Five Point Someone
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''Five Point Someone: What not to do at IIT'' is a 2004 novel written by Indian author
Chetan Bhagat Chetan Prakash Bhagat (born April 22, 1974) is an Indian author, columnist, screenwriter, and YouTuber. He was included in ''Time (magazine), Time magazine’s'' list of the 100 Most Influential People in the World in 2010. Several of his nove ...
. The book has sold over a million copies worldwide. It was adapted into a play by the theatre company Evam.


Plot

The book is narrated by Hari, with some small passages by his friends Ryan and Alok, as well as a letter by Hari's girlfriend Neha Cherian. The three friends' elation on making it to one of the best
engineering Engineering is the practice of using natural science, mathematics, and the engineering design process to Problem solving#Engineering, solve problems within technology, increase efficiency and productivity, and improve Systems engineering, s ...
colleges in
India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...
is quickly deflated by the rigor and monotony of the academic work. The two main plot lines are: the numerous attempts by the trio to cope with and/or beat the system, and Hari's fling with Neha, the daughter of Prof. Cherian (the domineering head of the
Mechanical Engineering Mechanical engineering is the study of physical machines and mechanism (engineering), mechanisms that may involve force and movement. It is an engineering branch that combines engineering physics and engineering mathematics, mathematics principl ...
department of their college). It occasionally takes some dark turns, especially as it pertains to the families of the protagonists. Most of the action, however, takes place inside the
campus A campus traditionally refers to the land and buildings of a college or university. This will often include libraries, lecture halls, student centers and, for residential universities, residence halls and dining halls. By extension, a corp ...
. The characters, led by the ever-creative Ryan, frequently lament over how the internationally lauded IIT system has stifled their creativity by forcing them to value grades more than anything else. Uninspiring teaching and numerous assignments add to their woes, though the boys do find a sympathizer in Prof Veera.


Translation

The book has been translated into
Hindi Modern Standard Hindi (, ), commonly referred to as Hindi, is the Standard language, standardised variety of the Hindustani language written in the Devanagari script. It is an official language of India, official language of the Government ...
and was published by Prabhat Prakash Advaniji, who has released two novels: ''Five Point Someone'' and ''One Night at the Call Centre''. The former set a record by being purchased by 30,000 people in one month and has gone on to become a top seller in Hindi.


Reception

Amit Mishra, writer for ''The Last Critic'', thought the book was "bereaved of all the literary juice", but "unlike his other publications like ''Half Girlfriend'' and ''One Indian Girl'', this novel is almost flawless."


