The feel-good comedy 3 Idiots, which is turning out to be the most successful Bollywood blockbuster, has a new, sad, ugly twist to it.
Its hero, director, producer and scriptwriter are at a war of words with the writer on whose book the film is ‘loosely’ based.
The eight edition of India’s biggest selling book in the history of English novels says ‘Soon to be a major film’ on its cover; Chetan Bhagat’s ‘Five Point Someone’. The book begins with acknowledgements he has given to ALL the people who mattered in his life and made it possible; from his guru, family, friends, colleagues, classmates, editor, publisher right down to Bill Gates and Microsoft Word!
Little wonder then, that this otherwise soft spoken, popular youth icon was hurt by the fact that he did not get the deserved credit.
The scriptwriter of ‘3 Idiots’, Ahmedabad’s Ace, whose genius penmanship gave us ‘ Lage Raho Munnabhai,has swept almost all awards in the year of its release,Abhijat Joshi, had worked on the story for three years to create a funny yet soul-stirring drama on screen that has many laughing and crying in public.
While Bhagat fans through the country related to the basic concept taken from the book, it were lesser known Abhijat’s childhood buddies who immediately related scenes and incidences to the work and real life incidences of this ex English professor, who has spent his life passionately scripting well acclaimed skits and plays since childhood.
Remember, when ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ won an Oscar for best adapted screenplay, it was Simon Beaufoy who deservedly got it for creating a script that went down so well with the viewers. Not as many would remember Vikram Swarup’s ‘Q & A’, the book on which the movie was based and given deserved credit.
On the other hand, Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s film gives Bhagat credit in the scroll at the end of the film - miss if you blink or are already headed towards the exit.
There is no doubt that the film is more exciting than the book. What is sad however is such great work of sheer collective genius is making the wrong kind of news, since the time it has turned from ‘ours’, into ‘yours’ and ‘mine.’
What’s adapted from the book-
-3 engineering students called idiots by their professor.
-Being ragged and rescued(salt water theory original from Abhijat's college days
-Chatur, (Abhijat's ace),lightly described as parrot reader Venkat with no major part in book but prominent in film.
-Tank-top drinking and bonding.
-Hero, who is scared to smooch, climbs up the heroine’s bedroom while friends wait below.
-Tyrannical, ugly prof with beautiful daughter and a son who committed suicide due to pressure of studies, leaving behind a suicide note.
-Stealing of exam paper from prof’s office, with keys procured from his daughter, and getting caught later.
-Entire family of one idiot, Raju Rastogi (Alok in book), his mother‘s five year old saree and mutter paneer, constantly crying about expenses, father’s ailment, ugly sister’s Maruti-800 dowry problem, Raju’s shifting to Venkat’s room, dying to get a decent job, suicide attempt at fear of rustication and hospitalization.
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