From Half Girlfriend to 3 Idiots, Chetan Bhagat book adaptations ranked from best to worst

Shraddha Kapoor and Arjun Kapoor-starrer Half Girlfriend has created buzz with its new posters, which see the duo shoot hoops. This is the fifth time that a “blockbuster novel” written by Chetan Bhagat has been turned into a Bollywood film. [caption id=“attachment_3366870” align=“alignnone” width=“825”]  Images from News 18 and Firstpost[/caption] Most of the films born of Bhagat’s novels have done extremely well at the box office. Here’s a look at his other works, which were turned into scripts, ranked from best to worse. 1. Kai Po Che!

The 3 Mistakes of My Life, which Chetan Bhagat wrote in 2008, was turned into a film in 2013. Set in Ahmedabad against the backdrop of the 2001 Gujarat riots and earthquake, it tells the story of three friends who want to translate their love for cricket into something bigger. It starred Sushant Singh Rajput, Amit Sadh and Rajkummar Rao in the lead roles of Ishaan, Omi and Govind respectively, and featured Manav Kaul as Omi’s menacing uncle. Amit Trivedi composed the three songs — ‘Manjha’, ‘Shubhaarambh’ and ‘Meethi Boliyaan’ — that played in this film. The raw visuals of the film, particularly those of the cricket matches, combined with the natural acting make this film worth watching. 2. 2 States

Alia Bhatt and Arjun Kapoor brought alive the romance of Ananya and Krish in the 2014 adaptation of the book of the same name. In it, Tamilian girl Ananya and Punjabi boy Krish, who fall in love during their years at the Indian Institute of Management, face backlash and opposition from their families because of cultural differences when they decide to get married. The book is partly autobiographical, borrowing from Chetan Bhagat’s own relationship and eventual marriage to his wife. It won Abhishek Varman a Filmfare in the debut directors category, and Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy a Filmfare for the music. The supporting cast, especially Revathy and Amrita Singh, seemed more convincing as characters than the lead pair, and although the Bhatt-Kapoor duo had chemistry, Alia did not have the look or accent of a Tamilian. 3. 3 Idiots

This Aamir Khan-starrer is based on the 2004 novel Five Point Someone: What not to do at IIT! It explores the story of three friends in an engineering college, and also the job placement and exam-related pressures they go through. While Khan played the role of Ryan Oberoi, R Madhavan and Sharman Joshi essayed the adapted versions of the characters Hari Kumar and Alok Gupta respectively (their characters in the film were named diferently). Kareena Kapoor Khan played Rancho’s (Ryan) girlfriend, and Boman Irani was the hilarious Dr Viru Sahastrabuddhi, also known as Virus. The ending as well as the protagonist’s character were changed in the film; Ryan was not a topper in the book. The film won six Filmfare awards and 16 International Indian Film Awards. Many engineering students and engineers found this film relatable, and Aamir Khan is convincing as a twenty-something student, despite being well into his forties when the film was being shot. However, the film did receive flak for its extended ‘balatkar’ gag. 4. Hello

His second novel One Night @ the Call Center was turned into the 2008 film Hello, which starred Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif in cameo roles. This film chronicles the events that lead up to and follow the night when a bunch of six call center employees receive a phone call from God when they are stuck on the edge of a cliff and their lives are in danger. Sohail Khan, Isha Koppikar, Gul Panag, Amrita Arora, Sharat Saxena, Anusha Dhandekar and Arbaaz Khan play the lead roles in this film. Hello was not received as well at the box office and was criticised because many of the actors did not do justice to the characters in the book. But it was praised for its comedic elements and dialogues.