The NDTV Dialogues With Chetan Bhagat: Full Transcript

New Delhi: On The NDTV Dialogues, author Chetan Bhagat interacts with an audience of young people, answering questions on his new book 'Half Girlfriend'.

Following is the full transcript of his interaction:

NDTV: Good evening and welcome to The NDTV Dialogues, a conversation of ideas. And tonight with me is a man of ideas, Chetan Bhagat, who has redefined literature, publishing and the whole art of communication. He's out now with his new book, 'Half Girlfriend' and he joins us tonight with an audience of young people, who in a sense Chetan, are your driving force. Thanks for being here and tell us a bit about 'Half Girlfriend'.

Chetan Bhagat: Well thank you. Thank you so much for having me here, thank you all of you for skipping college for me. I am sure that you needed an excuse so you got it. Well 'Half Girlfriend' is my new book, that's coming. It has taken me 3 years to write it. And it's about it's a love story about a rural boy from Bihar who doesn't speak English well. And he falls in love with a girl in Stephens, which I understand it was your alma mater too, who speaks English very well. And the issues that come with it. Essentially it explores class in our society and how English has become the new class system. Varying degrees of English put you in various classes in society. And how that can impact relationships, work, career everything. So that's what 'Half Girlfriend' is all about.

NDTV: Chetan you said it's a love story but I think the whole class aspect is fascinating because your timing is usually perfect. You have managed to actually mirror a whole struggle we've seen come into focus much more with the new Government taking over, whether it's been a much more of a sense of Hindi as our national language and this actual reverse snobbery, some would say, that the English elite is outdated and we are not in tune with the new India where aspirations can be dreamt, thought and can be done in Hindi.

Chetan Bhagat: I actually disagree with both the groups. Whether it's English Nazi's or Hindi Nazi's. I don't like either of these extreme uses. In fact I feel for the people who at least, I think, Hindi should be; Hindi is our mother tongue, it is there in our movies and music. But it is not at the cost of English. English is no longer a choice. Everybody needs to know English to rise up in life today. And that is a fact. And that is my goal also actually in the country. I want every slum dwellers kid also to do one day know English, read English and therefore buy my books. And I think....

NDTV: That's irony. Your books are in English.

Chetan Bhagat: Yes they are in English. I think everybody needs in English and I think what 's happening is even within that English. There is no one English. There are some of us who are very lucky, who were born in families where English was spoken. There were English books around, English newspapers used to come. And people, I would count myself also as one of those, we speak a different kind of English. We think in English also sometimes. And that's the difference. And then there is the rest of India, which tried its best to learn the English because they needed to. But they may not speak it so well. And it shows, you know. So it's no longer English versus Hindi. So English versus not so good English, and there are these very good English speaking people which are the Brahmins. And then you have the lower class who know English, but they cannot fluently talk in a TV show and or watch NDTV like this. So I think they feel very judged. They feel it's their country and there is one language which they kind of know but because they don't speak it in the way the Brahmins speak they don't get access to the world of jobs, of relationships or culture. For example let me ask the girls, and be totally honest, how important is it for a guy you date to speak English with. Is it important? Raise your hands if it's important.

NDTV: Why is it important? I want to ask this girl because you are from Bihar. Why is it important for a boy to speak English because perhaps not everyone in Bihar can speak....

Chetan Bhagat: Yes, shouldn't he just love you? I mean why just English?

Girl 1: In the long run love doesn't matter. Some way it is important. If you are introducing him to someone then obviously that matters that who you are dating.

Chetan Bhagat: Okay so the girl here just said the guy has to be presentable. So if you speak English you are presentable. If you are not you are not presentable?

Girl 2: Somewhere when you show him to your parents so then they will say see yourself and see him. So you should be presentable in that sense.

Chetan Bhagat: So you are putting yourself as if you are superior he is, because, no, no, it's okay. We are just discussing. Let's not get personal. When you say that when your parents will say look at you versus look at him, aapko dekho, uski aukaat ko dekho. (See your status and see his status) And the aukaat (Status) is described by English.

NDTV: That's interesting, as we just said, about changing India. And India when we say a chaaiwala is now a Prime Minister. Mr Modi takes pride on speaking Hindi. I want to get the boys in .Why don't you come in this Hindi-English thing.

Boy 1: I think about is, yes talking about the relationship of a boy girl thing. I personally think a girl won't date me, if I can't speak English. And also...

Chetan Bhagat: Even if you are intelligent, successful, accomplished, nice, caring, loving?

Boy 1: Everything, I mean everything. Exactly that's how our society has been. That is how it is growing as such. English is a part of our culture now. We are studying in Delhi University, we are studying in good colleges, English is something that we need to know.

