Nanban () is a 2012 Indian Tamil-language coming-of-age comedy drama film directed by Shankar. It is a remake of Rajkumar Hirani & Vidhu Vinod Chopra's Hindi film 3 Idiots (2009). The film stars Vijay, Jiiva, Srikanth, Ileana D'Cruz, Sathyaraj and Sathyan. The film's soundtrack and background score were composed by Harris Jayaraj and cinematography was handled by Manoj Paramahamsa. The film was produced by Gemini Film Circuit. The plot of the film illustrates the embarkment of two friends on a quest for a lost buddy, who was once an optimistic and successful student. On their journey, they recount their college life and special moments that the three shared up until their lost friend secretly parted ways after convocation. During their quest, the two encounter a rival classmate who once made a long-forgotten bet with them, a funeral that goes impossibly out of control, and a wedding they must crash. A lengthy and controversial delay in casting delayed filming by a year. Filming took place for a total of eight months in various locations in Europe and India. The film was released on 12 January 2012 to generally positive reviews. The film was also screened at the Melbourne Film Festival. Indian Express reported the film grossed 150 crore at the box office. Plot Wildlife photographer Venkat Ramakrishnan receives a phone call from his collegemate Srivatsan, claiming he knows where Venkat's long-lost friend Panchavan "Pari" Pariventhan is. Venkat meets up with another friend, Sevarkodi Senthil and they rush to the Ideal Engineering College (IEC) to meet Srivatsan. After talking about his bet with Pari about who would become more successful, Srivatsan reveals that Pari is in Ooty and the three begin their journey. Over a flashback ten years prior, it is shown that Venkat came to study at IEC as his father forced him to pursue engineering. He befriends Senthil, whose family hopes he will bring them out of poverty, and Pari, a carefree student who loves learning. Pari, Senthil and Venkat meet their college director Dr. Virumandi Santhanam (referred to as Virus by the students), whose Draconian teaching philosophy contrasts with Pari's easygoing lifestyle. One day, Paneer Selvam, a student with a passion for engineering similar to Pari's, is denied graduation by Virus on grounds of failure to submit his project. Pari tries to fix Pannerselvam's project, but Paneelselvam commits suicide before he can show it to him. Pari attempts to