Let’s talk about the movie that made me realize that you don’t need to constantly bow down and follow norms. Question the system. Question the person in charge. 3 Idiots isn’t just a movie to watch for laughs and giggles–it’s a wake up call. It’s for people who chase degrees and people that other people chose for them. It’s for people who're trapped within someone else’s idea of their own success. And this was shown by three students who defied the norms and rebelled against it.

One of the characters in the movie 3 idiots is Ranchoddas Shamaldas Chanchad. He entered a school where his ideas didn’t fit. He was a direct challenge to how the system operates. His mind didn’t work with rigid definitions and complicated words. It was practical. It was simple. When asked to define what a machine is, Rancho gave an answer that could be easily understood by an eight year old. His professor didn’t like it. He was looking for an answer you would find in their engineering textbooks. Another student gave a definition straight out of a textbook and was praised for the “right” answer he gave. This shows how the professor prefers memorization rather than understanding.

Rancho didn’t accept it; he openly challenged it. He confronted his professor. His professor, in an attempt to humiliate him, told him to teach the class himself. Rancho accepted the challenge—and made the class realize the fault within the system. He made them realize that they weren’t really learning anything, instead they were rushing to be first. This caused them to be pressured rather than increase their knowledge. “This is college, not a pressure cooker,” he said with a straight face, which–like Farhan–made me laugh.

Another thing he said and I quote, “Even a circus lion learns to sit on a chair in fear of the whip, But you call such a lion ‘well trained’, not ‘well educated’.” Which explains the greatest flaw in most education systems. Students are instilled with fear of failure rather than the desire for learning and knowledge. They are constantly on edge fighting for their life just to hang by a thread. And let’s be honest to ourselves: It’s not the most suitable environment to train and foster ideas.

He then ended the lecture with a message directed to his teacher, “Sir, I wasn’t teaching you engineering. You’re an expert at that. I was teaching you…how to teach.” And within those few minutes of the film were all I needed to watch to see the type of person Rancho was. He’s someone that stands his ground and frees people from their cages. And as the movie continues, we will see more evidence of how much of a free and chaotic person Ranchon is.

While his peers obsess over grades, he questions the system and throws “Why?” questions at it. One of his notable quotes is, “Kaamyaab hone ke liye nahin, kaabil hone ke liye padho,” which means, “Study to excel, not to succeed.” It isn’t just a catchy line; it his stand against a system that equates excellence with memorization.

Rancho’s way of getting things done wasn’t always a clean one. He didn’t follow the rules—he bent them, broke them, and sometimes outright ignored them. One example? He “screwed” over a fellow student’s speech just to show his friend that following the rules and abiding to the norm is not the most effective way to success. He sabotaged the speech of a student, not because he wanted to be mean but to show how absurd it is to blindly follow a system that was set. What he wanted for his friend to realize was that being obedient and compliant to the education system that was set in their college may get them through four years of college but it will definitely not help in his succeeding years. He wanted to make his friend realize that there was more to life than just textbook words and presentations.

This act didn’t stop at his friends. He even made Pia, his professor’s daughter, realize that his fiancé was a fool. He referred to him as a ‘walking pricetag’. That is because of the guy’s arrogant nature. He proves it multiple times through his ‘demos’. One was at the engagement party of her sister. He poured mint sauce on his “300 dollar shoes, a Genuine Italian Leather Hand-Stitched.” Second time was when they met on the streets. He gave another ‘demo’ to the girl because obviously, the first one wasn’t enough. Rancho pretended that Pia was looking for the watch Pia’s fiancé bought. This enrages her fiancé and pushes her to urgently look for the watch. Apparently, the watch cost 400,000 rupees. This became Pia’s final straw.

Rancho always challenges the system in every way possible. He also helps others break away from their cages. He makes people realize to live authentically and to not settle for what has been laid out for you by a system, society, or person. It’s his biggest act of love. To help someone find their own stand and to walk away from the life they’ve been pushed into to the life they truly desire.

