The Three Mistakes of My Life by Chetan Bhagat

When I started reading Chetan Bhagat’s The Three Mistakes of My Life, someone told me, “Please don’t read that book. You’ll hate him for this book.” Yet, I read the book and don’t regret it now.

Chetan Bhagat’s The Three Mistakes of My Life, is in many ways better than his One Night at the Call Center. Though filled with scenes apt for a Bollywood masala, the novel stands apart for some insightful scenes and spiritual undertones.

The novel opens with a note to author’s personal experience that gives a suggestion that the story is real. The story is told to the author by the protagonist Govind and revolves around his life in the small town of Ahmedabad. 

Govind, Ishaan and Omi represents the young generation of India in small towns. The scenic description of Ahmedabad and its core culture make the reader feel like in the town. Aspirants to achieve something in their own life, the three friends begin a business of their own by investing their own talents, experiences from Indian middle class families and the small finance.

The business flourishes as it could be in a small town. Yet, so many unexpected events come in their way like the 2001 Gujarat Earth Quake, distractions among the group and finally the riots after the Godhra attack. Things never become normal after Omi’s death and the dispute between Ishaan and Govind.

The writer comes into the scene when Govind is in deathbed after a suicide attempt. As expected, he lends a role in mending the troubles in the protagonist’s life and extracts the story for the public.

If we keep aside the dramatic and romantic scenes, the story attracted me for its theme. The story directly addresses the spirit of Indian youngsters in small towns, who dream to achieve high in lives. The novel also revolves around three intrigue factors that control the country-religion, business and cricket!  The rage for these three intrigue factors in India is depicted through three characters-Mama, Govind and Ishaan respectively.

In the race to achieve their goals in the interested fields, mistakes happen. Though the novel numbers the only the mistakes of Govind others are not free from mistakes too.  The question is, “Do these mistakes are really mistakes?” The answer changes in each one’s eyes. In any case, forgiveness takes much time. The words of Govind’s mother addressed to her son and Ishaan not only make them think but also make us contemplate on the mistakes and non- forgiveness in our life too.

“Life will have many setbacks. People close to you will hurt you. But you don’t break it off. You don’t hurt them more. You try to heal it. It is a lesson not only you, but our country needs to learn.” (p.255-256)

Overall, the book does justice to the time we invest in!

One night @the Call Center by Chetan Bhagat

The self hyped youth icon writer Chetan Bhagat seems to put a commendable effort to write his second novel One Night@ the Call Center. Setting the plot at a Call Center in Gugaon Chetan Bhagat tries to represent the life of the Indian youth work in this industry. 

In the beginning of the novel the writer assigns a task to the reader that should get an answer by the time he/she finishes reading the book. The novel has a prologue in which the writer appears himself to sow the seed.

The later part of the story progresses through the eyes of Shyam whom Chetan Bhagat chooses to be the protagonist.  The story progresses through the narration of Shyam that revolves around six Call center employees including him.  The narration progresses smoothly, highlighting the main problems of youngsters in corporate sectors- Dissatisfaction in job, daunting boss, love failure, domestic problems, the Damocles’ sword of lay off and so on.  Each one of them suffers either one or all these dilemmas until they chance meet to death face to face. It’s then they get the call from the God.

The call from the God certainly changes their lives. Their traumas in life find a way out and each one decides to write their own destiny. This is what I like the best in the book and what the God had suggested them for the success in life:

The fourth ingredient is the most painful one. And it is something that all of you still need to learn. Because it is often the most important thing,’ God said.

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‘....to be really successful, you must face failure. You have to experience it, feel it, taste it, suffer it. Only then can you shine.’ (p.233)

Also, the God tells them where to find him in need. Check inside yourself. If you’re hearing an inner voice that is none other’s but God’s own voice. The book was interesting till this point. Then all of sudden a miracle happened in Chetan Bhagat’s book also.

The later events in One Night@ the Call Center make the reader feel as if watching a Bollywood movie without any logic. When the characters toss each other telling that their normal talks are dramatic or cheesy or lame (p.261); the plot itself turned to be so dramatic. For instance, I can’t imagine people applaud a couple who created a scene and made a traffic block in the peak hours in a metro road. Chetan Bhagat has excused himself of the appearance of God to him by giving the reader the right to choose. I seriously doubt that Chetan Bhagat was planning to make this novel as movie as he reached the final chapters.