NDTV: Why don't you go ahead? You wanted to ask something.

Boy 2: My question basically for you is, Sir the protagonist of your upcoming book, he basically speaks Hindi. So basically, main ye puchna chahta hoon ki koi bandi jo ladka ache se baat karta hai, uske saath baat hi kyu nahi karte? (I want ask you that why girls don't just talk with the guys who talk decently?)

Chetan Bhagat: That's what I am also, that's what baffled me. And you know, I will tell you one thing Sonia. When I started writing the whole idea, I was an English language author. And everybody said that now you should go to London. Get an agent and try all that. I started speaking in Hindi in places. Because that's how, I was from Delhi and I've switched to both languages. And I started writing for a Hindi paper. I write for Dainik Bhaskar. I write movies in Hindi. And they said what are you doing, this will destroy your image. How can an English language; you no longer will be considered cool. But I said I think I will be cool if I am myself and that should be reason enough. But I was equally baffled. Jo aap keh rahe ho ki, girlfriend bhi nahi mil rahi hai. Naukri nahi mil rahi hai wo alag baat hai. Aage vansh kaise chalega matlab, you know, Hindi bolne waalo ka? (Like you were saying, not even getting a girlfriend. Not getting a job is a different issue. How will the generations continue to go on for the Hindi-speaking people?)

NDTV: But they said also about hypocrisy, because you've talked about Bollywood and apparently in the current beat some actresses actually learn their Hindi lines in Roman because they can't speak Hindi. Because we want to watch our movies in Hindi, we want to think in English. We want to romance in Hindi. We want to marry in English. Doesn't make sense.

Chetan Bhagat: You want to love in English. You want to surround yourselves with English speaking people. You want to consider yourselves as presentable. And you know, someone in society and look down on people. And it really bothered me. I thought that is why I need to do the book. And if an English language author does that, if an English language author shows compassion to a hero who doesn't speaks English well, I think that will really touch people. That is where this was born and I must say that even today I was baffled that every girl said, I will not date a guy if he doesn't speaks English. May be it's an instinct, maybe they know a guy who speaks English well will also do well in life later on. Is that somewhere in back of your minds? It's important that aage chal kar kya karega? (What will he do in life ahead?)

NDTV: But it's true also that this is an order in Delhi University. Again a thing that dichotomy, the message you send out. If your premiere university teaches in English it's presumed that's the language they should know. So it's a dichotomy, the mix of signals that we send out. But when we talk about your books Chetan, and it was interesting as I saw critics or I saw the publisher described it as the era of BC, which was the publishing was 'before Chetan' and 'after Chetan'. And I think the impact, I think you have redefined literature in a sense and maybe one day you will see a Chetan Bhagat book on a curriculum in Delhi University as well. Because what is literature? When you look at that you are in a sense that, you are the Bollywood star.

Chetan Bhagat: I hope Smritiji is listening to this.

NDTV: I hope, I think Smritiji will approve of it.

Chetan Bhagat: Go for it. I'll remove all the bad words. And then it will go. You can cut out, you can fast forward those things also.

NDTV: I know when I did English literature we were taught Chaucer, I am sure Chetan Bhagat will be more relevant to an English literature student than Chaucer, now at least.

Chetan Bhagat: It's a classic debate that, now, that what is literature and the people who control these curriculum? I am sorry to say that the people who control our academia have certain elitist notions of what literature should be and it will be some British classics. That is good English. Whereas here is a guy who is writing in English and millions of people are connecting to it, are waiting for his books and feeling, finding, you found yourself in the story for some reason. They will find themselves. For them it's too commonplace to be taught, that is something to do with the same elitism that controls English. The small section which controls English and people who you are. For example, you don't know physics well and I know physics .You don't know the 2nd law of motion or the 3rd law of motion of Newton. I am not going to laugh at you. But if someone mispronounces a word in English we laugh in his face. It's not even our language. Maybe he was born in a small town, where he didn't have English teachers. But look there is so much scorn and there is so much sneering and I don't think it's right. I am going to end it and I am going to end it by saying that it's okay It's just a language. And people are learning it not because they love the language but they are doing it to get ahead in life and everybody has the right to do that. So forget, I mean it's very far ahead that my books will become a part of the curriculum. First we have to just accept that English doesn't mean a kind of British Queen's English, which nobody speaks in England now. It merely means we need to drop the level. And make it simple, comprehensive and articulate English. I am not saying have mistakes, error and...

NDTV: But means of communication.

Chetan Bhagat: Yes just a simple communication, simple English is enough. Do not judge people beyond that and say, that oh you speak very good English and you speak very less good English. As long as someone is clear that's okay. That doesn't mean you will send messages in SMS languages that I don't understand. That's not what I am talking. Simplicity.