Film adaptations

This book was made into two films, ''
3 Idiots ''3 Idiots'' is a 2009 Indian Hindi-language coming-of-age comedy-drama film written, edited and directed by Rajkumar Hirani, co-written by Abhijat Joshi and produced by Vidhu Vinod Chopra. The film stars Aamir Khan, R. Madhavan and Shar ...
'' in
Hindi Modern Standard Hindi (, ), commonly referred to as Hindi, is the Standard language, standardised variety of the Hindustani language written in the Devanagari script. It is an official language of India, official language of the Government ...
and '' Nanban'' in
Tamil Tamil may refer to: People, culture and language * Tamils, an ethno-linguistic group native to India, Sri Lanka, and some other parts of Asia **Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka ** Myanmar or Burmese Tamils, Tamil people of Ind ...
. The names of the characters and their attributes were changed. Also, both the films were not full adaptations of the books, as many of the scenes from the book, including the climax, were changed in the films. *Ryan Oberoi: Ranchoddas Shamaldas Chanchad (Rancho) aka Phunsukh Wangdu (played by
Aamir Khan Mohammed Aamir Hussain Khan (; born 14 March 1965) is an Indian actor, filmmaker, and television personality who works in Bollywood, Hindi films. Referred to as "Mr. Perfectionist" in the media, he is known for his work in a variety of film g ...
(Hindi))/Panchavan Parivendan (Pari) aka Kosaksi Pasupugazh (played by Vijay (Tamil)), – A young, energetic and supposedly wealthy college-going student who is passionate about engineering. Though Rancho wants to be an engineer, he leans more towards inventing rather than seeking a job in an MNC, unlike his other college mates. According to him, one's profession should be something he/she loves doing, irrespective of how much it pays. He also keeps stating throughout the film that one should run after excellence, not after success. Rancho also believes in the concept of "All Is Well", in which people should focus on the present and live it as it is, instead of worrying over the future. There are many significant differences between the Ryan and Rancho characters, both in their background and attitudes. *Hari Kumar: Farhan Qureshi (played by Madhavan (
Hindi Modern Standard Hindi (, ), commonly referred to as Hindi, is the Standard language, standardised variety of the Hindustani language written in the Devanagari script. It is an official language of India, official language of the Government ...
))/Venkat Ramakrishnan (played by Srikanth (
Tamil Tamil may refer to: People, culture and language * Tamils, an ethno-linguistic group native to India, Sri Lanka, and some other parts of Asia **Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka ** Myanmar or Burmese Tamils, Tamil people of Ind ...
)) – The narrator of the story, a young college-going student who loves wildlife photography, but is being forced by his parents to become an engineer. Hari's background (as acknowledged in one chapter of the book) was not elaborated upon. However, Hari seemed to be auto-biographical and the "Krish" character in Chetan Bhagat's '' 2 States'' (who apparently continues on from the Hari character) would provide greater details about Hari's background. *Alok Gupta: Raju Rastogi (played by
Sharman Joshi Sharman Joshi (born 28 April 1979) is an Indian actor who primarily works in Hindi films. Joshi is a recipient of several awards including an IIFA Award and nominations for two Filmfare Awards. Joshi began his career with supporting parts in ...
(Hindi))/Sevarkodi Senthil (played by
Jiiva Amar Choudary (born 4 January 1984), known professionally as Jiiva, is an Indian actor and film producer who works mainly in Tamil cinema and a few Malayalam, Telugu and Hindi films. He is the youngest son of film producer R. B. Choudary. ...
(Tamil)) – A young and insecure college-going student who isn't confident enough to deal with problems in life all by himself and always relies on God. Raju's only mission in life is to pull his family out of poverty, improve their economic status and get his elder sister married. This character is very similar to the one in the book. *Prof. Cherian: Viru Sahastrabuddhe (Virus) (played by
Boman Irani Boman Irani (born 2 December 1959) is an Indian actor and comedian who works primarily in Hindi-language films. One of the most popular character actors in Hindi cinema, he has featured in over 100 films, and is the recipient of a Filmfare Awar ...
(Hindi))/Virumaandi Santhanam (played by
