Chetan Bhagat breaks silence on 3 Idiots credit controversy

Author Chetan Bhagat recently revisited the controversy surrounding his credit for the 2009 blockbuster '

3 Idiots

', claiming that filmmaker Vidhu Vinod Chopra was responsible for him not receiving due credit. In an interview, Bhagat shared insights into how his book '

Five Point Someone

' served as the foundation for the film and how the issue unfolded over the years. Bhagat recalled that director Rajkumar Hirani had initially chosen '3 Idiots' over '

Munna Bhai

3', despite the latter's trailer being ready.
In an interview with The Lallantop, Bhagat stated, “The controversy happened later. It was a misunderstanding. Raju knows that I like him and he likes me. Deep down, we have a lot of respect for each other. We were very good friends. There was a producer involved as well, and the film belongs to the producer. Directors and actors are not the owners of the movie.”

The author asserted that his name had been relegated to an insignificant spot in the credits. Bhagat shared that he was misled about the agreement. He revealed that while his name was included in the credits, it was placed alongside the hairdresser, which he found unprecedented in cinema history.
Bhagat disclosed that he was paid Rs 1 lakh for the story rights and later received a Rs 10 lakh bonus. However, he emphasised that the issue was not about money, but recognition. He revealed that calls from fellow writers encouraged him to speak up.

Bhagat acknowledged the risk he took. “I even thought that if I took a stand, no other film would be made for me in this industry. Things changed after that day for writers. Nobody does this anymore. Writers get proper contracts and credits. If you buy something, you can use it, but you can’t claim it as yours,” he remarked. He also shared that

Hirani

was deeply impressed with Five Point Someone, to the extent that he said, “If I had found this book earlier, I wouldn’t have made Munna Bhai, because this is the college story I want to do.”
Despite the success of 'Lage Raho Munna Bhai', the planned sequel 'Munna Bhai ' never materialised, even though a trailer titled 'Munna Bhai Chale America' had been prepared. Bhagat recalled Hirani’s words: “Now the trailer is also ready, this is the one that will be made.” However, fate had other plans. “I am not able to forget the story. This is what they are making, and Aamir Khan is doing it,” Bhagat concluded.