Dear All,
Thanks a lot for your immense support. I am humbled how you all have stood behind me, despite the so called powerful people on the other side. Yesterday, you saw their behavior. You can make your own conclusions. I would like people who have not read the book to not comment on the issue, and I have been requesting that from the start.
And while I feel no reason to respond to baseless statements, I would like to point out two things about me allegedly looking for publicity. One, I did contact them first through sms, even after the premiere. They did not respond. I sent two mails, along with a fan mail attached, on Dec 29, two full days before I did my blog entry (and I did the blog only after they started accusing me). My first mail was to the director, and he never responded. The second mail was to the director as well as cced to VVC’s brother, who also works in the production house and was supposed to ‘handle my case’. The director never responded. VVC’s brother did, and the reply was so vague, I have to paste it here to you to make your own conclusions. Secondly on publicity, I have written four books and over fifty columns. Authors can easily add a few controversial lines to their books and cause a stir to increase sales. You’d agree I’ve never had an issue like this with any of my books, or even a line of any of my columns, where I take extra effort to stick to the facts. In fact, people accusing me of that should introspect on if they haven’t read the book and are supporting the makers, how does it make them any different from a brand ambassador who is asked to peddle junk food.
I also want to address the so called contract and spell out the issue, which they are either unable to articulate or are hiding. Yes, there is a contract, which you ethically abused. But how can you give ANOTHER credit for story, not including me, without my consent, right upfront and hide mine totally? Isn’t that negating my already buried credit? Who will people see. Who will go and collect the story (not screenplay, which is separate) awards? The screenplay is not an issue here. The people who have done that have adapted my story – not written a new one. Maybe they can be co-credited for story, but how can they exclude me? Add to that them constantly calling their story original, discrediting me in the media for over an year – does that not show an actual pattern of shutting me out? That is the issue.
People have known the issue. They have been busted. They quivered, shook, cursed and fell yesterday. Making mistakes is human. Not accepting it is a sense of entitlement that only comes from an unchecked ego. However, people have given their verdict.
The mails are attached below. The fanmail comes first (copied and pasted from gmail).
God Bless,
Me
FIRST MAIL:
hide details 12/28/09 (4 days ago) |
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Hello Chetan Sir,
Today I saw 3 Idiot’s. Somewhere I read that it is only 10% of “five point someone” but I think it was 80% of that. It was amazing experience and I would like to give you all credit for that great entertainment along with Amir khan.
Thanks ,
Sachin
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hide details 12/29/09 (4 days ago) |
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i have 100+ mails like this.
cheers!
chetan
—- THE ABOVE NEVER WAS RESPONDED TO —
SECOND MAIL:|
hide details 12/26/09 (6 days ago) |
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Dear Mr Chetan
Yesterday I saw a recent movie of Amirkhan, 3 idiots.
It is almost same as your 1st book 5.1 . Is it true.
But I have not seen your name or noticed .
Can you confirm this. ?
K G Sreeganeshan
hide details 12/29/09 (4 days ago) |
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my mailbox is filled..i have no idea who these people are.
god bless.
chetan|
show details |
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12/29/09 (3 days ago) |
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Noted. Thank you, Chetan.
Fans will be fans and all our mailboxes at this time are full of nothing but superlatives. Let us not only celebrate all aspects of creativity that went into the film but also learn from both our positives and negatives.
It was indeed good to meet you.
Best regards,
Vir K Chopra
(Ph.D. London School of Economics & Political Science)
Director
Vinod Chopra Films Pvt. Ltd.
—– AND THAT’S IT. ATTEMPTS TO REACH ON PHONE FAILED TOO. —–
i just think you made a mistake by letting them sweet talk you and not insisting on a percentage contract (or a higher percentage if that is what you think you deserve), and having stricter language in the contract. I’ve guess you’ve always gotta keep watchin your back and keep your interests foremost.
FPS reached to the everyone , every student and parents too and those who were ever students went through it years ago and enjoye it as well as learned a lesson from ur book.
I saw the movie ,Its a movie derived from FPS, the script writer just made a few makeovers. that’s it..!
we can understand the pain which you should be going through. Please be strong and fight it. We are all with you.
hi chetan,
1st of ol he is’nt aware bout d story n d nvel…so he has got no right 2 comment bout dis issue… [/)]
ive seen d movie & read d novel as well…i must say amir is really going wrong
n wht d hell do de mean by ” 2%- 5%” & “orignal movie” stuff…d movie cant b said as orignal FPS was d base of 3i. the audience cant even think of 3i if we exclude the FPS part frm it!!!
anywayz bst of luck…n i m luking fwd for sum more nvls frm u…:p…!!!
http://www.aamirkhan.com/blog/login.php
Dear Chetanbhai,
Hollywood always gives credit to the books where they get the story idea. I hope Bollywood learns from Hollywood.
