When I met Chetan Bhagat

I met the man, the brand, who allegedly has the power to change this generation*! He never claims as much, as he seems to bask in the aphorism. 

I walked into his talk show, which claimed I would be pepped up. ‘An inspirational evening with Chetan Bhagat’, that’s what it was titled. So I looked for anything that lifted the throbbing wobbly parts of myself no sooner I stepped into the extravagant Ritz Carlton. A chilled drink did the best it could and a friendly hostess did some more to pacify the vengeful sinus-vertigo aliens unhappy with me not pampering them. 

Soon, the man with about 2.3 million Twitter followers and 4.2 million FB fans walked in escorted by two women. 

What did I expect! 

Well, he took the stage and started with a disclaimer. “I will not give advices. Especially for this audience… if you’ll can afford to be here, you’ll don’t need my advice… so I’ll speak of my life.”

Some connect there!

Soon I was left wondering why the PowerPoint presentation. But I almost forgave him, when I heard his confession of having to do certain things against his better judgement in public domain. Like how he ‘fights’ on News channels when the hyper host poses questions such as ‘The nations says this about you. What would you say Chetan Bhagat?” And he lets go…

Point noted!

Having goals is crucial to living life, he continued. When he became a full-time writer his first goal was to challenge publishers who rejected his manuscripts. And thus he began urging NRIs to challenge themselves. “NRIs only exist…they lack the zing in them..” With annually increasing bank balances, bigger homes and sending kids go to the best institutions, NRIs "pull on" and "go on". He called on all to chase their dreams.

My fav topic! I was all ears

That’s when I heard him say his dream was to be a househusband. Some laughs, muffled and modest followed when he delivered the age-old mom-in-law and wife jibes. He went on to recommend how important it is to ‘under-promise and over-deliver’, and gave the example of his  upcoming movie ‘2 States’ – based on his autobiographical book by the same name. 

Okay!

“Form partnerships, cultivate patience, be humble…” were his tips for success. His political allegiance to BJP and reasons for him thrashing the fledgling AAP was also clarified in the process.

By now I was slouched in my chair!

“I have travelled to more than 100 cities and interact with about 5 crore people currently…”

I lost the connect!

And so, I asked, “Would you have taken the decision to give up your job had your wife not been a successful professional?” Without batting an eyelid, he replied, “No. I would have never taken such a decision had I not been supported.”

I sat up.

“You are one of the most criticized authors. How do you tackle that?” Again, without taking as much a second, he replied, “You just learn to deal with it.”

How!!!

The hows were missing. The ‘H’ that will elevate people; that which will differentiate a well-orchestrated show from that of a Wikipedia evening; that which will add the zing he alleges is missing in NRIs; that which will pep up aspirants and wannabes; that which will fuel those revving up on their tracks towards their dreams…

The trials and tribulations during his incubation period, the brick bats he battled; his mental, emotional state when overcoming them; his modus operandi…is what the audience would have taken home and adopted and remembered when they feel low and seek to get out of the mundane rut.

Nevertheless, I did connect. His honesty vowed me. So did his humbleness. As when he answered my direct query about quitting his job, looking me in the eye. As when he spoke of giving his kids middle-class values. As when he said family is the base, everything else is secondary…

A connect lies in the ears of the audience, as with the heart of the speaker… provided there are no expectations!

There I go… so what did I expect? To see a brand named Chetan Bhagat. And I only saw a human in flesh! 

You may want to read more Chetan Bhagat related posts:

Chetan Bhagat's dream for us: 
http://nishasanjeev.blogspot.ae/2012/09/chetan-bhagats-dream-for-us.html

Who must do books? 
http://nishasanjeev.blogspot.ae/2012/01/who-must-do-books-chetan-baghat-has.html

 

PS: [*Meghnad Desai called this the Chetan Bhagat generation]

Chetan Bhagat’s dream for us

All of us have dreams. But how many of us have dreams for our country? India’s Bollywood [script]writer has one. I’ve read all of Chetan Bhagat’s books, simply because I’m in awe at his courage to throw away a lucrative job to follow his heart. Period.

Now I salute him. He’s taken yet another risk of stepping out of his forte – fiction. Has he landed on his feet?

Well, he’s testing the waters himself. His cautiousness is glaringly evident throughout the book. He misses no opportunity to say that he is no expert of what he is speaking and that the ideas and solutions are merely his opinion. “The essays are by no means perfect; they can at times be too simple or idealistic,” he clarifies.

So somewhere within, does he feel the literary world has not accepted him? I remember watching a chat show on one of the channels where he was snubbed by the veteran Tavleen Singh. She said something on these lines… I’ve not read your books. If I remember right, he didn’t reply. I wondered, then, why he was making a mockery of himself in public.

Not anymore.

Chetan Baghat took to writing because, he says, he has a dream for India. Sounds pompous, isn’t it? He didn’t want to be a typical “armchair NRI advisor”, he adds. Now that’s some confidence. He goes on to say that he has so much love from his readers “that other writers cannot even imagine it”. Would you call this arrogance? Well, then here’s the rest…”However, I don’t get literary praise. It’s okay…” he adds. A man with his head on his shoulders; A person who knows where he stands? Definitely!

Similarly, he’s clear about why India is in the ‘mess’ that it is. His essays on politics, society and youth clearly reflect the reasons. He believes only the youth in India can change the country if they change their mindset and elect the right people to lead the nation. Therefore, all his solutions to the various issues plaguing the country involve youth - who want love and money.

He urges the current generation to leave a country that the youth of today will be proud of. “The next generation may say this was a time of turmoil, but let them not say that we sat doing nothing.”

Corruption, education, secularism are his pet topics. To begin with, Indian education system should be revamped. It is “turning out servile, course material slaves,” he believes.

Also that India lacks community values unlike the US. He urges all to do away with caste-based politics and voting, which is the prime cause for all ills in India unlike the US. Send the right people to Parliament, he pleads.

Comparison to America at regular intervals is discomforting. Why emulate only the US? I guess, when a considerable proportion of desis still hold an American trip as the ultimate status symbol, he can be pardoned.

His desperation makes him mince no words as he bravely takes on the rich and famous. He rips apart Kingfisher, the BCCI and the real estate mafia, giving some stark calculations [the investment banker raises its head] and offering valid solutions to help the country prosper and for youth to retain faith in their homeland.

He even nudges human emotions by discussing terror attacks. But a few of his solutions to social ills are trivialized. If Bollywood movies could change over the last three decades, our mindset about serious issues can also change, he opines. I can’t digest this one.

Similarly, his take on Lerds [liberal arts students] versus nerds, and an open letter to Sonia Gandhi does not sit well with the theme of the book. And the two short stories included are way too childish, to say the least.

But that is absolutely forgivable – this is his first non-fiction work.

“What Young India Wants” is an honest book! The mention of his own suicide attempt is ample proof of his intentions. “Don’t fix history, please look at the future,” says it!

So what’s the writer’s ‘Great Indian Dream’? That every citizen should work hard, prosper and succeed through innovation and hard work and once successful, every citizen should give back to the society that made him or her what he or she is.

Let’s stop being typical Indians. Stop being cynical! Read the issues the book raises and his suggestions. You may agree or disagree with him, but as he says, have your own opinion.

Isn’t that the beginning of any change?

Hats off! Chetan Baghat!

[Picture Courtesy: Book cover - www.flipkart.com; Profile: www.chetanbhagat.com]