I have just returned from my second watching of the awesome 3 Idiots and have perhaps come across something very interesting. To be on the safe side, I issue a spoiler alert here.
The movie tells the story of Rancho, a free individual who teaches his friends the meaning of life. He tells them that the only way they are going to be able to do anything worthwhile in life is by, to quote Joseph Campbell, following their bliss. Throughout the movie, Rancho encourages people to do what gives them joy and promises them that happiness (succes in this case) will follow.
But Rancho’s real name is not Rancho, it is Funsukh Wangdoo. The name is thrown about carelessly at first and then comes to establish itself as something of key value. Towards the end, when it the name flashes on Chatur’s mobile phone screen, it hit me.
Funsukh is made of FUN and SUKH – demonstrating the message that sukh (happiness) follows fun. I don’t know if this was intentional but I have a strong hunch that it was. As for Wangdoo, I think that serves to indicate the whole “idiot” angle. People will call you a bangdoo (Hindi colloquialism generally implying idiocy) if you tell them they should break out of the beaten track and follow their hearts.
Have I mentioned how big a fan I am of meaningful character names in stories? I haven’t? Oh well. Now you know.
Odd! I thought the name was spelt as “Phunsukh”
But anyways, the analogy does sound true…and so does the ‘Wangdu – Bandgu’ bit.
Staying with names, I think the nick of ViruS was conceived first and then extrapolated to be Viru Sahastrabuddhe. Ditto Millimeter – Centimeter.
You could be right Chittaranjan. But in any case, the spelling doesn’t take anything away from the meaning here.
Darn!!! You are absolutely effin right!!! It cannot be a coincidence. I totally believe your hypothesis on how the names were conceived.
Sukh n Wangdu were clear to me. Phun is the new part. Thanks.
he he
nice observation…i too would like to watch the movie once more and come with something intersting like this
I thought it is Phunshukh but then your explanation seems apt. Hirani and Aamir must have arrived at the name FunSukh the way you suggested.
Nice observation!
I saw the movie for the second time yesterday…i checked the spelling displayed at chatur’s cellphone. Its Phunsukh not Fun…. any way its pronounced the same
Well… some people spell fun as phun these days.
Watched this movie in the US and it apparently had subtitles and the name in discussion was shown as “Phunsukh Wangudu” …
it mixes coolly with the concepts of “Farhanitrate” and “prerajulisation”!
By the way, Wangdu is a Tibetan family-name.
Hi,I liked the name ‘Phunsukh’ so much, I am thinking to change my son’s(10months old) name as Phunsukh instead of Pramath.
Please don’t. He will curse you when he grows up.
Dude,
Most interesting this,as a thought. Absolutely makes sense,as a subtext, your reading meaning into the the name. And this happens in ‘great’ art, where layers of meaning get embedded. Interesting thing though would be to find if script writer / story writer meant it this way. Even if they did not, ‘FunSukh’ is how i would c it from now
I personally think that it doesn’t matter whether the storyteller put it there intentionally or not. The story has its own reality and it is revealed to each reader differently.
Yes, that is right, great stories take a character all their own, and meaning derived from them is a function of this ‘encounter’ between reader and the ‘read’. For some real strict school teacher,’Phun Suk’ could be read as ‘Phunsi-k’, as in someone who stands out in a class like this unwanted growth. And the teacher, is at loss to deal with him, and does not know ‘what to do’, thus ‘Wangdoo’.
the name is phunstog in ladakhi which means allrounder…k
Ofcourse RT @vimoh The meaning of Funsukh Wangdoo in 3 Idiots @ Vimoh’s Blog: http://is.gd/5QV9h
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Interesting take RT @vimoh: The meaning of Funsukh Wangdoo in 3 Idiots http://bit.ly/5biKaB
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Agreed evn Sahastrabuddey means guy wid 100 brains, RT @vimoh The meaning of Funsukh Wangdoo in 3 Idiots @ Vimoh’s Blog: http://is.gd/5QV9h
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look at this http://www.vmohanty.com/2010/the-meaning-of-funsukh-wangdoo-in-3-idiots/ now its interesting
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The meaning of Funsukh Wangdoo in 3 Idiots http://bit.ly/5biKaB (via @vimoh)
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@jlusujith The meaning of Funsukh Wangdoo in 3 Idiots http://bit.ly/5biKaB (via @vimoh) interesting
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Checking out this site: http://www.vmohanty.com/2010/the-meaning-of-funsukh-wangdoo-in-3-idiots/
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http://bit.ly/80XV4F it makes sense – especially if you think of “Farhanitrate” and “prerajulisation”.Can we get an official comment? @vimoh
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the truth behind aamir’s name? COuld the #3idiots team respond? AM curious! http://bit.ly/80XV4F #3I #experiment
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