3
Idiots
has
turned
out
to
be
one
of
those
rare
films
which
has
not
just
seen
immense
critical
acclaim
coupled
with
box
office
success
but
also
an
all
around
respect
from
the
audience.
Getting
each
of
the
three
factors
(great
reviews,
splendid
word
of
mouth
and
moolah)
is
a
deadly
combination
and
3
Idiots
has
managed
it
just
about
perfectly.
One
didn't
expect
anything
lesser
from
Raj
Kumar
Hirani
and
he
has
done
the
impossible
by
not
just
meeting
but
exceeding
sky
high
expectations
that
one
had
from
3
Idiots.
The
film,
apart
from
gaining
a
cult
status
for
itself,
is
being
hailed
as
a
modern
day
classic.
No
wonder,
Rajkumar
Hirani
is
ecstatic
with
the
response
that
the
film
is
fetching.
"We
have
achieved
what
we
wanted
to
with
3
Idiots",
says
Hirani
who
has
further
cemented
his
place
as
one
of
the
top
filmmakers
in
the
current
decade
with
three
back
to
back
'entertainers
with
a
message',
"There
was
a
certain
objective
that
we
had
in
mind
when
3
Idiots
was
conceptualised.
We
wanted
to
meet
it
by
making
the
film
in
a
way
that
we
had
envisioned.
Success
ki
baat
ek
taraf
hoti
hai
lekin
hum
ek
achchi
film
banaana
chahte
hai
and
that
has
been
accomplished."
However,
traditionally
Hirani
hasn't
been
always
extremely
positive
or
forthcoming
about
the
future
of
his
films.
Whether
it
was
Munnabhai
MBBS,
Lage
Raho
Munnabhai
and
now
3
Idiots,
there
always
has
been
an
element
of
doubt
that
has
surrounded
him
once
the
film
is
ready,
sealed
and
up
for
release.
"This
has
always
been
the
case
with
me",
laughs
Hirani,
"Whenever
I
finish
a
film,
I
feel
that
this
is
the
worst
film
that
I
have
made.
This
is
bound
to
happen
because
while
writing,
directing
and
editing
a
film,
I
would
have
lived
it
5000
times.
Naturally,
one
tends
to
loose
objectivity."
Going
back
in
the
past,
he
narrates
an
incident
when
he
wasn't
too
sure
about
retaining
a
crucial
scene
in
Lage
Raho
Munnabhai.
"I
remember
that
there
was
this
emotional
scene
featuring
Sanjay
Dutt
and
Arshad
Warsi.
It
looked
good
in
writing
but
after
shooting
it,
when
I
saw
it
at
the
editing
table,
I
felt
it
was
way
too
melodramatic.
You
know
all
these
tears
and
hugging
each
other
etc.
I
was
like
'nikalo
iss
scene
ko,
log
hasenge'.
But
then
my
team
asked
me
to
see
it
as
a
part
of
the
audience
and
then
take
a
call",
he
recollects.
Rajkumar
Hirani
As
was
the
case,
this
turned
out
to
be
one
of
the
highlight
scenes
of
the
film.
"I
listened
to
my
team
and
retained
the
scene.
Thankfully.
So
you
know,
as
a
filmmaker
you
have
to
get
it
all
right
in
the
writing
stage.
After
that,
one
has
to
leave
it
on
the
judgement
of
your
trusted
ones
and
the
audiences".
Given
the
kind
of
judgement
which
is
being
passed
in
case
of
3
Idiots,
he
must
have
gone
through
the
same
process
for
this
film
as
well,
right?
"Yes,
I
did
show
the
film
to
those
people
whose
opinion
matters",
Hirani
nods
in
agreement,
"Honestly,
their
reaction
was
quite
positive.
It
was
reassuring
enough." Very
recently
Madhavan,
one
of
the
3
Idiots,
commented
that
he
had
heard
'legendary'
tales
about
him
before
he
signed
the
film?
Given
the
fact
that
he
has
directed
only
three
films
so
far,
doesn't
it
become
a
tad
too
unnerving
when
people
around
him
start
hailing
him
as
a
'legend'?
Laughs
Hirani,
"Did
he
really
say
that?
Well,
I
don't
know
if
he
really
meant
that?
See,
the
fact
is
that
I
don't
take
such
things
really
seriously.
I
am
not
really
worried
about
how
others
perceive
me.
My
focus
is
on
my
work
and
I
am
not
really
in
a
rush
of
any
kind."
Well,
given
the
kind
of
response
that
the
film
is
fetching,
audiences
for
sure
were
pretty
much
in
a
rush
to
catch
what
did
Hirani
have
in
the
offing.
He
must
have
been
expecting
such
rush
though,
isn't
it?
"I
will
share
with
you
an
anecdote",
Hirani
begins
to
narrate
a
tale,
"You
know
when
Lage
Raho
Munnabhai
was
being
made,
some
people
thought
that
I
was
merely
trying
to
cash
on
the
success
of
'Munnabhai'.
They
were
wondering
that
how
could
we
tell
a
story
that
had
a
character
like
Munna
getting
in
touch
with
none
other
than
Gandhiji?
Gandhi
ke
saath
Munna
-
yeh
kya
combination
hua?
In
fact
there
were
also
whispers
that
12
baje
ke
show
mein
toh
log
aa
jaayenge
because
of
Munnabhai
factor
but
3
baje
kaun
aayega?
Did
I
used
to
get
hurt
with
such
statements?
Of
course
yes,
but
I
went
on
to
do
my
work.
It's
the
same
principle
I
followed
in
3
Idiots
as
well.
As
I
said
earlier,
the
point
was
that
if
the
thought
process
and
execution
is
right,
success
would
anyways
follow."
One
has
to
agree
with
Hirani.
After
all
he
applied
the
very
same
principle
as
a
running
thread
in
3
Idiots
as
well.
Remember
the
dialogue
-
'Excellence
ke
peeche
bhaago,
success
jhak
maar
kar
apne
aap
peeche
bhaagegi!'