NDTV: Are there any English literature students here? So what, when you look at the literature, when you read, say you read a Chetan Bhagat book, do you see?

Chetan Bhagat: Are you even allowed to read Chetan Bhagat? Do they look down upon my books in your literature department?

Audience: NO.

NDTV: Do you ever discuss the sensation? In fact it is cool to read books because otherwise I know that English literature is often considered as only nerdy reads books. Does it give you a certain coolness to read it?

Girl 3: At some point yes, some point yes.

Chetan Bhagat: The books don't need to be cool, and they can't be fun. Books have to be serious, right? They have to be serious. And I can't even be sarcastic. And we must read books that bore us to sleep because then it is good literature. Is that correct? Is that what the thinking is?

NDTV: No but one, there is one other thinking Chetan, why people say this. Okay fine we think that Chetan Bhagat is a sensation because his books exist. But is it worrying that people are only going to read the Chetan Bhagat books and that's the definition for all of literature for them? They don't go, they may not challenge themselves with any harder literature. They won't get into some other concept or to look into the whole variety because you are one part of it. Then there are many others.

Chetan Bhagat: No I don't think so. Firstly I can't write that fast. I write one book every 3 years. So they will read it and they will have plenty of time to wait for my next book when you are saying he is just a Chetan Bhagat reader. They do pick up other books but yes, maybe they won't move to I mean to Chaucer, you know War and Peace so soon. But it will make the mint of the bookstore, they will pick up another book, maybe they will read a few things. And I never said I am applying for a job to make everybody read every book. I am only writing my books, and if people like them, they are reading them. And that's all there is to it. I mean you cannot say that I am causing them to not read any other books. They won't have them anyway.

NDTV: How important is the whole concept now? You think of when you talked about class, how important? We have talked about English and Hindi and the whole snobbery or the whole domination, perhaps sometimes use of one language over the other. But when you look at what's happening now, when we see changing aspirations in India; we have of course talked about St Stephens in the news, the College President, that actually a boy who had studied in a Hindi medium school, but he campaigned in Hindi and he won the college election. So India is changing. And how do you see the change? As a positive change as mine is better than yours? But it is a forward positive thinking change.

Chetan Bhagat: I think it is changing and I think it is not sustainable that we have these elite English people. And they will decide who is good and who is not; what is cool and what is not. And then the rest of us don't deserve it because we didn't pronounce a word clearly. That is why people like me are taking stances like this. That is why Mr Modi is the Prime Minister today. Because true coolness does not come from a language. If language made people cool, than Britishers would be very cool, right, but they are not cool. What makes people cool is your conviction. Your passion, your belief in yourself and that can be in any language. That could be in sign language also. You can still do it. I mean why does Mr Modi end up inspiring so many people. He hardly spoke English. But I am sure many girls would have voted for him. And Rahul speaks very good English. That's not a joke he does. I mean I am just saying...

NDTV: But I just talked about St Stephens, almost a character in your book, snobbery there and the new St Stephens College Union President is Rohit Kumar Yadav, who won by an unprecedented 135 votes, who studied in Allahabad. He got into St Stephens College because his father is a gardener there. But he campaigned in Hindi and he managed it. Rohit Yadav joins us on the line now. Rohit can you hear me?

Rohit: Yes ma'am, yes ma'am

Chetan Bhagat: Hum aapse ye janna chah rhe hai ki aap jaise jyadatar Hindi bolte ho ab maine book me bhi likha hai, Stephens aisa college hai jahan ghaas bhi English me ugti hai to aapke liye kaisa tha? Aapko kabhi aisa feel hua ki aapko judge ho rha hai, ya aapko kabhi mushqil hui is wajah se ya kayi baar aapko logo ne inferiority ki feeling di? aur aapne ise kaise overcome kiya? (We want to know like generally you speak in Hindi, like I have written in my book also. Stephens is such a college that there even grass also grows in English, So how was it for you? Did you ever feel like you were judged? Or did you encounter any complexity due to this or like people tried to show you as inferior to them? And how did you overcome that?)

NDTV: Main bhi St. Stephens se hoon par main bhi Hindi me bol sakti hoon to (Even I am from St Stephens, but I can also speak in Hindi.) So whatever Chetan said, exactly the same. Go ahead.

