Utter helplessness

Raju was admitted to the intensive care unit, where he lay motionless, with extensive fractures all over his body, after leaping from the third floor on that fateful afternoon when he had no other choice. The only stroke of luck was that he didn't die, but that was just what others thought.

For Raju, at this moment, being alive was far more torturous than death. The heavy medical expenses, the impending termination of his studies, the physical pain, and the burden of his friends' care all seemed to add to his already heavy load. The immense pressure pushed him further into despair.

When Rancho saw Raju wake up, this was his appearance:

Lifeless eyes, a haggard face, lying silently on the hospital bed.

The calm and hopeful campus life had just begun and was already coming to an end. The blood, tinged with mockery and helplessness, flowed through the pale ward, giving rise to an indescribable chill and a profound sense of loneliness.

Soon, Farhan also arrived at the hospital. The two stood helplessly, not knowing how to console him. The sunlight from the outside poured in through the window, enveloping Raju in a golden glow. He remained motionless, his body hidden under the covers, his legs suspended and encased in plaster. The lifeless body seemed as if all vitality had vanished in this bleak sunlight.

Yesterday, he was full of life, envisioning a bright future, but today he appeared soulless, a reflection of his lost spirit, leaving one to lament the capriciousness of fate.

Suddenly, Bella remembered the senior. On that night, he played the guitar, drank alcohol, and tried to give himself some hope, but in the end, he became a coward who evaded reality. Whose fault was it, in the end? Tragedies kept happening one after another, what was guiding them?

Rancho walked up to Raju's bedside again, looking into his eyes, attempting to comfort him once more. He said he would buy a new saree for Raju's mother, and there would be someone willing to marry Raju's sister without demanding a dowry. Farhan chimed in, saying that if no one wanted to marry her, he would marry her himself.

These words caused Raju's eyes to blink. In the end, what he cared most about was his own family.

Seeing that this approach was effective, Rancho and Farhan continued to make promises. They talked about getting Raju's father the best medical treatment, now that medical technology was so advanced, there must be a way; they also mentioned taking him for motorcycle rides once his father recovered...

They said many things, but Raju seemed to be touched by something, yet lacked the strength to lift himself up.

The day was already late, and the two left the hospital. Rancho walked on the road, and by some inexplicable impulse, he went to the director's house. He had never understood why Raju had jumped off the building to end his life, but he had a feeling deep down that it had something to do with the director.

Sure enough, there, he learned the reason: the director intended to expel Raju.

He questioned, he shouted, why?

The director, unwilling to back down, instead attributed the reason for expulsion to Rancho, claiming that he had caused harm to Raju. The two parted ways in anger.

The director returned inside his house, and his wife, who had been eavesdropping at the door, heard everything, including the fact that another child had chosen suicide. The director continued to vent his anger, his mouth moving incessantly. Tears welled up in his wife's eyes as she listened.

The director, still seething, became even more displeased at the sight. He forcefully inquired, finally causing his wife's psychological defenses to crumble. As it turned out, today, while cleaning the house, in their son's room, the same notebook he cherished the most, she found a page of his farewell letter.

She finally learned that her son's death was not an accident, but a result of his own choice.

He had always wanted to become a writer, and that desire was so strong. But his father's opposition and authority forced him onto the path of an engineer. The daily suppression and the pain of unfulfilled dreams drove this 16-year-old boy to despair, leading him to jump in front of a train to end his life. His wife had initially intended to keep this fact hidden.

A person who dies cannot be brought back to life, so why make the family suffer another time?

But the director never considered himself at fault and attributed everything to the students' inability to handle pressure. Who would truly understand the feelings of those students who chose suicide? Just like their son, silently enduring until death, considering the end of life as a form of liberation.

The director fell silent all at once. Hearing his wife's mournful words, his brain stopped functioning for a moment. Was it truly his fault? Did his high expectations lead to his son's death? He couldn't quite understand why he, who had always been concerned about their futures, had inadvertently caused all these accidents.

His wife said it, Rancho said it too. Could it be that he was really in the wrong?

That night, the director thought about many, many things...

