In this blog post, we briefly explore the message from the movie 3 Idiots that prompts us to ponder what choice we should make between passion and stability, based on the crossroads of competition and career paths it presents.
Why Can’t We Find What We Want to Do?
On October 5, 2011, Steve Jobs, the icon of 21st-century innovation, passed away. People worldwide mourned his death, honoring his legacy. The internet overflowed with articles about Jobs’ life, achievements, presentations, and speeches. Among them, what struck me most was his 2005 commencement address at Stanford University. He conveyed this message to the graduates: “Since every human being faces death, don’t waste your life trapped in someone else’s dogma. Find what you truly want to do, what comes from your heart, and pursue it passionately, loving what you do.” People around the world may already know this message from Jobs. But how many actually put it into practice?
The reason Jobs’ speech resonated so deeply with me might be because it aligns with what I felt watching the movie 3 Idiots a few years ago. Both instances provided profound insights as I reflected on my past life. Hearing that I felt such a grand message might make people think of a stiff film or one with a heavy, gloomy atmosphere. But 3 Idiots is nothing like that. It actually resembles a Korean sitcom quite a bit. In other words, it’s a film that keeps you laughing cheerfully throughout. Yet within that laughter, the film gradually approaches the lesson it wants to impart to the audience, almost like solving a puzzle. So what is the lesson this film offers?
People struggling to survive in endless competition
The film begins with Farhan and Raju, each with their own purpose, seeking out Rancho, who lost contact after graduation, alongside Chatur. It unfolds as Farhan recalls past episodes with Rancho, gradually gaining insights from him. These protagonists represent various types of students.
Farhan was born into a middle-class family and entered engineering college at his father’s insistence. Farhan’s father resembles the typical Korean father who spares no expense for his son’s education. Raju was born into a working-class Indian family and entered a prestigious engineering college, but he is consumed by the burden of having to overcome poverty. Rancho, the film’s protagonist, loves engineering and enrolled in engineering school to earn a degree instead of the wealthy son. Finally, Chatur has no interest in engineering; his sole goal is to memorize engineering knowledge to get good grades and land a job at a prestigious American company. I believe Chatur represents most Korean engineering students. In fact, while attending school, I observed students who disliked electrical engineering but aimed for good grades to maintain scholarships, and others who memorized formulas solely for high marks. Seeing these behaviors, so reminiscent of Korean university students, made this film resonate deeply with me.
Long ago, I read an article about consecutive student suicides at Korea’s KAIST, attributed to declining grades. Ultimately, when their grades slipped, they were pushed out of this grueling competition and made the extreme choice. The educational atmosphere in the Indian film is strikingly similar. The president of the prestigious engineering college in the film emphasizes competition to the students, stressing that life is a race. Within a societal atmosphere that unconditionally encourages students to be number one, the president takes pride in students excelling in the prescribed schoolwork, defeating other competitors, and landing jobs at top American companies. In a way, this mirrors the atmosphere in Korean society. Most universities use their graduates’ employment rates as advertising points. This resembles Korea’s mindset: to get into a good school and secure a good job, one must diligently follow the prescribed school curriculum, outcompete many rivals, and be number one. In this educational climate, creative inventions and experiments outside the prescribed studies only lead to failing grades. The film depicts some students, unable to adapt to this endless academic competition, making the extreme choice of suicide. In such a society, the character Rancho delivers a fresh shock to us.
The Lessons from 3 Idiots
Rancho always finds joy in studying engineering. For him, it’s not about studying for an engineering degree, but about doing what he loves. Rancho advises Farhan and Raju, who always come in last while hanging out with him, to follow their hearts. He says he studies engineering because his love is machines, and he gets top grades because he loves engineering. He also points out that Farhan’s passion is becoming a wildlife photographer, but he studies engineering against his will to please his father, hence his last-place ranking. He advises Raju that his fear of having to support his family is why he’s last. This aspect is something any Korean student can relate to. In Korean society, there’s a craze for civil service jobs. The reality is that the competition ratio for the Grade 9 civil service exam exceeds 100:1, and even elementary school students dream of becoming Grade 9 civil servants. Do they pursue this career because they genuinely love it? While some might, most likely do so because their parents desire a stable job. In Korean society, so preoccupied with saving face, it’s almost unheard of for a student from a prestigious engineering university to declare they want to become a wildlife photographer. Compared to being a company employee, the profession of photographer offers lower income and no prestige. The reality is likely that the relationship with parents would be severed, or the dream of becoming a photographer would be abandoned. What one loves cannot become one’s profession. However, in the film, Farhan overcomes this situation, encouraged by Rancho. Seeing his son’s sincerity, the father buys him a camera and supports his dream.
So what happens to Raju? In the film, Rancho shares a story to help the fearful Raju. In Rancho’s village, the night watchman would always patrol shouting “All is well.” Hearing his call, the villagers felt reassured and fell asleep. But it turned out later that the watchman was blind. Throughout the film, Rancho makes various efforts to help Raju overcome his fears. Whether due to Rancho’s efforts or not, Raju later passes an interview with confidence despite his low grades.
Chatur, who adapted to the existing education system and made memorization a habit, becomes the vice president of a major American corporation. He makes a bet with Rancho from ten years ago about who will be more successful. The film reveals the outcomes of Chatur, the embodiment of the life demanded by the established society, and Rancho, the idealistic figure, at its conclusion. Rancho had become a schoolteacher and scientist. Chatur smiles, pleased with his victory. Everyone would side with Chatur. After all, a vice president versus a scientist – anyone in Korea would say the vice president has the better job. The film delivers a twist, ending with Farhan’s realization. Rancho had become a renowned scientist, holding numerous patents and becoming an eminent scholar sought after by many world-leading companies. The scientist Chatur needed to recruit for the company’s demands was none other than Rancho.
In closing
I believe the question has now been answered. This film delivers a common lesson: “Follow your own path and pour your passion into it.” Yet the way it conveys that lesson is incredibly creative and entertaining. That’s why this film resonated so deeply with me. I hope Korean university students, seeing Farhan, Raju, Rancho, and Chatur, find the courage to listen to their own hearts.
