Phunsukh Wangdu or Ranchoddas Shamaldas Chanchad is simply one of the best characters in the Indian movie, 3 idiots. I think he is one of the best characters, well not because he is one of the protagonists of the movie but because he possessed something unique and rare within him. At the start of the movie, Rancho was already the cream of the crop and the eye catcher. The moment Rancho came out for his first scene in the movie, I knew at that very moment that he will be portraying an awesome role. On a side note, I also expected a lot from Amir Khan, the actor who portrayed Phunsukh Wangdu, because I have watched his other movies especially the Every Child is Special.
Going back to, Rancho’s first scene on the movie was when he showed up during the traditional rites of the university that students will pull their pants down and offer their asses to their seniors to show and pay respect. During the initiation rites of spanking to the neophytes, the attention of the seniors of the university was caught when Rancho suddenly appeared in front of them. The seniors then asked Rancho to pay them respect and offer them his ass. However, Rancho denied them and did something hilarious.
Just when a senior’s attention was misdirected, Rancho hurried to hide in a room and panicked. The senior then threatened him that Rancho will suffer a consequence if he would not come out of the room. A consequence – he will pee in front of his door every day. Rancho went into a flight or fight mode; specifically, a fight mode.
Rancho grabbed a spoon, connected the wirings of the bulb to the spoon and increased its height using a meter stick. Rancho knew that saltwater was a conductor of electricity and because of this ingenious idea, things escalated quickly. The senior was sick of waiting so he peed on the door of the room which Rancho was in but Rancho prepared the spoon under the door which leads the electrocution of the senior. The senior then fell down on the ground due to the excruciating pain.
The given situation, which Rancho first did in the movie, simply depicted his free-spirited yet ingenious personality. People who would be under Rancho’s situation would surely go into a flight mode and expectedly step out of the room without any hesitations but Rancho was different.
If I were in his shoes, I do not think I would still be able to create something like that under those times of pressure; similar to a life and death situation. Well, like what Rancho said before that scene, “All is well.”
***
It was the students first morning in the Imperial College of Engineering (ICE) and they wore woken up by an alarming howl of an unfamiliar name, Virus.
The students rushed out and went outside their rooms to their surprise, Virus was a professor in the ICE. He was not just an ordinary professor. He was known because he terrorized students mentally and academically.
During that time, Virus was welcoming the students. Well, actually, threatening. He reminded the students about their chances of staying inside the university and bragged about his pen.
The pen which he bragged was actually an astronaut’s pen that was given to him by his teacher before. His teacher told him that Virus should give hand the pen over to a student that is as extraordinary like him but for his 32 years of teaching in the university, he was still able to find or come across to such student. Virus explained the purpose and inspiration why the astronaut’s pen was created. He even bragged about its price which cost millions. Then suddenly, out a student’s curiosity, he asked.
Rancho asked Virus why people have wasted millions of money for that pen when they could just have used a pencil on the space. He added that it would have been a cheaper and a wise idea. To Virus’ surprise, the question got him startled and dumbfounded.
I felt stupid after Rancho asked that question and I even asked, “Why did not they thought of that?” Rancho’s curiosity was simply amazing. Not all people are actually able to think that positively shallow. I mean, why do you have to go deep on an empty ocean when there are a lot of fishes on the surface?
***
Rancho was caught smiling by his professor in his engineering class. His professor asked him why he was smiling and he replied and answered genuinely that he was just happy because dreamed to study engineering as a kid and during that moment, his dreams come true. The professor killed joy and asked him to define what a machine is.
Since Rancho was more of a practical person, he honestly replied with what he thinks of a machine. For him, a machine was simply involved in their everyday lives. From electric fan down to his zipper on his pants, it was already machine for him. Unfortunately, this explanation was stupid for the professor this got Rancho scolded. So, the professor asked another student for the definition of a machine.
Chatur, Rancho’s classmate, gave the definition of a machine in an explicit, detailed, and bookish manner. Without any doubts, the professor was astounded of the student and praise while demeaning Rancho of his stupid answer.
Sometimes, we are all most the time like Rancho. We do not know things in detail but we can explain it. I even know some people in the field of IT that are really good programmers. However, if you ask them about the bookish terminologies, they would be confused and sometimes they might not give the answer that you need. Nevertheless, when asked to perform or execute a program, they can even explain and do it with ease.
The point of was stated is, being too bookish and in detail makes things confusing and non-sense. It would most of the time be best to cut things short and be direct to simplify things in the best way.
All is well
All is well – These are Rancho’s infamous words that revolved and conquered the whole movie. In a movie full of depressing and stressful meanings, it seems that the characters and the people needed to know that everything will be fine.
This word was first seen uttered by Rancho when he was bullied during his first appearance on ICE. It was that time when his tumbler was grabbed out of his bag and the water inside it poured inside his pants. With this, Rancho remained calm and said, “All is well, all is well” while patting his chest and breathing calmly.
His infamous words were explained when the 3 of them, Rancho, Farhan, and Raju were inside the room fixing Joy Lobo’s invention. As what Rancho storied in the movie, the “All is well” actually came from an old watcher in their village who protected them. It made them calm during the night and made sure that they were safe. Since that day, Rancho realized that the heart can be tricked.
***
Metaphorically, the heart can really be tricked and sometimes we just have to use our minds and let our emotions lie low. Most of the time, we let our emotions rush and our thoughts left behind. Because of this, more often than not, we tend to hurt people carelessly or sometimes we say words of lie and deceit to comfort other people without thinking, the truth would let them free.
The heart can be tricked into thinking everything will be okay in times of great tragedy or difficult times. We just sometimes have to think optimistically to survive and forget most of the negative thoughts to think clearly. These unclean thoughts are just mere distractions from making us think clearly. So, the best thing to do is smile and say that all is well.
These words are but easy to say but if we are really under challenges, we are most of the time distracted by the trembling fear. We just rather have to think and let our emotions go away for a second. Our emotions would not really save us. It is the wisdom that will make us survive.
***
Aside from being full of wisdom, Rancho is also logical and passionate. During the burial of Joy Lobo, Rancho accused Virus of murder. Joy Lobo was the student whose father was called by Virus. Virus told Joy’s father that his son would not be able to graduate and that it would be better if he would not get tickets to ICE because his son still would not graduate for that year. Out of anger and anxiety, Joy broke down and hanged himself in his room. Rancho and his friends hurriedly went up and into his room. Few days after, in the burial, Rancho told Virus that Joy did not die because of the pressure in his throat but because of the mental pressure for four years which Virus had caused him.
Education System, a challenge
I have also pondered about the education system in the Philippines in so many ways similar to the movie and I reflected on various points. First, the education system in the Philippines is not accessible to all. Not all people in the country are able to study or send their kids to schools. There are those who are unprivileged that are unable to attain education. The IPs or Indigenous People are some of the people who are unfortunate to receive free education. Aside from that, there are also those poor families who could not even send their kids to a public elementary school and those who travel far just to learn how to read and write.
This given situation depicts the unfortunate education system in the Philippines that is mostly factored by poverty. Moreover, I also have seen myself in Rancho because I was most of the time questioning the education system of the country and the university. Most of my classmates, when asked about how their schooling is, would answer they are tired, depressed, and that they just would like to end all the crappy things. Well, I could not blame them because I feel the same way too.
It seemed like though some schools are aiming for quality education when actually, they have forgotten about the welfare and health of their students. Aside from that, there are also some signs of student injustices in some schools about that involved abuse of the rights of the students. Ironically it makes me thought, “Is this the effect of years of studying?”
I mean, for me, what is the point of the years and years of studying when you cannot even get your manners right. Being unruly covers one person’s knowledge. It seems like unpleasant personality stains a person’s regardless if he’s intelligent or not.
Sometimes, it feels like students and their teachers have forgotten the true essence of learning and education. Today, in the current generation, it seemed like education and success equate to high-grades. Well, somehow and logically, yes. But, good grades still do not assure a person 100% chance of success in life, right?