Rohit:Mereko aisa nahi hai ki samajhne me problem hoti hai. Koi problem nahi hoti. Aur reply bhi kar sakta hoon par thoda sa kahin na kahin wo hota hai na,ki kahin ek America ka bachcha baitha diya jaye aur kahin pe ek Allahabad aur aisi kisi jagah se la ke rakh diya jaye. To uske baad achanak se mahol change ho jata hai. Jo mahol hota hai us cheez ko follow nahi kar pate log. Bas yahin thoda sa different hota hai.Yahin kehna chahta hoon is cheez me.(Yes, so I want to say that there is no big problem. Even now I understood the question. The only problem was that it wasn't coming clear on the phone. It's not like that I find it difficult to understand. I don't face any problem. And I can even reply. But somewhere in some places it happens that if we bring two kids, one from America and other from Allahabad or any other random place, then suddenly things change. Whatever be the conditions people tend to not follow them. That's the only difference. That's all I want to say on this.)

NDTV:Par Rohit (But Rohit)

Rohit: Ek government school ka bachcha aur ek DPS school ka bachcha shayad fark lagega, uski English ki language me to pakka fark lagega, main ye bolna chahta hoon (I want to say that there would be difference between a kid from a government school and a kid from DPS school, definitely in the English language they speak)

NDTV: Rohit kya aap sochte ho ki jaise aapne kaha tha ki Shashi Tharoor ji, Dr. Qureshi ji ne sab aapko badhai di aur tweet bhi kiya tha aapke bare me ki aap kya sochte ho ki abhi St. Stephens College India, isme abhi change aa gya hai ki log ye nahi mante hai ki sirf English bolna hi sabse bada qualification hai? (Rohit do you think like you said that Shashi Tharoor, Dr Qureshi congratulated you and tweeted about you, that what do you think that now St. Stephens College India, is there any changes as they believed or they think knowing English is not the biggest qualification?)

Rohit: Yes ma'am,

NDTV: Acha to abhi aap College Union ke President to hain abhi. English wali girlfriend bhi hai aap TV pe keh sakte hai ya nahi? (Right, so now you are the President of the College Union. Do you have any English-speaking girlfriend? Can you say that on TV?)

Rohit: Ma'am meri girlfriend to koi nahi hai, to main kuch bhi nahi keh sakta iske bare me. (Ma'am, no one is my girlfriend, so I can't say anything about it)

Chetan Bhagat:Aapki girlfriend kyu nahi hai Rohit? (Why don't you have any girlfriend?)

Rohit: Mereko lagta hai ki shayad aur logo ki tarah in sab cheezo pe vishwash rakhna chahiye jo aapko saalo saal pyaar de sake. Ye nahi ki matlab 6 din ke liye ya 1 mahine ke liye bana lo uske baad choor do. Ma'am vo bahut hurt wali baatein hoti hain. Mere bas ki nahi hai Sir. koi aake degi ki haan hum future tak ja sakte hain kuch criteria clear kare tab to main ja ke accept kar sakta hoon. Waise nahi ki aap 2 mahine ke liye saath me raho aur phir choor do, bahut mushkil hota hai wo saari cheeze. (According to me, like the other people we must believe on someone who will love you forever. Not like being in relationship for 6 days or a month and then leave. Ma'am, those are hurtful things. It's not my cup of tea. If someone will come and assure that we can be together in the future or clear their criteria then I will accept. Not like being together for 2 months then break up. Those things are very complex.)

NDTV: Rohit thank you very much Rohit, thank you for joining us. Thank you Rohit. He was great.

Chetan Bhagat: He was great and for all the girls there are still guys who are looking for a commitment.

Girl 4: Sir I have a question regarding the recently UPSC upset. Because we all from Delhi University and am sure many civil services aspirants are here. And the recent trend, the thing, which was going on about the removal of the compulsory English part, what do you have to say on that Sir? I mean do you support the movement? Or are you against it? That yes English should be there or English should not be there, because Sir, it's disadvantage for all the people who are good in English, basically.

NDTV: Do you mix up shamanism also, is that about my language and you know like.

Chetan Bhagat: Yes, I don't think it's about that. I think like I said. My belief is you need both. And if it's the top-level job in the country, you need both. But it should not; it should be a minimum threshold. Like a TOEFL exam, like if you cleared that, nobody will ever ask you whether you speak English well or not. Nobody will say does this guy speak better or not. How can you test for English anyway? I feel personally, my school of thought for English personally, the simpler the words you use the better your English. That is how I think but that is not how a lot of teachers in India think. They say that his English is very good. He uses very big vocabulary words. How is that good English? That's terrible English because it's not reaching people. That's good memory.

NDTV: But that's for Hindi as well. Like you would have seen that the Sanskritized Hindi,.the Hindi's that nobody speaks anymore .

Chetan Bhagat: Correct. So it shouldn't get to that degree. 33 percent will be decided by the proficiency in English. That I feel is unfair because a lot of people in India do not have access to that English. They may be 1st generation but yes, minimum IELT types or TOEFL types exam today is okay, I know English. Now don't test me on it. Test me on other things. I think that should be the case.

