Bollywood hit comedy ‘3 Idiots’ to get sequel 20 years after original

September 12 ------ The 2009 Bollywood comedy-drama “3 Idiots” is getting a sequel, with director Rajkumar Hirani confirming that the story will revisit its original characters two decades after the events of the first film.

Hirani said the sequel is currently being written as he clarified that the story will no longer focus on the protagonists as college students. “We are still in the process of writing,” he told Asian News International (ANI). “It’s not about the students; it’s about 20 years later.” Hirani stressed that the project is still in the scripting stage and that an official announcement will come once the story is completed.

The latest update follows lead star Aamir Khan’s confirmation in April that a sequel was in development. In an interview with Amar Ujala, Khan said Hirani was working on the project with writer Abhijat Joshi. “I’ve heard the story. It has turned out well. There is still more work to be done on the script, but the story is very good,” Khan said. He added that it has “the same humor” as the original but that it is an “unusual story.” Khan also confirmed that he would return as Phunsukh Wangdu, the character better known as Rancho.

The original “3 Idiots,” directed by Hirani and produced by Vidhu Vinod Chopra, was released in December 2009. It starred Khan as Ranchoddas “Rancho” Shamaldas Chanchad, R. Madhavan as Farhan Qureshi and Sharman Joshi as Raju Rastogi.

The film follows Rancho, Farhan, and Raju, three engineering students who become close friends at the fictional Imperial College of Engineering. Rancho challenges the school’s rigid, competition-driven approach to education, while Farhan struggles with his desire to become a photographer, and Raju deals with the financial pressures and expectations surrounding his family.

Their friendship is tested by their clashes with the college director, nicknamed “Virus.” The film tackles student mental health, parental expectations, and career pressure. The story is told across two timelines. In the present-day portion, Farhan and Raju search for Rancho after receiving word about his whereabouts after college graduation.

Source: inquirer.net