Morality of 3 idiots and Chetan Bhagat? Afterthoughts of Chetan Bhagat and 3 idiots controversy

The controversy between author Chetan Bhagat and producers of 3 idiots has been “officially closed” now after both the sides got their share of media attention. Others in the category of movie goers, book readers and journalists, either sided with one or the other. But who stands to gain from the controversy?

The basis of Chetan Bhagat’s argument over not giving him “due credit” in the film 3 idiots has been moral and not legal.

Bhagat had entered into a contract with Vinod Chopra Films Private Ltd, under which he assigned the rights of film adaptation to the production house. He was given a certain sum of money in return. The author admits to this and there is no confusion here.

What Bhagat has argued is about the credits in the film and its attribution to the novel. For the first two times that I watched the film, I missed the credit to the author just like Bhagat’s mother did. It squeezes in one line “Based on the novel “Five Point Someone” by Chetan Bhagat”, at the end of the film just before the Special Thanks begin. The script writer Abhijat Joshi is credited right at the start of the movie. Moreover, Bhagat is also upset with what the producers’ have claimed – that the movie contains only 5 percent of the book.

Having read Chetan Bhagat’s Five Point Someone and watched the movie it is quite easy to draw comparisons between them. The script of 3 idiots borrows significantly from the book and one cannot dispute this. (For similarities you can follow the link)

When a journalist had interrogated Vidhu Vinod Chopra about the similarity, the producer of the film had very wryly questioned “have you read the book?” When the journalist answered in the negative, he said “Then Shut Up.” I would have interpreted it as - then “Go and first read the book.” It is difficult to ascertain that the controversy meant an increase in the sale of Five Point Someone or more audiences for 3 idiots. But I know of at least 10 people who read the book only after the controversy. And many others who had earlier read the book and now watched the movie to find out about the controversy that the media was highlighting. Thus, both the parties benefitted.

I am not saying that everything was scripted. But, both the author and the actor are known to market their products in a number of "different" ways. Who knows?

The views expressed in the article are personal.

The three mistakes of my life - A Review

For those who have closely followed Chetan Bhagat’s previous two books, they would know what to expect from this one.
“The three mistakes of my life” is not about Chetan Bhagat’s life or mistakes. It is about the life of Govind Patel, a businessman in Ahmedabad, and his two friends – Ish and Omi.

The prologue introduces the story in a dramatic fashion. The writer has a suicide note in his email from a businessman in Ahmedabad. The mail published in the Prologue serves two purposes. Besides introducing the story, it builds the reader’s curiosity and gives a real touch to the story that is to follow.

The story hovers around religion, business and cricket as the title page promises. Cricket and business dominate the first two hundred pages. There are elaborate descriptions of India’s matches against South Africa and Australia. The business venture of the three friends when they set up a sport’s shop in the temple compound, Govind’s love relationship and Ishaan’s training to Ali, the young Muslim boy who is gifted with extraordinary cricketing skills – all get the author’s attention.

Ishaan or Ish had run away from NDA. He is an avid cricket fan who like many other Indians has dreamt of playing for the national team. Himself unable to make it big in the game, he coaches Ali and wants to see him in the national side.

Govind is “an ordinary boy in Ahmedabad”, as the prologue mentions. The story that the author tells us is his story. He has failed to make it to a first-rate engineering institute and takes tuitions besides helping his mother with her business. He dreams of being a big businessman one day.

Omi, the son of a Brahmin priest wants not to join his father’s profession. It is for this reason that he partners Ish and Govind in the sports shop that they set up in the temple’s compound.

The book is specially tailored to suit the taste of the Indian readers. The story is set in 2001 and the following years when first the earthquake and then riots hit the state of Gujarat. Both affect the lives of the three friends and business partners.

The quake shatters their ambitious business plans. The new plot that they had bought for setting up their shop is ramshackle to pieces. Govind, the narrator considers it his first mistake – to bet so much money for the new shop in Navrangpura mall.
Meanwhile, Govind who also teaches Ish’s teenage sister falls in love with her. Bhagat describes the burgeoning relationship and their sexual escapades in his usual flamboyant style. Govind considers it, the second mistake of his life.

The last 50 pages of the book pick up pace. It is here that the author is at his best. Religion dominates. The plot built up in the first 200 pages reaches its climax. Hindu Karsevaks returning from Ayodhya in a train are burnt alive by Muslims in Godhra. The train had Bittoo mama’s (Omi’s maternal uncle) fourteen year old son who also dies with several other young Hindus.

The Gujarat riots follow. Bittoo mama, a Brahmin priest and worker for the saffron party, is adamant in avenging the death of his son and other Hindus. He and his party workers burn Muslims alive in revenge.

Mama kills Ali’s father, a worker of his rival secular party and makes up his mind to kill Ali too. Ish is equally adamant in saving his little hero’s life. A bitter clash between Bittoo mama’s supporters and the three friends follows.

Ish manages to save the gifted cricketer’s life but only at the cost of Omi’s life and a severe injury to Ali’s wrist. It happens because Govind delays by a fraction of second in pulling away Ali from Bittoo mama’s strike - the third mistake of his life. Meanwhile, Ish also comes to know about Govind’s secret love affair with his sister. He breaks all relationships with him.

The story ends with the epilogue which brings us back to the hospital where the prologue had left us. It ends in the usual happy note – Ish forgiving Govind and the successful operation of Ish’s wrist.

Chetan Bhagat masters the art of conversational writing. And even in this book he employs his skill to tell the story of ordinary Indians.