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. —–
Guys its now time for gandhigiri………..
forward mail to rajkumar hirani’s mail ID………
And on subject jst write…….”MAMU AB TOH MAAN JAO” ki 3IDIOT’s is 70-80% of Five Point Sumone.”
Please guys its a request to all…………
His mail Id – raju@rajkumarhirani.com
Dear Chetan,
Looking from a IITian perspective, I feel you need to sue these idiots. They have not only done a copyright violation and IP stealth by copying your book without proper credits but also defamed you by their statements which are well recorded in the television channels.
If you file a case in the court requesting for stay on the movie due to copyright violation and secondly demainding some 50 crores for defaming “maan-haani”, you would really set a example for these stupid film makers who think themselves as demo gods..
The best wishes of IIT community is with you.
–
Mrityunjay.
Hey Minal
Are you Mr. Khan in disguise??……lol
Hi Chetan,
Please don’t bring in your mom, etc. in the whole picture to make it sound so emotional and typical bollywood.
Being a management student, you should have not made comments you made to aamir at IIM Bangalore that no need to read the book and all that.
Moreover, if you’ve signed a contract with the makers of the film, you should abide by what it says.
However, if there is no contract and you have a case, go ahead and sue them!
Chetan your right but vidhu vinod chopra should accept that the story is inpired from your book not the whole book but the main story like 3 engineers doing IIT and many more things but the whole book is not in the story that you have to accept
I can understand your pain,we will wait for more good works from you.
Just saw this
http://twitpic.com/waun4
http://www.thefourthidiot.com/cb/chetan_bhagat_liar.htm
I think this must be VVC response to your blog, they have even posted the contract of ten lakh Rs
@Vinayak: Get your basics correct dude!
In UNITED STATES “Copyright confers the following constitutional “exclusive Right” of “Authors” to their works includes the rights “to do and to authorize any of the following”:
(1) reproduce the work in copies or phonorecords, as when a novelist authorizes a publisher to reproduce a book or composers authorize recordings of their musical compositions;
(2) create derivative works, such as a screenplay based on a preexisting magazine story;
(3) distribute copies of the work to the public, as when a software manufacturer authorizes a wholesaler to market floppy diskettes containing a copyrighted program;
(4) perform the work publicly, as when a playwright or songwriter authorizes a production of a play or the broadcast of a song;
(5) display the work publicly, as when a magazine authorizes displays of its copyrighted images on multiple computer screens;
(6) in the case of sound recordings, perform the work publicly by means of a digital audio transmission.” [COPYRIGHT LAW: A Practitioner's Guide;Release No. 8, September 2006; by Bruce P. Keller & Jeffrey P. Cunard]
Therefore based on point number (2) above, at MAX, they can produce derivative work such as adapted screenplay. However, in this case what they have done is (a) ‘coppied’ 70-80% of Chetan’s work from the book (which is fine if they wanted to adapt it to screenplay); (b) Write a ‘fresh’ story copying 70-80% from Chetan’s book which is credited to Abhijat Joshi and Rajkumar Hirani (this is grave crime);and (c) ‘creating a original screenplay’ based on point (b) which is credited to Abhijat Joshi and Vidhi Vinod Chopra (this is ‘crime de la crime’).
As as result, Chetan was not given his due credit as an original story writer, which they should have. At max Abhijat Joshi, Raju Hirani and Vidhu Vinod Chopra could have been credited with ‘co-story writers’ (provided Chetan agrees to this too) and for ‘adapted screenplay’.
I m commenting on this in my capacity as I’m Intellectual Property professional.
Kudos to you Chetan. I read your book in Jan 2006 and it was so interesting that I read it in one go.
ProdigalNemo
i sent u a mail on ur id “3mistakes.cb@gmail.com’. its my humble/sincere/gentle or wtever in that kind, resquest to u..read that & see if u can response anyhting out of that.my id is harish.btech@gmail.com.
& about this controversy…!! if its a publicity instant (in which u & aamir or vidhu..has planned everyhting for a win win situtaion
) ) then i wud say gud marketting strategy dude 
..!! but if its not like dat & they have cheated u in any way..!! then i wud just say fuck them all (including aamir as well, he was one of my rare favourite in bollywood..but now he is know more..i used to go theater & spend money once in a yr only if its an aamir movie ..bt now sice he has acted as just like others who speak widout knowing the fact..he is nothng for me..)…!!
tc bbye njoyyy….
rest we can talk thru mails….
