These days, every second person I meet, asks me one perennial question- Have you seen the movie
Three idiots? However, before I could reply, they throw a bucket of advisory superlatives [another perennial object] on me- You must watch, it is an excellent, brilliant, superb-dooperb movie. “Not yet, I have though read the
book and loved it too”, is my defense missile until I met Khanna aunty one day and this conversation happened-
“The book”? Oh, the movie is not as same that book, it is in
news also. That
Producer guy was so loud; he said “
shut up to the journalist”. How outrageous these film people are”.
“Aunty, he just said shut up to a person in fit of emotional turbulence. It is just a plain shut up… “No no, how dare someone can say shut up to media yaar! If media shuts up, all these films will shut down [
and vice versa]. These filmmakers have grown too big for their boots; they live on the money that we pay to watch their stupid movies, download some ringtones, merchandizes etc. But this 3 idiots movie was nice ha. Nevertheless, that does not mean a producer can humiliate any journalist that way”.
“True, I agree aunty but the poor chap, he has
apologized to media later”. “Yes he is a poor chap; see what that publicity hunger writer bhagat singh is doing to him. He is claiming the movie to be his own story and trying to earn more money for his paperback books”.
“Aunty his name is
Chetan Bhagat and he is not wrong, as the story is taken from his book only. Moreover, he is one of best selling Indian author and may not need such a cheap publicity”. [Producer of VVC films is poor. Since when?]
“No- no beta, you do not know these people. He already took big fat money from the producers and now the movie is super hit, he is black mailing to get more money and awards. That
munnabhai guy wrote this story. What is his name I forgot, ya
Raju Chopra. Is he Yash chopra’s brother?”
“His name is Abhijat Joshi and he has written the screenplay for the movie. The basic plot however, is from the book. By the way, have you read the book aunty? It was an amazing book”.
“No, no who has such time to read such big books on engineering colleges. They
said on TV that the movie very different from that book”. “Who said that movie is different from the book, aunty? Media is on author’s side”
“
Arre, Media to kuch bhi bolti hai. Aamir khan is saying and I know, Amir Khan is never wrong. See he
saved poor
Indian farmers from paying tax to British,
helped poor mental child and even
fought that
Ghazini villain who killed his girl friend. He is so cute.”
“Aunty, he is a good actor and was just essaying the role and that child was not mental, he has symptoms of
Dyslexia.” “You mean to say beta that
my Aamir Khan is lying?”
“No aunty, ‘your’ Aamir khan is not lying. He has not read the book and therefore he should not intervene in this.”
“Then why
Aamir Khan said that author is shrewd? He must have read that book otherwise why he would poke his nose. Are they doing it to promote the movie?” “No Aunty, the movie is so good that it does not need any publicity. Why Aamir is doing this, we do not know. All I can say is unless…
“No but I know that Bhagat person is lying. The movie is very different from the book, I heard. In the movie, two side heroes go out in search of their college friend main hero and this was not there in the novel. The author is saying so to sell more books, get bigger money, and go to Hollywood”.
“Aunty that book is already a best seller for some last five years. The writer has launched 3 more
books after that and all of them were best sellers. In fact, they have already made a
movie on his
second book. The controversy is point less, except the makers, a million people has read the book agrees that story is from book. Moreover, scenes in a movie will be different from the chapters in the book as the medium of story telling is different. The basic plot remains same as the story of 3 boys who came from different backgrounds meets each other in an engineering college and their years there.”
“
Hmmm betaji is movie mein bhi aisa hi hai but book mein nahi likha hai na ki dono dost teesre ko dhoondne jaate hai”. “Aunty, a book can be adopted but can not be completely copied as in a movie, a story is the writer’s imagination and a movie, a director’ vision.”
“Woh to thik hai but if this writer is that good then why did he make that crap call centre movie? Main aur Mr. Khanna went together to see this movie, together
hamare head mein headache ho gaya. Khamkha waste of Rs 600 on PVR ticket. Hum to sallu ko dekhne gaye the but heard that he was also angry with the film. If this Chopra had seen that movie, he would never have taken this bhagat singh guy. I have
heard that this writer writes books only for small town non English population and he has no literary sense.”
“Auntyyy [
by this time I got my head mein headache], Chetan Bhagat just gave the story from his book-
One night at call centre and not directed the film. Moreover, the film failed, not story. One failure does not mean that a person cannot start again. This writer is one of the best selling, widely
popular English authors in India and that is more important than how many alliterations are in the first page of a novel”.
“Hmmm you are right but this writer signed the contract and agreed then. That Raju Chopra has even
uploaded the contract on his website. I even saw writer
twitting away to glory about the movie, director and everyone. So why is he making so much of fuss now, why was he quite all this time?”
“You are right aunty and I guess that is the basic issue. No, not about you being right but the entire episode of washing the personal linen in public. Both the parties should sort out the issue maturely instead of calling each other dirty names. Writers and filmmakers need each other and stirring pointless controversies like these will only add to creative loss. By the way aunty did u say
twitter, are you on twitter? What will you do there, I mean wow what is your twitter id?”
“Hee he beta, you know na these days every body who is anybody, is on twitter. I never used to understand all this bird-whale business until I heard that apna favorite
Shah Rukh Khan has also
joined this twitter. Since then I cannot stop myself and requested your uncle to teach me. Funny as there was a time when my grand mother’s grand mother use to send messages via pigeons and now after 100 years, am sending message through this virtual bird err Is it pigeon or sparrow? Whatever, I am so glad that I can talk to my children pinky- sonu via twitter. God bless this twitter bird, for now I need not have to knock sonu’ room ask him to eat, I just send him tweet. My daughter is doing her masters through distance learning course via twitter. She says- ma its kewl! Sach mein beta, bhala ho twitter walo ka. Kewl must be one of her professors. Arre you also do lot of that what blocking things on Internet na, what is that?”
“That is
blogging aunty and
Kewl is not any college professor but it means cool but please do not ask what does that mean [my readers must be already growling]”.
“Oh! Blogging right. Your mom was telling that you were
picking well and then you started
playing some stupid
farm games and keep hooked to it all the time. She was telling how many people were telling that you are very good writer and asked you to continue writing and turn author like many other blockers do”.
“Bloggers aunty”. “Yes, I heard how people first write blogs, become authors and publish their books. Who know you can be next Chetan Bhagat. However, I still think that he is the culprit as my Aamir khan is never wrong. See he saved Indian farmers from paying tax…
“Aunty, we discussed na that with due respect to actor, he should abstain from commenting as he has allegedly not read the book yet”. [
Also, people ask me to write books as I write long posts [like this] and they get bored. I am no talented].
“Yes beta, you are so right. These people should call a neutral party may be someone like you to compare and help resolve the conflict without having any vested interest, why like you, may be you as you explained it so nicely to me. Warna mein kya-kya sochti. BTW beta, you must be on twitter also na. What is your “alias”? Mine is-
My-name-is-Khanna; add me as friend”.
“Sure aunty. I would hee he love to help them resolve this conflict n regain peace. [Is a certain Mr.
VVC listening :0)] In addition, my twitter id is-
Numerounity! Tweet tweet tee hoo!