The magic of Chetan Bhagat's novels
- A Candid Letter to Chetan Bhagat Post ‘Half Girl Friend’
There is no doubt Chetan Bhagat is the best selling writer in India currently. But Chetan is being talked of by a section of readers as going ordinary day by day. A candid letter showing the mirror..
What is the use of writing such an article?
Such an article may be useful for
1. School English projects of students,
2. In-depth analysis by thesis / dissertation writers ,
3. Budding writers to take cues,
4. Book reviewers,
5. Book marketers as to what kind of books perform well in the market,
6. Understanding the backdrop of these novels, and
7. Readers getting a preview before choosing one of the novels to read.
1. Hope:
Chetan’s books give you hope. You get that ingredient of life by virtue of which you fight the battle called ‘life’. In a society marred by communal feelings there exists an ‘Ali’ in ‘Three Mistakes of my Life’ who says, “It's ok if I don't become a player, but it's not ok if I am not an Indian”. Even if all hope is lost God may come calling in your cellphone without a network. And even though a student jumps from the ninth floor in an utterly hopeless situation his friends are there to rescue him and bring him back to the doors of new expectations and aspirations. Trapped by corruption on all fronts, a Gopal Mishra of ‘Revolution 2020’ rises above all his petty ambitions to ensure that the fresh breeze of progress and development blows in his homeland. He lets all the fortune accumulated through unfair means go to hell just to be called a good and noble man.
2. Simple language, no verbosity:
Chetan does not take to the bombastic style of writing. His language is simple, lucid and quite comprehensive even to the newbees of reading. It is for this reason that school and college goers enjoy his novels. Chetan’s mainstay is the matter or the content of the story and not its language. Even when the language takes precedence, it is straight to the heart. Characters tell their story in no complicated language but directly to the eager listener. The language, though very simple, exactly produces the impact that is needed.’ The Shakespeare among them’ in “Two States: The Story of my Marriage’’ tells you quite humorously but very surely that one among the auto-drivers knew only some English words. So Chetan’s eloquence of the language, takes his readers on an easy, comfortable but absorbing ride. You never get ebbed because of the language barrier even though you are shocked due to jolts and twists in the story.
3. The youth factor and readership from all sections of the society:
Youth is the main focus of Chetan’s novels. The young generation has its dreams sparkled with the glitters of hope as well as bruised with the tales of inabilities of achievement and helplessness against the system. Even though the youth force is said to be able to dislocate mountains and block the flow of rivers, it faces its own problems when it fights the age old red tape and a corrupt infra-structure. The victories and defeats of the youth are trademarks of Chetan’s stories. A young reader sails through his novels as if he or she is living and not just reading the novel.
4. Narration of Unrelated Events:
Remember how Chetan deviated the reader away from the main theme of the story when Vidya met her soul mate in a confined space in ‘Three mistakes of my life’. What was the necessity of such a non-event in the narration? For a moment the reader gets distracted and disconnected from the flow of the story. The reader keeps guessing. Why am I being taken there? There is a point. Your anxiety increases, the unpredictability builds up, you keep sniffing. There must be something to it. Suspense clouds form and every such non-event adds to the milieu in which the story is conceived. To put it another way, the story gets a philosophical touch. You are being silently told that you are arriving at a critical juncture in the story.
5. A piercing climax:
In all the stories of Chetan we have observed a nail-biting climax. Be it God’s call in ‘One night @ the Call Centre’ or saving Ali from the jaws of the riot in ‘Three Mistakes of my Life’ or Gopal Mishra’s sacrifice in the end game of ‘Revolution 2020’, there is drama, emotion and twist. Climax is the part of the tale which can provide the real thrill and sums up the story. Chetan has shown the ability to wind up his novels miraculously. Even after the story is gone you are left with the shadows. You think. You connect. You see them in real life. Govind, Vidya, Neha, Ali, Ryan and Arati meet you in everyday life.