***
Ironically, teachers and professors were once students. They give a lot of projects and assignment to their students when it is actually hard and the deadline is unrealistic. Also, imagine the amount of the knowledge that students have to acquire and maintain in a week. That is already information abuse. Aren’t they aware of the amount of knowledge we are most of the time gathering and storing in our minds?
The difference I can only see from Rancho from me is that he is too direct and blunt to confront a teacher. Because, if he would do it here in the Philippines, I might be reprimanded or worse, expelled because of these unethical ways. Also, Pinoys are just too good at backstabbing. Going direct to the point and saying these things at other people’s face is just rare.
Also, as I reflected in the movie, I have also realized that the Philippines has a lot to improve especially in the education system. It is not that I am against the culture of having good grades but I guess students should give more value to the essence of studying which is acquiring knowledge instead of acquiring high scores. High-scores are non-sense if they are acquired it through cheating, unlike knowledge which is acquired through dedication and effort.
***
“Even a circus lion learns to sit on a chair in fear of the whip but you call such lion well trained not well educated.” – Ranchoddas to his professor, Virus.
Similar to the tradition most students in college are used to, they believe education is equal to good grades. If we are going to dive deep into this quote it basically means that fear does no good and it only causes depression. Students who are used to studying and acquiring good grades are not wrong. I am only proposing that the education system, the way of teaching itself, can still be changed along with the change in the false traditions of the generation today. Because of the fear of delays and failures, many students resort to cheating and they sometimes do anything wrong because of the desperation and thirst to pass.
This concept is wrong on a lot of levels and in quickly needs to be corrected. Fear being instilled in the minds of the students make them being controlled.
If I were to choose between well-trained and well-educated, of course, I would pick the well-educated because I believe that you are a well-educated person, being well-trained will just follow. For me, being educated in this cruel society, world, is important because it clears out any ignorance within me and it makes me awake from the pressing issues that our society is experiencing today.
Being a well-trained person can be achieved by putting numerous hours of training to a certain thing. However, being well-educated is acquired through experience and exposure which are not found inside the four pillars of the classroom but in the room for improvement.
He runs a factory, not a college
When Pia and Rancho had a discourse, Pia, Virus’ daughter defended his father from the accusations of Rancho but in Rancho’s defense he said, “He (Virus) runs a factory, not a college.” From this statement, I think Pia realized that Rancho had a point. Students in ICE were somewhat molded like machines. They had a routinary activity and that for years of staying in ICE, what it felt for them was like they were not learning anything. Learning in a sense of genuinely accepting and giving knowledge. They were doing a lot of things and producing outputs, yes. However, for them, they did it for compliance and for the sake of the education system. All of these which are bounded by fear. The fear of failing and the possibility of not to graduate on time.
I could not blame the students if they felt that way. It was even obvious that the professors in that university, backed up with the education system, was similar to a caste system.
Rancho even asked Virus as to why grades serve like a caste system. Why do the best act like the masters and the least act like slaves? Virus then asked Rancho what he wants to do. Rancho answered about the publicity of grades. To quote, he said, “Results should not be displayed. why publicize someone’s flaws?”
In the matter of education, the ones who have acquired an outstanding amount of awards and the highest level of grades are acknowledged and given with recognition. They are praised for their achievements especially that they are on the top. It feels good to be clapped to. A lot of people cheering up and making you as their inspiration. Some as a symbol to surpass in the future. We all have someone we want to surpass as a symbol of excellence. We all have people on our mind whom we want to be like.
However, this does not the same for those who went in the last place. They are also examples for most. Examples which not they are going to be like. They are the least expected people which most people also want to be. They are criticized and judged by people. They would often say they flunked their academics and did not go to school often. People are so quick to judge those who did not perform well academically. It is but a truth about the society and their perspective on the education system and this was shown in the movie. I liked it so much because it was happening. It was real.
***
Never cared, first or last
Rancho never cared if he was first or last. What was important for him is the true meaning of learning. He protested the education system and fought for it. He questioned what other people would not have asked and fearlessly faced criticisms. This is what I like the most about Rancho because aside from being intellectual, free-spirited, and curious, he was brave. Rancho was open to a lot of things. He was not scared to learn because he knew that fear would hinder his education. Ever since he was a kid, he performed well in class and acquired a lot of knowledge. He was not focused on achieving any grade or being at the top. He was not even interested in who’s the first. What mattered to him is the true essence of education which is to learn. It is amazing to find people like Rancho whose personality and outlook in life is rare. These type of people are one of kind and they make me realize why there are flaws in the education system and only a few seem to care about it. A lot of people knows this but only some fights for it.
Rancho not Rancho
Ranchoddas Shamaldas Chanchad was actually not the Rancho we know. Just when Raju and Farhan, along with Chatur, came finding for Rancho, they were stranded inside a house with a burial. When they looked for Rancho in that house, to their surprise, they found a man named the same as their friends’ yet he had an unfamiliar face. The 3 of them who were looking for Rancho were confused.
While inspecting most of the things inside the house, they found their friends diploma and their picture. That was the time when they knew something was wrong. They then asked the unfamiliar man and threatened him that his father’s ashes will go down and flushed in a toilet bowl if he is not going, to tell the truth.
The man, the true Ranchoddas Shalmadas Chanchad, said that the Rancho they know was known as Chhote. Chhote was actually the son of a gardener who was working in the fields of the mansion. When Rancho knew that Chhote had the talent, he let Chhote borrow his uniform and went to school as Rancho. It was since that day when Chhote learned and enhance his knowledge. Chhote was a happy kid, full of enthusiasm. He had the thirst for knowledge and so he attended most classes he wanted to listen to the school. It was not until when Rancho and Chhote were caught. Rancho’s father got mad at the both of them but since he did not want to stain his reputation, he had a proposition. Since Rancho’s father only wanted a degree and Chhote wants to learn, Rancho’s father let Chhote continue studying until he graduates college as Rancho. It was also during that part when Chhote displayed astounding talents in the field of math because he was in grade 6 performing grade 10 maths.
Their questions were answered. Chhote was not rich, he really did not finish college in the ICE. All of this things did not really matter for Chhote because he just wanted to learn. Even if he did not have the actual degree because he gave it to someone, for him, the important things are he learned and he bonded with people.
***
Chhote really loves his friends. He showed extraordinary empathy to them and it was him who really cared the most. Although there were times he brought misfortune and caused his friends to be reprimanded, Chhote never left them and he showed what a friend should be really like.
Chhote to Farhan
Chhote first brought trouble to Farhan’s family because of the “Farhanitration” and “Prerajulisation” which he had invented just to show that learning is not actually existing in ICE.
Because of this silliness, he and Farhan were threatened by Farhan’s father not to cause Farhan trouble again because his father invested a lot in his son. He bought an air-conditioner and could have placed it anywhere in their house but since he wanted the best for his son for his academics, he placed in the air-conditioner in his son’s room.
During this time, Chhote noticed the amazing pictures which Farhan had capture before and Chhote were in awe. It was also the time when he realized that Farhan never really liked or dreamed of being an engineer but a wildlife photographer. Ever since then, Chhote encouraged Farhan to pursue what he dreams. He knew at that moment that to pursue his dreams means he is going to be genuinely happy and that he would not be regretting anything when he would lie on his deathbed at the right time.
This thing made me realize that I am on the right path. Fortunately, my family gave me the freedom to choose whatever I want though they had suggestions. They had aspirations of they want their son to be: an engineer, architect, etc; just not a teacher. But in end of it all, the last the decision was still mine. Thankfully, I am happy on what I am in right now and I can really say that this is the path that will make me genuinely happy and when the time comes that I will work, I would not even worry about it because I will be doing my passion from that time on.
***
Chhote with Pia then submitted the Farhan’s letter of request. The both of them told Farhan a good news that he was accepted to assist a famous wildlife photographer. Farhan was in tears of both sadness and joy. Farhan did not expect that they would submit the letter and unexpectedly, the wildlife photographer was amused by the photos he captured. Farhan was in tears of sadness because he knew that his father would not accept it.
