Five Point Someone Explained

Five Point Someone: What not to do at IIT
Author:Chetan Bhagat
Country:India
Genre:Fiction, Buddy
Publisher:Rupa & Co.
Isbn:81-291-0459-8
Release Date:1 May 2004
Pages:270
Media Type:Paperback

Five Point Someone: What not to do at IIT is a 2004 novel written by Indian author Chetan Bhagat. The book has sold over a million copies worldwide.[1] It was adapted into a play by the theatre company Evam.[2]

Plot

The book is narrated by Hari, with some small passages by his friends Ryan and Alok, as well as a letter by Hari's girlfriend Neha Cherian. The three friends' elation on making it to one of the best engineering colleges in India is quickly deflated by the rigor and monotony of the academic work. The two main plot lines are: the numerous attempts by the trio to cope with and/or beat the system, and Hari's fling with Neha, the daughter of Prof. Cherian (the domineering head of the Mechanical Engineering department of their college). It occasionally takes some dark turns, especially as it pertains to the families of the protagonists. Most of the action, however, takes place inside the campus. The characters, led by the ever-creative Ryan, frequently lament over how the internationally lauded IIT system has stifled their creativity by forcing them to value grades more than anything else. Uninspiring teaching and numerous assignments add to their woes, though the boys do find a sympathizer in Prof Veera.[3]

Translation

The book has been translated into Hindi and was published by Prabhat Prakash Advaniji, who has released two novels: Five Point Someone and One Night at the Call Centre. The former set a record by being purchased by 30,000 people in one month and has gone on to become a top seller in Hindi.

Reception

Amit Mishra, writer for The Last Critic, thought the book was "bereaved of all the literary juice", but "unlike his other publications like Half Girlfriend and One Indian Girl, this novel is almost flawless."[4]

Film adaptations

This book was made into two films, 3 Idiots in Hindi and Nanban in Tamil. The names of the characters and their attributes were changed. Also, both the films were not full adaptations of the books, as many of the scenes from the book, including the climax, were changed in the films.

Following the success of 3 Idiots in East Asian markets such as China and Hong Kong, the producer Vidhu Vinod Chopra has announced that Hong Kong film star Stephen Chow (known for comedy films such as Shaolin Soccer and Kung Fu Hustle) will be producing a Chinese remake of the film. Chopra also announced that there are plans for a Hollywood remake, and is in talks with three different American studios interested in remaking the film. Chopra stated that there is an Italian film studio also interested in remaking the film.[5]

Bhagat's first book

Five Point Someone was Bhagat's first book, written under very peculiar circumstances; in the year 2004, he was denied a promotion at Goldman Sachs, the Hong-Kong based bank where he was working. Bhagat was very depressed. Under a wave of nostalgia, as he remembered his earlier carefree times, he jotted down a few of his experiences at his college. As he added more and more experiences, the collected writings took the shape of a book.[1]

Awards

3 Idiots controversy

Before the release of the film, director Rajkumar Hirani commented on the relationship between Five Point Someone and 3 Idiots:

The day after the film opened, Chetan also noted:

A controversy developed a few days after the release, over the fact that Chetan's credit, "Based on the novel Five Point Someone by Chetan Bhagat", appeared in the closing credits rather than in the opening ones.[6] At that time, Bhagat stated that he "was expecting an opening credit and I was quite surprised on not seeing it. They had bought the rights, made the payment, and committed to a credit in the contract. It’s there, but it’s not about it being there, it’s about the placement and the prominence."[7] In a 31 December 2009 blog post on his website, Bhagat stated that he was told the movie was only 2–5% based on the book, but when he saw it, he felt that it was 70% of the book. He also argued that he was misled by the makers of the film, though he noted, that "this has nothing to do with Mr. Aamir Khan [...] I am a big fan of Aamir and he has made my story reach people. However, he was told by the makers not to read the book, and he hasn’t. Thus, he cannot comment on the issue in a meaningful manner"[8]

A few people responded to Chetan's statements. According to the Indo-Asian News Service (IANS), during a press conference with reporters producer Vidhu Vinod Chopra "clarified that in the agreement between the producer and Bhagat, it was mentioned that the author’s name would be put in the closing credits." IANS also reported that Chopra "lost his cool" and "asked a reporter to shut up after being questioned whether his hit 3 Idiots was lifted from author Chetan Bhagat’s book Five Point Someone."[9] Chopra later apologized, stating: "I really think I’m silly. I was provoked, but I shouldn’t have done this. I saw myself on TV and saw how I was shouting ‘shut up, shut up' like an animal. I told myself — ‘what nonsensical behavior’."[10] Aamir Khan also responded to these claims.[6] [11] Rajkumar Hirani stated that "We have officially bought the rights for the film. We drew a contract with him and it clearly mentions the position of his credit. With open eyes, he had seen the contract, consulted his lawyer, and signed the agreement [...] In the contract, we have said that the title would be given in the rolling credits. We haven't changed the font size. We haven't increased the speed of the title. It's exactly there where it was agreed to be."[12] Legal documents concerning the relationship between Bhagat and the filmmakers have been added to the Vinod Chopra Productions website as well.[13]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: What makes Chetan Bhagat the one-man industry and change agent that he is. 28 August 2014. India Today. 20 August 2014.
  2. News: 2010-03-31. Theatre Review: Five Point Someone. en-IN. Hindustan Times. 2020-08-14.
  3. News: 2010-11-27. Five Point Someone. en-IN. The Hindu. 2020-08-14. 0971-751X.
  4. Web site: Mishra . Amit . Five Points Someone – Book Review – Chetan Bhagat . The Last Critic . 22 April 2020 . 27 December 2020.
  5. News: 3 Idiots getting Hollywood remake. https://web.archive.org/web/20130831121002/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-12-05/news-interviews/30476966_1_idiots-ongoing-international-film-festival-hindi-film. live. 31 August 2013. 29 March 2012. The Times of India. 5 December 2011.
  6. Web site: Interview: Aamir Khan . GlamSham . 5 January 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120308111215/http://www.glamsham.com/movies/interviews/02-aamir-khan-interview-011005.asp . 8 March 2012 . dead .
  7. Sharma, Neha."Chetan Bhagat feeling cheated?", Hindustan Times, 27 December 2009.
  8. Web site: A book, a film and the truth . 6 January 2010 . https://web.archive.org/web/20101225052408/http://www.chetanbhagat.com/blog/general/a-book-a-film-and-the-truth . 25 December 2010 . dead .
  9. Web site: Vidhu Vinod Chopra loses cool over '3 Idiots' credit row (Lead). 1 January 2010. 6 January 2010. 13 April 2010. https://web.archive.org/web/20100413031415/http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/entertainment/vidhu-vinod-chopra-loses-cool-over-3-idiots-credit-row-lead_100297690.html. dead.
  10. Web site: Vidhu apologises, Hirani flaunts pact with Chetan. https://web.archive.org/web/20121025192109/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2010-01-03/india/28134698_1_chetan-bhagat-vidhu-vinod-chopra-idiots. live. 2012-10-25. TNN. The Times of India.
  11. http://www.dnaindia.com/entertainment/report_upset-aamir-khan-hits-out-at-novelist-chetan-bhagat_1329677 Upset Aamir Khan hits out at novelist Chetan Bhagat
  12. https://web.archive.org/web/20120612045736/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2010-01-04/news-interviews/28142618_1_chetan-bhagat-due-credit-idiots 3 Idiots may sue Chetan Bhagat
  13. http://www.vinodchopra.com/ Vinod Chopra Films: Legal agreements

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