CIlAPTER-6
CONCLUSION
It is observed in the previously discussed chapters that Chetan Bhaga! is a soci:" crilic
who presents the dark areas of the society in a light-heal1ed manner. In each novel.
Shagat picks up one of the loopholes of the society, weaves it with the lives of his
characters and presents it in a sugarcoated way for the betterment of the socielY.
Bhagat has covered major issues of Indian society like education system, troubles of
campus life, corruption, politics,
predicaments in the corporate job, filth of the
fashion world, generation gap, patriarchy, cricket craze, communal divides and
communal riots. politics in the name of religion, ways of the business world,
problems of inter-state marriage, cultural clashes etc,
His Five Point Someone and Revollilioll 2020 critique and satirize the inadequac) of
the Indian education system. The characters in these novels get into troubled water
due to the flaws of the system like grading system, exam-oriented teaching rather than
learning-based teaching. the academic pressure of assignments. viva and exams. The
characters in the novels are forced to follow the traditional method of ecIucation ralher
than doing anything innovative, Shagat has indicated the fact that the present
education system mars the creativity and curiosity of students. Five Poin! SOJlleo!le
and 2 Siaies give the glimpses of the campus lifc in India's premier institutes like lIT
and 11M. Shagat has discussed the student life in the campus with their ambition.
problems, failures and successes, The outdated syllabus, lack of motivation
I,,,·
creativity and innovation, the rigid professors, the tedious and tight acadeillic
schedule arc criticized in these two novels. The work pressure faced by the
contemporary generation in the corporate world has been encapsulated broadly in Oile
Night at the Call Center and precisely in 2 Slates. Extra-long working hOllrs, the
pressure of achieving the target, treacherous boss who bypasses the work tll his
juniors and steals the credit of the work done by them and the sense of job insecurity
arc the issues Shagat has covered in these two fictions, Filth of the fashion world has
bcen criticizcd in Dile Night at the Call Center through the predicaments of Esha.
Shagat has attacked the patriarchy in Dile Nighl at Ihe Call Cenler by portraying the
287
~
I
predicaments of Radhika who gets disloyalty in return of her love for husha,,,1 :mel
dedication and care for her in-laws. Three Afislakes
()f'A~\'
Lif'e covers wide range of
social issues like crickel-craze, (lie Jack of opportunities in the career of cril'kct. (ile
lack of sports unawareness and training in India. the way Indians waste their timl.'s
after cricket, the hollowness of religion, politics in the name of religion, tile rigidity or
so-called religious people, communal divides amI communal riots resulting from the
politics of religion. Ihe problems faced by novice in business and the lack of ne\\
business opportunities in India. The diversity of Indian cultures and Ihe roadblock, "I'
inter-state marriage in India have been realistica!ly recorded in 2 Slates. 8h~lgat It:lS
criticized the closed-mindedness of Indians \vhen the matter comes to m:nTi;I~~'.,.·.
Marriage beyond caste is still taboo in India. Jet alone marriage be.yond staleS. The
grudge North Indians have for South Indians and vise versa have been realistically
portrayed in the novel. The corruption in education sector and the filth in the lick! of
journalism have been faithfully focused in Rel'oilllion 2020. Almost all Ilhaga!'s
novels deal with the issues of generation gap and the Iyranny of palriarchy. Each
novel deals wilh one of the major problems of the society in particular.
Bhagat's writing is optimistic ending with the note of solution to the pmbkl1l
discussed in the novel. For instance in Five Poil1! Someone, Prof. Cherian, Ihe
rcprcsefJ(ativc of the tyrannical education. realizes tile futility of being c:\trefll-.'Iy
serious about getting grades in the exam. He realizes that college is not meant nnly
r.lr
getting good grades in exam; but it is also the time for making forever frknos
~lIld
doing something innovative. Ilis change of mind is the indication of the possibility of
change in the Indian education system. Bhagat's optimistic views about the
exploitation and work pressure in the corporate world is evident in One NigiIt ", C,,//
emler when Shyam and Vroom saves the jobs of thousands of employees by takins
the risk ortheir own jobs and finally tiley Iilemselvcs leave tile call cenlcr job
10
their o\vn business. This is ho\v Bhagat indicates the possibilities youths hav('
something of their
O\\'I)
rather than following someonc's order mindlessly
sutTering the unnecessary tortures
of
boss. Bhagat's optimism about
riots is witnessed when Omi, the staunch Hindu, sacrifices his own
sian
In
do
~lIld
th~ Clllllll1l11la\
lil~
tn sa\,,; a
Muslim boy, Ali in the communal riots, Omi, who was initially a staunch llindu ,lnL!
