The author of Five Point Someone, on which Aamir Khan starrer 3 idiots is based is claiming that he has not been given adequate credit despite the film’s super success at the box offices worldwide. Bhagat is surprised not to get an opening credit in the film. He has also hit out at team 3 Idiots in his personal blog and writes that the setting, characters and plotline were copied from his book.
The battle between Bhagat and the 3 Idiots team, including Aamir Khan went public on Friday with producer Vidhu Vinod Chopra losing his cool at a press conference and even director Raju Hirani lost a bit of his Gandhigiri.
CNN-IBN spoke to the author Chetan Bhagat on the issue.
CNN-IBN: Rajkumar Hirani says that your comments that 70 per cent of the 3 Idiots are based from your book are banal, he is not giving it more than two to five per cent.
Chetan Bhagat: He is talking two to five per cent but there are so many comparisons that I can't even tell you in one byte. I never asked Aamir to comment, his coming in has increased the issue. He says he has not read the book but the movie has turned out to be very similar to my book
CNN-IBN: What is upsetting you? Your name does find mention in the credit role.
Chetan Bhagat: Two things, one, the most important thing is that they are still saying it is two to five per cent. They have been spending years of publicity time doing media tieups, telling crores that it's an original script. It's not two-five per cent. The second issue is that the credit has been at the back. They have hidden my name behind the junior artists with a clear intention to hide it.
CNN-IBN: You were invited to the premiere of the film, you did go to the film, you are even saying that in some point in time you asked for the script and the screenplay and wanted to see the film before the release, was none of these ever heeded to?
Chetan Bhagat: No, I was never given the script. Let me tell you about the premiere, they called me 10 days before the release. They said let's be friends now and said that they had given me a great credit because they loved writers and said that king should treat another king like a king. All that I have said in my blog is that I am hurt and so are millions of fans who have read the book. This is a big book. Imagine this happening to Harry Potter or Twilight abroad, this would be a very big deal. I sent my fan mails saying that the movie is 70-80 per cent based on my book to the production team.
CNN-IBN: What would your advice to Aamir Khan be?
Chetan Bhagat: I would say please read the book or don't opine. I am forever grateful to Aamir for taking my story around the world but the more he comes, then it becomes a publicity game.
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