One of my good friends, Mr R. Sridhar runs a creativity workshop company called IdeaZrs. Mr Sridhar used to head O&M India earlier, one of India’s top advertising agencies. After a fantastic career there, he set up this firm that tries to unravel creativity and the human mind. As part of that, he took a probing interview with me, asking questions I have never been asked before, and I had to spend a lot of time thinking answers to.
That interview is now available online, and the link is here.
I hope you enjoy it. Apart from the answers, I think the questions may also be inspiration to aspiring journalists who conduct regular interviews.
Love,
Chetan
earlier I used to think that five point someone has something to do with shyambazar five point crossing
Hey Chetan,i knw u hv no time 2 read my cmment..bt agn i mst say u r a mastr of words..and happy 2 knw that u joind ISCKON tmple.. I joind it 4 1 yr.. And dear! 3 idiots is nt like ur novel..u r right,film maker playd wid ur novel..i cn undrstand it yar! Anyway,god bless u dear,c u later!
Whenever I want to know little about I wish to go deeper and deeper about you. I could not know what to do but after started reading your book i thought that it would be better if i would have get everyday a new book written by you.I really attached the emotions, characters , you have created in your books. I would love to be a good reader of your book, your interview and you too.
U know Chetan…I felt 2 states is very much similar to my life …N i almost got so much into the character that I am still not over with it…U r great ,,,simply superb…all the emotions, words, scnarios, characters..evrything is so so so real..Bishnu is very muchh correct..U shud write a book everyday
Awesome
Hi Chetan,
I was disappointed to see you reacting in the way you did to the “3 idiots” controversy. Think it was all because you wanted to sell more books. As per the contract, it was clearly written what you were getting into.
Think the scare of getting sued put you down finally.. Otherwise, you would have gone to court against them
Regards,
Rahul
brilliant
Hi chetan,
I have read your 3 books.-5 points to someone,1 night @call centre, 3 mistakes of my life.I liked all of them. Your thoughts are very amazing.
I am a very big fan of you. 3 Idiots is a copy of your book – 5 points someone.But don’t worry your fans are always with you.Keep on writing books like this.
Dear Chetan,
A good question answer session between two creative persons about creativity. Are creative persons unsystematic & unplanned? Your creativity brings success to 3 idiots but you being unsystematic and unplanned (true chracterstics of a creative genious) do not get due credit for the same. Be cautious in future.
Regards
Arun Tyagi
HI CHETAN! JUST FINISHED READING 2 STATES. IT’S VERY GOOD! READ IT IN 12 HOURS FLAT, COULDN’T STOP. AND HEY, I HAVE READ 5 POINT ROUGHLY AROUND 10 TIMES! (AND THAT’S NO EXAGGERATION..LOVE IT, THAT’S MY FAVORITE NOVEL), HAVE SEEN 3 IDIOTS 2 TIMES. MUST SAY, THE FILM IS LARGELY BASED ON UR BOOK..I MIGHT JUST BE 1 OF UR BILLION FANS..BUT WOULD LIKE TO EXTEND MY SUPPORT TO U. TAKE CARE BUDDY!!
chetan….I loved your writing..
but I was not expecting the controversy you created for the credit of 3 Idiots. Only some of the scenes matched to your book, that too not the whole scenes. I have read the interview of Aamir’s long before the release of movie, there u showed your genorousity by saying to Aamir that it is not based on your book. I think you were flown into greed.
Good luck
I am very sorry to all my fan for raising this controversy.
I did not take 3idiots movie seriously as earlier movie based on my book failed so miserably.
But when I saw the success of 3 Idiots, I could not believe it. They did too good job and I felt so bad when they did not put name as prominently as I wished.
Seriously I never worried about it because I did not think it matter but man, this is amazing success and I felt left out.
Finally jealously and greed won over sense and I had to raise this controversy. I did not even wait for movie makers to do anything. Because if they did, I would have not had this chance.
I made sure that I create so much hungama that my name is everywhere and I get more publicity than the movie. The movie guys obviously got mad. I spoiled their fun, but who cares.
I got what I wanted, free publicity, better sales of my book.
You all think I was stupid to take 11 lakhs, but see now, I will make crores from this mess. I won. Hurray.
hello chetan..
u r a master of words…keep on writing such wonderful books….
hv a wonderful life..
good luck
Hi Chetan!
I just finished reading Two states – absolutely amazing book. It actually made me laugh and cry (kind of weird when you are sitting alone at your desk and crying over a book).
I had a question though – how much of it is really based on your marriage? I mean, did you also have to go through all that to marry Anusha?
Love and luck,
Jayati
Mr Bhagat why ur not goin court???take a legal actions against Aamir and Hirani,or you dont have balls???u were cryin like a baby in front of media wot was all that??Aamir is Millions ROLE MODEL STOP PUTTING QUESTION MARK ON HIM!!!well you got wot u wanted PUBLICITY!!!
just checking if you can put any name u want
the earlier chetan bhagat comment is all rubbish… not written by chetan bhagat… i am using that name to prove that the comment admitting that he did this whole drama was to sell more books is written by some ass…lot of grammatical errors… at least we know he won’t do that now, will he…Real name… Ritu
It is indeed an inspiring and an informative interview.Both the questions and answers made it so.As “Mr.Sridhar” felt , “2states” as a bollywood movie.I felt the same.But i am 100% sure that a movie cant be as intresting as “2 States” novel in my view.Dont get me wrong people its just my perception.The book is on a diff level altogether.I just loved “2 states”.Thats it !!
Good day chetan and family.
Some how the feeling has started creeping in that, all the mess was a publicity stunt, may be for the future books. This feeling will grow by day and al the fans will notice it.
The way you resorted to it and the way you left it, sequence of events are making me feel that. And mind you few people have shared the same sentiment with me.
CB
I really appreciate the way you handled 3I controversy. In fact you won the case anyways as now whole world knows who is the real writer of story ..
Liked the interview !!
Praveen
Boston Ma