By now all of us know what a raucous these 4 guys have created in the press conferences and news channels. The entire weekend was filled with their images on tv screen, no respite for the viewers at all. Each party has spoken at great length, thrown accusations, made casual remarks and shown us how stupidly these celebrated people can behave. More or less, they have de-sensitized me and I am not able to feel anything for anybody at all. Seems like an attention-seeking attempt and for publicity.
Anyways, without taking sides let me just state that both parties are right in their own way. CB is right on moral and ethical grounds while hirani-chopra-aamir are right on legal grounds. CB has no reason to complain because he sold the rights of the book to chopra for 9lacs. Now, hirani-chopra can do anything with the book, i.e., use 5% of the material or 95% of the material; but CB cannot raise any exception. Secondly, CB signed all the contracts which clearly stated that his name would appear in 'rolling credit's, which did. After how many names, at what time etc cannot be dictated. So, legally Hirani-Chopra have done everything right.
Aamir should never have gotten into this. It was an argument between the owners who purchased the rights and the one who sold it. Aamir, being the medium, should have remained so. But, so enthused he was by the response of the movie that he just could not stop himself from commenting on it. He got caught in the cross-fire.
Back to CB, let me romanticize it a bit. I think CB was expecting a very hollywoodish approach to this from makers of the movie. In his dreams, the beginning titles would flash "Based On A Novel By Chetan Bhagat' etc; and that did not happen. Moreover, after having sold the rights for 9lacs, he probably didn't see the movie earning 100+ crores. He is probably feeling stupid that he did not bargain for a bigger amount. Another factor that CB must be thinking about is the various awards that the movie may receive. So, if the movie gets nominated for Best-Story or gets the award, will his name feature in the nominations/awardees or not! Legally I don't think so because screen-writing, working on screenplay and dialogs is one thing; and just writing the novel and selling the rights is another. Now that the milk is spilt, what can CB do? Of course, try to gain some sympathy and publicity out of it.
But I believe that CB has come out looking stupid. An IIM-A grad who worked for CitiBank in Singapore office did not read the offer-document carefully and signed it in a hurry. All legal processes have been followed and he has nothing to squabble about. I think he should forgive and forget. He should actually be happy since latest stats say that sale of his book 'Five Point Someone' has gone up by 30%. Moreover, the movie has turned out good unlike the way his previous novel 'One Night @ The Call Center' turned out to be a disaster in the movie format. Smile CB, and write many more. But sell the rights smartly, next time!
Showing posts with label chetan bhagat. Show all posts
Showing posts with label chetan bhagat. Show all posts
Monday, January 04, 2010
Thursday, October 01, 2009
Two States : New Book By Chetan Bhagat
Neither is he a great writer nor do I love his books, but the curiosity factor is there. Invariably, all his books do well. It only gives me the impression that people want to read something light, easy and breezy. Nothing too complicated, no conspiracy theory, no big-fat words; just simple plain old English phrases and ordinary stories.
The hype around his books has also increased because of the fact that two of his three books have been adapted on screen. His book One Night At The Call Center was made into Hello which starred Salman Khan, Katrina Kaif, Sohail Khan, Isha and Amrita Arora. And his first book Five Point Someone is being made into 3 Idiots which has Aamir Khan, Madhavan, Sharman Joshi and Kareena Kapoor in it.
That's the only reason that I am interested in his new book titled Two States:The Story Of My Marriage. Here's what the book is about:
He has also released a few excerpts, read the below:
“Why am I referred here? I don’t have a problem,” I said.
She didn’t react. Just gestured that I remove my shoes and take the couch. She had an office like any other doctor’s, minus the smells and cold, dangerous instruments.
She waited for me to talk more. I hesitated and spoke again.
“I’m sure people come here with big, insurmountable problems. Girlfriends dump their boyfriends everyday. Hardly the reason to see a shrink, right? What am I, a psycho?”
“No, I am the psycho. Psychotherapist to be precise. If you don’t mind, I prefer that to shrink,” she said.
”Sorry,” I said.
“It’s OK,” she said and reclined on her chair. No more than thirty, she seemed young for a shrink, sorry, psychotherapist. Certificates from top US universities adorned the walls like tiger heads in a hunter’s home. Yes, another South Indian had conquered the world of academics. Dr. Neeta Iyer, Valedictorian, Vassar College.
“I charge five hundred rupees per hour,” she said. “Stare at the walls or talk. I’m cool either way.”
I had spent twelve minutes, or a hundred bucks, without getting anywhere. I wondered if she would accept a partial payment and let me leave.
“Dr. Iyer…”
“Neeta is fine,” she said.
“OK, Neeta, I don’t think my problem warrants this. I don’t know why Dr. Ramachandran sent me here.”
She picked my file from her desk. “Let’s see. This is Dr. Ram’s brief to me – patient has sleep deprivation, has cut off human contact for a week, refuses to eat, has Google-searched on best ways to commit suicide.” She paused and looked at me with raised eyebrows.
“I Google for all sorts of stuff,” I mumbled, “don’t you?”
“The report says the mere mention of her name, her neighbourhood or any association, like her favourite dish, brings out unpredictable emotions ranging from tears to rage to frustration.”