It was their day of interview and Farhan went home. What he did not know was that his father bought him a laptop as a reward because he thought his son was going to his interview passed, assuring a spot on a job. Yet, the saw Farhan went home and it was that time Farhan begged his father. He got his father to accept his conditions. How? He reminded his father about the goodness of Chhote. Chhote actually told Farhan not to commit suicide through placing a picture of his mother and father in his wallet. Chhote told Farhan that if ever he is going to commit suicide or wants to just die, he should take a look at his wallet, specifically on the picture of his parents. Chhote reminded Farhan that if he dies, his parent’s genuine smile would fade away and that they are going to be sad.
These good words of Chhote made Farhan’s father change his mind and it was that time he let his son live his life.
Chhote to Raju
Chhote’s help to Raju was first greatly observed during one of Raju’s tragedies in life. It was when Raju was forced to transfer to Chatur’ room. Raju was threatened by Viru that if he keeps on bonding with Chhote, chances are, he will fail and he would not be able to help his family.
It was also that time when Chhote received a call that Raju’s father was needs to be hospitalized urgently. Chhote together with Pia rushed to Raju’s house. When Pia found out about Raju’s father, she then decided as a doctor that Raju’s father needs to be in the hospital. So, Chhote, Pia, and Raju’s father rode on Pia’s motorbike and rushed to the hospital. They went inside the hospital on a motorbike and directly went to the doctor who is on duty.
When Raju heard this, he immediately got mad at Chhote but someone explained that if it were not for Chhote’s brilliant efforts, Raju’s father would have died. This made Raju and Chhote’s eyes in tears.
Chhote was very helpful to his friends even if it caused him to be in shame. He defended both of his friends and helped them when they needed help.
Aside from that, Chhote was also the one who saved Chhote from death and relieved him from temporary paralysis. When Raju knew that he was going to be rusticated from the Imperial College of Engineering, he stood on the windows and dropped himself from Virus’ office located on the third-floor down to the ground. Raju was rushed to the hospital in Chhote’s lead. They were all sad and in despair because their friend Raju almost died.
Fortunately, Raju did not die but he was temporarily paralyzed. Farhan and Chhote did everything with their might to regain Raju’s temporary memory loss. They made him remember everything by talking to him even though he did not respond or even look at them.
Chhote had a great plan in mind. He talked to Raju and said that his sister was going to be married and it will not cause their family to have a dowry. Chhote told Raju that Farhan is going to marry his sister and it will be for free. Unexpectedly, Raju looked at them and responded. He was so happy as well as the two of his friends. With Chhote’s words of encouragement he came back to reality and in time he went to the interview.
***
Aside from helping his friends, there are also other people whom Chhote helped. We know that Chhote helped Rancho and his future. Well, Chhote also helped Pia, whose father was Virus.
Chhote to Pia
During Chhote’s first meeting with Pia, Chhote’s attention was immediately caught by Pia’s beauty. It was at that time that Pia had an asshole fiancé. Chhote even showed Pia that his fiancé would always keep on saying the monetary value of things. He showed a demo by spilling a mint sauce and her fiancé’s shoes. He did it again when he reminded her of her mom’s old watch and its importance to pia. Chhote not only care’s about his friends but also to people who think is in wrong hands. He knew by that time; Pia did not deserve an asshole but a brilliant guy like him.
Chhote to Virus
Not only did Chhote help Virus’ family by helping Pia’s sister in giving birth; Chhote also helped Virus. How? Well, he helped Virus to realize that he needs to change his cruelty to students. He also helped virus by even contributing to saving his grandson’s life. Chhote was also one of the people who inspired Pia not to determine his grandson’s future but to let the kid grow in freedom and choose whatever path he wanted.
Chhote to Centimeter and to many students
When Farhan and Raju were finding for Chhote, they stumbled to an unfamiliar kid. The unfamiliar kid knew Farhan, Raju, and Pia very well. He told them that Chhote has been sharing their lives with his students. To their surprise, they realized the Centimeter grew up in Chhote’s guidance he was then known as Kilometer. Chhote gave centimeter a letter with an address. The letter’s content was if centimeter wanted to learn more and gain knowledge. Without a doubt, centimeter followed the letter’s directions and it was that time he came to Chhote. In that place, Chhote was not only helping Centimeter. He was also teaching other children. He also helped a lot of students and thought using the true essence of education.
Also, it was at that time when his secrets were debunked at that his real name was Phunsukh Wangdu. Pia, Raju, and Farhan were surprised that their friend was the Phunsukh Wangdu. The person who was 400 patents and whom the world acknowledges. From the first scene of the story up to the last, what the three of them were actually looking for was famous and known by the world.
This is why, without a doubt and any hesitations, I would choose Wangdu as my favorite character in the movie. Simply because I also want to be like him. His personality is somewhat similar to mine but he is way too exceptional. I can say that he is my favorite character because we have the same thoughts regarding the education system. We are both similar in our way of protesting. We both question as to why education is like a caste system.
Moreover, I can say that Wangdu and I are alike because he has the thirst for knowledge and the true essence of learning. We both want to genuinely learn and not to learn by force and fear. Also, in times of stress and pressure, we are somehow able to calm ourselves and think clearly. He does it well though.
***
One of the differences that I could think from Wangdu and I is that he has overcome his trials whereas I am still under the challenge. Regardless of this situation, I will surely use him as my inspiration and be like him in times of disaster. I would probably imitate his character; put my hands over my heart and pat it saying, “All is well.”
Raju Rastogi was first seen when Farhan entered their room. Raju, from a first glimpse, seemed to be a humble and calm person. Raju is a religious type of person. At his first scene, Raju was already seen praying and asking for protection inside their room.
***
Faith, not enough
For me, praying does not really get what he wants especially if he only prays. I believe prayer should be accompanied by efforts. Though a student prays hard and even if he prays multiple times a day yet after praying he slacks off, nothing good is going to happen. His prayers are going to be useless if he keeps on procrastinating and doing unproductive things instead of studying or preparing himself for his academics. Another would example would be in times of disaster. Merely praying for those who were hit by a disaster is not enough. Prayers may keep them away from death but hunger and thirst will not. It would be much necessary if people tried to help and exert effort. They can be the answer to other people’s prayers instead of waiting for other people to do it. Prayers are not enough to keep a person alive. Doctors, nurses, and other people involved in the medical field are there keep us alive. They are the actual people who do miraculous things and we should pray and thank God for creating such wonderful people.
We are sometimes too faithful and we are too reluctant. We tend not to do anything when we think there is no chance of succeeding in life anymore or at simple things. “Bahala na si Lord.” We keep on saying it and it seems like we keep on giving the burden to God. This attitude is really a mistake on so many levels.
First, aside from the depiction of one’s strong faith, it merely states that a person is unprepared. All of us had come to a certain point that we think it would uselessly exert effort anymore that is why we leave it to God. It is somewhat like we leave everything to fate and we will just accept no matter what happens.
Some people should actually stop this thinking and instead, people should exert more effort. We should not be contented with mediocrity but we should try to dwell on excellence. It may seem hard to achieve but the good this is, settling for less was never a part of our choices. It could also mean that we have lost in our minds even though there is no real decision yet. It is like we are already accepting defeat and being negative when actually, results are not there yet. I mean, where is the good in those things?
***
Poverty in his life
When Rancho was called to their house, Rancho said that Raju’s life is like a classic movie in black and white. Raju’s family was composed of a paralyzed father, a sick mother, and an unwed sister all living in a small room. The hard life in poverty was shown in the movie. Aside from flawed education system, the bitter truth about what some students in college are experiencing was also displayed in the movie. It is a really sad thing for some families who give most of their money and effort to their child who is going to college. To them, they just cannot wait for their child to graduate and work so that they could at least have a better living. Similar to Raju’s life, they were obviously in a very hard situation. None of his parents had a decent job. And for his sister to marry, a car was needed as a dowry. Now, the pressure is on Raju because he is being sent to college and his family is expecting a lot from him.