Sathyaraj Rangaraj Subbiah (born 3 October 1954), known professionally as Sathyaraj, is an Indian actor, film producer, film director and a media personality who appears predominantly in Tamil films. He also appears in works in Telugu, Hindi, Malayalam ...
(Tamil)) – A hugely competitive, efficient, strict, and disciplined man who has been running the Imperial College of Engineering (Ideal Engineering College in Tamil) for the last three decades. He believes that life is a race, the ones who are not efficient about work and time get crushed. He sneers at Rancho's concept of studying for knowledge rather than marks and constantly spars with him and his friends due to this. He is known as "Virus" among the students. Virus has a greater role at the college when compared to Prof. Cherian. *Neha Cherian: Pia Sahastrabuddhe (played by
Kareena Kapoor Kareena Kapoor Khan (; ; born 21 September 1980) is an Indian actress. A prolific leading lady of Hindi cinema since 2000, she is noted for her roles in a range of film genres—from romantic comedies to crime dramas. Kapoor is the recipient ...
(Hindi))/Ria Santhanam (played by
Ileana D'Cruz Ileana D'Cruz (born 1 November 1986) is a Portuguese actress who primarily appears in Telugu and Hindi films. She is the recipient of several accolades including a Filmfare Award and a Filmfare Awards South. D'Cruz made her screen debut in 2 ...
(Tamil)) – A young, beautiful, eccentric doctor, daughter of Viru Sahastrabuddhe and Rancho's love interest. This character is a complete departure from the book because, in the book, she was Hari's girlfriend. Also while Pia and Rancho finally end up together, Neha and Hari maintain a long-distance relationship despite Hari's job in Mumbai and Neha in Delhi. *Venkat: Chatur Ramalingam (played by
Omi Vaidya Omi Vaidya (born January 10, 1982) is an American actor of Indian descent who works in Bollywood films. He is best known for his performance as Chatur Ramalingam or "Silencer" in the 2009 buddy-drama film, '' 3 Idiots''. In addition, Vaidya has ...
in Hindi)/Srivatsan (played by Sathyan in Tamil) – A competitive and studious
South India South India, also known as Southern India or Peninsular India, is the southern part of the Deccan Peninsula in India encompassing the states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Telangana as well as the union territories of ...
n college student ( NRI student in Tamil) who believes rote learning is the only way to excellence and also believes that there is no time for creativity and innovation in the turbulent and competitive race of life. Venkat has a small role in the book, while Chatur is one of the major characters in the movie. Following the success of ''3 Idiots'' in East Asian markets such as China and Hong Kong, the producer
Vidhu Vinod Chopra Vidhu Vinod Chopra (born 5 September 1952) is an Indian film director, producer, screenwriter and editor. He is the recipient of several accolades, including four National Film Awards and eleven Filmfare Awards. He is known for directing films ...
has announced that
Hong Kong film The cinema of Hong Kong ( zh, t=香港電影) is one of the three major threads in the history of Chinese-language cinema, alongside the cinema of China and the cinema of Taiwan. As a former Crown colony, Hong Kong had a greater degree of ar ...
star
Stephen Chow Stephen Chow Sing-chi (; born 22 June 1962) is a Hong Kong filmmaker and former actor, known for his mo lei tau comedy. His career began in television, where he gained recognition through variety shows and TV dramas. Chow's breakthrough came in 1 ...
(known for
comedy film The comedy film is a film genre that emphasizes humor. These films are designed to amuse audiences and make them laugh. Films in this genre typically have a happy ending, with dark comedy being an exception to this rule. Comedy is one of the o ...
s such as ''
Shaolin Soccer ''Shaolin Soccer'' ( Chinese: ) is a 2001 Hong Kong sports comedy film directed by Stephen Chow, who also stars in the lead role. The film revolves around a former Shaolin monk who reunites his five brothers,"Brothers" here does not mean bio ...
'' and ''
Kung Fu Hustle ''Kung Fu Hustle'' ( zh, c=功夫, l=Kung Fu) is a 2004 Martial arts film, martial arts action comedy film directed, produced and co-written by Stephen Chow, who also stars in the leading role, alongside Eva Huang, Huang Shengyi, Yuen Wah, Yue ...
'') will be producing a Chinese remake of the film. Chopra also announced that there are plans for a
Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywood ...
remake, and is in talks with three different American studios interested in remaking the film. Chopra stated that there is an Italian film studio also interested in remaking the film.


