New Delhi โ- Author Chetan Bhagat, known for campus novels and subsequent film adaptations, has returned to writing romance after a 12-year hiatus, sparking discussion about the evolving landscapeโค of love stories and the role of literature โversusโข cinema in Indian society.
In aโ recent interview, Bhagat addressed his return to the genre, stating, “People love my love stories โandโ that’s as there’s no โขformula in them. Each time its a fresh โฃtake on fresh issues.” He highlighted his previous work, 12 Years, as a bold attempt at age-gap romance โฃthat prompted โขhis return.
Bhagat wasโ candid about โขthe perceived importance of film adaptations of his work,noting,”That carries an assumption that I care aโค lot for the screen.โฃ I don’t care; Indians โขcare as they don’t read books.” He further elaborated, “they โคare always asking me, ‘When isโ the movie coming?’ As if movie is theโฃ ultimateโ Nobel Prize! They believe that in Indian society films are up โฃin the hierarchy of art โforms; but it’s โnot. Films are โthe lazy man’s โขform of art consumption.” Bhagatโ has had five of his works adapted and participatedโ in six film โคprojects, acknowledging the meaningful time commitment involved. โHe contrasted theโ experience โof reading with watching adaptations, stating, “Ultimately, โขthe joy youโ get from reading 2 States, you’re not going to get from watchingโ the movie.”
The author also discussed adapting his writing โstyleโฃ to reflect contemporary relationship dynamics, including the โprevalence of “situationships.” “When myโ first book came out,there were no smartphones โฃor โฃeven cellphonesโฆโค Today,everybody has a phone in their pocket and is constantly entertained. So I had to โchange my plotsโ too,embrace videosโ and socialโ media and maybe that’sโ the reason I’mโ still around.” He admitted struggling to โขunderstand modern dating trendsโค like “ghosting,” describing it as โ”veryโ rude” according to his personal values, but expressed a commitment to understandingโข the current generation “non-judgmentally.”
Bhagat, 51, is currently โขwriting โขa story about aโ 33-year-old man falling in love โwith a 21-year-old woman, acknowledging the potential for misinterpretationโค and emphasizing the need for sensitivity โin itsโ execution.He believes hisโข 21 โฃyears of writing experience equip him โขto handle such narratives responsibly.