Chetan Bhagat intends to represent a major share of the present youngsters in India through this novel. However after reading the novel, I felt that he seems to represent the young men of India through this novel. His view on the lady characters in this novel is partial at times and loss total understanding. ‘Hello, what’s he trying to do?’  That’s exactly what I thought after reading some scenes in this novel.

The adaption of theme from areas unfamiliar to him, must have failed him at times. May be his attempt to successfully narrate the entire story in a short time span of 11 hours, must have put pitfalls in the plot. Definitely, this is not a great work from the writer who has written better books like Five Point Someone and 2 States. As a reader, I appreciate his genuine interest in reviving the Indian youth and his reader friendly writing style. But from the point of view from a literature lover, Chetan Bhagat has a long way to go.. .

Afterword: For the first time I might sound slightly scornful in my views. I am sorry but couldn’t help it!

2 States: The Story of My Marriage by Chetan Bhagat

When someone gets married in India, it’s not to another one individual that they are getting married but to an entire family! Yes, even in this age of modern technology, women empowerment, busy schedules and the new hype of spiritualism, the family dramas are still live, may be with a little more spice in it.  The love marriage, which are supposed to thrive well away from family interferences are also not saved from these dramas.  India’s bestseller writer Chetan Bhagat’s novel 2 States is all about the marriage dramas in India.

Taken excerpts from his own life, Chetan Bhagat narrates the initial trouble that any couple faces in a love marriage. Just like many other lovers in India, the hero and heroine-Krish and Ananya- have to face the basic but complex issues while they decide to get married. The problems may seem weird to anyone outside the India-they have to be loved by each other’s families, they have to combat the ego clashes between families, even being the same nationals they have to adjust the cultural issues and above all they have to keep their love alive in this battle to get married. 

Krish and Ananya eventually win their battle unlike many other lovers who fall apart during these dramas. The story is actually about their strategies to take their marriage to an occasion where their families smile over them. One in an Indian marriage can easily relate to their situations, even those who are in an arranged marriage.

 However I couldn’t stop wondering on one fact. Why marriages are so complex in India? Why families play such a critical, interfering and sometimes annoying role in one’s marital life?

Apart from the main theme, the book also give glimpses of some problems that today’s young generation faces such as family disputes, office politics, cultural discrimination, insecurity in love etc. There is also a part in the novel that put light on the increase of interest in spirituality among Indian youngsters.

Krish visits the Aurobindo Ashramam in Puducherry. It’s a unique experience for him as he opens up his hidden past to the Guruji at the Ashramam. Guruji asks Krish to forgive others who had hurt him in the past. To make this attempt easy the Guruji says:

Forgiving doesn’t make the person who hurts you feel better; it makes ‘you’ feel better. (p. 168)

What the Guruji advice Krish about the past traumas seems to be applicable to most of the readers too. Most of us have heavy bags of ‘anger, pain and loss’ on our heads. Guruji advices Krish:

Imagine you are wearing a thick cloak that is wearing you down. Pardon the hurt that the others caused you. What they did is past. What is bothering today are your current feelings that come from this load. Let it go. (p.169)

Wow! I just loved the book for this advice if for nothing else. 

 The Guruji’s advice revives Krish for some aspects in life for sure. However the later parts of the book also give the thought that life is never easy. Krish cannot apply this advice at many times in his life and there come many hurdles in his way of union with Ananya. Well, I think it’s same with most of us, who tend to forget some soothing advices in critical situations in life.

Overall, 2 States focuses on a major topic for the Indians to discuss-the complexities in Indian marriages. Why it is so complex to get married if you belong to different states, or languages, or religions even after being an Indian? Why should there be racism and prejudice between the people in the same country? Why should there be a rat race between states in the same country to become superior to one another? Krish and Ananya decide not to elope and Krish tell his ideas clearly while stating that elopement is easy but do not curtail the issues

Yes, this stupid biases and discrimination are the reason our country is so screwed up. It’s Tamil first, Indian later. It’s Punjabi first, Indian later. It has to end. (p.102)

I am not intending to say much about the writing style and language that Chetan Bhagat has used in this novel. I read this book with a short span of two days just in time that I finish any easy reading book that doesn’t require much to ponder on. It was just hilarious for me since I’ve witnessed many real life incidents as quoted in this book. The book definitely helped me to look at these real life dramas in a humorous way for some time at least!