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The impact of the Indian movie, Three Idiots (2009) on attitudes to education

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DOI: 10.1080/13569783.2016.1155439

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 Research in Drama Education: The Journal of Applied
Theatre and Performance

ISSN: 1356-9783 (Print) 1470-112X (Online) Journal homepage: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/crde20

The impact of the Indian movie, Three Idiots (2009)

on attitudes to education

Sajjad Hussain & Nasir Ahmad

To cite this article: Sajjad Hussain & Nasir Ahmad (2016) The impact of the Indian movie, Three
Idiots (2009) on attitudes to education, Research in Drama Education: The Journal of Applied
Theatre and Performance, 21:2, 242-246, DOI: 10.1080/13569783.2016.1155439

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RIDE: THE JOURNAL OF APPLIED THEATRE AND PERFORMANCE, 2016
VOL. 21, NO. 2, 242–246
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13569783.2016.1155439

POINTS AND PRACTICES

The impact of the Indian movie, Three Idiots (2009) on

attitudes to education
Sajjad Hussain and Nasir Ahmad
Center for Education and Staff Training, University of Swat, Odigram, Pakistan

Developments in technology can support the generation of tools to enhance teaching and
learning. In a digital world, teaching without technology is now considered incomplete.
Film is one of the most effective tools used for propagating ideas and engaging people
in reflections on events and philosophies of life. Films are therefore an influential
channel for student learning. Students enjoy watching films, imitating movie characters
and can learn languages and scientific concepts through film. In higher education insti-
tutions, particularly in teacher education, psychological studies and in the study of
history, films are used frequently and have significant positive impacts on student learn-
ing. This short article explores the impact of a film initiated by film writer Abhijat Joshi and
director Raj Kumar Hirani, produced by Vidhu Vinod Chopra and released in 2009. The film,
Three Idiots, was the result of a collective effort of film-makers and education experts. Tea-
chers and administrators were consulted and contributed to the development of the
script. The audience of the film included students, parents and other adults and the
leading role was performed by a well-known Indian actor, Aamir Khan. Khan’s more
famous movies include Taray Zameen per (Stars on the earth, 2007) and Pee-Kay (Drunk
2014). The role of the heroine of Three Idiots, Pia, was played by Kareena Kapoor, the
daughter of Boman Irani, a Professor of film. She has performed in numerous films on
different themes, including romantic, social and comedy films, and is a well-known
Indian actress in her own right as well as wife of Indian actor Saif Ali Khan. The key
actors in the film are famous for their creative and innovative work, and this attracted a
diverse audience to Three Idiots.
The main themes of the film were parental expectations, the rigid attitudes of teachers,
the influence of peers, students’ aptitudes and rote memorisation. These themes were
explored through the use of humour. Focusing on educational scenarios in an engineering
college, the film explored negative and questionable educational practices (relating to
expectations, parental pressure and students’ aptitudes), and their impacts on the edu-
cational and professional achievements of students. In such educational contexts, there
are many students who have been pressurised to train as engineers because of the
high monetary and social value of this profession, and here students’ actual talents, apti-
tudes, attitudes and interests can be ignored. These undue pressures have significant
negative impacts on students’ educational lives and lead to high rates of drop out and
even suicide. Three Idiots aimed to create awareness among parents, teachers and stu-
dents regarding the effects of undue parental pressures in this regard.

CONTACT Nasir Ahmad nasir_cupid@yahoo.com, nasir_cupid@uswat.edu.pk

© 2016 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group
 RESEARCH IN DRAMA EDUCATION 243

