Novelist Chetan Bhagat brought in the national integrity plot to the forefront at an interactive session on his latest book, “2 States — the story of my marriage”, suggesting how the refusal to acknowledge inter-regional relationships depicts how “divided a nation we are”.
Arriving fashionably late, Chetan Bhagat yet found a packed audience eager to listen to his each spoken word. That’s the magic Chetan holds for his readers. And he did not disappoint.
From the moment he took centre stage in the almost too-full-to-burst bookstore, the audience held on to Chetan’s natural wit, even when he simply stated, “The book wouldn’t have happened if I had not married a South Indian.” The audience was in splits, but Chetan was being matter-of-fact, and shared with his fans that “I wanted to do a love story, every writer does it once”.
His story is not about the boy and the girl. In fact, he said, “It only takes 20% effort to meet the girl,” the rest, “80% effort is in convincing the parents.” And since he didn’t want to write a typical love story — of its troubles, he said he wanted the love story to be “something light and fun”. Even now inter-regional marriages are a big deal, he said. He didn’t believe India has moved on. “I think only 10-15 people have.”
Drawing an example from films on this topic, he said Ek Duje Ke Liye and DDLJ dealt with the same subject, but, “The big difference between Ek Duje Ke Liye, DDLJ and this book, is — there are no evil characters in the book.” Evil is easier to deal with, he said. “All you have to do is fight back.” But he stumped the readers, saying, “What do you say when the parents fold their hands and request you to leave them alone?”
Referring to the book’s uniqueness, and newness, he said, “What is new in this story is that the characters are very rational, very practical.” He may not have had, as he says, “critical acclaim”. But the sheer vibe between him and his readers is awe-inspiring.
Entrepreneur Harathi Reddy, Tabu — politician Dinesh Gundu Rao’s wife, Anusha — Chetan’s wife and Vidya, an economist, spoke about their experiences when they chose to marry inter-region or religion.
When he opened the floor for readers to share their good to not-so-good experiences, hands went up instantly. And Chetan instantly turned Agony Uncle, doling out advice with a healthy dose of humour which had the audience in splits.
During the discussion on Indian marriages, he pointed out that this reluctance, even in today’s times, towards inter-regional or religious marriages, “shows how divided our country is”.
Admitting that his national integrity plot is often laughed about, he suggested that those finding it difficult to convince parents should “do it for the country”. As these marriages often build bonds between communities, that will help build a strong nation that is united.
When someone wanted to know “the secret of his craft” he said, “I don’t know how I do it.” His simplistic writing may not have won him accolades but, he said, he was surprised when he was asked to visit Bastar, a region affected by naxals. “When I asked who reads Chetan Bhagat, I was told tribal children.” He said he’s chosen to write simple. “It gives me bigger satisfaction as it is something new,” that his books are being used learn English.
And for someone who was “horrible at dictation and sentence building at school,” this
feedback is “mind blowing”.
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