Is it Chetan Bhagat’s 3 Idiots??
There has recently been a lot of controversy surrounding Raj Kumar Hirani’s “3 Idiots” starring Aamir Khan with Chetan Bhagat alleging that the screenplay has been adapted from one of his more popular novels “Five Point Someone“.
Chetan’s stance and his subsequent followup with the film’s director and producer can be read at his blog.
I totally agree with Chetan on the front that he doesn’t need the publicity. Even before I realized there was a controversy surrounding the movie, I had seen the mention of Five Point Someone in the newspapers either by the actors or journos covering the movie. More so I believe, there will be hardly anyone in India who reads popular fiction and has not heard about Chetan Bhagat.
The point to be considered, however is if the movie is not an adaptation of any novel and is an original script in itself then why was a contract signed with Chetan in the first place before release?
A 5-10% rip-off hardly requires a contract. If you recall, most Bollywood movies at one time were a rehash of just one plot – a boy and 
a girl falling in love with a villain adding twist to the story. Who owns the script to that – the screenwriter who wrote the first movie? No producer is ever going to sign a contract with any author for that and since the makers of 3 Idiots did so and that too without showing the movie to Chetan Bhagat, I am sure something is amiss when they rubbish all his claims.
This in fact makes me curious on what was actually mentioned in the contract that they needed to cover up their behinds?
Further, if the movie is so original then why was Aamir Khan specifically asked not to read the book lest he be influenced? I really like him as an actor and think him to be a man of integrity, however his comments on Five Point Someone being just an inspiration for the movie (can be found here) are a bit out of this world.
When I saw the movie I thought it was just like Taare Zameen Par albeit with a different social issue – bringing out the flaws plaguing our educational system, which I also had tried to highlight in a previous blog post (I hope that this was posted before the controversy erupted, can someone confirm?? 
) On the other hand, Five Point Someone brought to the fore though in a bit of an exaggerated way of how we students used to live our lives in IITD.
Thus, in my opinion 3 Idiots puts more focus on the teachers and their teaching methods while Five Point Someone concerns itself with the students’ campus life. However, the storyline did turn out to be similar, to what degree is suspect.
Instead of Chetan Bhagat it is the makers of 3 Idiots, who by embroiling themselves in a controversy, are trying to gain from his fame in the hope that all those millions who have read his book also see the movie. As Aamir Khan has apty put: “Nobody knows him but Chetan is a big star”
Edit: And oh, that “him” in the above quote actually refers to Abhijat (or symbolically 3 Idiots maybe??) and not Aamir himself.
I don’t think an Aamir Khan movie would require to gain fame from a Chetan Bhagat book. In my opinion, they gave credit to Chetan Bhagat because the writer was probably inspired by the book but since storyline is completely different, that is where it should have logically stopped. It’s sad that people like Chetan Bhagat say that there’s 70% similarity between the two. Only a lunatic would agree after having read the book and watched the movie as well.
Just came back from seeing the movie, with this whole controversy always reeling at the back of my mind! Very curious to read the book too now – if it’s even half as good as the movie, it would be an amazing read. Chetan Bhagat has got me in, finally…
Book and Movie are two different ways in which people try to get entertainment for themselves ,regarding the controversy about 3 idiots movie i would like to say that there is very thin line of difference between movie and book actually, its like blend of both, saying that the movie is entirely diff. from book is not justice with the writer ,because all the characters and the middle story line is the exact copy of the book and the writer claiming his rights is absolutely correct because the way the producers and actors claim their rights when media interferes their personal life is what similarly happened with chetan bhagat ,i have read the epilouges and prolouge in his books he is one author who writes not just only to earn money but because of his passion towards writing the books , he struggles a lot too write his every book.Moreover has raised this issue i guess not for money or publicity but to save his work in which his die-hard efforts are involved, publicity he has earned and will always earn form his target segment ,moreover a writer writes only 4 his readers not for the enitre earth whereas an actor acts and producer produces to cover the target segment and the enitre earth and all this happens because the need for both is different.
Regarding the above comment i would like to say is from past 5 years people who are doing engg. are more in number n more of the students who are goin to be engg. hav this thought that before finishing their engg. they should once read this 5.someone book in oreder to actually get engg.students feel,so saying that chetan bhagat wil get credit by the aamir’s movie is utterly rubbish; as a honest reader and big fan of aamir only think i want to say that chetan,aamir and producer of the movie are stars of diff. field,but at the same time aamir and prodcuer of this movie cannot deny the fact that the opportunity they got this time to showcase their talent is by chetan bhagat and the compensation chetan got for that was not less but nothing coz after all this issue if chetan gets wat he deserves also its of no worth. It happened this time but i expect in future atleast don’t underestimate and ignore the real facts and reasons behind the success because it will lead u no where.In life evrytme v cannot alone be the reason for our success sometimes people standing at behind us become responsible,so always value them!!!
i would say that both the persons has done a splended job in there field……..of interest…as Amir khan made 3 idiots but its story was written by chetan bhagat….both personalities are kings of there field.,.,.,.,so i dont think of any kind of differnce of good or bad between both…..after the release of 3 idiots.it was in contrversy who is good or bad…..
At last from by opinion all is best
“I totally agree with Chetan on the front that he doesn’t need the publicity”
i think chetan bhagat is indeed hungry for publicity
i have explained why on my blog
http://getupdated.in/?p=581
hoping for your comments