The film starts with the wish of Raju and Farhan to meet their old friend Rancho, which
leads to their recollection of their college experiences. They were engineering students at
the Imperial College of Engineering, one of the leading engineering colleges in India.
Farhan wanted to become a wildlife photographer, but his father wanted him to be an
engineer, whereas Raju was from a poor family. Raju wanted to improve his family’s finan-
cial situation, while Rancho studied for pleasure. During the film, Rancho confronts the col-
lege’s dean, Professor Virus, giving creative and unorthodox answers to questions, and
later attacking the rote-learning mentality of the institution. Rancho’s first appearance
in the movie is at a tradition at the college where freshmen are required to pull their
pants down as a sign of respect to the seniors. Rancho does not follow this tradition
and instead goes to his room. He connects a meter stick and spoon together and then con-
nects both to an electric current, causing the penile electrocution of a senior who tries to
pee on his door. He is not an ordinary student. When he is sent out of class, he attends the
classes of higher years where he absorbs much information. Rancho also helps a student,
Joy Lobo, on a project that had been rejected by Professor Virus. As the film proceeds, Joy
cannot handle his feelings anymore and, as a result of teachers’ rigid attitudes and undue
pressure, he commits suicide. Later, Rancho wants to propose Pia (the daughter of Virus)
and breaks into the Dean’s house to do so. During the film, we also see how Virus threatens
to expel Raju (due to Raju’s own misbehaviour), and eventually Raju also attempts his own
death. Virus wants to punish Raju – he sets a very difficult paper for the final term exam so
that Raju will be unable to graduate. Pia tells Rancho about the paper, and helps Rancho
and Farhan steal the paper for Raju, but he refuses to cheat. While stealing the paper they
are caught and all are expelled. In the meantime, Virus’s pregnant elder daughter Mona is
unable to go into labour because of a heavy storm that cuts electricity and blocks the road.
Rancho uses his own invention (a power inverter) to restore the electricity and connects
Pia via Skype – through her instruction, Mona gives birth to the baby. As a result, Virus
allows them to sit the final exam. Rancho receives first position and is awarded Virus’s
prize pen. The film shows how, in later life, Rancho becomes a famous scientist and
then settles in a remote area, teaching school students as a hobby. Ten years after their
graduation, the friends locate Rancho and discover his secret identity as Phunsuk
Wangdu, who is considered to be a great scientist. The movie ends with the marriage
of Pia and Phunsuk Wangdu.
The life of engineering students has been commonly featured much ridiculousness and
fooling; however in the film the negative consequences of fooling in educational insti-
tutions are shown. The questions asked by the hero give clear signs to the audience
that thinking critically and creatively is a positive quality. Asking questions is portrayed
as the basic source for knowledge acquisition and an attribute of learning. Furthermore,
answering students’ questions enables the teacher to relate classroom learning with
societal demands. Arguably, the film exemplifies a constructivist philosophy of and per-
spective on education. A changing social context asks for flexible attitudes and the
ability of adults to adapt their thinking and behaviour. Social changes influence the curri-
culum and a responsiveness to this context improves the accountability of higher edu-
cation institutions (Hussain 2012). There are many scenes in the movie which show the
effectiveness and value of this philosophy of education. Its depiction of education as a
‘machine’, the race for high marks, the undue pressures on students, for example, make
the movie relevant to the contemporary social routines of students and teachers. The
244 S. HUSSAIN AND N. AHMAD

film-makers explore the social nature of these demands and depict learning as a contex-
tual phenomenon, raising awareness through exploring students’ social backgrounds, and
the negative effects of competition among students and its impact on their academic
work. As a result, the film can also be used in teaching social constructivism as an edu-
cational theory and in developing and promoting new approaches to learning. As we
show below, the film’s depiction of ‘authentic’ education, parental expectations, teacher
attitudes and peer influences provide the basis for this potential.

Authentic education
Developing students’ skills in self-exploration, meaning construction and contextual
adjustment are the main purposes of ‘authentic education’. Here, rote memorisation
without understanding is of no value. Good grades achieved via rote memory have no
practical value in life. The discussion between Chanchad and Silencer in Three Idiots pro-
vides a powerful depiction of authentic education. Chanchad says ‘Don’t cram blindly, as
cramming can save your four years of college, but it will screw you for the next forty years.’
Silencer replies that learning through cramming is better ‘one day these methods will
leads me to success, that day I will laugh on you and you will cry’. Chanchad replies
‘you are again on the wrong track. Don’t chase success. Become a good engineer and
success will chase you’. Silencer responds ‘these ideals don’t work in the real world. You
take your train and methods and I will take my train and methods and will see after ten
years who will be more successful. You or me?’ In this exchange, Chanchad gives voice
to educational principles that concentrates on the skill development of students rather
than on their acquisition of facts. Students’ self-centred learning, critical, creative and
reflective thinking are the outcomes of authentic education. This kind of education asks
that teachers concentrate on students’ study skills and institutions on the provision of
positive educational environments. Through its depiction of exchanges like this, Three
Idiots may have a powerful impact on its audiences.

