The greatest difference between Avatar and 3 Idiots, it occurred to me, is in the visual effects department. Where James Cameron spent hundreds of millions of dollars to stunningly realize life on another planet, the best F/X talent in Bombay couldn't make a 45 year old pass for a college student.
Aamir Khan is the worst thing that could have happened to Rajkumar Hirani's inspirational-comedy, a film so close in spirit to the Munnabhai films ("Follow Your Dreams", "Institutional Education Sucks"), that it serves unwittingly as an illustration of what happens when Sanjay Dutt doesn't get enough bail-time. Over the last few years it has become apparent that Khan has few charms to offer audiences, and as soon as he appears on-screen you can be sure a Not-For-Profit message is coming your way. When he isn't on-screen is when 3 Idiots is most like Avatar - a colossal entertainment - built on spectacular supporting turns from Boman Irani, Madhavan, and Sharman Joshi.
