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. —–
Chetan
What’s wrong with you?? Do you seriously believe that 3 idiots is 80% 5 point someone????
Let me tell you something. It may sound blunt and harsh but its true nevertheless. I have read your book and to be honest i didn’t like it because of the bitterness that oozed out of every page of your book. While most of us remember our college days with fondness, apparently you don’t.
Getting back to the point , i saw 3 idiots on 30th dec and to be perfectly honest i have to side with the makers. The movie is maybe 20% FPS, not more than that. While your book had dark undertones, the movie is more of a feel-good and do-good kind of cinema. It tries to convey a message without being pedantic. The characters in your book just complained and rambled about how the system was screwed up….they never really did anything about it.
Now let me be a bit more specific……Ryan’s character is different in many ways – yes they r both rebels, both seem to have prodigious analytical skills but,like i said earlier, the Ryan in your book just complains and drinks himself to a stupor on a consistent basis unlike the character aamir khan portrays in the film. Hari is selfish and sarcastic most of the times in your book………on the contrary Madhavan’s character in the movie is the exact opposite. Alok’s character, i admit, is probably more or less the same as ur book but then again Alok was the least developed character in your book….
Now lets take care of your second grouse…..Situations, plots, one-liners and twists……First of all i don’t think any of the one-liners , gags or jokes have been lifted from your book….if they have please feel free to elaborate…..
Secondly, two situations in the movie bear a resemblance to your book……When Sharman joshi tries to commit suicide and when Aamir Khan and Madhavan try to steal the paper but what you may have missed is that the reasons they did it are diff…..i hope i don’t have to explain this…. One more situation that seemed similar was when Kareena tells her dad, Virus, that his son killed himself….i’ll give you this one fair and square…..yes this from the book….no strings attached………agreed…..
Please don’t get me wrong…..i do like your books….they are not bad…..i have written all this without passion or prejudice…. Your book FPS is already the one of the highest selling English novels in India. Why do you have to resort to such cheap publicity gimmicks??? It seriously baffles me. I mean i understand that the stupendous success of 3 Idiots will mean that FPS will be read by more people …….out of curiosity if nothing else……..You don’t have to transform into a drama queen to ensure that….it’ll happen on its own..
I hope you will take this comment in the right spirit. I have nothing against you. Believe me, if people say that 3 idiots is 80% your book, they are lying to you. There is a fairly good chance that they haven’t even read your book….Stay away from these grovelers and sycophants…..They will promise you the moon today and leave you out in the cold tomorrow….
Regards
Rohan
Dear Sir,
I have read all your four books and I am a huge fan of your simple yet appealing writing.
I recently saw the movie 3 Idiots and would like to express my view regarding the issue.
Five point someone was a gr8 novel,worth reading and feeling nostalgic abt it everytime you read.
The movie’ s plot and idea has undoubtedly been extracted from Five point someone (Like 3 frens,IIT backgroundwd,Prof’s daughter as galfren,stealing the paper making chaos at princy’s roof)
But at the same time, I also felt that the crux, or rather I would say message of the movie(innovativeness against stereotypical education system) was totally new and I think i would give the due credit to the makers of the movie.
Since,I knew that the movie was based on FPS,I was expecting it to be another Dil Chahta hai.but I got something different.
Five point someone was a fantabulous novel and 3 Idiots is like yet another fresh of breath of air….
Hey hey
The PR’s of the Bolly camp are here in full force!!
How much do u guys get paid for 1 blog??
Hello Chetan!
i don’t know if my comments would matter.. but even then i wanna tell u tat i m definitely on your side..
AK’s, RKH’s n VVC’s comments r totally vague..
Don’t give up until the matter is completely sorted. You’ll emerge as the winner.
Best wishes to u..
Chetan,
You are right in feeling expressing your views and teh way Raju Hirani, VVC & Aamir Khan and Co. have responded is truly outrageous.
Anybody in their sane mind who has read the book will understand that the heart, soul and whole structure of 3 idiots is 5 pt. someone without dispute.
The film producer and all the more Aamir should just go and read the book and then ‘ SHUT UP’.
Two thumbs up Chetan!!
hiii chetan
Dis is jagrity…u dnt need to give any explanation coz we all knw u r rite….n dey’ll hav to accept dere mistake…ur fans including me….r always dere with u……
Rohan wrote”you. Believe me, if people say that 3 idiots is 80% your book, they are lying to you. There is a fairly good chance that they haven’t even read your book….Stay away from these grovelers and sycophants…..They will promise you the moon today and leave you out in the cold tomorrow….”
Rohan that is completely inappropriate. Grovelers?? sycophants??
Seems like you have learnt mud slinging from the great producer himself!
Hi Chetan,
Pls dont get discouraged due to the games bollywood plays. We love to read more books of yours.
