Isn’t 3 Idiots a copy of Five Point Someone?
Director Rajkumar Hirani produced
the credits agreement with author Chetan Bhagat for hit film "3
Idiots" and maintained that the movie was not a copy of the bestseller
"Five Point Someone".
Hirani distributed copies of an
agreement of credit and a non-disclosure agreement signed by Bhagat Sep 1, 2005
and Oct 3, 2007 respectively. Screenplay writer Abhijat Joshi was also present
at the media meet.
"It shall be obligatory on the
part of the producer to accord credit to the author in the rolling credits...
as under - Based on the novel 'Five Point Someone'," the agreement on the
issue of credit states.
The non-disclosure agreement was
signed after Hirani gave a "four-hour narration" of the final script
to Bhagat the director said. Hirani also supported his argument by giving a
copy of an interview that Bhagat gave to IANS Sep 26, 2008 titled: "I
liked the final script of 'Three Idiots': Chetan Bhagat."
"The director took my book as
the base but he has changed it according to his requirements. He took
permission from me before taking my story but has not involved me in making it
into the final script. But he has shown me the final script and I have liked it
too," Bhagat had told IANS.
The credit row surfaced after Bhagat
had posted on his blog that "70 percent" of "3 Idiots" is
based on his book and therefore he should have got a prominent place in the
rolling credits as well as during the film promotion. He also said that he was
not shown the final script.
Producer Vidhu Vinod Chopra has said
that as per their agreement, Bhagat's name appeared in the rolling credits and
he was paid the due amount. Hirani who has made movies like "Munnabhai
MBBS" and "Lage Raho Munnabhai" also pointed out that the producer
had bought the rights of "Five Point Someone".
Hence it was their prerogative
whether to use "five percent of the book or 70 percent of it".
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