The
Chetan
Bhagat"s
credit
controversy
might
be
on
its
way
to
getting
resolved
what
with
the
author
penning
a
post
in
his
blog
titled
Moving
to
a
solution.
But
the
whole
episode
has
left
authors
and
directors
wanting
to
do
all
that
it
takes
to
avoid
a
repeat
of
the
3
Idiots
spat.
Director
Ashwni
Dhir,
whose
Atithi
Tum
Kab
Jaoge?
is
inspired
by
satirist
late
Sharad
Joshi"s
Tum
Kab
Jaaoge
Atithi,
wants
to
give
opening
credits
to
the
author.
“While
penning
my
film,
I
had
read
Sharadji"s
piece
and
had
therefore,
got
a
letter
of
consent
from
Sharadji"s
daughter
since
the
titles
are
similar.
The
position
of
credit
has
not
been
specified
in
the
letter
of
consent.
Though
our
team
is
yet
to
decide
on
the
position
of
the
creditline,
I
have
no
problems
crediting
Sharadji
in
the
beginning.
I"m
also
producing
a
serial
on
Sharadji"s
works
titled
Lapataganj:
Sharad
Joshi
Ki
Kahaniyon
Ka
Pata.
Here,
I"ve
included
Sharadji"s
name
in
the
title.
Giving
due
credit
to
an
author
adds
credibility
to
my
project."
Director
Sooni
Taraporevala,
who
has
written
the
screenplay
for
the
Tabu
starrer
The
Namesake,
says
that
the
3
Idiots
controversy
wants
standardisation.
“I
am
a
member
of
the
Writers" Guild
of
America.
In
Hollywood
contracts,
it"s
clearly
stated
that
the
author
has
to
get
the
same
kind
of
credit
as
the
director
and
producer.
Irrespective
of
whether
a
director
has
used
90
per
cent
or
10
per
cent
of
the
book,
an
adaptation
can"t
be
considered
an
original.
In
the
case
of
Mira"s
film,
we
had
to
state
right
in
the
beginning
that
the
film
is
based
on
The
Namesake
by
Jhumpa
Lahiri,"
Taraporevala
of
Little
Zizou
fame
says,
adding,
“The
position
of
the
author"s
credit
should
not
depend
on
producer"s
whims
and
fancies.
Every
author
should
get
his/her
opening
credits.
Like
the
Oscars,
Indian
film
awards
should
have
separate
categories
for
original
screenplays
and
adaptations."
Director
Abhigyan
Jha,
who
adapted
Sacred
Evil
before
turning
publisher,
says
authors" awareness
has
to
increase
to
avoid
spats.
“Chetan
rolled
over
when
he
agreed
to
take
rolling
credits
for
the
adaptation
of
a
book.
It"s
the
moral
right
of
an
author
to
be
prominently
recognised
as
the
creator.
How
could
Chetan
then
have
agreed
to
rolling
credits?
Now
producers
will
ask
all
authors
to
just
take
rolling
credits
and
shut
up!"
Incidentally,
when
Jha"s
November
Rain
was
optioned
for
the
Indian
television
series
—
Tum
Bin
Jaoon
Kahan,
he
drew
a
up
a
contract
where
opening
credits
for
authors
were
mandatory.
Sacred
Evil"s
contract
had
mentioned
that
if
the
author
Ipsita
Roy
Chakravarty
didn"t
like
the
film,
it
would
not
even
get
released.
“My
next,
The
Prayer,
has
been
optioned
in
Hollywood,"
Jha
adds.
Author
Advaita
Kala,
who
has
co-written
Anjana
Anjani
with
Siddharth
Anand
and
is
writing
Sujoy
Ghosh"s
next,
says
that
post
the
3
Idiots
spat,
she
will
be
cautious
while
selling
the
film
rights
of
her
Almost
Single.
“My
contract
will
ensure
top
credits
to
me,
a
line
stating
'based
on
the
novel"
and
script
approval
from
my
end,"
Kala
says.
Back
in
Kolkata,
author
Sunil
Gangopadhyay,
whose
Moner
Manush
is
now
being
adapted
by
Goutam
Ghose,
says,
“I
usually
never
mention
in
my
contracts
that
my
name
should
come
in
the
opening
credits.
But
henceforth,
I
might
insist
on
that."
In
an
industry
used
to
rip-offs,
buying
rights
is
a
relatively
new
concept.
The
onus
is
now
on
authors
to
be
more
professional
and
learn
to
protect
their
intellectual
rights
without
the
risk
of
being
written
off!