There was also a time he got mad and decided to leave his friends because he was threatened by Virus due to their carelessness. It was so clear to Raju that he needed to avoid bonding with Rancho and Farhan or else he might get expelled. He knew he cannot be expelled or he might not be able to lift his family up from the poverty they were experiencing. It seemed like if he is going to lose his education, he is going to lose his family and his life as well.
This thinking should be the thinking of most students not only those who are living in poverty but also to those whose lives are full of blessing and in richness. Sometimes, people become too complacent to spend money on unnecessary things. I know that I do not have the right to complain because it is not my money but I think they should realize that there would have been a poor family that could have benefited from the wasted money. How?
What if rich people tried to buy from the poor? What if they tried to market in palengkes instead of malls? What if they tried to buy clothes from the indigenous people? Through some of these things, monetary blessed families are able to help other people. If they buy straight from the farmers, farmers would greatly benefit. Same goes for the fisherman, indigenous people, and other underrated professions. I mean, instead of buying from imported products which do not really contribute to our economy neither to our fellow citizens, why do we have to buy products of other countries when we can purchase our own and help save the economy?
Through these simple things, we are able to help our country and its people.
Raju’s dilemmas
Just when Raju’s father had an attack, he was brought to the hospital by Rancho and Pia on a motorbike. Thankfully, his father was immediately rushed to the hospital because his father was already on the brink of death and Raju’s father could have died if it was not for Rancho and Pia. Raju actually got mad to Rancho at first because who would want their paralyzed father ride on a motorbike on his way to the hospital, right?
Raju was also clearly defensive of his family. They were his most precious treasures and they were his inspiration for studying. They kept him inspired and to do his best. However, there were a lot of times that Raju was not able to perform well. Most of us would say, he flunked or did not attend any classes. Actually, Raju is like many students in college. Raju was attacked by fear.
There were a lot of circumstances for Raju. He needs to think about a lot of things daily. He thinks about his family, his studies, his friends, and Virus as well.
It was that day when their results were going to be publicly shown. Raju and Farhan were both trembling when the results were shown. They both found themselves in the last place of the list. Raju on the 199th and Farhan on the 200th. The both of them were sad not because they were in the last place but because their friend Rancho was not there. Then suddenly, Raju heard Chatur whining and being noisy. Raju asked Farhan what fuss was all about. He said that Chatur was unexpectedly in the second place and he asked who was on the first of the list. To their surprise and disappointment, it was Rancho.
As said in the movie, “Your friends you feel bad. Your friend tops you feel worse.” I have also been in a similar situation and it is somewhat depressing and encouraging at the same time.
It was when I was involved in a group study of 4. We studied together and the same subject but we had different grades. My other three friends topped the exam yet I was not even close to passing. What did I ever do to deserve that place? I studied and I exerted effort. It was surely painful. I then realized that we had exerted different levels of effort into studying. It was also that time I encouraged myself not to settle for less but always exert the best so that I would not regret it for not doing my best in the long run. It would be a better feeling to fail to know you did your best that losing without giving your all.
Those times have surely molded me as a better man today similar to Raju.
***
The emotional one
Of all the characters including the 3 idiots itself, I think Raju Rastogi is the most emotional character in the movie. He portrays many of the college students in today’s generation. He speaks for us, for me especially. His character simply displays the mental stress and pressure that each college student has to endure during their college life. Raju endures and tries to solve his problems by praying and by directing his mind to happy thoughts. Well, all students have their way of cheering themselves up.
When Raju is in times of great distress, he prays to his God. I know a lot of people who are like this and it is so hilarious. I am not mocking them though. It is just so funny to see them praying knowing they did not even exert effort which they can pray on. It is like they are praying for the impossible to happen. It is like they prayed for an exam they did not even study. Hilarious, right?
Aside from prayers, Raju’s other way of distressing is through having fun with friends. Like many teenagers and college students today, having fun seems to be one of their way out of the depressing and cruel world. College life is included. Sometimes, it is just great to drink and get drunk while having fun with your friends. It is nice to forget the problems for a while. My friends and I also do this every after the semester. We celebrate and remember the stressing things and just laugh at it because we have survived.
There are also times we necessarily need to just play computer games such as Dota to have a quick escape from the stress. It is really hard to handle mental pressure by ourselves we most of the time need the company of our friends. We sometimes need the help and advice of other people. We sometimes need to cry our heart out to our loved ones when we are really tired. This is why I see myself in Raju.
Lastly, another reason why I see most teenagers and college students in him is about the depression.
I have said earlier that Raju has a lot of things to mind including Virus. Actually, Raju was not a bad student. He was really just scared of probably losing everything he had if he risked his studies.
Before, he was already threatened by Virus. He was threatened that he is going to be expelled from the Imperial College of Engineering (ICE) if he kept on bonding with Rancho and did crazy things with him. Unfortunately, the craziest thing happened. The 3 of these idiots got drunk and went to Virus’ place. Raju peed on Virus’ door. Next day, the three of them got caught. The worst was he was rusticated from ICE. It was at this moment, Raju knew, it was going to be the end of his life metaphorically. However, he also made it happen literally.
Raju stood on Virus’ office and dropped his body. He fell from the 3rd floor down to the ground. His head was bloody and he was rushed to the hospital by Rancho.
The current generation is also experiencing the stated situation. Many teenagers, especially college students have committed suicide because of mental pressure and extreme stress. The depression that the both of these had caused made them not think properly which ended in a tragic event for their families. Though most suicide that happens is not related to academics, most of them are sure because of depression and the lack of motivation to continue in life. We cannot say they should not have hanged themselves when in the first place, we are not in their shoes. What they are experiencing is beyond our comprehension. Even beyond theirs, that is why they committed suicide.
Today, if depression has become a prevalent thing in the society. It has quickly spread like a virus inside the minds of college students. Many of them are ranting about the stress and pressure. I don’t know but it is really hard to deal with depression especially if it is related to studies.
Raju’s firm attitude
After staying in the hospital for weeks, Raju has slightly recovered from the injuries. He was able to sustain multiple fractured bones and a head trauma. He was also able to maintain a concrete spirit and he now has a better attitude and positive outlook on life. To carry on with his life, he went to the interview and courageously faced the panel on his wheelchair.
He was interviewed what caused him to be in a wheelchair. He told the panel everything from peeing on Virus’ door to him jumping from the third floor down to the ground. The panelists were in shock and it showed in their faces that they were disappointed. They somewhat implicated that Raju was not even going to be hired and get a job. However, one member of the panel was curious and asked Raju of his direct and straightforward attitude. This certain panel member requested Raju to change it and he could get a job but Raju refused the offer.
Raju declined because it took him his life to get that attitude. He went through a lot of this to be that direct and straightforward and he said that he is not going to change it. He said that he will leave the job to the panel and he requested the panel to leave him and his attitude without hard feelings.
The certain panel member was astounded by Raju’s personality and he was actually surprised that for his 25 years of interviewing, there would be a man like Raju that would not turn out to be an interviewee that would always say yes to the requests just to get a job.
Because of Raju’s firm personality, he was able to get a job and all of his hard work and pain he has to go through was all worth it. He even got Virus to shave his beard. If everyone was going to get a job, Raju was the least expected person to get one because of his economic status in his life and academic status in college.
Raju’s father
On the first scene of Raju’s father, it was said that his father was once a postmaster. Being a postmaster is actually a decent job and his father actually helped to give them a decent living. However, his father got paralyzed it seems that he was sick to the point that he was bed-ridden.
“Father was once a postmaster but paralysis shut down his body partly… his salary completely.” – Raju said.
It was really sad knowing his father was once a great postmaster and that he did well for his family. I can only imagine their happy and colorful life before paralysis struck his father. These things are just a factor of Raju’ sadness. It was also really hard for his sister and mother to endure. It was hard for all of them to see their family in pain and just cannot do anything because of paralysis.