Rancho decided to leave. He finally realized that he was the one who caused Raju's suicide attempt. He was a sinner. He packed his bags, took a reluctant glance at the campus. He loved engineering, he loved machines, an unparalleled obsession. But it was all over now.

Last night, he promised the director that if he dropped out, Raju wouldn't be expelled. Because the incident of stealing the exam paper was his doing and had nothing to do with anyone else. He came to the hospital and once again saw Raju's dim eyes.

Thinking of his very insecure friend, he decided to encourage him. "Be confident, Raju. The world never lets down those who work hard. Don't be afraid, be brave to do, to try." Holding Raju's hand, he said these words that puzzled Raju, then he stood up and left.

Shortly after, Rancho arrived at the director's house to fulfill his promise. Suddenly, it started raining, drenching Rancho who was standing outside. He had forgotten his umbrella, but it didn't matter anymore. He shouted a few sentences outside the house, roughly stating that he was leaving and hoping Raju's punishment could be lifted.

Just as he was about to leave, the director rushed out. His eyes were red, and his spirits were somewhat low. "Do you remember the question you asked at the beginning? Why didn't astronauts use a pencil in space? I'll tell you the answer now."

The director seemed very excited, perhaps because he was questioning the principles he had always followed, and for him, it wasn't easy to accept. Moreover, he had just learned the true cause of his only son's death.

"If a pencil tip breaks it'd float in zero gravity. Get into eyes, nose, instruments. That's where the research and money went into. This was an important invention."

Rancho was a bit confused but still said, "Yes, sir."

"You're like this, Rancho. You cannot be always right, and others cannot be always wrong. You are too self-righteous, you can't always...always..." As he spoke, the director broke down, his emotions becoming uncontrollable. Trembling, he took out the space pen, which symbolized honor, from his pocket and carefully hung it on Rancho's collar.

"As for what happened to Raju, I take responsibility. I promise he will be able to run and study just like before."

The director's words finally brought a smile to Rancho's calm face. He heard what he wanted to hear, and this trip was now without regrets. The rain suddenly stopped, and sunlight once again bathed the world.

Rancho, carrying his bag, left the place. Until the very end, he insisted on admitting his mistakes, taking responsibility, and not returning to take the exam, as the director had suggested.

His lonely figure appeared exceptionally tall on the screen, and the voice-over sounded again: "Afterward, Raju's health gradually improved, and he returned to the college. After graduating, he found a good job. As for myself, after saving some money from several years of work, I resigned and pursued my dream of being a wildlife photographer."

"In the following twenty years, we never stopped searching for Rancho."

"He was like an angel, appearing in this world for a moment, then disappearing."

"Aal izz well (all is well)!"

"Now I understand what Rancho meant with that statement: Follow excellence. And success will chase you, pants down!"

A lively melody with Indian song and dance quietly played, its music sounding playful and lively, making the atmosphere light once again, as if everything that had happened just now was a dream. And indeed, it should be a dream, a dream woven by the director for us, because this was just a movie.

It had now come to an end.

Subtitles appeared on the big screen as the credits slowly rose.

Bella sat quietly in her seat, still contemplating. The incessant thoughts intertwined in her mind, creating a sense of confusion. At this moment, she finally understood the director's filming intention. The straightforward storytelling style combined with the incredibly realistic portrayal of campus life gradually revealed the face of Indian education.

Beneath this lay a critique of rote learning and the overwhelming pressure in Indian schooling and graduation. Upon careful reflection, almost every scene and every shot held deep meaning.

Raju, Rancho, Farhan... the director and his unfortunate nickname "Virus", Chatur, the senior... even "Millimeter", Raju's parents, Farhan's parents, and the director's wife... Each character was so vivid and distinct in Bella's mind, with their own individual pains. They collectively outlined a piece of the puzzle that this film sought to tell, thereby elevating the overarching theme of the movie.

Bella couldn't help but close her eyes, exhale a long breath, then turned her head and looked at the surrounding audience. She noticed that almost everyone's faces displayed serious or profound expressions, lost in their own thoughts. This intense sensory experience could be found in almost every person.

A good movie precisely achieves the effect of making the audience empathize. "3 Idiots" undoubtedly achieved that.