Five Point Someone: What not to do at IIT is a 2004 novel written by Indian author Chetan Bhagat. The book has sold over a million copies worldwide. The films 3 Idiots and Nanban are based on the book. It was also 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. It deals with the lives of 3 friends, whose elation on making it to one of the best engineering colleges in India is quickly deflated by the rigor and monotony of the academic work. Most of the book deals with two plot lines. One is the numerous attempts by the trio to cope with and/or beat the system. The other being Hari's fling with Neha, who just happens to be the daughter of Prof. Cherian (the domineering head of the Mechanical Engineering 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. 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 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 in Hindi and Nanban in Tamil. 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 (Hindi))/Panchavan Parivendan (Pari) aka