Their lives would have been better if it was not for the paralysis. I mean, it is a good thing that his father did not die too but to see him in pain every day also feels like he is dying. It would hard for his family to continue especially for Raju who bears all the burden of his family.
Aside from the body of Raju’s father, his father’s salary also vanished. It is as if at a blink of an eye, their future as a family is gone. They still have to sustain their daily needs but now that the father is not working and receiving salary anymore, surely, it would be really hard for them.
Because of this, it made me realize that I am really blessed with my life, that I do not have to endure with those things. I cannot even imagine being in Raju’s shoes and experiencing the same situation. I would probably not last a week not being able to live in a proper house, with no decent meals, while enduring the sight of a bed-ridden father. This is also one of the factors as to why Raju is a fearful idiot.
At that point of his life, a lot of things could vanish in a blink of his eyes. One blink and his studies would be gone. One blink and his father could die. These are just some of the things he has to think of most of the nights before he goes to sleep. You can really see in his eyes that he is tried yet he’s done so well in enduring those things.
Raju’s mother
Raju said, “Mother was a retired school teacher and a tireless complainer.”
His mother has a retired school teacher. I bet she was a good one. It really saddens me to think that maybe, they were once a colorful, happy family. Raju’s father kissing goodbye to his son and daughter, hugging his wife before leaves. His mother, preparing her children’s lunch on their way to school. Maybe, this was their family. However, we just cannot neglect the fact that storms come into our lives and we have to face it like Raju and his family.
His mother was a tireless complainer. Well, I could not blame her if she developed that attitude.
“Raju’s house was straight out of a 50’s black and white film. A small dingy room, a paralyzed father, a coughing mother, and an unwed sister. A sofa sprouting springs, and a 24-hour water supply from the leaking roof.”
Imagine if you were in the shoes of Raju’s mother for a year. I bet you will complain during your first month of stay. His mother also has a lot to endure. Since his father was paralyzed, his mother has to take care of his father 24/7. She also has to look out for Raju and his sister. She also does motherly things such as to cook for her family, aid her husband, and guide her children in their daily lives. These things are why Raju’s mother inevitably complains. She has a lot to think of. She is also stressed and tired.
Fortunately, my mother is doing fine and she is the best. I can really see the efforts she puts into things like Raju’s mother. They do their best for their families even if it is already stressful. One thing that I can notice that is similar from the both of them is their attitude of complaining. It is somewhat hilarious.
Raju’s sister
Raju’s sister is unwed. It may seem like it is not a big deal for us, Filipinos, but for them, it is. According to Anna Rees, “One theory is that historically parents of the bride nominally provided gifts such as jewelry and everyday household items to the bride which evolved over time to providing a sum of money to the groom’s family.” The family of the bride should be able to somewhat compensate the groom’s family by providing a sum of money. In the movie 3 idiots, Raju’s mother said, “Kammo’s turned 28. They demand a car in dowry. If you don’t study and earn, how will she marry?” Even his sister is his liability. His mother suggests that he should study well so that he could earn and save for him to be able to buy a car for his sister’s dowry.
Okra for 12, Cauliflower for 10
When you are at your lowest, every little thing seems to matter. It reflected me that poverty is a really big deal not only in India but also in the Philippines. In the movie, there was a scene were Raju’s mother scratched the chest of his husband using the same tool which she uses to flatten the dough for their roti, an Indian food. Rancho and Farhan were grossed out of what they have seen and they rejected the offer for another round of roti with additional chest hairs.
Because of this scene, I have realized the food pagpag here in the Philippines. On a side note, while I was watching a documentary, I was surprised that the leftover foods from the various food chain that goes into trash bags, to trash bins, to dump trucks, then to dumping sites are reused. That is not it yet. People even consume the leftovers and make money from it. How?
People living in dumpsites are surely in poverty. And because of this, they have to endure their daily lives around garbages and rotting foods. Some people even work there 24/7.
Due to these things, a certain person collects all the leftover foods and puts it in a single container. He collects the food that is mixed with garbage in a dumpsite. After he collects all of it, he washes it with water using his bare hands fresh from touching dump.
He then buys some onions and ginger and other ingredients. After purchasing all of the ingredients, he creates this certain sauce and adds all the leftover food. He now has his own dish and he sells it for the people working on the dumpsite.
People were asked about the pagpag. They were all aware of it and they even enjoy it. Though we can say they deserved to have a meal, their hard work surely did not deserve that kind of experience. I was extremely grossed out but who am I to judge, right? They were extremely living in poverty and they need to save money. They can only afford such dish and for them, it was enough to fill their stomachs and suffice their hunger.
Raju, why?
Raju was out with his friends and they were drinking. – the three of them. Well, they were put to shame, that was why. “Soon, 26 companies will be here with job offers. You’ll have a job even before your final exam.” – Virus said. He told his students that there will be a lot of companies who will come to the Imperial College of Engineering and conduct interviews which means that they could have a job even before they can graduate. The students were clapping in joy but not all of them. “Any questions?” – Virus asked and Raju raised his hands and asked. “Sir, suppose a student gets a job but narrowly fails the final exam, will he still have the job?”
Out of Raju’s sincerity, he asked this question because at this time he was already attacked by fear. Raju was also at the last place of the examination results. Farhan also asked the same question. The both of them were then called to go on the stage and the crowd was laughing and mocking the both of them while Rancho was just disappointed as their friend because his friends were put to shame.
“They’ve been our most consistent students. Consistently last in the exams. Their brains will fetch a handsome price. Cause they’re completely unused.” This mockery by Virus was really painful to watch for Rancho. He was just in pain. While both Farhan and Raju were facing down and clearly not happy with the crowd and Virus thinks about them. I mean, if I were in the same place I would not have just stood on the stage. I would have just walked out because of shame. After this scene, they were outside drinking together. Raju even wished to God to just delete Virus from that world. “Engineering is both my mistress and my wife. But I still fail. Why?” – Raju asked Rancho. “Cause you’re a coward. Scared of the future.” – He answered. “With such fear of tomorrow, how will you live today.” – Rancho added.
This conversation was simply astounding. A person really cannot live his day if he keeps on thinking about the future. For example, if a person keeps on worrying and overthinking about what might happen, he is just completely wasting his time thinking of nonsense. Overthinking is a really important thing here because it cripples a lot of people. For me, overthinking makes me depressed. Overthinking brings me from a simple thing to a whole new complex thing is even hard for me to comprehend. After all this overthinking, I regret. I regret because I have just wasted my time in thinking about things that have a mere chance of happening. Sometimes, it is funny because I overthink of negativities when actually, good things would happen. It is just a slap in my face that I am sometimes a worst thinker because I overthink.
I cannot really stop myself from being negative similar to Raju. I am also like Raju who lives in fear every day but we both try to keep ourselves away from those things. I also endure a lot of things so that I could continue and live the future. Another great example would if we have someone that is dying. Instead of thinking in fear that he is dying and that he could die in no time. Why not just spend every last minute with him and make it something worth it for the both you? Living our lives with the present is what most all of us should do because if we keep on hurting ourselves with past and thinking about the possibilities of the future, our present would be wasted. So, it would be the best idea to make everything worthwhile.
***
The 3 idiots, Raju, Farhan, and Rancho all went to Virus’ house and invaded his territory. Actually, it was never their intention to get caught obviously. However, they were drunk and it seemed like they went overboard. Rancho and Raju were serenading Pia in her room together with her sister. It was still fun and all but when it was actually Pia’s sister, Raju was surprised and he dropped himself from the terrace. This scenario made a commotion and it made Virus wake up.
They even peed on Virus’ door thankfully Rancho grabbed them away from Virus. The sad thing is, Raju came back and said something. He was then illuminated by Virus’ flashlight and that was when he was caught. The 3 of them ran until they have reached the Imperial College of Engineering. They went into a room and fell asleep. The next morning, there was a discussion that was conducted in the room and Virus showed up.
Virus knew who to find. It was Raju. Raju was called to Virus office and he was tasked to write a letter. It was a letter that Virus’ wants Raju to address it to his parents. At that moment, Raju was done. He was devastated.