Bhagat's first book

''Five Point Someone'' was Bhagat's first book, written under very peculiar circumstances; in the year 2004, he was denied a promotion at
Goldman Sachs The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. ( ) is an American multinational investment bank and financial services company. Founded in 1869, Goldman Sachs is headquartered in Lower Manhattan in New York City, with regional headquarters in many internationa ...
, the Hong-Kong based bank where he was working. Bhagat was very depressed. Under a wave of nostalgia, as he remembered his earlier carefree times, he jotted down a few of his experiences at his college. As he added more and more experiences, the collected writings took the shape of a book.


Awards

*Indo-America Society's Society Young Achiever's Award (2004) *The Publisher's Recognition Award (2005) *It was adapted into a play by the theatre company "Evam" which took it on a national tour in India in 2010.


''

3 Idiots ''3 Idiots'' is a 2009 Indian Hindi-language coming-of-age comedy-drama film written, edited and directed by Rajkumar Hirani, co-written by Abhijat Joshi and produced by Vidhu Vinod Chopra. The film stars Aamir Khan, R. Madhavan and Shar ...
'' controversy

Before the release of the film, director
Rajkumar Hirani Rajkumar "Raju" Hirani (born 20 November 1962) is an Indian filmmaker known for his works in Hindi films. He is the recipient of several accolades, including four National Film Awards and 11 Filmfare Awards. Hirani is referred as one of the m ...
commented on the relationship between ''Five Point Someone'' and ''3 Idiots'': The day after the film opened, Chetan also noted: A controversy developed a few days after the release, over the fact that Chetan's credit, "Based on the novel ''Five Point Someone'' by Chetan Bhagat", appeared in the closing credits rather than in the opening ones. At that time, Bhagat stated that he "was expecting an opening credit and I was quite surprised on not seeing it. They had bought the rights, made the payment, and committed to a credit in the contract. It’s there, but it’s not about it being there, it’s about the placement and the prominence." In a 31 December 2009 blog post on his website, Bhagat stated that he was told the movie was only 2–5% based on the book, but when he saw it, he felt that it was 70% of the book. He also argued that he was misled by the makers of the film, though he noted, that "this has nothing to do with Mr. Aamir Khan ..I am a big fan of Aamir and he has made my story reach people. However, he was told by the makers not to read the book, and he hasn’t. Thus, he cannot comment on the issue in a meaningful manner" A few people responded to Chetan's statements. According to the
Indo-Asian News Service Indo-Asian News Service or IANS is a private Indian news agency. It was founded in 1986 by Indian American publisher Gopal Raju as the "India Abroad News Service" and later renamed. In December 2023, Adani group, known for its close ties with t ...
(IANS), during a press conference with reporters producer
Vidhu Vinod Chopra Vidhu Vinod Chopra (born 5 September 1952) is an Indian film director, producer, screenwriter and editor. He is the recipient of several accolades, including four National Film Awards and eleven Filmfare Awards. He is known for directing films ...
"clarified that in the agreement between the producer and Bhagat, it was mentioned that the author’s name would be put in the closing credits." IANS also reported that Chopra "lost his cool" and "asked a reporter to shut up after being questioned whether his hit ''3 Idiots'' was lifted from author Chetan Bhagat’s book ''Five Point Someone.''" Chopra later apologized, stating: "I really think I’m silly. I was provoked, but I shouldn’t have done this. I saw myself on TV and saw how I was shouting ‘shut up, shut up' like an animal. I told myself — ‘what nonsensical behavior’."
Aamir Khan Mohammed Aamir Hussain Khan (; born 14 March 1965) is an Indian actor, filmmaker, and television personality who works in Bollywood, Hindi films. Referred to as "Mr. Perfectionist" in the media, he is known for his work in a variety of film g ...
also responded to these claims.
Rajkumar Hirani Rajkumar "Raju" Hirani (born 20 November 1962) is an Indian filmmaker known for his works in Hindi films. He is the recipient of several accolades, including four National Film Awards and 11 Filmfare Awards. Hirani is referred as one of the m ...
stated that "We have officially bought the rights for the film. We drew a contract with him and it clearly mentions the position of his credit. With open eyes, he had seen the contract, consulted his lawyer, and signed the agreement ..In the contract, we have said that the title would be given in the rolling credits. We haven't changed the font size. We haven't increased the speed of the title. It's exactly there where it was agreed to be." Legal documents concerning the relationship between Bhagat and the filmmakers have been added to the Vinod Chopra Productions website as well.Vinod Chopra Films: Legal agreements
Vinodchopra.com. Retrieved 5 January 2012.


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Five Point Someone - What Not To Do At IIT 2004 Indian novels Indian novels adapted into films Indian English-language novels Novels set in India Fiction set in the 1990s Campus novels Novels set in Delhi Rupa Publications books Indian Institutes of Technology in fiction Novels by Chetan Bhagat Indian novels adapted into plays 2004 debut novels