Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejaswi Yadav has assured full assistance to novelist Chetan Bhagat for the filming of his novel, Half Girlfriend, in Bihar this year. The novel had stirred controversy after the erstwhile royal family of Dumraon in the State sent a legal notice to the novelist for using ‘derogatory language and making references to the family without their permission’ in the novel.
“Please be assured, our government will offer full co-operation and in case you need any help or assistance, you can coordinate from my office… All the concerned departments of Bihar government would be more than willing to go the extra yard to make sure that your crew’s stay and working in the state remains a smooth and fulfilling experience,” Mr. Yadav said in his letter to Mr. Bhagat, which he posted on his Twitter account.
In a second tweet, he said, “Chetan Bhagatji hopefully your crew’s experience in Bihar will serve as cue to the rest of the Bollywood. We heartily welcome you.”
Sharing the “supportive letter”, Mr Bhagat tweeted, “Delighted Bihar govt. so welcoming and responsive”.
Bihari protagonistThe protagonist of Half Girlfriend, Madhav, hails from a backward region of Bihar but wants an upper class, English-speaking person as his girlfriend.
The film will be co-produced by Ekta Kapoor and Mr. Bhagat and will be directed by Mohit Suri. Arjun Kapoor and Shraddha Kapoor are scheduled to play the leads.
The erstwhile royal family of Dumraon had sought an “unconditional public apology from Mr Bhagat and the publisher of the novel” for also using the name Dumraon in the novel without their permission. However, after prolonged negotiations, Mr. Bhagat agreed to change the name of princely state Dumraon with the fictional ‘Simraon’ and the issue was resolved.
“There will be around six days of shooting in Patna around particular places like Gol Ghar, Patna Junction, Ganga ghat and other areas with one or two days each,” Mr. Bhagat had said in his letter to the State authorities.
