Vidhu Vinod Chopra apologises to media

Noida, Jan 2 (IANS) Filmmaker Vidhu Vinod Chopra Saturday apologised to the media for asking a reporter to shut up when he asked him if his film "3 Idiots" was lifted from Chetan Bhagat's book "Five Point Someone".

"I really think I'm silly (but) I was provoked (to react that way). But I shouldn't have done this. I saw myself on TV (later) and saw how I was shouting 'shut up! shut up!' like an animal. I told myself - 'what nonsensical behaviour'," Chopra told reporters here.

The producer lost his cool when he was asked whether 70 percent of the film, which has grossed over Rs.100 crore in the first four days, was taken from the book -- as claimed by Bhagat. Chopra got angry and demanded to know if the journalist had seen the movie and read the book.

The scribe said he had seen "3 Idiots" but had not read "Five Point Someone". This further angered Chopra, who got up and started shouting: "Then you shut up. When you have not read the book, then how can you say that the movie is 70 percent of the book?"

Chopra's reaction evoked anger among the reporters with many demanding that the filmmaker apologise. But he didn't -- until Saturday.

Now Chopra says that he doesn't want to meet Bhagat "for the rest of my life because it's all being done with very bad intention".

He went on: "Do you know the man (Bhagat), apart from signing the contract, took his money. I (even) paid him (the) bonus before the movie (was) released. That man is not saying it now. Actually the bonus I was supposed to pay him after the film was released has been paid to him.

"He took the money and now the money is in the bank. Look how it was all manipulated. He started it all when I left Mumbai," said Chopra.

But Bhagat is adamant that he has not been given due credit for the storyline and that most of the sequences in the film have been lifted from his bestseller. Click the Movie button below for more info:
3 Idiots