When 3 Idiots hit the screens in 2009, it not only brought fame to its cast and director but also to author Chetan Bhagat. The film was adapted from his debut novel, Five Point Someone, published in 2004. By the time 3 Idiots released, Bhagat had already discovered the potential of his writing and had quit his banking job. He was three novels old by then. Over time, he went on to write several more books-many of which were adapted into films, including 2 States and Half Girlfriend. In a recent interview with Kushal Lodha on his podcast, Chetan Bhagat recalled how his debut novel caught the attention of filmmakers and became a major turning point in his life—both creatively and financially—giving him the confidence to pursue writing full-time. Talking about selling the rights for 3 Idiots, Bhagat shared: “We had settled for a Rs 1 lakh contract for 3 Idiots, with an agreement of a Rs 10 lakh bonus. And after the success of the film, they did give me the bonus.” While the film went on to earn a whopping Rs 350 crore worldwide on a Rs 55 crore budget, Bhagat earned a total of Rs 11 lakh. ALSO READ | When Trisha Krishnan shared she strongly suffers from single child syndrome, doesn’t believe in concept of dating: ‘I can’t share room with anyone, tuned to sleep alone’ Explaining the deal, he said: “I was pretty new then. Later, such rights were sold for crores. But when I sold the rights, I didn’t even know if the film would ever be made-it was an unconventional story. Nobody imagined Aamir Khan would do it. So I think, at that time, I was paid fairly. I know it sounds small compared to what the film made, but it was fair for the situation.” The author also compared his deal with what he had heard about actor pay scales at the time: “Vidhu Vinod Chopra was also making Parineeta then. I can’t confirm the numbers, but I was told Saif Ali Khan, the lead actor, was being paid Rs 25 lakh. So comparatively, Rs 11 lakh for a successful film seemed fair.” He added: “The book came out in 2004, I sold the rights in 2005, and the movie released in 2009. I was still working at a bank then.” Discussing his later book adaptations like 2 States and Half Girlfriend-both starring Arjun Kapoor-Chetan explained how payment structures work when selling film rights: “You sell the rights for a fixed amount. You get part of it in advance, another part when the studio greenlights the project, and the rest before release. It’s a fixed payment.” He said he always prefers a fixed price over profit-sharing models. “It’s better to discuss money upfront rather than fall for variables. Most production houses are private companies, and even if the film profits, they often show it as a loss. With my finance background, I have always preferred fixed payments over variable ones.” He also explained how film rights work initially: “When you sell the rights, it’s usually for three years. If they don’t make the film in that time, the rights revert to you. Often, if they do proceed, they pay you more, and then the rights remain with them permanently.”
