'3 Idiots' in ragging row

It is alleged that the recent incident of ragging at the G S Medical College was inspired by the ragging sequence in the movie. But, when asked about it at a press conference on Tuesday, Chief Minister Ashok Chavan was evasive.

“I don’t know, the matter has to be examined, I will seek information,” was the one-liner from Chavan. The film has a sequence of ragging and several critics have accused the filmmakers of trying to glorify the crime, an allegation vehemently denied by the filmmakers. One of the scenes from ‘3 Idiots’ shows freshers being ragged by their seniors in the hostel.

Earlier, a voluntary organisation working against ragging had complained to the Supreme Court appointed anti-ragging committee about the menace allegedly being glorified in ‘3 Idiots’.

On Monday, Medical Education Minister Dr Vijaykumar Gavit had said his department had received several complaints from parents on the issue and said the government would move the Censor Board seeking a ban on the film.

The minister said his department has asked for the script of the movie from the producers to verify its contents. Interestingly, the movie is also being linked to the suicides by three students in Mumbai in the past three days.  

Inquiries have revealed that Sushant Patil, who committed suicide, had watched ‘3 Idiots’ twice on Sunday. The film portrays an engineering student who failed in his exams hanging himself to death from his hostel room.