Hello everyone,
Sorry for this delayed post. As you know, I am on twitter more often now (Chetan_bhagat). However, sometimes 140 characters are not enough to talk about all I want to say. It is November, and 3 weeks since 2 States came out. I thought I’ll share a couple of things that are occupying my mind these days.
1. 2 States response – I am overwhelmed by the response to 2 States. The quantity and quality of responses is at a higher level than any of the previous books. We’ve started displaying some of the fanmails on the homepage of this site (unless the reader chooses the privacy option). And you can see the feedback coming in. The book has touched a chord and connected across the country. To deliver to the expectations after three already successful books is, for me, the biggest achievement. This time the story was simple, in fact the title gives it away. It all came down to execution, and I’m fortunate God was on my side this time. It is still early days, but I can tell this story will travel far and wide and give me a whole new set of readers. The little red book is literally, everywhere.
2. 3 Idiots – I am sure you are as excited as me upon seeing the 3 Idiots promo (see post below). With a stunning star cast and an excellent director, we have all been waiting for it a long time. Just to be clear, 3 Idiots is based on Five Point Someone (and that is the official credit) but the plot is different. There are commonalities, some of which are seen in the promo – the engineering college, the three boys, the triple riding, the Prof on a bicycle and his beautiful daughter (!). The core conflict and the underlying messages about the education system are also similar. However, the film’s plot is quite different and does not follow the novel. That is a decision the filmmakers independently took well after taking the rights of the book. I personally felt the underlying message needs to reach people more than the exact rendition of the book, and hence I was fine with it. The book has been widely read in any case, the original source is there for all to see. I, from my side, am happy that my first story and its big idea inspired the biggest filmmakers in the country. However, it is their film and all accolades should go to them. I hope my explanation sets the expectations right among viewers so they can enjoy the film better.
3. What’s next and the big escape – This is the big question that I am seeking answers to right now. Will it be another book, another screenplay, a new column, more talks around the country, nothing at all? – I have no idea. I do know however, that I need a calm mind to decide all this. Hence, I decided to escape the limelight for a while. Fame and success, while sought after, have the power to disorient you and cloud your judgment. I left India and have come to Hong Kong, a place I am familiar with having spent 11 years here, but also anonymous. I will be here for a while, focusing on looking inside and trying to find out what I really want. A few answers are emerging. Once I have a bit more clarity, I will surely share them with you. I miss India, my family and readers terribly, but this detachment process is important for me.
4. Launches in other cities – because of the need to get away, I postponed the launches in various cities. However, I know I can’t be away from my readers too long, so will be organizing them in the next couple of weeks. The next few ones will be in the South – most likely Chennai, Hyderabad and Bangalore. These will be followed by other cities, details of which I shall post when available.
5. A parting word – I want to end bysharing a small incident. The night before the release of 2 States, I was super tense. I went to the ISKCON temple in Chowpatty and met His Holiness Radhanath Swami, an American gentleman who moved to India several decades ago and devoted his life to serve God. I told him I couldn’t sleep because of the anxiety over the fact that there will be a million judgments on my work, both positive and negative, in the coming days. He told me this:
“Imagine there is a puddle. When it rains, the puddle is filled with water. When it doesn’t, the puddle dries up. Now compare that to the ocean. The ocean is so deep, it doesn’t matter if it rains above or it is dry weather. Your inner depth should be as much as the ocean, so you are not fazed by the external praise or criticism. For that, you must truly do work that is meaningful to you, have love in your heart for others and help people. And when you achieve inner depth, the external world’s rewards won’t matter to you as much.”
I don’t think I am as deep as the ocean yet. But I am trying. Meanwhile, I just felt I will share this with you, so you may apply it in some aspects of your life. Whatever happens outside, it doesn’t matter as much if there is a calm stillness in you.लोकः समासतः सुखिनो भवन्तु
(may all beings in this world be happy)
Love and Blessings,
Me
Respected Sir
I am young 18 year old boy from New Delhi and have huge intrest in reading and writting poetry below i have attached couple of my poems out of the collection which is to be published before World Book Fair Jan 2010.
It would be very great if you could read and tell me if you liked it.
SILENT WISHES
In my silent wishes
I look for contents
contents that pronounces
Your silent wishes.