When Raju realized that he would be rusticated from the Imperial College of Engineering, he remained on the windows and dropped himself from Virus’ office situated on the third-floor down to the ground. Raju was rushed to a nearby hospital in Rancho’s lead.
Farhan and Rancho did everything with their strength to recover Raju’s memory. They influenced him to recall everything by conversing with him despite the fact that he didn’t react or even take a gander at them.
First, Rancho tried to make his consciousness back. “Good news, Rancho. Your dad’s recovered. The new medicine worked. Is this your family tradition? As one male gets up, the other conks out?” When I read this in the subtitle, I just laughed so hard. It was really hilarious for him to say that joke though it did not really do anything for Raju. Aside from that, they also tried through saying his suspension was canceled by Virus. On a side note, maybe Virus was somewhat afraid and threatened by what Raju did. Or maybe, he did it because he realized something and it was because of a regret that he made someone jump out of the window because of rustication.
Rancho and Farhan did everything they could think of. They even mocked Virus using a dartboard. There were signs on the monitor but it did not really give Raju’s consciousness back not until Rancho had a wonderful idea to help Raju in his recovery. He said, “Did you hear about your sis? She’s getting married. Without any dowry. The bridegroom wants nothing at all. He just wants Kammo. You know who the bridegroom is? You know him very well. He loves animals. He’s going to be a wildlife photographer. Didn’t get it? It’s our Farhan. Farhan will never take any dowry. Farhan will marry your sister. For free! Free! Free!”
Immediately, Raju twitched and there were sudden signs on the monitor showing positive results. Raju turned him from the void to Rancho and Farhan’s eyes. It was at that moment the 3 of them were reunited and it was clear on their faces that they were all happy. After some few weeks, Raju recovered and went to the interview. He then got a job because of his attitude as like what I stated earlier. For me, Raju is the next most interesting idiot among the 3 of them because I can also see myself in him. I can sense that we both have to endure fear and pressure in our daily lives. Though we are different in so many aspects, I can say that we are alike because we learned after we have fallen. We did not linger on the thoughts of depression but instead, we continued for the betterment our family, which is our stronghold. Overall, despite Raju’s fears, I can say that he is a strong man because he had the courage to continue and keep his attitude. Not all people are like him which makes him an interesting idiot from the fearful idiot.
Farhan Qureshi, also known as Farhan, was one of the infamous 3 idiots from Imperial College of Engineering (ICE). Farhan was the chubbiest guy among the three. He is the kind, silly, and caring guy but behind all these personalities is a fearful and depressed son.
Farhan’s first scene was when faked a heart attack in an airplane. It was really hilarious that he had to put himself to shame just for the airplane to go back to the airport and drop him. He skipped his flight just for his buddy, Rancho. It is really nice to have a friend like Farhan who is going to do anything just to see you or spend time with you.
Farhan is also like any other college kid who performed well during their high school days. I can even relate to it. Before, I used to be an excellent kid during my elementary and high school days. Doing something extraordinary back then was not that hard. I was even able to sleep 8 hours every for 7 days a week and I have managed to graduate without even failing a single subject. I am not bragging about what had happened. My point is that right now, I feel stupid. It seems like I did not even learn something in high school. Back then, projects and assignments were not even depressing. Exams were stressful though but now, even assignments are depressing. How much more the projects?
It never came to the point during the high school life that I would quit because I was tired because of this and that. It was too unrealistic before. Unlike today, depressing thoughts and reminders about my subjects are haunting me before I sleep and first thing in the morning. And when I mean sleep, I mean 3 hours of nap. That’s the amount of sleep I mostly get every day. I am not even doing any projects with that time frame. I was just doing my assignment. You can judge me all you want but I am really managing my time but some assignments just need to have a lot of effort to be accomplished and some projects just need to have sleepless nights for it to be done. It is the sad reality most college students are experiencing today.
I used to be excellent in class but now I feel stupid. Everything is new and most that were discussed back then are not even mentioned in our subjects. It is somewhat funny to think that I have to start over again because my high school life is too different from my course. The only discussion that I remember during my computer class was how to use Microsoft Excel to add up two numbers in two different columns. Man, it was already challenging. Now, I have to deal with a lot of programming languages, comply a lot of requirements, and think of unique ideas. I am so tired but I am still continuing since I have already started. It would be a waste to stop though.
***
Just when Rancho and Farhan were called by Farhan’s parents to their house, they were both reprimanded especially Rancho. Farhan’s father threatened him not to ruin his life. Farhan’s father even bought an air-conditioner and could have put it anywhere on the house but instead, he placed it on Farhan’s room because he wanted the best for his son. During that time, Rancho saw photos of animals posted on Farhan’s wall and Rancho asked if those photos were captured by Farhan. Farhan told Rancho not to be bothered about it though.
It was also that time when Rancho knew that Farhan’s greatest dream was to become a wildlife photographer but he could not because his father already chose a path for him.
A fixed path
Similar to the son of Pia’s sister, Virus already declared that his grandson was going to be an engineer. Farhan’s dad also wanted his son Farhan to be an engineer. For them, it has become a social norm that there is no decent profession aside from being an engineer or a doctor. Farhan’s father made sure he and his son would not be treated as a laughing stock.
Farhan, as a child, followed his father’s desire and he pursued engineering in ICE even though it was not going to make him happy nor achieve his dreams. Sometimes, our parents are just too protective that even our rights to decide our future are crossed and abused. Some parents, at the birth of their child, already decide which profession their child is going to take.
Thankfully, my parents let me choose mine. I was fortunate enough to have parents that made me choose whatever that would make me happy. I was not hindered in my decision to choose though there were suggestions of engineering and not teaching. I do not know why but they did not just like any of us to be teachers but it was still our decision to make so they were just suggesting. Right now, I am pursuing what I want. I am really hopeful that the future that I have assumed before I took this course will happen in the future. However, there are just some parents that are overprotective of their child/ children. They tell their child what to get and what not to get. Sometimes giving them false hopes and tricking them into a thinking that this course is good and this course is the worse.
I do believe that it would the best idea if parents just give the life their children want especially if it is about their future. Because if they already determined their future, then it means the child/children do not have control over his life when in reality, they should be the ones who are controlling their lives.
Also, if their future ends up to be worst making them sad, the parents also have a liability because they determined their child’s future and did not let their child decide for his/her own.
***
It was clear in the photos and even in Rancho’s face that Farhan could be a great wildlife photographer but because of his father’s aspirations and because he wanted to make his father proud, he pursued engineering.
Before, it was shown that it was really a waste of talent and potential for Farhan. He already had an amazing talent and the profound skills of capturing the beauty and majesty of wildlife. What he just needed was the courage to tell and convince his father of his ambitions. It was really sad knowing what he could have been if from the start he pursued the career of photography.
Farhan, a narration
Actually, it was Farhan who narrated the whole movie starting from the scene in the car. He was just glaring the outside view from the car of Chatur. He reminisced of Rancho. “From birth, we were taught – life is a race. Run fast or you’ll be trampled” These words actually from the intimidating man himself, Viru Sahastrabuddhe or also known as Virus. Like what was said in the movie, even before we are created, thousands of sperms race for their lives and do everything they can just to reach the egg cell. The sperm that would be the first one to reach the egg cell would end victorious. In this race, there is no second nor third. The other places would not matter because only first one who gets to reach the egg will live. This is the reality of life. We, as we were created, are already victorious. For me, life is a race because society has molded it to be like this. It has sections where we train, learn, get hurt, laugh, and then we compete for life. There are various of interpretation for this but for me, it means one should really do his best for his future because if not, chances are, he will be trampled by society.
First, we learn. We learn and educate ourselves in school for years. It would take an average of 12 years, excluding senior high school, for an average learner to reach college without flunking. Then, it would take 4-5 years in college but these are mere numbers for meeting the standards of education. The reality is that we are continuously learning. All throughout our lives, we should educate ourselves so that we would not live in ignorance.