Pls do keep writing.
Thx
Prats
[...] following is an excerpt from chetan Bhagat’s blog (http://www.chetanbhagat.com/blog/general/i-did-try-and-reach-them-first): I also want to address the so called contract and spell out the issue, which they are either [...]
sir..m grt fan of urs n i truly blv tht d muvi is all copied frm ur buk….we r wit u sir…
In our country generally powerful people try to dominate those with less power.That’s what we have seen in Rathore’s case as well.Even bollywood is not untouched from this tendency.We all know most bollywood directors and script writers copy ideas mostly from hollywood.
I was not shocked to hear that Amir consider it a publicity stunt as he is an actor and thinks that everyone is like him.We all are well aware of recent events between him and Shahrukh and also of what he did to promote GAJINI a year ago.
Actually what Amir often do are so called “Publicity Stunts”. Chetan was just trying to bring the truth to light.
Its an irony that “3 idiots” itself is about promoting new ideas and talents and yet its makers have behaved in such a manner.
I have read your book yes . But this is a really desperate attempt to gain some attention . If u think your fans already know the you wrote it , then why bother . I think you’ve done enough such that ur name pops up in google anyway when i type 3 idiots now . PLease dont make urself the fourth
Chetan,
We, the youth power is with you. Your pen is mightier than all voices.
Hi Chetan Sir..
“Aaj us Rancho ke liye hamare dil me aur bhi jagah pan gayi”… this is a Dilagogue from the latest Bollywood Copied/Cheated Film 3 idiots. Altough I dont remember the exact line but i do remember the meaning …n i want to reframe this line for u “Aaj us Chetan ke liye hamare dil me aur bhi jagah pan gayi”.
Despite being ur story..ur innovation… u kept quite n never moved a inch for ur rights…for ur credit….Hats off to u sir…
I do understand the pain tat u have good after not noticing the credit in the movie…Coz just being ur fan wat pain i had got by not noticing credit to you that i only know. Sir… i dont know abt others… but being a Raj Kumar Hirani Film…. a Vidhu Vinod Chopra production… Amir Khan film…I have been taken to the Cinema hall only becoz somewhere i read that 3 idiots is loosely based on 5 point someone….While wathing the movie…i was wondering that y its written “loosely”. but it should be “Tightly”.
But here the situation is totally different…Credit is only not given….Shame to the producer…PLease keep ur fight…We r wid u..
Another comment Mr Bhagat
Does not your website have a words filter??…so that the mud slinging of you and your fans goes on at the same pace?
U r just fabulous….I have read all your four books and I trust u….infact v all trust u….n previously i was excited bout watching 3 idiots….but now i dnt want to watch dis movie…..ur fans r always dere to support u……
Hi Chetan,
I read about this whole controversy all today. I read FPS, one of the best books i ever came across. I haven’t seen 3idiots but even the by looking at promos i can tell it’s adapted from 3idiots.
I used to admire Aamir khan a lot.
But after his childish comments on you …i have started hating him and he is no more that parrot at the hands of producers…
You should file a case …not for you ..but to make it sure that this wont happen again in bollywood.
Jit
Hi Chetan,
This is truly a case of IPR violation and u have all the support in the form of law and fans… I have read the book in 2005 and found it too good and after seeing the movie 3 idiots even i discussed with my friends that ur name is not given opening credit in the film…
After reading the contract at http://www.vinodchopra.com/agreement.pdf it is clear dat the mistake is being done on their part….
An apology and opening credit in the film should be provided with immediate effect.
Hi! Chetan,
Yesterday when I was abt to go to see 3 idito’s, on TV ur interview n all the drama done by vidu vindo chopra was going on ,
Then in the morning when I read the whole story n ur blog on ur site. Then i though of just supportin u in this issue.
Yes I have seen the moive it is really good, n 75 % is from the book FPS n they cannot take the credit from u, I was suprise when I have not seen ur name on the screen. The Orginal story is ur not any one.
I don’t think u require any publicity, becz today ur soo famous and the most impt is that ur fans luv u a lot n we all support u.
I know here ur fighting for truth, N we support u.
Luv shrruthi
Hi Chetan,
Basically that is what u want. Royalty out of the film, now that its become a super duper success. I dont understand, y earlier u did not take care of all these details like making clear the contract, drawing a very clear cut agreement that this is what i want for me in the film. Whether money out of the film, or just names in the movie or whatever. After the film has been released and declared a hit, u raise ur ugly head and say ” Excuse me, this is my story from A to Z”. That is utterly cheap. U are a writer and know the technicalities of creating a proper agreement. Now u r waking up and repenting on how leniently u took the contract. Ask ur own heart, what is true. And then go ahead with what u want.