Phunsukh Wangdu - All izz well!

3 IDIOTS IN TELUGU

2010-02-06T03:16:00.000-08:00

A well known south Indian website reported, 3 Idiots, The movie which created sensation in B-town by breaking all the records of Indian Cinema is all set to remake in Tollywood. Buzz is that Pavan Kalyan, Siddharth and Allari Naresh would be the 3 Idiots of Tollywood.

Efforts are being made to remake in the same standards as in Bollywood. Also the hunt for the lead females to act opposite the three stars is going on. Hope so the cast and crew would make the best out of the Movie not make a mess of the Bollywood super hit.

Buzz is that Mega Producer Allu Arvind who produced the Bollywood Blockbuster Ghajini is planning to produce the movie under Geeta Arts banner. The crew of the movie is expected to be the same which involved in the making of the Bollywood 3Idiots.

How Aamir sold 3 Idiots

2010-02-06T03:07:00.000-08:00

I was going through the 3idiots stories, and here a interesting story covered by Forbes India.

Check this out: http://ibnlive.in.com/news/forbes-india-how-aamir-sold-3-idiots/109707-7.html.

They are explaining how Aamir conducted market review, how he went all the way to digitally market his movie. It shows, to market a movie, one has to do a lot of research of the industry as well as local/global audiences.

A really nice article.

Aamir Khan as Munna Bhai?

2010-01-23T13:33:00.000-08:00

A website has reporetd that Rajkumar Hirani has decided to embrace the biggest challenge of his career. Reportedly, the director of Munnabhai Mbbs, Lage Raho Munnabhai and 3 Idiots has decided to cast Aamir Khan as Munna and Sharman Joshi as Circuit, in place of Sanjay Dutt and Arshad Warsi, respectively, for his new film Munnabhai Chale Amreeka.

The news was received with shock and astonishment by the loyal fans of the Munnabhai franchise, states the site.

There's a clarification given though. Aamir Khan clarified on the issue, before leaving for the U.S. "I am shocked. I wish to clarify that there's not an iota of truth to it. Yes, I would love to work with Rajkumar Hirani again and again, since I enjoyed working with him in ‘3 Idiots’, but the truth is we haven't discussed any new project yet," quotes the website.

Aamir Khan: Idiot Khan Lands With Biggest Endorsement Ever

2010-01-23T13:13:00.000-08:00

Right now, he is omnipresent…..be it any media he is making news. You get it right that this is about the Idiot Khan. Amir has a new decoration on his shoulder to boast.

Aamir Khan has bagged the biggest endorsement an Indian has ever seen. He is going a to endorse UAE’s telecom and internet service provider Etisalat. And guess what he is getting a mind boggling Rs. 30-35 Crore for 3 years.

“Aamir has become the only Indian actor to have been paid such big bucks. The deal had been on for long but it was only recently that the entire plan was finalised.” revealed a source.

Etisalat is going to step into Indian soil with its mobile service, in collaboration with Swan Telecom, and that is why they have struck a deal with the ‘3 Idiots’ star.

Aamir who has started endorsements again is right now, attached with Coca-Cola, Tata Sky, Tata Sky, Samsung phones. He has left the other hot favourite in Ad world, SRK way behind, ‘cause SRK has never asked more than 6-8 crore for any endorsement…..be it Airtel or any other brand.

3 idiots grosses Rs 31 billion worldwide in 19 days

2010-01-19T12:55:00.000-08:00

MUMBAI: 3 Idiots, a Rajkumar Hirani film of Vidhu Vinod Chopra production starring Aamir Khan, R. Madhavan, Sharmaan Joshi, Omi Vaidya has stormed the box office worldwide.

The film has broken all the previous box office records for Indian films. More that 60 million people have watched the film in theatres and the numbers are only growing and the film has grossed over Rs.315 crores (US $ 70 Million) worldwide. More people have watched 3 Idiots in two weeks than any other film so far.

In India the 2nd week occupancy of ‘3 idiots’ fell by a mere 28% indicating a very strong word of mouth for the film, which has made the film a must see this winter.

Most multiplexes have added 14 to 21 new shows in the 2nd week compared to first week with 150 additionally shows. After a long time an Indian film has had such repeat audiences for a film.

