Book Review #87: One Indian Girl By Chetan Bhagat

Title: One Indian Girl
Author: Chetan Bhagat
Publishers: Rupa Publications
Genre: General Fiction/Bollywood script
Pages: 280 (Paperback)
Source: Personal Copy

Having read his previous works of Chetan Bhagat, I was somewhat skeptical about his new novel. Because, the haunting experience of Half Girlfriend is still afresh in my mind. After all, I had thought of giving a benefit of doubt to the author and took this book. Once again, I was wrong. This man cannot write properly. He has done more damage in this novel in the name of feminism.

Yet again, Chetan Bhagat has completely lost. The book has promised at the beginning, it might be a better offer than his predecessor Half Girlfriend. But, its completely opposite after first few pages. How in the world does the author claims this book is about feminism? The book failed to even touch a base point in that aspect. Its basically a sorry tale of a successful working woman that portrayed as too naive, vulnerable and pretentious. Before any one pull their trigger it as too prejudice to judge the characters and paint a fiction out of it, let me remind you that, the author has a huge fan base of mostly teenagers. He has set up a bad example of feminism by giving the most ridiculous ideas ever.

The plot seems more similar to his earlier novels. The author may be having this gut feel that, the more he writes a triangular love stories, the better the cash flow. But, he went a step ahead and wrote this garbage, where the character lacks the basic conscience and morale. The story mainly revolves around this woman Radhika, that has no thoughts in her mind other than sex or whom do I go to cuddle up. I am really sorry Mr. author, this is not the feminism that India needs.

The main character Radhika, who once was a studios girl, now wants attention of every men that she ogles. Oh, what's up with the Brazilian waxing stuff Mr. Author? Does going down again and again makes the character feel more fabulous than anything else? The author makes the character Radhika as someone who is suffering from AIDS (Attention Immune Deficiency Syndrome). This is not a true example of feminism. The author has abused this feminism and women empowerment in the most obnoxious way.

Does having sex with the boss on a business trip is an alternate to erase the past? I have no idea that this could work. The author feels that, the more he paints a bitch out of his heroine, the more empowered she is. Come on, get a life. The character Radhika feels that, the more praises (about work, about her looks, about her achievements, etc) she gets from her man, the more love that exists. Really? How in the world does that justify? There are certain sections that is ridiculously written. For example: When her mom confronts about her drinking whisky before the dance, the daughter is all worked up and says, "Mom, you need a drink I guess". What more can you expect from this outrageous line? Does smoking up, binge drinking, having sex with boss out of trivial reasons all count up to how empowered our woman in this book is?

When all such things crop in your mind while reading, and there you go, the discussion at 5AM in the morning by inviting her exes to face each other and giving a long lecture about how they are expecting a wrong person in her? Why don't she do it at the first place? Hasn't she done all that already?

There's more to write but I don't think it is quite important. You all can watch this outrageous feminism movie at the big screen down in few months. It seems Chetan Bhagat is setting a wrong example to his female fans. He is secretly championing them that it is completely okay to sleep here and there, since you're more empowered to take control of it. If this is the definition of feminism that author has portrayed, then he is wrong on many levels. This novel is stupid, callous and misleading. Not a recommending stuff.

My Rating:
1/5

Book Review #49: Half Girlfriend By Chetan Bhagat

Half Girlfriend (Pic Courtesy: Internet)

Probably one of the dullest books I’ve read in recent times. This book of Chetan Bhagat’s came after a long gap of not so success Revolution 2020. Everybody said it right; Bhagat has after all come out as a Bollywood writer and nothing else. What if I told you this book “Half Girlfriend” doesn’t even comparable to his earlier novels. It is too predictable and most of the story is either copied from his predecessors or from earlier Hindi movies.

What was more astonishing is he dared to publish this book, though he knew that it is a mere movie script!! There is nothing that one can expect while reading a book, leave alone term it as a novel, sorry, a romantic novel! There are absolutely no surprises, no aha moments or anything of that sort. It’s a mere story of 2 college kids, a Bihari boy and a Delhi girl. And, there is regular love story, college classes, placements, love story, sex, break ups, family problems, etc… these things you might have already read in his previous 2 States, 3 Mistakes of My Life, Five Point Someone, etc…

The plot of the novel is as dry as Sahara desert. A Bihari boy or rather a Bihari prince Madhav Jha who is a state level basketball player gets admission in one of the high profile institute in Delhi, St. Stephen’s through sports quota and took up sociology as his major. His only drawback is he can’t speak the English like the city dwellers. During the admission day he comes across a beautiful girl Riya Somani who is also a basketball player that joined St. Stephen’s for English Honors degree.  There you go, bingo!! He instantly connects with this girl and within next 25 pages of the book; he befriends Riya and pretends as Sharukh Khan. Riya (read as Kajol) is not a serious student; rather, she wants to be just friends with Madhav.

As usual book goes into the 2 States mode instantly, Madhav Jha who is now desperate enough to fall in love with Riya tries all his might to get this chic (Riya). But every time he comes up with a brilliant idea, this will get snubbed by Riya. Later Riya clarifies Madhav that, she is just friends with him and pronounces herself as his HALF-GIRLFRIEND. Whoa!!(Slow claps).

Later part of the novel becomes too predictable. One unfortunate incident makes our Sharukh and Kajol gets separated. One and half years later, she comes to college just to drop out. She invites Madhav to her wedding. That’s it. One part of the story ends here. 2^nd part is a regular movie tamasha; Hero Madhav who is now broken out of his love, concentrates more on his career. He studies like there is no tomorrow. He goes to his placements interview and declines a lucrative HSBC offer citing the reason ‘he wants to go back to Bihar and take over the school that his mother runs and build this school as one of the best schools in Bihar’.

Here, Bhagat plays an 80’s movie director role. Madhav, who is the head of his school, gets an appointment with Bill Gates through Gates-Melinda foundation and gets a grant for his school. During one of these meetings in a hotel, he accidently (really??) meets Riya and they decide to reconcile again. She describes all her unfortunate incidents after college, her divorce with her husband, etc… Madhav also explain everything about his life after college. He takes Riya to his home to meet his mother. There is a slight twist here, like all other regular movies, this should be the end. But, here Bhagat plays an “I am smarter than you” type. Madhav’s mother learns that Riya a divorcee and she scolds Riya and warns her to stay out of Madhav’s life. OMG, What a pity??

So, Riya decides to move out of Madhav’s life for 2^nd time. She cooks up a drama that she is suffering from cancer. She leaves a note to Madhav and leaves India. But, our Sharukh is not a quitter (Yeah!!). He starts his hunt for his Kajol despite the protest from his mother. He goes to New York as an UN delegate and stays at his friend’s house for about 3 months. He knew that, Riya wanted to be a singer and she informed him in her college days that, her ambition in life is to play music at a Bar in New York (Duh!!). Rest of the story is kind of guesswork. Bhagat again plays “I am cooler than you” type. Till last day of Madhav’s stay in US, he is unable to locate Riya. On last day, he visits a bar where she is performing and they see each other and then they lived happily ever after.

Conclusion:

First time Chetan Bhagat readers finds this book with full of surprises. Whereas, his regular readers finds this as a same stuff packaged in a new book. Overall, can be read onetime and can forget that instant.   

My Rating:

2.5/5

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