NDTV: Language is such a crucial issue in India. We have talked so much about Hindi but you know already there in the southern states etc there is already a sense of, is it threatening our culture? So when we look at India, the whole Bharat versus India debate, which often comes up, does what your book say, or perhaps what you are saying most eloquently is that India is not about 1 language and we need to actually co-exist. Because that's where I think that the message has been diluted, which is going out today in Indian polity.

Chetan Bhagat: I think because we turn it political it has to become A versus B. So it has become Tamil versus Hindi or Hindi versus English or Tamil versus English and so on and so forth. There are endless permutations and combinations here in India, whereas it doesn't matter. And I think we, as long as we are proud of ourselves, we will be a mixture of cultures. I mean I can enjoy English music and I can enjoy Hindi music. And I do both. I am on this English show and I also will write a Hindi movie script. And I don't think it changes anything and we shouldn't get caught up in taking sides. I think cultures will remain if we are proud of ourselves and if we do well as a nation. If you become a rich country we will preserve our culture. If you become a developed country, a sensible country, all our culture will remain. But if we just feel ashamed of ourselves, if we blindly follow English or if you rundown or if you become Hindi Nazi's and say we will not let you learn English, how will that preserve culture? That's not going to happen.

NDTV: Is perhaps the biggest hypocrisy the fact that government schools teach in Hindi and private schools teach in English, so it is almost a disadvantage I don't know, so are there any children, any students from Hindi medium schools? Are there any students from Hindi medium schools? None. Is that the biggest irony that we just somehow ignore the children in government schools and they are taught in Hindi and how will they compete at college and other levels?

Chetan Bhagat: You know this is our inferiority complex as a nation, we have been ruled as a colony. We have not had any of our own people who would have said listen, hum hain,(we are) that we are Indians, who we are and we will be proud of ourselves. That's what Mr Modi has been able to achieve to a certain extent now. And he is trying to, but because of this mentality of inferiority, if a white man walks into this room we will all take him too seriously. Yes or no? We are like that. We like white, we like English you know and it's very wrong. And it's about time we change that. We accept who we are and are brown and we have Hindi or Tamil or whatever be the main language. We have to learn English for our jobs and everything and lets be comfortable with that, I think.

Girl 5: I think that diverting from the language politics I would like to ask you what this word, 'Half Girlfriend' actually means?

Chetan Bhagat: Yes, so there's two aspects to this. One is of course the class system, but the second aspect is the casual nature of the relationships that I've spotted in the last decade or so. You don't have like this boy. We were laughing because he was one of those rare breed of men left who is looking for true love, because he said everyone is doing 2 months, 1 month; I don't want it, right? He's a little old school that way

NDTV: Even Rohit Yadav wants that.

Chetan Bhagat: That's so he wants long, lasting love. Aren't you seeing a lot many people, they are a little more than friends, but they are not dating with each other. They are not boyfriend-girlfriend. So that I think society needs a term to explain this. And legitimize this.

NDTV: Is this the desi (Indian) version of friend's with benefits, not really?

Chetan Bhagat: Depends how you look at it, right. It depends how you look at it. Glass is half full or half empty, which half are you talking about? Are you talking of the benefits half or are you talking that, no, we are emotionally close but not physically close? It's very nebulous. Aadha, aadha (half, half), is a very Indian way of when you say, you know, it's approximation, so not exactly. So what it means it is a zone between friendship and relationship. Which seems to be increasingly common. Because of the social media you can be close to several people. It's like half infidelity. Most you know, it's very fascinating to me and I thought I will talk about it and that's why the term has caught on so fast. No other book of mine has a title that has caught on so fast. And people are actually using it and...

NDTV: What are, what struck these, because this is an audience who are a completely random audience and I've asked them that how many of you have read a Chetan Bhagat book? So that's 100 percent almost.

Chetan Bhagat: And how many of you have heard about my new upcoming book 'Half Girlfriend', everybody knows.

NDTV: I think that's really the phenomenon, why would you read, I mean I am not asking the literature students, but why would you, for instance this young boy in the, would you read a Chetan Bhagat book and what did you find what you liked about it?

Boy 3: It's this. It connects me with my life. The book connects with my life very easily, I can find it, like it's very related to my day to day life.

NDTV: Have you read any other books, authors in English? Have you read any?

Boy 3: No, only Chetan Bhagat's book.

NDTV: That's amazing. Chetan, for you advertising...

Chetan Bhagat: I would naturally. You please read others. Okay please. Baaki bhi paadho yaar. (Read others too)

NDTV: No. Go ahead. Yes.