In the overseas market also ‘3 Idiots’ has beaten past records of all earlier Indian films to emerge as the new benchmark for the Indian film industry in the overseas box office. The film is the highest grossing Indian film ever to release in the US, Middle East, Australia, South Africa, Pakistan, Kenya, Fiji beating all previous records.

The film in UK has retained its position in the top 10 film at the British Box Office, also is Aamir Khan’s biggest grosser so far & highest box office grosser of 2009. The screen count in the US has increased by 25% by the third week.

Aamir Khan said, "As a member of the team am so happy with the kind of success that the film is achieving. Thanks to Raju, for making the film so well, to Vinod for doing such a great job as a producer and to Reliance Big Pictures for the kind of release they gave the film.”

‘3 Idiots’ is one of the most entertaining films of the decade

2010-01-19T12:51:00.000-08:00

In a late scene from the film, 2 of the 3 idiots zip down their pants and pat their bottoms facing the third idiot. Rather than feeling gross at that instant, you have a lump in throat. For the zillionth time in a Hindi film, a bride runs away from the pheras on her wedding day. But the scene still doesn’t come across as clichéd. For a group of all-male engineering students, to ‘deliver’ means to literally carry out a delivery operation on a woman in labour pain. And when the motionless newborn responds to a goodwill chant of ‘aal izz well’ in true-blue Manmohan Desai mode, you fail to find a fault in the filmi formula. That’s the golden touch of Rajkumar Hirani.

So after successfully dispensing philosophies of ‘Jaadu ki jhappi’ in Munnabhai MBBS and ‘Gandhigiri’ in Lage Raho Munnabhai, Hirani incites a new philosophy of ‘Aal izz well’ in 3 Idiots. And like his doctrine, all is well in his helluva film.

Loosely based on Chetan Bhagat’s bestseller Five Point Someone, 3 Idiots takes the plot much beyond the campus confines and the target audience much above the youth, for universal appeal. The story starts a decade after the graduation of college companions Farhan (R Madhavan) and Raju Rastogi (Sharman Joshi) who get a clue on the whereabouts of their missing third friend Rancho (Aamir Khan). As they set out on a road trip from Delhi to Shimla to Manali to Ladakh to find their friend, the narrative cuts to and fro into flashbacks as we are introduced to the three idiots in an engineering college.

Rancho clearly is different from anyone else in the college with his individualistic thought-process and rebellious attitude, which invites the ire of the college principal (Boman Irani) and affection of his daughter Pia (Kareena Kapoor).

Coming from Rajkumar Hirani, there was clearly a risk involved in the film’s setting and characterizations for having a déjà vu effect with his first film. Boman Irani, as the principal, almost revives his disciplinarian dean characterization from Munnabhai MBBS which is more palpable with his disgust towards the rebellious protagonist, Rancho (akin to Sanjay Dutt) who is furthermore in love with his daughter (ala Gracy Singh). Nevertheless, Hirani’s direction is so impeccable that without a conscious effort, the analogy never strikes your mind and the scenario never looks repetitive.

In his trademark style, Hirani grabs your attention from scene one with an unconventional opening to the film. Thereafter every single scene written in the screenplay (by Hirani and Abhijat Joshi) is not just relevant but also has a clear set objective – to be funny or be deeply poignant. Which means it either makes you laugh or cry and at some superlative instances do both simultaneously (which is an achievement). The writers have kept absolutely no room for any intermediate option.

'Sholay' or '3 Idiots'? Jury out on which one's the all-time top grosser

2010-01-17T07:50:00.000-08:00

NEW DELHI: Comparisons could be odious but recent speculation about the runaway success of Aamir Khan starrer `3 Idiots' breaking the record of `Sholay' as an all-time top grosser has only ended up adding to the myth surrounding of the '70s thriller.

While all manner of formulae are devised to quantify `Sholay's' success at today's costs, the answer to whether the Dharmendra-Amitabh film really is the all-time top grosser is itself a beguiling yes and no, fuelled partly by nostalgia and a story that has grown larger in every telling.