LETS LIVE
Here when you are with me
How colourful surrounding appear
What a peace i find is applied to this layer
Lets live here together
Lets live here forever.
Regards
Yaseen Anwer
Hi Chetan( It really catches the attention if u used the listner/reader’s name( as ur book suggests).. so hope u read this and comment…he he)
I am a big fan of your work.. its simply awesome and worth reading….. and its readily accessible (i actually meant cheap ) and with its success i am sure ur bottom line and top line are way high up on charts with ur clever understanding of Indian demographivcs and market segmentation(Ya… i am an MBA too..;) he he)
Well jokes apart…U really have succeeded in bringing the message forward along with your superb sense of humour which every one can connect with. I really connect with ur “Indianness” theme as i have been practically raised in 3 states.. so it has always been difficult anwering which place i belong to..( its the equal deliemma, when asked “if ur single or not?”)
I(part of the “junta/target audience.. whatever u name it”) would rate this as your second best work after “five point someone”.
Having said that… i cant stop myself from critiquing some of the points which have occupied major part of my brain since i read the last page of the book(We indians have a habit to comment on any and everthing…i am sure ull agree)…and so i am writing u this at 4.30 in the morning..
1.I really felt Krish and Dad’s patch up should have been more highlighted/written about. Krish actually didnt follow the guruji’s “forgiveness” theory(which is quite important in the storyline) .. it was dad who took the initiative.. is when the things got sorted between them.
2. Krish’s Mom never turn out to really accept Ananya( aprt from when she said ‘yes’ for the first time..only to make it invain during the trip to goa and second, when she declined any big gifts which really isnt a affirmation.. and i wonder she still must be throwing tantrums at her at slightest of chance….even after becoming the grand mother
3. Third, there are no more points… I really enjoyed reading the book… I really connected with Krish on very first thing..I too got placed with a MNC Bank during the placements( Ha ha ha).. and was doing exactly the same “I hate it” job as Krish did… and lemme tell u .. things are more worse now.. i quit in just 7 months…
Well now that i have offloaded all my feelings .. i can surely go off to sleep peacefully….
I really wish u read this blog and respond to it …
Thanks for the Book
Take Care
Hi Chetan( It really catches the attention if u used the listner/reader’s name( as ur book suggests).. so hope u read this and comment…he he)
I am a big fan of your work.. its simply awesome and worth reading….. and its readily accessible (i actually meant cheap) and with its success i am sure ur bottom line and top line are way high up on charts with ur clever understanding of Indian demographivcs and market segmentation(Ya… i am an MBA too.. he he)
Well jokes apart…U really have succeeded in bringing the message forward along with your superb sense of humour which every one can connect with. I really connect with ur “Indianness” theme as i have been practically raised in 3 states.. so it has always been difficult anwering which place i belong to..( its the equal deliemma, when asked “if ur single or not?”)
I(part of the “junta/target audience.. whatever u name it”) would rate this as your second best work after “five point someone”.
Having said that… i cant stop myself from critiquing some of the points which have occupied major part of my brain since i read the last page of the book(We indians have a habit to comment on any and everthing…i am sure ull agree)…and so i am writing u this at 4.30 in the morning..
1.I really felt Krish and Dad’s patch up should have been more highlighted/written about. Krish actually didnt follow the guruji’s “forgiveness” theory(which is quite important in the storyline) .. it was dad who took the initiative.. is when the things got sorted between them.
2. Krish’s Mom never turn out to really accept Ananya( aprt from when she said ‘yes’ for the first time..only to make it invain during the trip to goa and second, when she declined any big gifts which really isnt a affirmation.. and i wonder she still must be throwing tantrums at her at slightest of chance….
3. Third, there are no more points… I really enjoyed reading the book… I really connected with Krish on very first thing..I too got placed with a MNC Bank during the placements( Ha ha ha).. and was doing exactly the same “I hate it” job as Krish did… and lemme tell u .. things are more worse now.. i quit in just 7 months…
Well now that i have offloaded all my feelings .. i can surely go off to sleep….