It is hard to live in ignorance especially that we are living in a judgmental society that composes a cruel world. It would be really best to have knowledge of certain issues to avoid being criticized. Stupidity does people no good but knowledge brings us anywhere we want to be. At this current time, information is almost accessible in an instant.
The current generation uses the internet to quickly access all sorts of information. Thus, there would be a small chance that society will trample us.
However, I do think that Life is not a race but a journey. Why? If we think of life as a race, then there would end and its participants would obviously rush to meet the end. Thus, making it incorrect. This is why I think of it as a journey.
You can choose whatever path you want to take.
We are given the free will to do whatever we want with rules and regulations. Our freedom is somewhat limited because there are boundaries but these boundaries make life even better. These are called rules. There is no need to worry about the rules because a person can still live a wonderful life without worrying about these things.
***
A person can be a doctor, an engineer, a barber, a fisherman, or just be himself. And if life was a person, he would not really care at all. Everything was up to you. It’s the goodness of life. You are free to be excellent or to be a failure. You are allowed to win and to commit mistakes. None of it all mattered to life if he was a person. For him, I think what matters to him is that you will enjoy his company.
The unfortunate thing is that society demands a lot of things from us. Society is molding the minds of other people. If only people were also open to these things and they were not closed to the real concept of life, the world would have been better. A lot of people are really enjoying life yet there are those who cannot keep themselves away from hurting other people by causing terror and war. Instead of spreading joy and giving smiles to other people, they cause fear and tears to fall down from their eyes. It is a sad thing that these types of people immediately end the journey of other people. Where is the goodness in that?
You can run at your own preferred pace
Because we are the given the free will to whatever we want as long as we abide the rules, we can run at our own preferred pace for the journey. We can rush things and explore the profoundness of life. Or, take it slow and just let life slowly come with us on the journey. Though speed would not matter, techniques and life hacks will. They surely make some part of our lives way better and easier.
In this journey, we do not have to outrun and compete against other people. It is sort of a personal race. Since this is not a race, outrunning and winning against other people does not already mean that your journey was better than a certain person. A journey’s value can only be decided as worth it if its participant was happy and contented with its results.
It is necessary to lose
What clearly makes it different from a race is that a person is free to lose because it is a journey after all. Actually, losing is one of the best things that could happen because people get a lot of experience from committing a mistake.
Also, failures are part of the journey. Thus, they are inevitable.
***
“1978. I was born at 5:15 PM. At 5:16 my father announced, my son will be an engineer.” – Farhan.
From that time on, Farhan Qureshi’s fate was sealed. He was already fixed to a path which was decided by his father. The sad thing about this is that he was not really able to decide for himself because he was scared. As what I have mentioned above, Farhan is actually a good kid and he performed well in school.
However, he also knows in himself that engineering is just not for him and he does not show any interest in engineering because what really wanted to become was a wildlife photographer. Since Farhan Qureshi was a selfless idiot, he fulfilled his parents’ desires and followed most of their advice but later on regret it.
Follow your parents
I think it is fairly normal to be afraid to oppose our parents’ decision. Most of the time, we really let our parents decide because they already have experienced a lot of things in their lives and the best we should do is to listen to their advice because it could save us from being stuck in challenging times.
It is even stated in holy scriptures that children should really follow and listen to their parents and the elders as well. However, the question is, is there a limitation for this?
For me, as I have reflected, there is. Though parents are parents and they help us determine our future, I do think they are only limited in helping us shape a better future. The shape our future by sending us to school, educating us about their personal experiences, and remind us of what not and what to do. For the most part, like the final decision, it would be best if they leave it to us so that there would be no regrets.
There is huge chance that there would regrets if parents would explicitly interfere with their children’s life especially if it involves their future. Their children should also learn to be independent so that when the future becomes their reality, they would be independent and matured individuals not depending on entirely depending on their parents anymore.
Parents only want the best for us that is why they sometimes are interfering too much. We cannot blame them too though. They are parents and they are responsible for us. It would really be a hard time for them if the time comes that they need to set us free. That is why before the times they set us fly, they make sure that we know how to fly and flap our wings so that we will not fall that easily or if we fall, we can still fly our way to the top.
Following our parents should not be a hassle or a problem in our ears. Although honestly, there are just times we need to remind them that they keep on repeating the same words. They also keep saying especially to me, “It is good that we are constantly reminding you so that you will not forget it.” — said, my mom.
Easy going
One of the personalities of Farhan that I have noticed in the movie was that he was easy going and Rancho did not really have a hard time dealing with him. Farhan was most the time cool and matured to most things except with his dad.
Farhan displayed intelligence and maturity in the movie this is why I can say that he is my third favorite character. It is his personality that I really adore because he balances Rancho and Raju. While Raju was to piss off and he had a moody personality, Rancho was the happy, easy go lucky in their group. What Farhan makes the perfect third character is that he balances both Rancho and Raju’s personalities. Farhan was just calm and he knew how to adapt to the both of his friends. Sometimes he sympathizes with Raju and most of the time he does silly things with Rancho. Thus, I can say that he was really raised well by his parents because he was able to develop this kind of personality.
It is in this part where Farhan and I are alike.
Phlegmatic
I think Farhan and I are phlegmatic in temperament.
So first, is temperament and what is phlegmatic?
According to an online article 4 primary temperaments by John T. Cocoris, Psy. D. published in http://fourtemperaments.com/4-primary-temperaments/ (n.d.)., there are four primary types of temperaments: the choleric, sanguine, melancholic and phlegmatic.
These temperaments somewhat define a person’s personality. For each temperament, there is a variety of behavior and personality that could be consciously and unconsciously showed by an individual.
According to John Cocoris, “Cholerics are extroverted, quick-thinking, active, practical, strong-willed, and easily annoyed. They are self-confident, self-sufficient, and very independent minded. They are brief, direct, to the point, and firm when communicating with others. Cholerics like pressure and are easily bored when things are not happening fast enough. They are bold and like to take risks.” (n.d.) Choleric people are usually dominant because this is the quality of a leader. They are firm and strong in their way of dealing with issues. They put passion and endeavor to help others by testing them to understand themselves, as they would. On the other hand, Sanguine people are those who are just your typical extrovert friend. John said, “ The Sanguine has the potential for the widest range of behavior due to possessing the widest range of emotions. This allows them to participate (based on their second temperament) in any kind of human activity. They like to participate in, or change, their environment. The areas of business, politics, sports, and entertainment, to name a few, are dominated by the Sanguine temperament.” (n.d.) Sanguines are most of the social. They interact with a lot of people and it would take a long time for them to get tired. Also, they gather energy as somewhat extroverts from social interactions and a lot of people. Some sanguine are also expressive to the point that they do not filter anything they say. Sometimes, it is good because he/she is being direct to the point or straightforward but sometimes, they just cannot help but often offend other people intentionally. “Sanguines are very competitive. They usually like sports of any kind because of their natural desire to be active and involved with people. They tend to be disorganized and easily forget where they left something. They sometimes have difficulty controlling their thoughts and emotions. Actually, they tend not to store their thoughts and feelings—if they think it or feel it, they share it!” (Cocoris, n.d.). Melancholic people on the other hand: “The Melancholy naturally wants to do things right, and is quality-oriented. Melancholies are not trying to be right, they are driven to figure out what is right. They have a cautious, tentative response designed to reduce tension in an unfavorable environment. The Melancholy’s second response is often to become aggressive to restore peace in an unfavorable situation. They influence their environment by adhering to the existing rules, and by doing things right according to predetermined (and accepted) standards.” (Cocoris, n.d.). Melancholic people are known for their perfectionism and their attitude of not settling for less. What this personality great is that it means people are not contented with mediocrity. They will really strive for perfection. Some of the sad things about them are that they are highly-introverted and they are seriously perfectionistic in a sense that they would overthink and be disappointed if they did not perform well. Cocoris added, “Melancholies fear taking risks, making wrong decisions, and being viewed as incompetent. They tend to have a negative attitude toward something new until they have had time to think it through. Melancholies are skeptical about almost everything, but they are creative and capable people. They tend to get bored with something once they get it figured out.” (n.d.)