But while the jury may be short of clinching evidence over `Sholay', `3 Idiots' has been a stunning success earning business of Rs 315 crore in 18 days, according to `Trade Guide' editor Taran Adarsh, making it a bigger film than recent hits like `Ghajini'. Trade analyst Vinod Mirani agrees and says that `3 Idiots' is the "biggest hit of the decade and by default that of this century''. He adds that the film's net business in two weeks has been Rs 74 crore.

Critics say that comparisons to any film that is over 10 years old are irrelevant. "It is like comparing apples and oranges,'' says one pointing out that not only is there a substantial middle-class today that is willing to splurge but the quality of cinema is quite unrecognisable than what it was 30 years ago.

`Sholay' is estimated to have done business of Rs 30-50 crore -- a range no one can confirm keeping in view the then prevalent practice of excessive taxation, black marketing and a pre-multiplex era. According to economist D K Joshi, if an average ticket price was Rs 5 in 1975, all other things being equal, it would now cost Rs 16.

While computers, phones and TV sets have become cheaper with technology, multiplexes have not succeeded in reducing the cost. Post-multiplex era, there have been several runaway hits including HAHK and DDLJ both of which crossed the Rs 100-crore mark.

Trade insiders, however, admit that the lack of independent data on box office collections that can be verified leads to assumptions that big budgets and earnings are marketing stunts that are limited to a clutch of film producers, distributors, critics and analysts.

The 3 Idiots controversy has changed everything

2010-01-14T12:19:00.000-08:00

After the 3 Idiots story controversy, filmmakers have taken it very seriously. The recent spat between writer Chetan Bhagat and the team of 3 Idiots has led the makers of Athithi tum Kab Jaoge getting extra cautious that their film doesn’t land into any controversy.

This film has been inspired by late Sharad Joshi’s ‘Tum Kab Jaaoge Atithi’. Director decided that they will be mentioning his name in the opening credits itself.

Giving due credit to an author adds credibility to my project,” adds the filmmaker. ‘Atithi Tum Kab Jaoge?’ is scheduled to release on February 26, 2010.

The film is a laugh riot and it has star cast like Ajay Devgn, Konkona and Paresh Rawal.

It seems after Chetan Bhagat’s 3 Idiots controversy, we will be seeing a different rolling credit altogether.

Rs 315 cr in 18 days

2010-01-14T11:33:00.000-08:00

Rising food prices haven’t affected ticket sales of a movie that has smashed all box-office records to emerge as India’s biggest Hindi film ever — in 18 days.
3 Idiots closed the weekend with a worldwide collection — it released in 40 countries — of Rs 315 crore.
Its unprecedented crowd-pulling power is evident when you consider that Ghajini, the movie that is now second best, took 13 months to Rs 200 crore.
3 Idiots, a rollicking tale of three students coping with the pressures of an engineering college, is now taking in an average of about Rs 17 crore every day.
“All our arithmetic, all our calculations have been proved wrong,” said veteran trade analyst Taran Adarsh.
The film’s success comes at a time when the middle-class is tightening its belt because of rising food prices. Last week when 3 Idiots was shattering all records, food inflation was at an 11-year high.
When 3 Idiots released, producer Vidhu Vinod Chopra told multiplexes to charge the highest rates
possible. “I remember people saying, ‘Who’ll pay Rs 450 for a ticket at time when people are tightening their belts?’” said Adarsh. “Now, ticket prices just don’t seem to matter.”
No one can clearly explain why the movie is such a hit.

“3 Idiots”: A Bollywood Film Makes Waves in India and America

2010-01-14T06:16:00.000-08:00

“Idiot” is now a Hindi word. Mumbai has long been famous for the omnivorous range of its argots. The recent Vidhu Vinod Chopra production, “3 Idiots,” which has earned over $25 million domestically to date, enjoying rare popularity for a film with an English title, would seem to have assured the place of this particular pejorative in Bambaiya and beyond. Songs from the film are ubiquitous on Indian radio, and the title trio peers from billboards advertising everything from cell phone rates to life insurance across the country. In the three weeks since its U. S. release, moreover, it has grown increasingly clear that its crossover cache is multidirectional.

As of last weekend, “3 Idiots” is the most successful Bollywood release ever at the North American box office. The movie was distributed by Reliance Big Pictures and has been playing on 132 screens nationwide.

