- Chetan Bhagat called his own work and himself overrated
- The author said he would be beaten up if he took someone else's name
- Mr Bhagat also said he admires Gulzar and Javed Akhtar
In a self-effacing moment, author and columnist Chetan Bhagat pointed the finger at his own work and himself when he was asked about the most overrated book ever written.
Answering rapid-fire questions on the sidelines of NDTV's Creators' Manch on Friday, Mr Bhagat also spoke about the authors he admires, whether AI can replace writers, and why writing in the mountains is not his cup of tea.
On the most overrated book ever written, the author was given the option of skipping the question, but he said, "I'm thinking... It's mine. If I say someone else's, I'll get beaten up."
"Any specific book?" he was asked, and he replied, "You know, I'm overrated. I'm overrated... It's okay, it's good, but I don't know... the reality is that there are better writers."
As the banter continued, Mr Bhagat was asked if there are Indian authors he is jealous of and he said, "Not jealous, but admire. Like Gulzar, Javed Akhtar. There's no question of jealousy; they are very senior. But I really admire them. When I see some of their work, I wish I had done it."
Worst Writing Advice?
The author, who has been tremendously successful, also said that he looks back at some of his work and thinks he could have done better, even though the books were hits.
"My writing has improved. It happens. Once you grow up, you think how stupid you were 10 years ago," he said.
Asked about the worst writing advice he has ever heard, the author quipped, "That you need to go away in the mountains and write. No, I can't do that. I need people. I need a city, I need to be able to call an Uber. I can't go to the mountains and write."
The author also explained that while artificial intelligence can write non-fiction, it can't generate fiction or something that has any "real emotion" attached to it. "Right now, it's not even close," he said.