“I had a break-up. What do you expect?” I was irritated.
“Sure, with Ananya who stays in Mylapore. What’s her favourite dish? Curd rice?”
I sat up straight. “Don’t,” I said weakly and felt a lump in my throat. I fought back tears. “Don’t,” I said again.
“Don’t what?” Neeta egged me on, “Minor problem, isn’t it?”
“Fuck minor. It’s killing me.” I stood agitatedly. “Do you South Indians even know what emotions are all about?”
“I’ll ignore the racist comment. You can stand and talk, but if it is a long story, take the couch. I want it all,” she said.
I broke into tears. “Why did this happen to me?” I sobbed.
She passed me a tissue.
“Where do I begin?” I said and sat gingerly on the couch.
“Where all love stories begin. From when you met her the first time,” she said.
She drew the curtains and switched on the air-conditioner. I began to talk and get my money’s worth.
The hype around his books has also increased because of the fact that two of his three books have been adapted on screen. His book One Night At The Call Center was made into Hello which starred Salman Khan, Katrina Kaif, Sohail Khan, Isha and Amrita Arora. And his first book Five Point Someone is being made into 3 Idiots which has Aamir Khan, Madhavan, Sharman Joshi and Kareena Kapoor in it.
That's the only reason that I am interested in his new book titled Two States:The Story Of My Marriage. Here's what the book is about:
Love marriages around the world are simple:
Boy loves girl. Girl loves boy.
They get married.
In India, there are a few more steps:
Boy loves Girl. Girl loves Boy.
Girl's family has to love boy. Boy's family has to love girl.
Girl's Family has to love Boy's Family. Boy's family has to love girl's family.
Girl and Boy still love each other. They get married.
He has also released a few excerpts, read the below:
“Why am I referred here? I don’t have a problem,” I said.She didn’t react. Just gestured that I remove my shoes and take the couch. She had an office like any other doctor’s, minus the smells and cold, dangerous instruments.
She waited for me to talk more. I hesitated and spoke again.
“I’m sure people come here with big, insurmountable problems. Girlfriends dump their boyfriends everyday. Hardly the reason to see a shrink, right? What am I, a psycho?”
“No, I am the psycho. Psychotherapist to be precise. If you don’t mind, I prefer that to shrink,” she said.
”Sorry,” I said.
“It’s OK,” she said and reclined on her chair. No more than thirty, she seemed young for a shrink, sorry, psychotherapist. Certificates from top US universities adorned the walls like tiger heads in a hunter’s home. Yes, another South Indian had conquered the world of academics. Dr. Neeta Iyer, Valedictorian, Vassar College.
“I charge five hundred rupees per hour,” she said. “Stare at the walls or talk. I’m cool either way.”
I had spent twelve minutes, or a hundred bucks, without getting anywhere. I wondered if she would accept a partial payment and let me leave.
“Dr. Iyer…”
“Neeta is fine,” she said.
“OK, Neeta, I don’t think my problem warrants this. I don’t know why Dr. Ramachandran sent me here.”
She picked my file from her desk. “Let’s see. This is Dr. Ram’s brief to me – patient has sleep deprivation, has cut off human contact for a week, refuses to eat, has Google-searched on best ways to commit suicide.” She paused and looked at me with raised eyebrows.
“I Google for all sorts of stuff,” I mumbled, “don’t you?”
“The report says the mere mention of her name, her neighbourhood or any association, like her favourite dish, brings out unpredictable emotions ranging from tears to rage to frustration.”
“I had a break-up. What do you expect?” I was irritated.
“Sure, with Ananya who stays in Mylapore. What’s her favourite dish? Curd rice?”
I sat up straight. “Don’t,” I said weakly and felt a lump in my throat. I fought back tears. “Don’t,” I said again.
“Don’t what?” Neeta egged me on, “Minor problem, isn’t it?”
“Fuck minor. It’s killing me.” I stood agitatedly. “Do you South Indians even know what emotions are all about?”
“I’ll ignore the racist comment. You can stand and talk, but if it is a long story, take the couch. I want it all,” she said.
I broke into tears. “Why did this happen to me?” I sobbed.
She passed me a tissue.
“Where do I begin?” I said and sat gingerly on the couch.
“Where all love stories begin. From when you met her the first time,” she said.
She drew the curtains and switched on the air-conditioner. I began to talk and get my money’s worth.
Tuesday, May 06, 2008
a book launch, a movie release and a few updates
Yesterday , while I was surfing through the channels [because the IPL match between Bangalore and Punjab was so damned boring] I came across two news items which caught my attention immediately.
In one of the news channel I caught Chetan Bhagat being interviewed, where he spoke about his latest book 'the 3 mistakes of my life'. I am not a fan of his writing style, nor of his story-telling; but what I like is the fact that he is an IIT-IIM product who works as an investment banker in Singapore and still churns out books which are worth a read. His writing style gives me an insight into what kind of reading habits are acceptable to the semi-literate Indians. He does not use big words, technical jargons [unless required]; he sticks to what the common man can make sense of. If some budding writer out there wants to make an impression on the youth of the country then they should adopt his style of writing, or Shobha De's style of writing; and not Vikram Seth and Salman Rushdie.