Directed by Rajkumar Hirani, with a screenplay he adapted from a novel with Abhijat Joshi, “3 Idiots” satirizes elite institutions of higher education in India. Set at the fictitious Imperial College of Engineering, which it depicts as mere a way-station where rote learning ushers students toward corporate advancement, the film relates the story of three rebels against this system, who become friends while living in a hostel (residence) together. Aamir Khan, whom American viewers may recognize from the 2008 hit “Ghajini,” (or from the critically-acclaimed 2001 film “Lagaan”), plays the protagonist “Rancho” Chanchad. The most gifted of the trio, he is a wealthy student who pursues knowledge for its own sake, while his compatriots Farhan (R. Madhavan) and Raju (Sharman Joshi), struggle under pressure from families of humbler origin. Rancho’s cheeky idealism brings him and his comrades into conflict both with his more cynical rival, a fellow student nicknamed the “Silencer” (Omi Vaidya), and with the professor they dub ViruS (Boman Irani), who in turn labels them “idiots” and seeks ruthlessly to destroy their bond. Add to this the fact that Khan’s character falls in love with ViruS’ daughter, a toothsome medical student played by Kareena Kapoor, and you have the makings of some two hours and forty minutes of tuneful capers.

The comedy has provoked some discomfort in India for scenes that critics argue too closely resemble reality. Early in the movie, stress causes one member of the Imperial College class to commit suicide. Early this week, when three Mumbai high school students took their own lives within 48 hours, the local newspapers resounded with speculations regarding the role that school related stress may have played in their deaths. (One was found, having hanged himself in a school bathroom.) “3 Idiots” also happens to arrive at a moment when public concern about “ragging” or hazing rituals at local colleges has escalated in the state of Maharashtra (of which Mumbai is the capital). On January 4, as part of an ongoing government investigation, the Minister for Medical Education demanded to examine a copy of the script, in response to accusations that scenes in the film inspired a “ragging” episode at a Mumbai Medical College. The Censor’s Board, he publicly charged, must keep such potentially harmful content out of popular films. (The Board itself, to which any final decision regarding excising scenes from the film has been arrogated, remains more diplomatic, with members stating that the film depicts, rather than inspires a pervasive problem.)

Commentators in the Indian press have argued that the themes of “3 Idiots” appeal to Indian students studying abroad and credited this “desi” audience with its striking success overseas. Released on December 23, 3 Idiots collected $2.2 million its opening weekend, claiming twelfth place in the American box office rankings for that week. With nearly $5 million grossed to date on screens across the United States, it has surpassed the record revenue for the American release of a Bollywood film. It has also pulled in $52 million in ticket sales worldwide.

Other top-grossing Bollywood films in recent years include “Om Shanti Om,” a 2007 spoof on the industry starring Shahrukh Khan, and the movie “Ghajini,” a thriller based on the American movie “Memento,” which brought in roughly $42 million in international revenue. Following the flops of several recent Bollywood releases in North America (for instance, the big budget love story cum terrorism thriller “Kurbaan, ” released last November), fans hope that the success of “3 Idiots” will demonstrate to American exhibitors that Hindi language films do remain commercially viable.

Whether “3 Idiots” will hold its U.S. record long, however, is an open question. Its most anticipated competitor is “My Name is Khan,” which is slated for international release on February 12. A drama about a Mumbai émigré afflicted with Asperbergers Syndrome who, after settling in San Francisco, finds himself unjustly accused of terrorism, the Indian-American co-production was shot in California and stars Shahrukh Khan. Shahrukh Khan has been enduringly popular in overseas markets, appearing in the first four of the five top grossing films, as ranked before the release of “3 Idiots.”