But a deeper twist was revealed in the end. Rancho wasn’t his own identity. It was an identity he took shape in. He’s not Ranchoddas Shamaldas Chanchad. He, a gardener’s son, is named Phunsukh Wangdu. This revelation was not a random twist for the drama. It was a proof of what one can do just to fight in a world obsessed with wealth, titles, and status. He had to hide who he was for the privilege of education. He didn’t have a rich father to pay his way into the prestigious Imperial College of Engineering. What he had was raw curiosity, passion, and an unstoppable drive to learn.

By hiding his identity under a different name, Rancho wasn’t trying to deceive for personal gain; he was trying to survive a world that would have shut its doors on him without even looking. In a system that judged students by their family background more than their potential, Phunsukh Wangdu had to hide under a name with status just to be allowed to thrive.

And thrive he did. Under the false name, he became the best among them. It was not because he memorized textbooks better, but because he never lost his passion to understand and be more critical than his peers. He questioned things and created things. He made people pursue what they want and to dream beyond what was set for them.

When the truth comes out at the end—that Rancho is actually the world-famous scientist and inventor Phunsukh Wangdu—it’s not just a victory lap. It’s a powerful statement: real success doesn’t come from titles or money; it comes from passion, curiosity, and the courage to defy a broken system.

Rancho didn’t need a rich family or a shiny name to become someone extraordinary. He just needed the chance. And when the system wouldn’t give it to him, he made one for himself.

Another character is Farhan Qureshi. He has a passion for photography, but his family, like almost every Asian family, wanted him to succeed in life the traditional way. And for them, that meant becoming an engineer. Farhan’s love for photography was brushed aside, considered a hobby at best and a distraction at worst. He wasn’t a loud rebel like Rancho—instead, he carried his battle silently, crushed under the weight of expectations and pressure towards his success. His journey is about finding the courage to choose himself over the life others want for him. Farhan’s story is deeply relatable for anyone who’s ever felt forced into a path that didn’t belong to them.

Farhan’s love for photography wasn’t just mentioned—it was shown again and again. One of the clearest moments was during the college interview scenes, where he accidentally blurted out his dream of being a wildlife photographer instead of an engineer. Even then, he immediately corrected himself, scared of what his parents would think. That small slip said it all: the real Farhan was trapped underneath layers of fear and obligation.

Another moment that revealed Farhan’s real self was when the three friends sneaked into Professor Virus’ house to steal the final exam papers. While the others were focused on not getting caught, Farhan instinctively got distracted by the professor’s rare camera collection. Even in a tense moment where getting expelled was a real risk, Farhan's eyes sparkled at the sight of those cameras. His passion was uncontrollable—it surfaced even when it could cost him everything. That scene wasn’t just for laughs. It quietly told us that passion is something you can't bury forever.

There’s also the moment when Rancho confronted Farhan directly, asking him, “If today was your last day, would you still be doing engineering?” Farhan didn’t even have to think. His answer was a quiet but certain “no.” That small dialogue hit so hard because it cut through all the justifications, all the excuses. In that second, Farhan—and the audience—had to face a painful truth: life is too short to live someone else's dreams.

Eventually, Farhan finally found the courage to confront his parents. He told them, honestly and fearfully, that he didn’t want to be an engineer. He made them realize that Rancho—the very boy they despised for “corrupting” their son—was the one who opened his eyes. Rancho taught him that if you choose a profession built on passion, then work wouldn't feel like punishment. It would feel like having fun. In fear of a suicide attempt–just like what happened to his friend, Raju–his parents ended the conversation.

But Farhan didn’t stop there. He was not done convincing his father. He once again showed his parents another reason on how Rancho inspired him. He showed his father a picture Rancho placed inside his wallet, with words that struck him. A simple but brutal message: a photo of his parents, and a gut-wrenching reminder—”Think about how they would smile seeing you succeed. Now imagine their faces if they had to see your dead body instead.”