oprosed Muslims strongly, becomes a human by saving thc Iifc ofa Mus\im boy Ji'Pl11
the lIindu crowd. The unacceptable of love of Govind for his friend lshann's siSll'f
288
Vidya which is viewed as a problem in the beginning seems to be acceptable by
Ishaan as well as by the readers at the end. Govind's venture of a business, which he
thinks as his first mistakes because of the loss he faced, is narrated as profitable and
optimistic at the end. In 2 States. though a PLlI\iabi boy, Krish and a Tamilian girl.
Allanya have to face lot of difficulties to convince their parents for their marriage and
their parents' fatal oppose, the novel ends with the smiling faces of their parents on
their marriage indicating Bhaga!'s optimism about bridging the cultural divides
accepting the out caste marriages in India. Gopal chooses a corrupt way to become
rich in Revolution 2020. However at the end, he realizes the nothingness of the money
earned through corrupt ways. The change Gopal goes through is the clear indicatioll
of Bhaga!'s optimism about the disease of corruption in Indian society. Thus. I"r
Bhagat, literature is not a soothing pill that calms down unease of mind. lIe treals
literature as a proactive pill that motivates the mind to bring innovative changes in the
convent ional and patriarchal society.
Chetan I3hagat is the IVriter of youth. f Ie is one the very felV writers who understllllds
the problems faced by Indian youth and has given them the space in their IlctionlJ!
works. His novels mainly focus the lives of the educated, urban, English-sPeaking
YOllths. Characters in his fictions are middle-class, with ambition of socb! and
economic mobility, from the part of society benefiting from the economic
liberalization that began in India in the early 1990s. The characters in his novels llre
sludents studying in premier Indian colleges like lIT and 11M, young entrepreneurs,
crazy cricket fans, young journalists, modeling aspirants, lIT-aspirants, yOLing
professionals, call center agents etc. Almost all his characters are young and grllpplc
with some kind of identity crisis brought about by the clash of tradition ami
contemporary life. His novels target college-going urban youth and young c:-';cclIti\'cS
working in corporate and call centers. The themes I3hagat deals with arc the problems
faced by a common young man. All his novels rcvolve around the glitzy college lili:,
campus love affairs, romance, sex, student politics, joys and sorrows of friendship.
examination phobia, placement dreams, monotony of classroom studies, aC~c!(,!llic
pressure, tight academic schedule, orthodox professors, exploitation at the wo,.kpl"ce,
evil boss, job insecurities, smoking, drinking etc. I-Ie deals with the joy, sarro\\". I'Lin.
predicaments, hope, success and failures of youths. All his characters rerresent the
common youths of India. Unlike the hero in a traditional novel, Shagat's protngollis\s
289
lack heroism. Starting from I Iari. a fat average looking guy in Five J>()iJJl SO}}}('(})h' is
an intellectual but among the community of scholars, he is a very below
a\,l'ra~l'
student who lacks contidencc to answer S01llcone. Shyam in One Nigh! at tlie' Call
Centre is a struggleI' at the vvorkplace and a looser in love, again C(J1ll1l1l1n m~l!l
characteristics. Govind in Three Mislakes OlAf), Life belongs to a lower middle cl:l»
family, incurs heavy loss in business, has a controvcrsial love story with his bl..'st
friend's sister and is beaten by his ffiend. Krish, in 2 Slales thinks that his admi,si"n
in liMA is merely a stroke of luck. He shares bitter relationship with his father and
struggles very much in his professional life.
~fCf)
Lastly, Gopal in Revoluti()//
belongs to a very poor family, loses his mother early in his childhood, !ILlI1ks entrance
exams and is forced to pursue unfair means of earning money and indulges illin
corruption. lfall these leading characters are juxtaposed, they share common Icatmes
of an ordinary young man. None ofthcll1 have allY Ileroic attributc or any
SUbS[;!llli:d
knack found in typical literary works. All leading characters in Bhagat's m)\eb arc'
the representatives of lndian common young men. Any common Indian young
m;J1l
can envision himselfin all his leading characters.