Synopsis for "3 idiots"

2010-01-14T06:09:00.000-08:00

Two friends [Madhavan and Sharman Joshi] embark on a quest for a lost buddy. On this journey, they encounter a long forgotten bet, a wedding they must crash, and a funeral that goes impossibly out of control. As they make their way through the perilous landscape, another journey begins: their inner journey through memory lane and the story of their friend--the irrepressible free-thinker Rancho [Aamir Khan], who in his unique way, touched and changed their lives. Its a story of their college days that swings between Ranchos romance with the spirited Pia [Kareena Kapoor], and his clash with an oppressive mentor, Viru Sahastrabudhhe [Boman Irani]. And then one day, suddenly, Rancho vanished. Who was he? Where did he come from? Why did he leave? The friend who influenced and inspired them to think creatively and independently, even as the conformist world called them three idiots. Where is the original idiot now? Finally, in misty mountains of unparalleled beauty, the friends find the key to the secret. Loosely based on the Chetan Bhagat best seller "Five Point Someone", Three Idiots is a comedy of ideas that is as provocative as it is funny, as wildly entertaining as it is insightful.Three idiots dares to challenge the monotonous stream of education persisting in India without going too much into a social propaganda but the tone in which it delivers is light. A laugh-riot that talks about the most important of human pursuits: self-actualization.

3 Idiots - Movie Review

2010-01-13T15:29:00.000-08:00

Based on Chetan Bhagat's novel, Five Point Someone (though only a miniscule part has been adapted from the book; the rest is all original), here's a story of three friends studying in an engineering college Rancho (Aamir Khan), Farhan (R Madhavan) and Raju (Sharman Joshi).

Rancho is the rebel among them always questioning things and believing that learning is more than just the usual mode of education.

He encourages his friends to look beyond the ordinary and soon earns the wrath of the college director Viru Sahasrabuddhe (Boman Irani).

Despite his fun and frolic, Rancho always surprises everyone by topping the class. He even manages to win the affections of the director's daughter Pia (Kareena Kapoor). But Rancho's greatest contribution lies is making his friends realise their true calling.

The twist comes when on Graduation Day. After being awarded the Student Of The Year title, Rancho mysteriously disappears into oblivion.

Years later, Farhan and Raju, finding a common thread, embark on a journey to find their friend. 3 Idiots is a story of friendship, hope, aspirations and most importantly, the goodness of life.

With 3 Idiots, Rajkumar Hirani proves beyond doubt that there's no better storyteller than him in the present generation.

3 Idiots' tops British box office!

2010-01-13T14:39:00.000-08:00

Aamir Khan starrer Hindi film "3 Idiots" has retained its position in the top 10 of the British box office in week two after eclipsing Hollywood's "Avatar" in Christmas viewing charts.

The total overseas box office takings for the film so far is a record-breaking $10 million.

In Britain, "3 Idiots" has grossed more than 1.115 million pounds ($1.8 million), and as the number one film on Christmas Day, out-grossing "Avatar", producers Reliance BIG Pictures said Wednesday.

'3 Idiots' breaks record, grosses Rs.100 crore in four days

2010-01-13T14:33:00.000-08:00

Aamir Khan starrer comedy-drama '3 Idiots' has created a record by grossing over Rs.100 crore in its first four days. Reliance BIG Entertainment, distributor of the film, released about 2,000 prints across 40 countries.

Based on Chetan Bhagat's bestseller 'Five Point Someone', the film has been produced by Vidhu Vinod Chopra and directed by Rajkumar Hirani.

3 idiots - Official Trailer

2010-01-12T16:20:00.000-08:00

3 Idiots (Hindi: थ्री इडीयट्स) is a 2009 Bollywood comedy directed by Rajkumar Hirani, with a screenplay by Abhijat Joshi, and produced by Vidhu Vinod Chopra. It is based on the novel Five Point Someone by Chetan Bhagat. 3 Idiots stars Aamir Khan, R. Madhavan, Sharman Joshi,Kareena Kapoor, Omi Vaidya, Parikshit Sahni and Boman Irani.

Amul - Kisne kisko idiot banaya?

2010-01-12T15:18:00.000-08:00

All is well for Aamir Khan and co. thanks to the stupendous success of 3 Idiots. And the ‘little’ controversy of Chetan Bhagat, Five Point Someone and credit has blown away, too.

The perfect time thought Amul to take up the cause and ask the question, 'Kisne kisko idiot banaya' in it’s latest hoarding campaign. We like the witty line, but we’d like to know who’ll reply to it. How about it, Aamir?

Google Search

2009-12-16T13:58:00.000-08:00