Boy 4: Yes I know but you should read others, I mean it's very flattering.

Boy 3: I am so much connected to you that I can't read others.

Chetan Bhagat: We are not in a relationship.

NDTV: What did you find connected to your life?

Chetan Bhagat: It's okay, I will let you have it.

Boy 3: Like the book is about a Bihari boy, and I am a Bihari boy, so it's again a connection for me.

Chetan Bhagat: Is baar to bahut hi zyada ho gaya (This time it's too much).

NDTV: You wanted to ask a question?

Boy 4: Your previous book '2 States' was about cultural aspects and the 'Revolution 2020' was about the love triangle. And now it's about one-sided love. What inspires you to write so complicated love stories?

Chetan Bhagat: You know for me, I mean there are different writers. And for example JK Rowling is amazing at fantasy world. And I can't do that. I can't imagine. There are some writers who write crime very well, murders and this and that and they all are very fascinating. For me ordinary life is fascinating. For me ordinary, the most ordinary relations are fascinating. Like the other day I heard, I saw a driver SMS a maid asking, do you want to go for a movie? It's not something we imagine or happen right in the parking lot? Some driver is sent on the 5th floor and that maid got that message and the maid told the 4th floor maid it was a big hungama (chaos) happening. But when they are working at home, they are pretending that hanji ye lo phulka bana lo (Yes, here make the bread) and all that. But they are messaging and major relationship politics going on there. So to me that's fascinating. I think it's a great time to be a writer in India because so much is changing, and to capture that for me is it. So every time like I said I am seeing this nebulous nature of 'Half Girlfriend'. Then I wrote a book on corruption. I felt even love is getting corrupted, so that was a three way kind of story. And then '2 States' was on our community, 'Kai Po Che' was on religion, '5.1' on education. So I like, I find Indian society very fascinating. And I think a love story is also a very interesting way to get people interested. If I told you my next book is about rural happenings in Bihar, they will be like okay we will read it next year. But they won't say it's 'Half Girlfriend', it's like boom, Boom, idhar lao (bring it here). And then now, when you will read it, you will know everything about rural happenings in Bihar but you will not even feel it. It is so much in the backdrop. So the love is the marketing tool in a way. I'll be very honest with you. I write it to bring out issues in society but I don't want it to be boring. And I am good at understanding relationships, so I just mix it all up so that's the formula if you call it.

NDTV: Do only young people read your book or do you ever get, is this your demographic? Or do you find people, older people, reading your book?

Chetan Bhagat: No, I once had an 85 years old uncle who is coming and saying, you know you wrote 5 point someone' and it's really good, I really liked it. So I was like, you, really so old and I said, Uncle I am really honoured that you read my book. He said that is fine just tell, me what happened to Neha? So it was a bizarre thing, 85-year man more interested in that love affair. He doesn't care about the age difference and so the mind never ages you know. So now you do find, because I write columns the column readers often pick up my books. And maybe you guys sometimes read my column, maybe you don't read every column of mine. So there is a little bit spread but of course it's broadly it's the 18-40 range that reads my books.

Girl 6: Sir now that you have taken a stand that Hindi, English it should be your, going on parallel. So why don't you think of translating your books?

Chetan Bhagat: It is, we are. Some of them are translated. Movie will be in Hindi.

NDTV: Why don't you write in Hindi?

Chetan Bhagat: I can't write the humour, I can't capture it so well in Hindi. In a writing I can maybe talk, but in a script and all I have actors and all that.to ho jata hai' (So it happens) in fact. But the book is a big limitation, because I can't show the boy talking in Bhojpuri in the book. But in the movie I can. So in some ways both will bring their own charm to it. But yes, I am very aware I feel the responsibility of, it's a very unusual thing but I think to protect Hindi.

NDTV: We talked Chetan about this Hindi-English divide and the class and the cool thing. But also about the government, perhaps that is happening politically as well. Hindi is associated with conservatism. Also I think what was interesting was the article that you wrote on Section 377 and then the BJP needs to make it stand clear. Not be a stereotype like this party with traditional notions. We are now seeing this whole concept of 'Love Jihad'. This seems odd for people

Chetan Bhagat: It sounds like a bad title for my book.

NDTV: Exactly. So you supported Mr Modi for his development politics in a sense, but when we see terms like Love Jihad being used, when you see the BJP stand on 377, what do you want to say as a young Indian, because you have been in touch with so many Indians out there?