By the way, Chetan also mentioned that all his books would start with some numeric value, like 'five point someone' and 'one night at a call center'; and now 'the 3 mistakes of my life'. His latest book is priced at Rs.95/- and will be launched soon; to be available in all stores from 8th May,2008.
On another news channel I caught Manoj Night Shyamalan talking about his latest movie 'The Happening'. Presently he is in India to receive the 'Padma Shri' award for his contribution to world cinema. He is the only movie director of Indian origin to have received an Academy Award [Oscar] nomination for Best Director.
“It is an extremely scary movie. This is meant to scare you,” Shayamalan told the curious reporters in Mumbai. “The emotional center of the movie is if you knew you were going to die, if that was a fact, what would your conversation be like? What would be the last thing you would say to your loved one?” Shyamalan said. The movie is to be released on 13th June,2008.
I have loved all his movies, including the ones that did not do so well; like 'The Village' and 'Lady In The Water'. His ideas are amazing and innovative; and his visual imagery in film-making is just wonderful. Though he has not been able to match-up to the brilliance of his debut movie 'The Sixth Sense', I am sure that he will come back to his own.
Since I mentioned Shobha De and her writing style, here's an update on her. Her new book titled 'Superstar India' was unveiled by Amitabh Bachchan on her 60th birthday. The book is a collection of her views and opinions on lots of topics. The book reflects her understanding of middle class ethos, competitiveness, killer instinct and the vanishing traditional values in the face of globalization. According to her book, India has always been a superstar but unaware of its potential and the special status. She goes on to suggest that the comman man's tolerance of bad governance, indifferent administration and corrupt officials are responsible for holding us back. The book also touches upon controversial topics like sex education, gay movement in India and sexual liberation among today's youth. Do get your hands on the book and read the interesting bits.
In another update, the WWE wrestler Khali is back in India after a three year stint in US as a part of the WWE team. He was mobbed at the airport by reporters and journalists. If those reporters are to be believed, then he will soon be making an entry into IPL matches and try to woo the crowd. He has also been approached by movie makers who have signed him on for a couple of movie offers.
That's all the update I have. I am pretty sure that I will be reading both the books I have written about, as well as watching the movie. Make sure you do so too.
In one of the news channel I caught Chetan Bhagat being interviewed, where he spoke about his latest book 'the 3 mistakes of my life'. I am not a fan of his writing style, nor of his story-telling; but what I like is the fact that he is an IIT-IIM product who works as an investment banker in Singapore and still churns out books which are worth a read. His writing style gives me an insight into what kind of reading habits are acceptable to the semi-literate Indians. He does not use big words, technical jargons [unless required]; he sticks to what the common man can make sense of. If some budding writer out there wants to make an impression on the youth of the country then they should adopt his style of writing, or Shobha De's style of writing; and not Vikram Seth and Salman Rushdie.
By the way, Chetan also mentioned that all his books would start with some numeric value, like 'five point someone' and 'one night at a call center'; and now 'the 3 mistakes of my life'. His latest book is priced at Rs.95/- and will be launched soon; to be available in all stores from 8th May,2008.
On another news channel I caught Manoj Night Shyamalan talking about his latest movie 'The Happening'. Presently he is in India to receive the 'Padma Shri' award for his contribution to world cinema. He is the only movie director of Indian origin to have received an Academy Award [Oscar] nomination for Best Director.
“It is an extremely scary movie. This is meant to scare you,” Shayamalan told the curious reporters in Mumbai. “The emotional center of the movie is if you knew you were going to die, if that was a fact, what would your conversation be like? What would be the last thing you would say to your loved one?” Shyamalan said. The movie is to be released on 13th June,2008.
I have loved all his movies, including the ones that did not do so well; like 'The Village' and 'Lady In The Water'. His ideas are amazing and innovative; and his visual imagery in film-making is just wonderful. Though he has not been able to match-up to the brilliance of his debut movie 'The Sixth Sense', I am sure that he will come back to his own.
Since I mentioned Shobha De and her writing style, here's an update on her. Her new book titled 'Superstar India' was unveiled by Amitabh Bachchan on her 60th birthday. The book is a collection of her views and opinions on lots of topics. The book reflects her understanding of middle class ethos, competitiveness, killer instinct and the vanishing traditional values in the face of globalization. According to her book, India has always been a superstar but unaware of its potential and the special status. She goes on to suggest that the comman man's tolerance of bad governance, indifferent administration and corrupt officials are responsible for holding us back. The book also touches upon controversial topics like sex education, gay movement in India and sexual liberation among today's youth. Do get your hands on the book and read the interesting bits.
In another update, the WWE wrestler Khali is back in India after a three year stint in US as a part of the WWE team. He was mobbed at the airport by reporters and journalists. If those reporters are to be believed, then he will soon be making an entry into IPL matches and try to woo the crowd. He has also been approached by movie makers who have signed him on for a couple of movie offers.
That's all the update I have. I am pretty sure that I will be reading both the books I have written about, as well as watching the movie. Make sure you do so too.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
