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Kolkata: There was a Pied Piper of Hamelin, who could mesmerise rats and children alike by playing his pipe. There is an author in India, who can make everyone – irrespective of age and gender – surrender themselves to the charm created by his words. Chetan Bhagat, the Pied Piper of Indian fiction, weaves magic through his words, his sense of humour intermingling with a grave, dark background that has revolutionised the way modern Indian fiction is written as well as looked upon in India.
Chetan Bhagat is a far cry from the typical author image that exists in the minds of the common people. Smart, trendy and uber cool, this investment banker-turned-author comes across more as a ‘bindaas’ college student, than an author. New York Times describes him as the biggest-selling English author in the history of India, but there are no flashy airs about him. Sit with him for 15 minutes, and you are bound to laugh at least 15 times. One wonders, how he manages to retain his sense of humour despite writing on topics that are actually the harsh realities of life.
In an exclusive one-to-one chat with Headlines India, Bhagat shares his secret. “It is an art you know, writing on dark topics, and still retaining some humour in it. I am lucky I still have it in me”, says this IIT-Delhi/IIM-Ahmadabad alumnus with a broad grin. Two books penned by Bhagat – “Five Point Someone” and “One Night @ The Call Center” – have gone to become bestsellers, and have even been lapped up by Bollywood directors, to be converted into films. His third book “The 3 Mistakes of My Life”, which was released recently, had reportedly booked 2 million copies, even before it was released.
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So how did this transition from IIT-IIM to an author happen for Bhagat, asked Headlines India. “I always wanted to be an author, but I had never even thought that I would become this kind of a crazy, frenzied author, launching books through Depot and Big Bazaar,” smiles Bhagat. “I started writing when I was in class 5, and in those days, seeing your name in print used to be a big thing. Since then, this desire to become an author was there inside me,” he adds.
Bhagat continues, “While I was studying, there was this pressure of ‘study, study, study’ from all quarters. One exam, then another competitive exam, then again another exam; it was all really getting on my nerves. So after my studies were finally over, I decided it was time for me to do something for myself. That’s when Five Point Someone happened.” The book, based loosely on his life at IIT, released in 2004, and went on to become a cult hit among students, no matter whether they studied at IIT or not.
The following year, Bhagat’s second book – One Night @ The Call Center – was released. The growing call center culture in India, and the ever escalating ambitions of the Indian youth made them relate to this book, which went on to become a phenomenal hit among the youth. “With Five Point Someone, I had narrated my story, and the story of my mates at IIT. With One Night @ The Call Center, I narrated the story of the millions of people who work at call centers all over India,” says Bhagat. The book not only brought to the fore the experiences of call center employees, but also gave a vision, a dream, to people who have ambitions in their hearts.
So what’s different about his third book? “I have moved out of the metropolitan culture into a city where entrepreneurship and religion always remain the frontrunner,” says Bhagat. The 3 Mistakes of My Life is a story about three friends struggling to fulfill their dreams and passions in the backdrop of communal violence, politics and natural disasters. In a country where cricket is almost a religion, Bhagat uses the game as the theme around which the story progresses. With lucid descriptions of Gujarat earthquake, Godhra riots, political conspiracies and cricket matches, Bhagat touches a chord in not only the young, but also the elderly.
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Talking to Headlines India about his latest book, Bhagat says he wants to inspire people through his words. And he manages to do that in a good enough way. Through his latest piece of work, Bhagat inspires people to stand upright even after real-life nightmares have wreaked havoc to their dreams, and to resurrect their lives even when all hopes have succumbed to devastation. Be it Five Point Someone, One Night @ The Call Center, or The 3 Mistakes of My Life, Bhagat helps people dream through his words, and provides inspiration through witty examples.
He catches the pulse of the nation by using a language that the youngsters swear by. Critics might frown over his use of the hip-lingo, but Bhagat says it is deliberate. “I can write impeccable English, but then I don’t want to write something that half of the readers won’t understand. So, I write for the people in their language,” says Bhagat. For an author, connecting with the masses is the mantra to success, and Bhagat seems to chant this mantra religiously. “I am easily approachable, and I do make it a point to read and respond to almost all emails that I receive from my fans. I gain my inspiration from them, and they are the basis on which my books survive. I have only my readers, and nothing else,” he says.
The road to success for this author might appear easy, but Bhagat has had his share of difficulties, the foremost being time management for writing and continuing his job. A doting father to two little boys, Bhagat puts a great emphasis on his family, and this means he has to work really hard to balance his professional and his personal lives. Headlines India wanted to know, how does he juggle between so many roles – Author, Banker, Husband, Father? “I don’t have to juggle for my role as a husband, I am a permanent one,” says the witty Bhagat with a grin.
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He goes on to add, “Jokes apart, managing so many responsibilities is sure tough, but I am happy that I receive a lot of support from my family, friends and even my colleagues. For me, my family comes first. I would not sacrifice my family at any cost.” Bhagat proves his statement true only a minute later, as he halts the interview to attend his wife Anusha’s call. “Biwi ka phone hai. Please can we stop for a while?”, questions Bhagat with his trademark chuckle.
Done with the call, Bhagat returns to the interview, even as hundreds of his fans are waiting to meet him outside the cabin where we are chatting. Headlines India wants to know about his next book. “I haven’t thought about it yet. I have a lot of plans in my mind, but which idea will be incorporated into my fourth book, I can’t say now,” says Bhagat. With two little kids, does he plan to write for children? “You never know, I might come up with something for kids. It is a huge market, you see”, is his response.
With tags like “most admired author” and “biggest-selling author” attached to his name, and with his phenomenal success, has his life changed? “I have gained weight, and people now know my name,” he says, his sense of humour intact. He adds, “Honestly speaking, I feel good when I hear people appreciating my work. I just want them to love me, and continue supporting me.” As he gets up to meet his fans, he turns around and says, “Hey, one more thing. I am Chetan Bhagat, and I just want to be known and remembered as that.”