Chetan Bhagat: I think, apart from that, there is in fact a very funny term of Jihad, it's bad because it's, how can you say that. Firstly who are you to talk of about who falls in love with whom. Firstly you are nobody to comment on anybody. Then you are judging that two people fall in love and if they are from different religions then it is an agenda there. And that's a hell of an agenda there. Marry a girl just to convert her. Right, I mean it's so bizarre these theories. But it is disturbing that the BJP is still so insecure. The people have given them such a big mandate, but they are still so insecure to sit there, there are a lot of conservative people who voted for them. And I think they are still insecure about upsetting them. That is why they know that Section 377 should be decriminalized, should be there. They know that all this love jihad things are nonsense. But they don't go overtly and attack them because they feel they will upset a section of our voters. But it is damaging for India. We give them the voice they make it to TV. And these are fringe, loony voices that have no place in our society. What we do want to be. All of us want India to be a major nation of the world. But with nautanki (drama) like this, and the government they are not supporting it, but they are not opposing it either. And I think they should oppose it. I think they should.

NDTV: What's interesting also, recent surveys have shown that, I would like to throw some light on it, that young people in India today are actually more conservative than before. That is not, even though your books have talked a lot about, often that love across barriers whether it is states, whether it is caste, you haven't done an inter-religious book yet. But we have talked love breaking barriers but how young people are more conservative than before. Do you find that? Would again a random survey, I don't know how truthful it will be on television, of people here marry out of caste, marry of different religion, do you think it is still a taboo? You will marry? It's happening?

Girl 7: There comes a point about parents as well, we as younger generations. We are thinking something else and about our parents still a taboo. You know like about your caste. Caste is still acceptable, but beyond religion it's again a big trouble.
 
Chetan Bhagat: Also it is a very modern Delhi University audience. Yes I know what you are saying, there is a polarizing that is occurring and I don't know. That's why I wonder whether the Internet is opening our minds or closing them. Because Internet opens mind and gives you access to all views. But what happens is, I was just seeing something yesterday and there was something called a 'filter bubble'. Which is basically if someone supports your views you will keep going back to those articles, keep going back to that writer, going back to that site. Someone doesn't, you will ignore it or if someone is in your language you will keep reading that; not read that and over the time your Facebook feed has been filtered by you. It may not look like it is filtered, but it's filtered, so it allows. So if I have a Love Jihad concept, I will find 100 people who also feel that yes, love jihad is very bad. And they will all gang up and you find support in the most conservative voices also. So I don't know today if this social media is opening our minds or actually closing it, because I find a mob for the wildest of ideas. And that is something we all need to realize as individuals. That I, for example, in my case it happens, a lot of journalists say but Chetan on Twitter everybody hates your books. But how can everybody be, how can the millions be selling then? Because the people who are following each other they all feel like this is everybody. But it is not everybody. So similarly it's not like everybody loves my books. Because those people are like we love Chetan's books. So I found it in my case and even more happening in religion and in politics. Everything Apple versus Android, you take anything. You find groups forming, mobs forming and minds becoming narrower. And I think you need to realize that. Don't fall into the trap of thinking everybody thinks like me, No, everybody doesn't think like you. And it's okay if they don't think like you. They are not morons. That's the other thing on Twitter. If people think like you it's great, Yay, you know, you also support my candidate. They don't, oh he is a moron. Why? Why can't he have a different point of view? Why does it have to be your view or moron? I mean that's not correct right?

NDTV: But we are finally at the end of the show and I think that's a really great message to end. But I have to ask you Chetan, tell me a little bit about, because you have surprised everybody, You have surprised yourself also on the various things you have done, write books plus being a motivational speaker. Many would ask that why not politics? You obviously feel strongly about, you have views about, why not politics?

Chetan Bhagat: I, in some ways I feel that I am in politics. Like when I am talking here about Hindi versus English I am talking politics, it's just not petty politics. And I think my neutrality is my biggest strength. If I had entered as a BJP guy or a Congress guy or a AAP guy, whatever guy you would be seeing me as that. And I think that is one big concern for me. Second is it's too much hard work.

NDTV: Writing books are hard work?

Chetan Bhagat: It's okay. You know I can sit in Starbucks and write and I cannot write, I can write at my own pace. I know our like is to politicians but lot of work, man, it's a lot of work. And the ministers I know, some of them they are working so hard, 9-12 every night. And it's like I like to have other things in life too.

NDTV: But you addressed, because it was interesting, that Piyush Goyal asked you to address the sector, officials that must have been a meeting of two different worlds. How did they react to you, Chetan and vice versa?

