I have done the unthinkable. I read a book by Chetan Bhagat. I had made up my mind that Chetan Bhagat writes pedestrian stuff and therefore has a huge readership. Very presumptuous of me, I think. I had no experience, just a firm opinion. And so events transpired or rather conspired to make me read "2 States". Now I can say with the authority of having read one Chetan Bhagat book - he writes pedestrian stuff and has a huge readership.
The title of the book truly echoes my 2 states of confusion. Is this a novel that is to be made into a movie or is it a movie screenplay that has be "back-written" to look like a novel? I can guarantee that the movie will be a huge success with or without Shahrukh Khan because it has all the elements of a blockbuster Bollywood tale - love story (boy meets girl), drama (parents against marriage), action (boy moves to unfamiliar part of India to woo to-be in-laws), emotion (boy hates his father), and a comedy track (provided by relatives from either side). Every stereotype of a Punjabi boy meets Tamil girl is depicted in the book (just short of Tamil teri maa, Punjabi tera baap statement). So what is unique about this story? The couple fall in love while studying at IIMA! It is a natural assumption that they should be having super high IQ but they keep doing one stupid thing after another. Not content with being in love, they decide to get married only when they are assured that both families will be smiling in the wedding pictures. So they come up with harebrained schemes to please "the other side", none of which work.
The whole narrative proves that IIMA grads are as stupid as the rest of Indians, even grads who turn out to be writers perpetuate the stereotypes of regional differences in spite of seeming superficially broadminded. Here are some examples - the girl is a Madrasi but fair (how is it possible), the madrasis are highly educated and crave knowledge (read newspapers all day) while Punjabis crave paneer and prize their milk-like complexions above all else.
Perhaps it is Bhagat's own story and each word is true but short of declaring it an autobiography, he could have imbued the story with some creativity. The story is simple and written in an easy read manner that is appealing to the masses. But there is no depth to the writing. Even as the protagonist suffers the separation from his beloved, it is difficult to feel his pain. His tongue-in-cheek narrative has a smug undertone that is grating. The solutions to his problems miraculously fall in line. The shrewd parents turn into gullible idiots when Krish Malhotra offers to coach the nerdy IIT-aspiring to-be-brother-in-law as if Brilliant tutorials does not exist. The father and mother are mere puppets as Krish charms them with his skill and charm. Similarly Ananya Swaminathan who has never cooked a meal in her life is able to twist a host of Punjabi relatives at a wedding around her little finger by taking a feminist stand. Sounds too good to be true? And so the story chugs along with a inexplicable twist, a Devdas phase for Krish and a not-so unexpected villain turning good guy at the end.A great story for a movie and I am sure it will all work out - for Bhagat and his fans. But I think I will abstain from reading other books by Bhagat.
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Ranjani,
ReplyDeleteGreat to see you back and with a vengeance! (Not against the writers, but the number of blogs - it's really nice to read up so many of them, especially when they are well written as you do). Also welcome to the Chetan Bhagat club - I read all four and found 2 States to be the best of the lot. If you did not like this, I suspect you may not really like the others. But I liked your review especially the way you described the smug tone (grating-lovely word) and share most of your sentiments when it comes to the book. I also found the love angle a trifle too smooth, their escapades in the hostel rather contrived and childish, and then you wonder what it is about these hallowed institutions. One thing that the IIM/IIT writers have done in that sense is disappoint me with their lack of feeling in their writing. There is too much technique, or plan to capture the popular vote, that jars a bit. There is also too much disrespect for the reader in that the tone is rather supercilious which is ironical when the content is ordinary stuff (I can understand Rushdie going all supercilious!). But in his favour, Chetan Bhagat has improved with every book so far in my opinion and his best is perhaps yet to come.
Thanks Hari. Appreciate your comments. I think I will stay away from Bhagat's previous books.
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