A 5-part blog entry
So I'm back way before I expected to be, and I guess I should be happy about that. I need a break from all these plates. I know how obligated my blog entries thus far must sound, but I'd like to think I can actually maintain this blog LONG after the semester is over (next week. I can hardly wait!).Anyway, on to the blog entry proper!
Warning: Spoilers ahead.
A few weeks ago our class had a film-showing, which means sitting for 3 hours in an air-conditioned room with the lights off! (Again, the advantages of having typical Chinese slits-for-eyes. But I'd like to stress that the movie was good even after the second time and I didn't entertain the possibility of sleep; mind you I'm very studious... at least I'd like to think I am.)
So the film was 3 Idiots, a 2009 movie from India which tackles the dogmatic pressure from parents to push onto their children a path they want. Its a comedy, with the right amount of seriousness sprinkled here and there. A lot of dramatic scenes were family-themed, such as Raju Rastogi's father being rushed to the hospital after being on the verge of death, and his own confinement following a suicidal fall-induced coma.
Voice
3 Idiots was a bit of an eye-opener, to say the least, for both parents and children. While most parents only want what is best for their children, I guess sometimes they try too hard and push for what they want instead of listening to what the child actually wants. A perfect example for this is Farhan Qureshi, whose future is already seemingly paved by his father at birth! (Which will be seen in the trailer at the end of this entry.)
For a child it's a wake up call to just stand up and tell your parents what you want. Considering the scenario with the characters in the movie, most especially Farhan's case, they never really spoke up. Farhan just went with what his parents wanted without even the slightest objection.
Come on, we live in the 21st century.
Okay, so his college days were probably late 1990's, but hey you can speak your mind, it's not the 1940's.
As is the case with Pia's brother, the son of Virus, Director of the Imperial College of Engineering (ICE), it is originally maintained that he died in an accident. Later on in the movie, an emotional Pia reveals to her father that he committed suicide by jumping off a train because of all the pressure to enter the college and pursue engineering, when all he wanted was to study literature. Pia blames their father, saying that if he, for one moment, said that he could be whatever he wanted to be, then her brother would still be alive. On the other side though, her brother never spoke up. Virus was just pushing for excellence and telling his son to strive hard, albeit in ways that are only implied to be pressuring. If it was worth dying for (and he did die for it, technically), all he had to do was speak up. Speaking up opens possibilities, at the very least.
The Teacher and the Student
It's also important to note the role and relationship a teacher has in the development of a student. Teachers are here to guide students, to make sure that they are equipped with whatever skills needed for the real world. It just depends on how the teacher prepares the student.
There's an especially touching scene in the movie, when Virus gives his astronaut's pen, the much-revered insignia of excellence in the ICE to Rancho. What's touching is how Virus has been saving that pen for decades, waiting for a student who would finally surpass him. On top of that, if you've watched the movie you can pretty much establish that from the start they didn't have the best of initial relationships. If not, I'm sorry but I warned you - SPOILERS.
The Fundamentals of Learning
But then, the movie wants to mainly circle around the fundamentals of learning. This is underscored when a pissed-off "Silencer" (actually Chatur; he is called "Silencer" due of his deadly farts), the star pupil of the college, challenges Rancho to a bet on who will be the more successful of the two after 10 years. The bet is essentially based on their opposing principles: Silencer believes that success can be achieved through sheer memorization and brown-nosing his way through college, while Rancho believes that pursuing excellence and living one's passion is enough, as success will surely follow after.
True to the bet, Silencer, now a successful engineer and big-shot Vice President of some company, contacts Rancho's two good friends Raju and Farhan. Raju is now a successful engineer (with a blog!), is happily married and is now out of the poverty he was born into. Farhan pursued his dreams of being a wildlife photographer and has several books published in his name. The three embark on a journey to locate their friend, who has cut off all contact with them, and on the way they even pick up Rancho's college sweetheart Pia.
I find it noteworthy to say that they soon discover that the man who they knew as Rancho was only posing under a false identity, his real name being referred by the real Rancho as "Chhote". They also discover that he is currently a schoolteacher, much to the delight of Silencer, who clearly belittles the noble profession, as he equates success with money. (Something which I will rant about in the future, but I digress.)
The final minutes of the movie show Silencer and the group finally locating Chhote, now Phukdush Wangdu, a successful scientist with hundreds of patents to his name. Coincidentally, he is the man Silencer if desperately trying to strike a deal with, proving once and for all that apparently, Silencer lost the bet.
| Literally biting Silencer in the butt From: icanhas.cheezburger.com |
I'd like to end this entry by emphasizing three things:
First: the importance of the passion to learn. Hey, take a look at Chhote. He even changed his name to get an education. You can see just how much Chhote values education and learning, stating that his purpose for entering the college was because of his passion of machines.
Second: the importance of the relationship and effect of a teacher. I'd like to quote something from Avatar: The Last Airbender. (Because I am a hardcore ATLA fan)
"Some friendships are so strong, they can even transcend lifetimes."
---Avatar Roku to Aang, on the former's friendship with Monk Gyatso, Season 3 Episode 6: The Avatar and the Fire Lord
In a similar way, a teacher plays a big part in a student's life. A student owes most of his knowledge to his teacher, whether he learned things directly from his mentor, or if he learned how to learn from him. I cannot begin to emphasize just how profound an effect a teacher has on the life of a student. Whatever he learns, he carries with him his entire life. My grandfather used to always tell my mother, that knowledge is the one thing no one can take away from you, and is the one thing money can't buy. That says a lot about teachers. They are responsible for imparting one of life's most priceless gifts to those who are willing to hold their hand out.
Third: Learn from the idiots. When you feel stressed, like how I will tomorrow as I face a sea of deadlines, just place your hand over your heart and recite the mantra of the great guru Chhote: AAL IZZ WELL.
End of Spoiler (It's safe to look now)
Overall, I'd say this was a great movie. If you haven't seen it, go and watch! If you have, well, there's no harm in watching it again!
Aaaaand as promised, the movie trailer! Thanks to youtube user owlstone for uploading!
No comments:
Post a Comment