Parental expectations
High parental expectations are often based on ignoring the facts, and Three Idiots features
the many dialogues and scenes which reflect the negative effects of parents’ undue press-
ures and expectations on their children’s academic performance. Farhan’s father, for
example, imposes expectations on him to be an engineer instead of a photographer
and ignores the self-interests of Farhan. The high expectations of Raju’s family increase
the stress on him, which causes him to make wrong decisions. Expectations without the
proper knowledge of strengths and weakness lead to frustrations in Raju and Farhan’s
lives, as well as their poor performance and educational failure. During a meeting with
Farhan’s father, Chanchad sees the photographs taken by Farhan and is impressed by
his talent and interest in wildlife photography. Chanchad says ‘I love machines, engineer-
ing is my passion’. Pointing to Farhan, he says ‘you know your passion? Your passion is
wildlife photography. Post the letter that you wrote to Andra Istvan’ (one of Farhan’s
favourite wildlife photographers). Relating this moment to Raju, Chanchad said:
 RESEARCH IN DRAMA EDUCATION 245

He wants to train with him (Andra Istvan) in Hungary. But in fear of his dad, he never posted it.
Quit engineering and marry photography, follow your talent. If Michael Jackson’s father forced
him to be a boxer and Muhammad Ali’s father pushed him to be a singer, imagine the disaster,
do you get it? Idiot loves photography, but is marrying machines.

Raju responds ‘Engineering is my wife and girlfriend both. But I still fail, why? Explain.
Because you are a coward and scared of the future’. One is interested in and enjoying
engineering (Chanchad) and the other likes engineering but is unable to enjoy it. Here,
the external pressure from Raju’s family disrupts his connection to engineering, despite
his love of it. Farhan, the third person involved in the dialogue, is interested in photogra-
phy and it is only due to father’s wish that he is studying engineering. The one who is
enjoying and has interest in the subject is more successful than the other two. This can
be seen in their respective performance in the final examinations where one was
ranked first and the other two last.

Teacher’s attitudes
Student and teacher interaction is one of the most important elements in education. Tea-
chers can either facilitate or hinder student learning through these interactions and here
teacher attitudes are important and have a direct impact on students. Harsh attitudes
reduce questioning abilities, confidence, decision-making capacities and negatively alter
the learning styles and attitudes of students towards education. Treating students in an
authoritative way profoundly reduces their confidence levels. The harsh attitudes of tea-
chers in the educational context depicted in the film are portrayed as ridiculous but
also very damaging. The emphasis on, and tradition of, bookish learning and motivating
students for this are harming education, particularly in countries such as Pakistan. The dis-
cussion between the teacher and students in the introductory class depicted in the film,
and teacher’s question, ‘what is a machine?’, highlighted the teacher’s appreciation of
rote learning and Chanchad’s echoing of these principles in the exchange described
above is a symptom of this pressure on students to cram for examinations. On the
other hand, the film shows how the suicides of Joy and Raju result from similar attitudes.

Peer influences
The movie depicts positive and negative examples of peer influence. The associations of
Chanchad, Raju and Farhan have positive effects not only on students’ life but also in their
adult life. That association helps them to realise their strengths and weaknesses; it helps
them by offering opportunities for group learning and also supports the concept of learn-
ing for understanding and excellence rather than for success. Chanchad motivates his
friends to work with interest and devotion, and helps his friend Raju escape from and
develop an alternative to the methods of Silencer, who believes in cramming.
Movies like Three Idiots can be utitlised to stimulate awareness of the need for an
alternative conceptualisation of education among parents and other community
members. They can help students to develop different approaches to their learning,
based on their own studying style and preferences, and can also be utitlised in modifying
teachers’ attitudes inside and outside the class. The movie presented the educational situ-
ation of a region where these hindrances to learning have been identified and efforts have
 246 S. HUSSAIN AND N. AHMAD

been made to provide a strategic plan to improve the situation. Inauthentic approaches to
education, pressures on students, negative associations between students and harsh atti-
tudes of teachers crucially impact on students’ educational performance. There is a need
for change in these areas in order to provide an education that supports the stability and
strength of the next generation (Hussain, Ali, and Saeed 2013).

Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes on contributors
Sajjad Hussain is a lecturer in the Center for Education and Staff Training, University of Swat, Paki-
stan. He is a Ph.D. scholar at the International Islamic University Islamabad Pakistan. He has published
several research papers in national and international journals.
Dr Nasir Ahmad is an assistant professor in the Center for Education and Staff Training, University of
Swat, Pakistan. He has published several reserch papers in national and international journals.

References
Hussain, I. 2012. “Use of Constructivist Approach in Higher Education: An Instructor Observation.
Creative Education.” Scientific Research 3 (2): 179–184.
Hussain, S., R. Ali, and S. Saeed. 2013. “The Impact of Peer Groups on the Academic Achievement of
Secondary School Students.” Journal of American Science 9 (11): 13–16.

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