on a journey to find Rancho, reminiscing about their college days along the way.
Flashback to their first year at the prestigious Imperial College of Engineering (ICE) in Delhi,n Farhan and Raju meet their roommate Ranchhoddas Shamaldas Chanchad, affectionately known as Rancho. Rancho’s passion for learning propels him to the top of the class, but his unconventional approach clashes with the strict demeanor of the college’s director, Dr. Viru Sahastrabuddhe, commonly known as Virus.
When Virus denies graduation to a student named Joy Lobo for failing to submit a project, Rancho steps in to complete Joy’s project. Tragically, Joy commits suicide before he can present it. Rancho confronts Virus about the immense pressure imposed on ICE students, but is met with dismissiveness.
One evening, the trio crash a wedding party, unaware that it’s for Virus’s elder daughter Mona. Initially disapproving of Rancho’s antics, Mona’s younger sister Piya is drawn to him after he exposes her materialistic boyfriend Suhas. An enraged Virus warns Farhan and Raju about the consequences of their friendship with Rancho, citing their modest financial backgrounds.
The night before their final exams, Raju’s father suffers a heart attack. With Rancho’s assistance, they rush him to the hospital. Initially resentful, Raju reconciles with Rancho upon realizing his friend’s pivotal role in saving his father’s life.
What did Virus bet Rancho?
As the year ends, Rancho excels academically while Farhan and Raju struggle. During the class photo, Virus bets Rancho that if either Farhan or Raju secure a job through campus interviews, he’ll shave his mustache.
In their fourth year, Rancho reveals why they consistently lag behind: Farhan’s true passion is photography, and Raju lacks confidence. After their drunken escapade at Virus’s house leads to Raju’s suicide attempt, Virus rescinds his expulsion, and Raju finds strength in the support of his friends and family. Raju secures a job, and Farhan pursues his dream of becoming a photographer with his father’s blessing.
Raju securing a job leads to Virus reluctantly shaving his mustache. Seeking revenge, Virus sets an unfairly tough exam. With Piya’s assistance, Rancho and Farhan steal the exam paper to help Raju, but he refuses to cheat, tossing it aside. However, they are caught and expelled.
Piya confronts her father about her brother’s suicide, stemming from the pressure exerted by Virus. During the stormy night, Mona goes into labor. With no way to reach a hospital, Rancho ingeniously delivers the baby with makeshift tools, earning Virus’s gratitude. He acknowledges Rancho’s brilliance by giving him the prized Space Pen and reinstates the trio.
3 Idiots ending: Did Farhan and Raju finally find Rancho?
On graduation day, Rancho disappears, leaving behind a mystery. In the present, in Shimla, they meet a man claiming to be the real Ranchhoddas Shyamaldas Chanchad. He reveals that the Rancho at ICE was actually his gardener’s son, Chhote, who used his name to study at the college.
Chhote/Rancho’s address leads them to a school in Ladakh. There, they discover Rancho’s thriving establishment. Reuniting with Millimetre, now Rancho’s aide, they learn that Rancho has followed their lives closely.
Finally, they find Rancho near Pangong Lake. Rancho confesses his love for Piya, and they share a moment. Chatur, belittling Rancho as a mere teacher, takes Virus’s pen. But when Rancho reveals himself as Phunsukh Wangdu, a successful scientist, Chatur is stunned into silence, and Rancho’s friends laugh triumphantly as they run off.