Though his characters are ordinary, they evolve and come Ollt victorious. TilL)
somehow realize their inner strength and succeed at the end. Say for inst31Kc. {lari
who lacks confidence in viva and finds it difficult to answer someonc's question C\ce
to face gets confidence at the end of the novel and performs lI'ell in the placement
intervicw. He becomes stronger because of the worst phase getting detained 1"<1/'
J
year. Shyam II'ho has lost confidence in himself due to his boss becomes stronger
when he gets a call from God. God's advice makes him confident about himself "nd
he sllcceeds in wooing Priyanka for marriage and in establishing his own firm. Clod's
call here symbolizes the inner voice of a person. Govind commits suicide as he thillks
that he has made three mistakes. However, attcr mecting the writer, he realizes Ihl.?
foolishness of his decision of suicide. He becomcs stronger at the encl,
g~ts th~
girl
and succeeds in his business. Krish, an average guy who faces nervous bn:]kdu\\'I)
due to his breakup with Ananya. emerges out victorious in convincing their
p:Jr(,llts
for his marriage with Ananya. Gopal. an average student who uOl::sn't ha\1.! ;lny
opportunity to get into good Engineering College and succumbs to the
un!~lir
rn('ans
of bccoming rich, listens to his inner voice at the end and leaves the palh
corruption.
290
or
Thus, Bhagat's portrayal of protagonists triggers to the
f~lJ1tasy
of any common
)Ullth.
It is one of the major reasons for nh3gat's tremendous sLiccess and his wide
popularity among Indian youths. By portraying the realistic lives of common Indian
youths, Bhagat has created a strong foothold among the young generation which had
almost abandoned interest in reading novels. A highly technocratic generation that
could hardly spare a minute olT their mobiles, laptops and tablets were rendered
awestruck by the portrayal of relatable characters and simplicity of language and
style. Most of the teenage youngster in the county cannot help voicing their
admiration for the characters like Ryan. Ilari, Alok. Silyam, Vroom, Govind. Omi.
Isllaan, Krish, Gopal and Raghav.
Simplicity of style and easy narrative is Sbaga!'s USP (Unique Selling Point). Indian
writers before Bhagat were too complicated to be understood by common
l!ldi~ln
youths. 13ut Bhag3t acted as a game changer in the scenario of Indian English fiction
writing. I lis simple narrative and relatahle themes attracted young readers like a Pied
Piper. Ilhagat is a gifted story tcller wllose purpose is to entertain tbe reaelers by
telling them an interesting story. He instructs the reader in a mild general way.
~ lost
of his stories arc in first person narratives. Like the traditional story tellcr Bhagat has
an easy flow of words. Though Ilhagat bas used flashback technique in all his no\'Cls.
the narration sccms clearer than the chronological sequence.
flhagat typically portrays the pcculiarities of hUlllan relationships and the ironics of
Indian daily life, in which modern urban existence claslles vvith ancient tradition. IIi5
novels capture the reader of every class in an incomparable way. His simplicity of
language, easy narration and humour make his novels readable for ever,Y chss of
people. In his plot there is a mixture of comic and serious, the real and the ('1I1ta"ic.
J lis
dealing with seriotlS issue in comic way makes his
\'~'Tjting
unique. To
jn!cll~jl~\'
the thrill and the charm of the story told, Shagat's narratives onen tend towards the
dramatic. The dramatic clement is conspicllous. as Bhagat chooses to begin his 1:i1cs
with 'Prologues' and ends with 'Epilogues'. Ilis chapters sometimes arc titled as
'Acts. 11;5 'Acknowledgements' are eaqually dramatic. They ollen reveal his allcmpt
of highlighting his "product" as a newer and better brand. Not only the dralllali(.
Bhagat plentifully derives his techniques from the cinematic form as lI'ell. Ilis
narrative swings effortlessly back and forth using the 'nash-back" technique.
291
----------------------...................