Hi Chethan,
It very disappointing to hear when great people like you, Amir, Hirani and VV Chopra get involved in controversies. I have read your book and I remember each and every scene in that and I saw 3 Idiots yesterday. It’s truly injustice with you as many scenes in the movie are taken from your book. I agree that there are some changes made to the scene which the movie demands. It’s very unfair from the film makers that they have not acknowledged you in the film and moreover dragging this issue to this extend.
I don’t understand what is holding them back from acknowledging you in the movie. It will not take any credit away from the film makers or actors because they all are best artist in the industry and did a brilliant job in this movie. I would say one of the best movies of 2009 (may be the best entertainer). It shouldn’t have been dragged to this extend and now the public may not have the same respect for any. Let’s hope nothing like this will happen in future.
http://www.vinodchopra.com/agreement.pdf
plz read this all fan of chetan and also chetan
it was shocking to se that your name aapers npwhere in the film.3 idiot, no doubt is the best movie, BUT so is your novel 5.someone. i was litrary waiting for your name to apper on the screen as i’v read your novel on the first day of its publication and i found 3i nothing but the replica of your novel except some “masala”.!!
i think whole student community is with you..Good Luck!!
To Minal who commented on January 2, 2010 at 1:33 pm;
Dear Minal dont forget one thing 3 idiots is drama n FPS is truth. FPS shows the facts the originality which actual an engineering student faces.
There r many things in movie which r fake n r not possible in actuall life.. likewise a new born baby (deliverd by a vaccum cleaner) regains its breath by hearing “aal izz well” n apart from that an engineer definately knows that nose never comes in b/w while kissing… have u ever tried that…..
This were the remaining 20% masala which was added apart from FPS. Rest was only FPS…
I’ll tell u more on that dear minal if u want….n red FPS once more with ur mind open……
Hey Chetan…
What they did is highly unacceptable!!
They are big money makers doesn’t mean they can do anything they wish to. What is truth should come out and let the people then decide what is correct and what is not. I highly appreciate that you came in public and said what you should have. Now I realize how writers who are not so popular would be feeling when these big bollywood men steal their stories. Trust me, not just your fans but all the people in the country would stand with you in the fight as they all know what the truth is.
How can A Khan be so naive as to comment on the issue without even readin the book?? I am not an Aamir Khan fan anymore.. Go ahead and sue these guys Chetan, you deserve justice and have the love of millions!!
chetan sir….
i have seen film as well as read your book and i feel that the film is definitely a major adaptation of FPS.
DON’T WORRY SIR…YOUR FANS KNOW YOU VERY WELL AND WE ARE WITH YOU…..
REGARDS
vaibhav gupta
(ur one of those thousands of fans).
Dear Chetan,
Satyajit Ray said any film adaptation cannot substitute the fun of a book. I have read FPS and just seen the movie….the two are so different in flavor, and i should say i liked them both! Where are these 5%, 10%,30%, 70% numbers coming from? Come on, this entire controversy looks so cheap, both on you and the directors/producers. If you think they did not give you due credit, then that will not make you less a writer. Also, this episode doesn’t make Amir Khan a devil…anyone will be silly to miss his great movies for this childish fight. (Don’t!) kiss and make up:))…Amir and you are great!
3 idiots was always advertised as based on 5 points, until it was released. I thought Amir khan the perfectionist was very professional, but not in this case atleast.
How much does it cost Raju to give credit to the guy who really deserves it.
Gautam
Dear Chetan Sir,
I am a research scholar I can remember my early Ph.D day..when I used to come everyday the FPS and read to my friend my guide the excerpts from your book..I have seen the film first day first show with my guide and labmates as indeed the story is an adaptation of FPS one of my all time favorite book..it was a nice movie..but still I will give the book extra credit..none can make this movie without yr book…and u know what..there are thousands like me..who beleived in the movie as it is your creation..we will remember fatso,Rehan more than rancho perhaps…
time to send “get well soon” wish to 3I team (AK, VVC, RKH)..
I’m wondering why Hirani didn’t try to show you the complete script. Its preplanned act.