The Sundance Film Festival has always been regarded as a holy land for film enthusiasts to exchange ideas. The audience present here can be described as the purest "movie buffs", lovers of cinema. The filmmakers who appear here also know what to expect. They open their hearts and engage in face-to-face communication with the audience, without formalities, restraint in speech, let alone the so-called etiquette for esteemed guests.
In short, at Sundance, there are no polite audiences. If they like it, they like it; if they dislike it, they dislike it.
Some viewers even leave halfway through a film screening, and there are those who stand up and angrily berate the director. Not to mention those who simply leave immediately after the screening, without even bothering to express their disgust. This category of viewers is the majority.
Many films at Sundance find it difficult to earn applause from the audience. Only those films that truly win the love of these "movie buffs" can receive their support. They are never stingy in expressing their support for outstanding works. "3 Idiots" was exactly such work. After Lyman and others took their positions, they received a three-minute round of applause.
The grand and overwhelming momentum washed over them, almost bringing each of them a peak of satisfaction. The applause gradually subsided. The staff in the exhibition hall had been waiting on the sidelines since the end of the film screening. They took the opportunity to quickly approach and handed two microphones to Lyman and the others.
Next came the most anticipated part of the Sundance Film Festival for film enthusiasts: a direct dialogue with the film production team, face-to-face questioning, communication, and exchange. Of course, films that are not loved by the audience do not have this segment. The criterion for evaluation is the audience retention rate, generally requiring more than half.
Lyman looked around and realized that everything at the Sundance Film Festival seemed self-sufficient. He remembered that during the opening ceremony in Venice, after the film screening, there was a live host to control the atmosphere. But here, it seemed like there wasn't one. The film production team needed to take matters into their own hands.
René handed another microphone to George. Seeing that Lyman was unfamiliar with this situation and hesitating about how to start, George immediately picked up the microphone and said with a smile, "Thank you all for your support. I believe that judging from everyone's actions just now, this exchange is off to a very good start. And I also think the film helmed by our director is excellent. I don't think anyone will criticize and berate us in the following discussion. I'm a bit worried." George's joking remark filled with sarcasm instantly elicited laughter from the audience, and some even started whistling, making the atmosphere even livelier.
"Now, it's time for the Q&A session. I hope you won't put too much pressure on us. I think..." George hadn't finished his words when the audience raised their hands, resembling a lush forest. "Please go easy on us," George said as he finished his last sentence and put down the microphone. Then he whispered to Lyman, "It's your turn to answer the questions from the audience."
Lyman pursed his lips and looked around. Amidst the lively laughter and cheers from George's engagement with the audience, most of the viewers raised their hands, and even among the crowd, he saw the beautiful girl who had applauded at the beginning also raising her hand, waiting to ask a question.
This caught Lyman off guard, but in the end, he looked past her and gave the first opportunity to a middle-aged man sitting in the front row of the audience.
"Director, everyone, good evening." The middle-aged man took the microphone from a staff member nearby and couldn't hide his excitement as he said, "First of all, I must say thank you to all the creators for bringing us such an amazing film. Believe me, my emotions haven't completely calmed down since watching the movie." His words resonated with the audience, and everyone applauded, expressing their approval.
The man stood uneasily, fidgeting with the microphone, waiting for the applause to die down before continuing, "I have so much confusion in my mind right now, and I have many thoughts about the story of the film. But what I most want to know is, what was Raju afraid of? I mean, I want to ask why Raju was driven to despair and contemplated suicide in the director's office."
Lyman took the microphone and directly answered, "If you've noticed, you would realize that Raju has never lived for himself."
"Many times, people say that the world belongs to everyone, and it's true. However, most people don't want or have never thought about owning the world. It's determined by one's perspective, and the breadth of one's perspective largely depends on their living environment. Among the three characters, Rancho has a strong determination, enjoys mechanical engineering, and has a broad vision. Farhan is mediocre and hardworking, but he has his own dream of photography. But have you seen Raju's dreams or ambitions? A bedridden father, a resentful mother who blames the world, a sister unable to find a husband."