Bhagat is the first Indian writer in English who is successful in telling the story of
youth in the language they speak. Bhagars language, that is to large extent. in sync
with fast narrative pattern, addresses the changing pattern of the culture industry. His
narrative is full of what is called 'chutnificd' expressions, inter-language cock-switching which is widespread on the internet. Terms used in his novels like "scrcw
you", "testosterone-charged men" and four-lettered \vords at once make the American
diction-affected generation recognize the tone. Hc has made the use of Indian English
when a semi-educated Indian speaks. The incorrect structure of sentence is used \\hen
an uneducated character like auto-rickshaw driver or mess worker speaks in his
novels. Unlike literary writers, I3hagat does not use objective language. I Ie writes in a
direct language which makes his novels more personal. Bhagat is not much conce]'Jlcci
about the purity and excellence of language or about the exalted style that is used by
conventional writers. Unlike other Indian English literary writers, [lhagat doesn't
write keeping in mind the Western audience or the awards. Bhagars novels ofter easy
reading for average Indian readers who can read his novels without dictionary by his
side while reading. He writes in Indian version of English that common
Indi~ln IllJSS
can understand. For a popular author connecting with the masses and catering to their
demands is a way to achieve success and Bhagat follows this religiously. i\ closc
survey of narrative techniques and language employed by Bhagat in all his novels
show that he has been able to communicate his ideas successfully and convincingly.
Bhagat's novels are no classics, not even near. He is undoubtedly a writer of popular
and non-literary fiction. Though Bhagat hasn't earned as reputable name as Jhumpa
Lahiri (who won the Pulitzer Prize for her "'Interpreter of Maladies") or Salman
Rushdie (who won the Booker Prize for his "Midnight's Children"), Ilhagat l",s
achieved tremendous fame amongst the country's youth.
lIis novels sell far more
copies in a year than these prize-winning writers did. His popularity among the youth
has earned him the tag of'youth-icon'. He can be compared with J. K. Rowling, ,,110
through her series of "I larry Potter" books, created her own market, developed the
reading habit among youngsters and engaged with her novels. Bhagat knows the
needs of his young readers, and caters them with the stuff they like the most. I Ie
writes about the college life, campus affair, romance, sex, prcdic<lllll.?I1ts
or
professional life, the problems of youth and the way they can achieve success.
292
Typically all his novels are love stories that easily appeal to wide range oJ' mass. Thc
contemporary themes, winning plots, relevance with the youth, easy mrmtivc, lucid
language, depiction of campus life etc make his novels popular among the wide range
of people. It is for this reason that his name has been included in the list of 'I 00 most
influential people in the world' by TIME magazine.
From a literary perspcctive, however, Shagat doesn't rank -rcgardless of his
bestselling position -with serious writers like Arvind Adiga and Atnitav Ghosh.
Those who try to find literary challengcs in Shaga!'s novels will ccrtainly get uJlset.
\Vhen it comes to literary nuance, one gets none. Yet he writes realistically about the
issues and portrays the life-like characters that millions of Indian youth can rebte
themselves to his novels. The remarkable thing about I3hagat is that he kno\\'s holl' to
strike a chord with his rcaders. His novels have right formula for a super hit
I3ollywood movie. His novels are like fast food items -instant, spicy and always at the
right price. However, it doesn't mcan that his novels do not have any literary
qualities. All his novels clearly reflect the literary qualities like fictitious bacJ.;grounci,
ironical tone, imaginative impulse, fantasy. comical vein, refornwtory zeal. idealism
and apt setting. I3ut his novels cannot fall under the category of classic litemture. lie
is undoubtedly the writer of popular fiction who is less concerned with the purity ami
excellence of his medium of communication than with what is being communicated to
his readers.
I3hagat deserves the credit of having helped expand the spectrum of English literature
to a wider range in India. The bestselling novels of Shagat have proved that onc need
not to be familiar with the subtle nuances of literature or show any refinement ill
one's use of language to write a reader-friendly fiction. The commercial success ufhis
books has immensely contributed to a publishing boom in Inclia. The Jlublishing
industry in India shifted its focus now to the domestic market al'!er Ilhagat's
tremendous success. The publishers have shifted their priority to mass marketing
fiction from the literary novels. Shagat has got the marginalized habit of reacling
books back into the mainstream. In this age of mobile, tablet and intel'llet when most
of the young men and women had given up the habit of reading, Bhagat got millions
of teenagers hooked by his spicy fictions. The young Indians read his novels ami wait
for his next novel as ardently as they serf internet pages or view a hit movie.
293