Bollywood copied Hollywood many times, but when it comes to credit, Bollywood directors forgets the originals.
Every Friday, there is a show called 20/20, few years ago, story similiar to “Tare Jamin Par” was broadcasted on that show.. Now the Bollywood copy cats became little smarter, and they just don’t copy as it is, but they copy from 2-4 movies/shows..
hi,
i heard tat 3 idiots was a plot from 5.sm1… n i was very eager to see chetan’s name n i was literally searching for his name in every posters of tat movie.. really bad.
v r always on ur side:)
cheers
Hi Chetan,
When I saw movie. (On first day itself because I was pretty much excited because it’s a adaption of FPS) First thing I told my friend was ” Why the name of Chetan missing here?”
And after few days I learnt about that makers are denying that the film is adaption of FPS. That is the worst lie I have ever heard in Bollywood.
Just as Abraham Lincoln said once
“You can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you can not fool all of the people all of the time.”
This issue is not just of credit, this controversy has to do with a far more serious issue. It’s about creative rights, copyright, the relationship between cinema and literature and between the world of words and visuals.
Keep it up! We are with you.
“Never apologize for showing feeling. When you do so, you apologize for the truth”.
This is very upsetting. More over the movie was a hit all because ppl knew u. People knew ur story, the FPS that is the reason the movie became a hit. I think you should fight for your right chetan. We all know what all scenes were from the book. I have read FPS for almost like 11 times.
I do agree there were some changes in the script too. But the motivation was FPS only.
hello….i have just completed 2 states….too nice book i ever read…
dear mr. chetan bhagat
I’hv read all of ur books.It is strange that people from bollywood are unwilling to give credit to ur story.
a few changes they hv made surely..but indeed the movie covered 70-80% of ur story…
i am a great fan of urs and ur writting and the kind of thinking thet u put on those stories…
hope truth prevails and u get all the credits that u deserve.
Hi Chetan,
I haven’t seen the movie. But I’ve read the book and liked it so much as I was also a student of Engg. college. I do not want to see the movie as I dont want the story to be changed. Go ahead and we are with you. Meanwhile is there any distributor of your books in Dhaka, Bangladesh?
Hi Chetan,
I am really shocked at the low levels to which Amir, VVC and Raju Hirani have stooped in not giving you the rightful credit for the movie. My respect for them has vanished and it has exposed the dark side of Bollywood. It is perhaps the reason why it is still not world conquering.
I do hope that you will be more careful in dealing with Bollywood in future. All the best. I particularly liked “Three Mistakes” and I’m sure that it will made into a great movie (without Amir Khan, of course!).
Shashi K Patil
PGP-88
Hi Chetan ,
The screenplay is definately based on your book and in no way original !!! To take away credit from you is unpardonable ..The next time a movie is based on your book , make sure you are smarter , get appropriate credit including proportionate monetary benefits..Don’t make the same mistake again ..Disappointed with Amir though ..
hey chetan , it wud b mah pleasure to tell u sumthing. your fps is gud i`ve read it but the way 3 idiots was presented was a very different one. you got ur money wat else do you need?and of course wen your one night @ the cal centre (hello)got flopped did u made any suh tantrums at dat tym? no u did`nt.i`ve read fps and seen 3 idiots both of dem have a huge difference if anyone wud notice.if 3 idiots is the sky den ur fps is sumwhere below the earth let me tell u .i was a big fan of ur but after all this am no more a fan of urs.
Dear Chetan,
Every people with brains know the makers of film are just being gibberish.The film was 60-70% fps,and the remaining30-40% ‘inspired’ from fps:).Loved the way you raised yourself up as a gladiator to fight these powerful people.Power rulez INDIA.Just for that its being a ‘pathetic country.The ‘loosely connected’…craps will just remain craps,but we cant help it Chetan, a majority mass never read any books ,in INDIA.But they do watch an Amirkhan movie.Atleast your readers know (another big mass) the fact.Go on with it mate.wishing you all good luck for your future works.
‘am nw reading revolution 2020, itz a great book of u,………..
but, in some places we feel it as a boring book,b’coz i feel u try to elabrate it in some place………