I really wish u read this blog and respond to it …
Thanks for the Book
Take Care
hi chetan ur nouvel was damn good. i read many nouvels but i used to smile at some funny narrations. but with your books i was laughing a lot. its damn cool.women having mini orgasm when harish comes to ananyas home and proposing ananya in the middle of her interview. everrything is fine.
i think u should i write a nouvel this time abt c.a students like me. even i want to be a writer like u lets wats in store for me
Hi Chetan ,awesome work again. although i have not read any of the earlier books written by you , 2 states inspires me to read the others too.The concept behind the story is quite mundane with the current decade. To cope up with work and love life is like living in the house of paranormal activity(although i laughed while reading but quite hard to deal with it in real).To keep it short its the same story i have gone through and still awaiting a response.Also i liked the way u talked about going to Kashi…….Just Awesome…
hello chetan,
myself a fan of yours…..First of all your latest book 2states is just awesome
Yours marriage is north meets south ours is east meets west….
Myself have read every single book of yourrs.Following your book since college days
The young generation of India can truly identify themselves with your novels,anyways it is again a different story
Just wanted to say thanks since like yours mine is also a interstate marriage………….After 5 years of courtship we got married last december…………..after that the story begins………..the same problems I have to face as depicted by you……………
But 3 cheers to you for your novel…………finally I have understood that there are many other people like me …..and these are very small probs in a big life…………
And last of all(my husband used to give me same pieces of advice)
and last of all…..
thanks a lot for writing sucha awesome book…….
keepwriting…………..
hi chetan,, how r u,, read ur one night at a call center and 3 mistakes also,,, i hv never enjoyed reading so much before,,, you are an amazing writer,, a great talent,,, thank god i read your books,,
ps. I LOVE YOU
Dear Chetan, I am a working woman ……..with a daughter of 5 yrs to look after when i get back home. Believe me I love reading but I hardly get time to…. Sometime last year, i just picked up your book ” the 3 mistakes of my life” out of curiosity. Loved it ……may be because i love cricket too….. then i read “one night at call centre” ……loved it even more……..and then i read Five point someone…..with each book i got hooked up with your writings and from then on i have not missed a single column of yours. But i must say ,” 2 states is a milestone……i finished reading it yesterday and still cant stop thinking about the book. the situations , the characters and the incidents are so simple, believable and yet so touching and moving. I went through some rough time personally last week. This book made me laugh and forget the personal tragedy. To stop myself from thinking about the book so much, i picked up another thrller from an international bestselling author, somehow i reached back to the book shelf and picked up your book again. This is the first book that i am reading a book for the 2nd time back to back. I have simply fallen for your writings and i think your books are just amazing. Please keep up the good work.
P.S. : If Ananya from 2 states is really inspired from your wife………i think she is an amazing woman & y do you think your in laws will not talk to you after reading the book? I think they will love you even more.
Eagerly awaitng your next installment,
Regards,
Akanksha
hey chetan!! hope u r keeping fine n enjoying ur time off!! i finished reading ‘2 states’ just yesterday n its simply AWESOME!!! me, being a south indian could comfortably connect with the story line n i could really see myself in ananya… since yesterday i cannot take my mind off krish n ananya!! gr8 work chetan… waiting for ur next post on the blog… have a nice time!!
Hi Chetan!….being a hardcore fan of u was a bit disappointed after reading `2 states`. Though the subject was very juicy n entertaining ( the way u wrote abt punjabi n tamilian culture), what really came as a shocker was the way u described some dramatic moments of parents of both sides. it seemed as if we are reading a scipt of typical hindi film . many would agree that a writer like chetan B certainly can manage great words n sentences from his magical mind to decorate dramatic events that occured during the course of the story…..sadly u settled for extremely unrealistic ,filmy style , hard to absorb situations while reflecting the natural reaction of parents when they had to compromise with such a arrangement.
Hi,
I like 2 states very much. I have completed this book in one session. I cant get this book off my mind. Must say ur books are like a breath of fresh air. U wrote about the topics in such a way that one can easily relate those things to his/her life. I guess this is the magic of words.
By the way I share my nick name you
That was nice little story indeed.. i mean the ocean one…
Your book 2-states was great too! Though i had exams, i couldn’t just keep off the book
Hello,
This is blogger-chat team here… We’re a group of bloggers who regularly share their ideas and posts..
We simply adore your books..And Chetan Bhagat has definitely become a household name (No pun intended)!
