Your first love (and of course her father!), your best friends and your first enemies, bad grades and all that happens in those memorable years in college. This was what made Chetan Bhagat’s novel ‘Five Point someone’, a best seller. The story revolves around three friends- Hari, Ryan and Alok and their life in IIT, one of the country’s most prestigious educational institutions. The novel takes you on a roller coaster ride through their four years in IIT.

Evam, a Chennai theatre group and Madras Players is bringing a play based on the novel, this Saturday. Says Karthik Kumar, Managing Partner, Evam, “We liked the story and thought it was a great play. We felt that the story must be told because it is so identifiable.  A story which the audience can relate to always connects them to the play at a different level.”

“It is young, its Indian and its authentic - its ideal for the kind of plays we want to do. We usually do adaptations of foreign plays but now we want to do more Indian stories.” says Sunil Vishnu, Managing Partner, Evam.
The task of converting the novel into a play was undertaken by Nikhila Kesavan, the scriptwriter and director who turned the 270 page novel into a two hour play. Nikhila says that what appealed to her most was its urban Indian and original content.

Why didn’t she adapt into a story about IIT Chennai in 2007 (the book is set in Delhi during the 90’s)? Says Nikhila, “There were a lot of reasons for that, one being that each IIT has its own culture. Another point is that the cultural and societal factors in the novel are different as almost a decade has passed, and so, I would have to make a lot of changes in the storyline. And after all, I liked the original story!”

Says Nikhila that she had one crucial challenge, “The play had to be a stand alone project as it had to be written not just for those who had read the book but also those who haven’t.” 

Nikhila discussed the play with the author, Chetan Bhagat before and while she was writing it. “Chetan was very supportive and encouraging. I had explained to him the constraints of theatre in India, about how there is no money in theatre and we do it out of love and passion” she says.

Metrolife caught up with Chetan Bhagat, who has come down to India, for his opinion on the play. Says Chetan, “I watched the DVD of the performance at IIT Chennai and I loved it.

 In fact, it was difficult to hear the dialogues because the audience was laughing so hard!”

And did the play come out as he had picturised the story? “The characters look and act like how I thought they would be. The casting has been done very well. And it is Nikhila’s product, she has brought in a few elements like a narrator which make it different from the novel.”

The play will be staged only on Saturday, July 21. There will be two shows - 3.30 pm and 7.30 pm at Chowdiah Memorial Hall. For tickets priced at Rs 100, 250 and 500 call: 98865-27471 / 098402-22363. Tickets also available for sale at Landmark, Crossword, Alliance Francaise, Supermarket and the venue on the day of the show. You can also block tickets at www.evam.in.