"In such an unloving family, Raju matured early in life. A person like him should have inherited mediocrity and led a life similar to his parents. But he entered an excellent university and witnessed a completely different world filled with excellence, future prospects, ideals, and wonders—those cliché but highly desirable terms. He had hope; he wanted to go out and embrace that world."
"He slowly climbed to the edge of two worlds, wanting to take another step forward. However, the ties to his existing world were too strong. The upcoming exams shattered his confidence, and he began to realize that his abilities might not support the future he desired. So, for the sake of his studies, he briefly abandoned his best friend and became increasingly devout to the divine."
"Finally, when he realized that he would ultimately achieve nothing, when he saw the darkness awaiting him upon returning home, it was this oppression that ultimately drove him to choose to jump off the building. Raju was a pitiful person. He saw the prosperity of another world and grew to despise his previous life. From hope to despair, this was the key factor in his decision to end his life."
"...If you've never had something, how can you lose it? He couldn't let go. I think this is the answer that the film has provided."
Lyman's words plunged the audience into contemplation. They suddenly realized that they had overlooked many details, such as the character's dreams and ambitions. Among the three, only Raju held onto the mindset of earning money to support his family. He never considered his career direction after graduation and only focused on making a lot of money. Or perhaps Raju never had personal goals and lived for others, never living life on his own terms.
"3 Idiots" might have more charm than what they had initially perceived. The audience pondered and suddenly realized this.
After a brief silence, people started raising their hands one after another. The beautiful girl was among them, and this time, Lyman didn't avoid her. His gaze met hers directly. Bella stood tall, raising her right hand high, her posture resembling a straight poplar tree.
Lyman narrowed his eyes slightly, carefully observing the girl. Her chestnut-colored ear-length hair was neatly tied up, and her beautiful face radiated a firm and expectant expression from her pupils. It was evident that even if the director didn't choose her for the question, she would persist rather than regretfully give up.
How intriguing! Lyman lifted his chin slightly and pointed in the direction of the beautiful lady, granting her the opportunity to ask her question. Then he saw the beautiful lady slowly receive the microphone handed to her by the staff member. Her focused gaze fixed on Lyman among the four, as if a slight deviation from this focus would be disrespectful.
The two of them stared at each other, exchanging a gaze across the distance. After a while, it seemed that the beautiful lady had organized her thoughts for the question. She spoke in a low voice, "I'd like to ask, does the portrayal of the education system in the film hold any deeper meaning? And what does the director's disparate treatment of Chatur and Rancho signify?"
Upon hearing the question, Lyman didn't ponder much. The ideas and concepts behind the making of this film had always been in his mind. He picked up the microphone and explained fluently, "To understand this question, you must first have some knowledge of the current state of education in India or a clear understanding of the country's social composition."
"You see, India practices elite education, and many people from lower castes are not eligible for higher education. According to official data from last year, the illiteracy rate among women was 43%, more than twice that of men. Moreover, their definition of illiteracy is the ability to write one's own name, meaning that the Indian students in the film who can afford to go to university are not from the lower caste. Also, you may have noticed that there is not a single female student on the ICE campus; this is a specific implication."
"It also reveals the social problem of male dominance and female subordination in India. Another aspect is the education system. India has a large population, and its national strength is not considered strong. Combined with class distinctions, this leads to immense academic pressure. Competition among students is everywhere, and it largely revolves around exams. If you get high scores, you can graduate; if not, you drop out. The annual intake quotas for colleges are also a challenge. Education resources are limited, and only a certain number of students can be accommodated. So, the rest, what do they do? Naturally, they face an invisible elimination."
"So, in the film, Raju's excessive reliance on superstitions is also a subtle implication. He represents the current situation of religious support for the impoverished class in India. On the other hand, characters like Farhan and Chatur come from middle-class or affluent families and don't have such beliefs. Here's a joke: the top strata of Indian society won't send their children to national elite institutions like ICE; they prefer sending them abroad to study. For example, Ivy League universities in the United States are filled with students from India."