Lastly, there is the phlegmatic temperament. According to Cocoris’ discussion, “Phlegmatics are introverted, calm, unemotional, easygoing, indecisive, patient, and agreeable. They are both slow and indirect when responding to others. Phlegmatics are slow to warm-up but will be accommodating in the process. They are by far the easiest people with whom to get along—as long as you do not try to alter their routine or ask them to change.”(n.d.) Farhan and I are alike because we are both phlegmatics. We tend to stay calm in most stressful situations and we can adapt to other people. I guess this is one of Farhan’s ability because he negates the differences between two completely opposite people. “Phlegmatics seldom exert themselves with others or push their way along in their career. They just let it happen. They make good team players. They communicate a warm, sincere interest in others, preferring to have just a few close friends. They are possessive of their friendships and material things. Phlegmatics will be very loyal to their friends.”(Cocoris, n.d.)
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Now that we have learned about the temperament, we will go back to Farhan.
In a scene, his dad asked, “Son, what was your score that year? Farhan answered, “91%.” “Hear that? Straight drop from 94% to 91%” Rancho, who was also being reprimanded that time, burst into laughter. Well, I mean, it was clearly funny because it was relatable. Though it seemed for Farhan’s father that 91 is a small grade, for Rancho it did not. Not even for me. Sadly, there are just times that when your parents are used to you, acquiring a lot of awards and then suddenly you do not excel, they worry a lot. It is as if the world is going to end when in reality, the difference is just a few digits away.
I have also experienced the similar situation back when I was high-school when I was most of the receiving awards when suddenly, I got 79 in my math. It is not a failing grade, yes. However, for my parents, they were not used to seeing this kind of grade on my report card. Digits even lower than 85 would give me another set of reminder. Hilariously, a reminder about money which they do not just excrete or pick up on streets. They always remind us that money is hard to earn that is why we should just study well to compensate the time and efforts they give just to send me to a decent school.
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In this part of my reflection, it would be about me and my parents in connection with Farhan’s parents and his father.
In a verbatim conversation of Farhan and his father:
“That scoundrel Rancho is messing with your mind!” – Farhan’s father.
“I don’t enjoy Engineering. I’d make a terrible engineer Rancho has a simple belief – Make your passion your profession. Then work will become play.”
During this time, it was really touching to hear Farhan try to open up his father’s consciousness to what he wants. Most of us have been in this similar situation where we have tried to convince our parents of what we want and what we do not want. Sometimes, we are able to convince them but there are also times that they are the ones whom we should follow.
As parents, they know better in most aspects of life and as their child, it would be a great idea to follow their guides and instructions.
“What’ll you earn in that jungle?” – asked Farhan’s father.
Farhan replied, “A small stipend, but I’ll learn a lot.”
“Five years from now…when you see your friends buying cars and homes, you’ll curse yourself.” – threatened Farhan’s father. Because of the belief and shape of society, some people have thought that happiness equates to money nor earthly materials when they are actually not. If if I were to be asked, the thing that would matter most to me is if my family is happy. Because if the time comes that I will be able to work on a stable job with a pleasing income, I would realize that behind of it all is my family who has supported me in my journey in life. Only those who are ungrateful would not give back or even remember their family’s help.
Also, Farhan’s father seemed to be greatly affected by the trends in the society. A person should have a car, this and that. And because of this, due to the attention spent by Farhan’s father about the wants of the society, he forgot the needs and wants of his own child because of focusing on other people too much.
“Life as an engineer will bring only frustration. Then I’ll curse you.”, Farhan replied.
Even if Farhan continued his life as an engineer, chances are, he would not be happy and because of this, he might just curse his father not only because his father did not let him get what he wanted but also because he subtly mocked his own son.
“I’d rather curse myself, Dad”– Farhan added.
His father replied, “The world will laugh! Label you a loser, for quitting in the final year”
This statement is another evidence that Farhan’s father is really shaped by the society. I do believe that this is an exaggeration because not all people around the world would really mock. For some people, profession did not really matter. What matters to life is if you are being you and if you are doing what you want. Though it is clearly not okay to quit especially in the final year, it could also be the best idea since while it is too early, Farhan should probably quit and pursue his dreams while it’s not to late and regret has not come yet.
“Mr. Kapoor feels you’re fortunate to be on the ICE. What’ll he think?” asked his father.
From Farhan’s heart, he genuinely replied “Mr. Kapoor didn’t provide me with an air-conditioner. It wasn’t Mr. Kapoor who slept in discomfort while I slept well. He didn’t take me around the zoo on his shoulders. You did all that, Dad, How you feel, matters to me. Mr. Kapoor makes no difference”
It was these words which made Farhan’s father soft and made his mind change. Farhan has a point. I mean, why does his dad have to worry about the judgment and criticisms of other people when in fact, they are not event related to each other. Why does his father have to worry about what Mr. Kapoor thinks of ICE when in the first place it was Farhan’s father who worked hard and spent a lot of money for Farhan and not Mr. Kapoor.
“God forbid if he did something crazy like Raju…” – Farhan’s mother said worryingly.
“Then the discussion is over. Don’t say a word or his Lordship will jump off the roof.”
During this scene, I laughed and became sad a bit because Raju was used as an example of Farhan’s situation. They might have thought of the possibility that Farhan could attempt suicide. Well, I do not even think he will because based on his personality, he knows that there are a lot of people who are going to be sad if he does it. So Farhan replied, “No, Dad. I’ll never attempt suicide. I promise. The Rancho you detest put this picture in my wallet told me to see it if a suicidal thought crossed my mind and imagine what’d happen to your smiles when you see my dead body.” These painful words reached his father’s heart as he begged with conviction. Of course, no parents would want their children to die just because they were not given the things they want, right? Farhan was not foolish enough to think of committing suicide. Fortunately, Rancho reminded Farhan about his parents would be sad if he committed such thing.
“I want to convince you, Dad, but not with a suicide threat.” – Farhan begged.
“Dad, what’ll happen if I become a photographer? I’ll earn less. I’ll have a smaller house, a smaller car but I’ll be happy.
I will be really happy. Whatever I do for you will be out of genuine love. I’ve always listened to you. For once, let me listen to my heart. Please… Dad.”
Farhan just poured his heart to his father and kneeled in front of him while begging. You could really see in the eyes of Farhan that he was sincere and he meant what he said. For him, earthly things did not really matter because he just wants to be happy. Regardless of the small salary, car, or house; at the back of it all, he just wants to have a happy life without regrets.
This bravery of Farhan made his transition from a submissive young man to a matured man. Because of this courage, he was able to pursue his dreams as a photographer and he was able to capture wonderful photos in a rainforest, assisting Andre Istvan.
I realized that the things we fear the most just need courage. Even a little courage would suffice to conquer the fear and overcome the trial. If we have this kind of bravery, we could also be like Farhan and we will be able to pursue our dreams.
The argument between Farhan and his father ended with his father saying “Go live your life, my son.”
It was a really touching conversation between a father and a son. I can only imagine what his father felt. He was surely happy deep inside too because his young boy became matured. In the end, Farhan, Raju, and Rancho, the 3 idiots became successful and they mostly got what they want. Raju is living a decent house with his wife and he has a job. Rancho was working with kids and teaching them the true essence of learning. Rancho is also implementing his wonderful ideas around the area he is teaching. Lastly, Farhan was able to capture the beauty of wildlife with Andre Istvan in a rainforest.
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To top all of it, the character that I would choose is Raju. I chose him because I really admire his efforts. It took him a lot of things to reach where he is now. From a 50’s black and white film to a colorful life with a house, wife, and a stable job. If I were in his shoes, I would surely be happy because I was able to endure a lot of emotional pain and mental pressure accompanied with the challenge of living in poverty; in a house with a paralyzed father, complaining mother, and an unwed sister.
Kudos to Raju.
Null and Void 