NEW DELHI, Feb. 19 -- Recall this scene from the famous movie "3 Idiots." Raju (Sharman Joshi) invites his friends Rancho (Aamir Khan) and Farhan (Madhavan) to his house. The film is suddenly transported to a black-and-white world, where Raju's mother is seen cooking food on a traditional chulha while his ailing father is lying down on a cot nearby.

As all three of them start eating, Raju's mother starts venting out her frustration, reflecting upon the financial distress the family faces. "Bhindi is now Rs. 12 per kilo... paneer, my son, will soon be sold in small plates at the Goldsmith's shop... Kammo is now 28. People are demanding a Maruti 800. How will she get married if you won't study well?"

The movie is a decade and a half old w...