Keep rocking as always… We love you
Cheers,
Bloggerchat team
Almost done with “2 States” and found it hilarious! You have a great sense of humor – love it! I was laughing while reading the book and my DH looked at me like what is wrong with you?!
I have a suggestion for your next book, that is if you are looking for ideas. You should write about “Internet Love” – mine was one and so far so good things seem to be working
Take care!
Hi Chetan,
Just finished your book yesterday. I should say thanks to my hubby & sister-in-law who forced the book on me.
I had no idea who Chetan Bhagat was or about five point someone. With no interest I started reading this book (2States) as I did not have anything better to do. Slowly I became glued to the book. After reading initial few pages I felt so curious about Chetan & his Wife, I googled your images so that I could give face to the characters I was reading. Well I did not finish the book in one sitting; I read it through the week. I enjoyed the suspense. Often pondered on what will happen next during my travel to office. I eagerly waited to get home and start reading again. Except for the detail explanation of the 6 petrol pumps I enjoyed every page of the book and read it with full excitement.
I will surely read five point someone before seeing 3idiots.
Love
Rima C K
Hiee Chetan ,
hp u doing gr8 dese days ….
i jst completed ur novel an hour before “2 States”
Dat ws a gr8 1 i say …. i luv ur writings….
nw i hv completed al ur 4 novels…
d first novel of my lyf ws “Five point sum1″ n i had a gr8 experience…
til dat to dis …throughout there was sumthng interestng ….
dis is a awesoem novel …. as it carries lots of emotions ….u made me cry…bt i thnk ur novel worth it…. i always luv d name Ananya n wen i came across that name i ws so happy..n in last u made me laugh also…. i luvd ur novel throughout…there ws nt even a single word dat disapointd me ….n yes as i luv kids in last wen i came to kno dat u hvng twins dat ws super excitng…. may god bless you n ur family …
u rock ….i’ll b w8tng fr ur nxt novel….
nw jst excitd abt ur next topic ..jst wanna kno wat topic u’ll choose for ur book…~!~
Take Care….~!~
May God Bless You n Your Family….~!~
With Loads Of Love
Saloni…~!~
Dear Chetan,
Firstly a ,million congratulations to all the people in your life who have made you the kind of person and the talent YOU are!!! Now i shall congratulate you on your heart warming and one of the best literary contributions you have made through “2 states”. A wonderfully written creative piece of work with spontaneous responses and genuine humor in characters and most importantly giving a deeper message to ur community to our country -INDIA.
There is so much happiness to attain in life if we Indians get over communal barriers and castism, an eye opener for all readers. Keep It up….
A sugeestion is that since there are around 80% Indians who belong to the Hindi reading league, why don’t you plan to make translated versions of your books in Hindi to start with to get a wider fan and reader base across the country. Suggesting this since I belong to a family of Hindi writers and know the wide expanse of readers across.. Just a suggestion, pl think over it if you deem fit!!
Awaiting eagerly to see Ryan in 3 idiots… ha ha ( it still makes me laugh to think of th ebook.. too good buddy). Also pls do some promos and launches in Delhi so that we Delhiites can get an opportunity to see a glimpse of a great wrier like you..
Million blessings for the movie
Love and Regards,
Astha
Hi! its a wram feeling while I was reading your message, it is very true in every sense that every one needs that break to renergies oneself to give the world, what the world has given us, a true fact a big escape.
It is true regading puddle and a ocena comparision, as along as we are clam inside, what happen outside it should not matter, its abt contenment.But one day luv to meet you.
I have read your 2states gr8 book, you have highlighted two things one is the caste and the other is v all r Indian first.
One more thing you would have highlighted,the beautiful bride and she should be fair(gori), becz i have gone through this phase a lot n faced lot of rejections. Keep writting.
Kindly do reply if u have time
HI CHETAN
I HAVE READ ALL THE BOOKS WRITTEN BY YOU. YOU ARE INCREDIBLE IN ALL. I HAVE MY PLAN TO READ THESE AGAIN. I INSPIRED FROM TWO STATES TO MUCH THAT IHAVE WRITTEN A PUNJABI POEM ON MY BLOG TO UNITE OUR COUNTRY. IF YOU HAVE TIME THEN READ IT
MY BLOG IS theindianwarrior.blogspot.com