‘Vidhu Vinod Chopra was pressurising Rajkumar Hirani to make Munna Bhai 3, its trailer was ready’: Chetan Bhagat on how 3 Idiots was made, why he didn’t get proper credit

He continued, “My credits weren’t given properly. I don’t want to get into the detail. Even I don’t know kis cheez ka sign kara liya (I don’t know what they made me sign), I was told something else. If you are making a film on an author’s book, you know credit his name properly. They did give my name in the movie but with the hairdresser. I don’t think anybody has ever done this in the history of cinema.”

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When asked if he was paid a handsome amount for the film, Bhagat revealed, “No, not at that time. It was Rs 1 lakh for the rights and a bonus of Rs 10 lakhs. I got the bonus also, they had done those things. But, the name wasn’t given right.”

He didn’t want to fight with the makers, but calls from fellow writers motivated him. “I didn’t even want to fight so much. I can’t tell you how many calls I received from other writers, who said this has happened to us, you are known, there is a chance today, because journalists are asking writers about what happened. If you are quiet today, what will happen to us?”

“I even thought that agar maine panga leliya, meri koi aur film banegi hi nahi iss industry mein (If I took cudgels, the industry will never make another film of mine). 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, you can’t say that it is mine,” Bhagat added.

During the conversation, the author also revealed that Hirani was so impressed with his book Five Point Someone, that he said, “If I would have found this book earlier, I wouldn’t have made Munna Bhai, because this is the college story I want to do.” After taking the rights, he also shared the pressure he was going through and said, “I might not be able to make this because if Lage Raho Munna Bhai is a hit, then I have a lot of pressure to make Munna Bhai 3 from the producer Vidhu Vinod Chopra.”

There was a trailer ready for its third instalment, but fate had something else planned. “Lage Raho Munna Bhai was a hit and they even made the trailer of Munna Bhai 3. There is a trailer which says, ‘Munna bhai Chale America’. He told Bhagat that now the trailer is also ready, ab toh yahi banegi (we will make this). Then I don’t know what happened, it was destiny or what, he said that we are making this only. I am not able to forget the story. Yahi bana rahe hain and Aamir Khan is doing it,” he concluded.