Chetan Bhagat: Yes, It was the toughest motivation lecture I have taken. To motivate government babus' minds, now try doing that. But Piyush, you know Piyush knows me from Mumbai. We were friends there and he said would you like to do it? And I said okay, I will try. I did it and I was kind of, I was trying to be frank and you they are all Secretaries and they are all more accomplished and more older than me. So I am not going to tell them, preach to them. I just told them my journey. But they were receptive, even though they were skeptical of the politician. And I told that and I think that's a good step and we have ministers today who are working on very hard. I don't lust for power. I never needed it. As long as there is a good government I am more than happy. And the problem is no government stays good forever. Power, there is something as the famous Ms. Gandhi has said to her son, 'power is poison. And I don't know, I don't want to be poisoned. I am listening to Soniaji.

NDTV: I don't think you ever listen Chetan, but you never know.

Chetan Bhagat: You never know Sonia. But I think people who read my books and they don't want, do you want me to join politics?

Audience: NO

NDTV: Why not?

Chetan Bhagat: Okay one, from Bihar wants me.

NDTV: As I always see that smaller towns know these politicians as much as metros do. Which is interesting.

Chetan Bhagat: But why see the anonymous. Why do you think I should not?

Audience 1: Absolute power corrupts.

NDTV: Power now is reduced as much it used to be.

Audience 1: But still when you are in power you are a changed man. Power changes you. Youth gets good thoughts from your writings.

Chetan Bhagat: But what is wrong in joining politics? I am not talking for myself. That clearly means even you guys don't want to join politics. But...

Audience 1: If you join a particular group then the other party readers might hate you. They won't like you. If you join BJP, then the Congress supporters won't like you. They would say that okay, Chetan Bhagat is a BJP leader we won't like him. So that happens.

Chetan Bhagat: That's marketing strategy. I think it is very interesting to get your thoughts. Yes I think there are pros and cons, because I can, people like me can influence some change. But actually to make change happen people have to join politics. I am not ready for it right now because, like I said, I need my neutrality. And if you get a chance ever and I would say, always have a plan B with politics, okay, because it's a very risky thing. Don't ditch that profession. I think a lot about professions, I think there had been a lot of change and a lot of good work that happens there. And it's not just one party that is doing all the good work. All parties are doing, so it gets very negative and everybody attacks the other. But yes, I think it's a good, I don't want to rule out that option. But I'm not anytime soon.

NDTV: And anytime soon you are going to be busy with the movie of this book. And are we ever going to see now, Chetan you have seen the movie first and the book later. You never know.

Chetan Bhagat: No how can that be?

NDTV: As you did for 'Kick'

Chetan Bhagat: Kick was per script. I might do some screenplays but yes Bollywood has been, I have been very lucky. It's very hard to crack Bollywood, but there you know, I am seen as an intellectual. Yes, I know

NDTV: I am not laughing at it, don't think I was. I think you are smarter than most people I know to have done this by the way, Chetan and I am honest about that. Yes, definitely what you have achieved is way smarter than most I know.

Chetan Bhagat: Thank you Thank you, it's very kind of you but I've been very lucky also. But in the literary community I am also seen as a very popular literature guy, but in Bollywood people in parties say, you know I should do something more intellectual, I am going to work with Chetan now. I mean which Chetan? Who, because I am not an intellectual guy? But for them just a book writer is intellectual.

NDTV: And as we end, we are out of the time now, but finally Chetan does it feel, the stage you have achieved now does it feel good? When you think back to the editor who rejected you, when you still, I have to say, even snobbery about your books has gone down dramatically, does it feel, do you feel in a sense of satisfaction that, chalo maine dikha diya? (Finally I've done it).

Chetan Bhagat: Yes, to be honest. It's very interesting that one of the editors who rejected me, I, when my first book came out I had no dreams of becoming a big writer, just that finally somebody published my book '5 Point Someone'. Because the next day I went, because I had to harass that editor who rejected my book, I just went to the editor in the publishing house and asked the security guard to call her, I just wanted to give her the book. And say, listen the story is complete, it's done, it's published, thank you, you also tried. It's okay. So, but she didn't come to the door. And you know, I would have gone back to my bank job and because she didn't come to the door. I said, I will show her. And one day her whole office came to my door to sign me on. But I didn't go. Am still with Rupa and life comes a full circle you know. You just have to keep trying. Just have honest intentions and I really have written this book because rural India was very important to me. I was super scared that people will find, but it's the maximum buzz is for this book. Whether it is the title or whatever, it is nuts, it's, I am so happy that I did it. And I told you about the Bill Gates thing right? That Bill Gates Foundation is a big part of this book. And nobody knows this yet, I just told you. But three days ago I got a call that Bill Gates is visiting. We will like you to meet him and interview him and from the Foundation and they have no idea what the book is. So it's all divine stuff here.

NDTV: Well it is the book I have enjoyed the most. And I hope everybody who reads it enjoys it as much. But Chetan Bhagat, thank you so much for talking with us today and thank you for coming in. Thank you.