Dear 3 Idiots...

You were the first movie I ever watched. I don’t remember it, of course, since I was a newborn then, but I do know that the moment a more conscious version of myself watched you, I was completely hooked.

You’re one movie I’ve watched more times than I can count, a classic Hindi comedy that delves into the lives of 3 college students, Rancho, Farhan, and Raju. Unlike the others, who are trapped in the rat race of marks, Rancho studies solely for the joy of it. Every time I watch you, you reveal a new layer of yourself, almost as if you’re growing along with me. Whether it's jokes I am now mature enough to understand or a new lesson I can take away, I always find something new. My most recent discovery? You perfectly encapsulate my inner turmoil tied to education.

I first recognized this sense of bitterness towards my studies at the end of 8th grade. As I worked into the quiet hours of the night, grinding for the exam on the following morning, I found myself losing hope. So I committed an act of ultimate betrayal—betrayal of one’s own curiosity. Desperation led me to take an easier route; memorizing every detail I could and abandoning the urge to understand the meaning of the content before me. Studies were no longer about fueling my curiosity, but about the pursuit of marks which I could easily attain through hollow memorization. I became frustrated, convinced that this new mindset I put upon myself was the fault of the education system.

Watching you after having this realization felt like every bit of my resentment had been

validated. My favorite scene is where Rancho is told to teach his class as punishment for speaking against his professor. Through a simple line, he reveals the futility of rote learning:

‘Even a circus lion learns to sit in fear of the whip, but such a lion is called “well trained,” not

“well educated.”’ The movie may have continued after that, but this quote seemed to freeze time as it hung heavy in the air. In just one line, my delusion that rote learning was a path to success was shattered. Rancho now stood to me as more than a comedy character, but someone who called out my compromise and inspired me to not give up on my curiosity. I realized that marks should hold no value in the face of real learning, and that my mindset was solely up to me to decide. It’s not an overnight change, but I now go about my studies with Rancho’s wise words in mind, making sure to pause and find the joy in learning.

Thank you 3 Idiots, for challenging me to question what I was too afraid to, and for showing me that there is still hope for a curious mind.

Maira

Maira Ali is a student in Grade 10, studying in Inventure Academy, Bangalore.

This love letter was shortlisted as one of the top 10 entries of our 3rd Writing Contest - writing a love letter to a piece of media you adore.

Read our top 10 contest entries here.