Loosely based on Chetan Bhagat’s bestselling title ‘Five Point Someone,’ the Rajkumar Hirani-directed ‘3 Idiots,’ though essentially a comedy genre film, is a fairly serious take on a cruel examination system that sadly forms the basis of the Indian education system.

An out-and-out Bollywood flick, 3 Idiots has a marked universal appeal – moving from the confines of an engineering college campus and targeting an audience that is well past the youth age.

The storyline of the film commences a decade after the graduation of college companions Farhan (R Madhavan) and Raju Rastogi (Sharman Joshi), searching their missing third friend - the individualistic and rebellious Rancho (Aamir Khan). While the duo is on a road trip from Delhi to Shimla to Manali to Ladakh to search their friend, back and forth flashbacks introduce the audience to the ‘3 Idiots’ in engineering college.

Rancho, who apparently was a natural genius, often became a misfit in the Indian classrooms, where cramming rules the roost. His devil ‘may care’ attitude infuriates the college principal, Virus (Boman Irani); while winning the affection of his daughter Pia (Kareena Kapoor).

The sharp, sanguine, go-getter Rancho, who dares to take on Virus and the education system, disappears completely one day. And, years later, his two friends go out to search for him.

The film, abundant in comical highs, is aptly mingled with emotional lows; thereby giving it an unparalleled ‘part-funny, part-poignant’ touch!