Amazing, inspiring and enchanting - one of best movies I have seen

Rating: 10/10 (1 October 2012)

Talking about unexpected When you see the title of the movie and know that it was best grossing Bollywood film that went around the world as a hit all around – well, you expect something watered down, something for everyone. Maybe in some way it is for everyone, but by far this is not bad.
The message is simple – follow your heart, follow your dream and All Izz Good (a little chant of main character – Rancho – used in stressful situations). In India engineering is a prestigious occupation where many Indian parents see as future for their sons. Story is set in Nr. 1 Imperial Engineering University where our 3 main characters – Farhan, Raju and Rancho - meet. Most students are there to blindly cram book, get best scores in exams, get good job and buy big houses and big cars. But Rancho is different – he loves engineering and does not like the school system, he tries to change it. Sounds familiar? Well it is. But this is story is special. It is about real friendship, real emotions and a person who is able to inspire people, shake their mechanical lives, and wake them up. (Oh, and it has Bollywood song-and-dance cuts too, a lot of fun). It is indeed very pleasant to watch.
As usual I would like to ponder upon one of notions of the movie. We all in our lives are faced with important choices and struggle to answer dilemmas they give us. Who should we listen to when we choose most important things in our lives – the Tradition, our Parents and Grandparents, our God or Gods, our Friends, our Hearts or our Rational Mind? It is tough. Sometimes it seems to me it was easier in the times when you knew from childhood who you will be – a son of blacksmith will be a blacksmith, a son of tanner most probably will be a tanner (well, for girls even more easy – marriage – but that's another topic). In Hindu philosophy, in Bhagavad Gita, a similar question is discussed. A great hero Arjuna I faced with a dilemma – he has to fight the battle, as he is kshatriya, warrior cast, however in this case he would have to kill people he knows and loves. He consults his chariot driver - god Krishna. Krishna tries to persuade him to fulfill his duty, his dharma as kshatriya. It is better to be mediocre warrior if this is your dharma, than to be best cook in the world and go against it. A philosophy difficult to pursue in life, especially in modern world. I personally think that since industrial revolution and alienation of worker and his/her work (to borrow the term from Marx), there is no way to see the profession, a job in the same way as it used to be (like I mentioned – son of tanner is tanner, but it was not a "job" in nowadays meaning). Our jobs are almost a consumer choice, just usually more permanent one. You choose your career along with it comes the attached lifestyle (a doctors lifestyle is different from engineers, and it is not only about the money, it has much to do with the constructed image of the profession). So in ambiguity of modern world, what does constitute as dharma? Rancho says it is voice of your heart.
The movie has a happy ending. And if it is not pretentious enough for some critics – well, eh I think some things need to have a happy ending.
P.S. I wonder how many engineering students in India dropped out after seeing this movie