*ing : Aamir Khan, Boman Irani, Madhavan, Sharman Joshi & Kareena Kapooor
Directed by : Rajkumar Hirani

Aal izz Well

Well almost. 3 idiots, the most awaited movie of the year based loosely on Chetan Bhagat's bestseller Five Point Someone is a refreshing entertainer with the heart in the right place but at times this heart pumps laughter wildly while at other times it sputters in emotion like a dirty carburetor which leaves the movie in a state of hyper and hypo tension at various times. Confused...don't worry aal izz well.

The movie starts off with friends and two idiots, Farhan(Madhavan) and Raju(Sharman) on their way to Simla to look for the 3rd idiot and missing friend Rancho(Aamir). On the way they reminisce about their friendship in college and the first half almost entirely takes place on campus of the prestigious engineering institute Imperial College of Engineering. Rancho is an engineering genius who inspires other people to think freely, question conventional norms about grades and studies and asks pertinent questions about the educational system as a whole(ala Ryan in Bhagat's novel). This irks the principal(Viru Sahastrabudhhe aka Virus) but impresses his daughter Pia(Kareena Kapoor). So obviously it leads to innumerable clashes with authority, arguments and the likes. Will Rancho and his friends convince the Fuhrer to end this madness , the mental pressures or will they end up being martyrs in this pursuit of excellence?

The film uptill the halfway point is hilarious with soulful elements interwoven between some hugely uproarious situations. The speech skit is one of the funniest scenes I have seen in recent times. Most situations have been given a lighthearted treatment. But it is the second half that falters badly with some silly back stories, a huge number of coincidences and a heavy suspension of belief.

Madhavan and Sharman have nothing to show in this film as we never find any character buildup for both. Ditto for Kareena. Rajkumar Hirani in his effort to evoke mirth out of every possible situation sacrifices on the core of any good film - character development. Not once I recall the friendship of the three jumping up and gripping me. Also the scenes like Sharman's confrontation with Viru, Madhavan's with his father, Kareena's with her father etc. which really require the audience to shed a tear actually ring quite hollow. We, like the director seem to be confused as similar situations in the first half were reduced to mere caricatures to tickle our funny bone, hence the impact of the real thing is lessened to some extent. As if the director compromised on the drama in order to let in some of the old commercial Bollywood masala.

3 idiots though in essence is pure entertainment. While Madhavan and Sharman are believable in their roles as losers, Kareena does a wonderful job as Aamir's love interest. The Zoobi-Doobi song is excellent and topped off by some creative picturization. California based actor Omi Vaidya delivers huge laughs in his portrayal of Hindi-challenged Chatur Ramalingam. The film ultimately is carried by both Aamir Khan and Boman Irani who get into their characters like never before. Irani's menace and added lisp to dialogues is truly remarkable. Aamir who never really passes off as a 20-something engineering student , makes it up with his mannerisms and incredible acting.

The movie is over-hyped and because of that it falls below expectations but watch it for its unmistakable honesty and its blithe bonhomie. But most importantly, the theater was filled mostly with young people, engineers or techies perhaps and going by the heavy applause the movie received at the end, it was that been-there done-that "I was once in this situation" appeal of the movie that makes it work and allows us to proclaim "Aal izz well".

Rating : 3.5/5 - Recommended