Chetan Bhagat

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{{Infobox writer

| name = Chetan Bhagat

| image = Chetan Bhagat.jpg

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1974|04|22|df=yes}}

| birth_name = Chetan Prakash Bhagat

| birth_place = New Delhi, India

| language = English, Hindi

| genre = Romance, realistic fiction, non-fiction, suspense, thriller

| notableworks = Five Point Someone, 2 States: The Story of My Marriage, The 3 Mistakes of My Life

| website = {{URL|www.chetanbhagat.com}}

| caption = Bhagat in 2011

| alma_mater = {{ubl|Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi (B.Tech)|Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad (MBA)}}

| years_active = 2004–present

| children = 2

| spouse = {{marriage|Anusha Suryanarayan|1998}}

}}

Chetan Prakash Bhagat (born April 22, 1974){{Cite web |last=Kalita |first=S. Mitra |date=2008-05-17 |title=Chetan Bhagat {{!}} The five-point formula: keep it simple |url=https://www.livemint.com/Leisure/h1VNDUaEfr7TDyFpWRC4jO/Chetan-Bhagat--The-fivepoint-formula-keep-it-simple.html |access-date=2022-12-05 |website=mint |language=en}} is an Indian author, columnist, screenwriter, and YouTuber. He was named one of Time magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in the World in 2010.{{Cite magazine |title=The 2010 TIME 100 - TIME |url=https://content.time.com/time/specials/packages/completelist/0,29569,1984685,00.html |access-date=2022-12-05 |magazine=Time |language=en-US |issn=0040-781X}} Several of his novels have been adapted into films, including One Night @ the Call Center and Half Girlfriend.

Early life and education

Bhagat was raised in a traditional Punjabi Hindu family. His father was a lieutenant colonel in the Indian Army, and his mother worked as a scientist at the Indian Agricultural Research Institute in New Delhi. He attended the Army Public School, Dhaula Kuan,{{Cite web |title=An Interview With Chetan Bhagat |url=https://www.forbesindia.com/interview/magazine-extra/an-interview-with-chetan-bhagat/8452/1 |access-date=2022-12-05 |website=Forbes India |language=en}} where he developed a passion for writing and contributed jokes to the school magazine.

In 1995, Bhagat graduated with a Bachelors in Technology degree in Mechanical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi.{{Cite web |date=2012-02-24 |title=Tale of the lucky hostel room |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/books/tale-of-the-lucky-hostel-room/story-tW9CADMSetH7P3cCIJHERM.html |access-date=2022-12-05 |website=Hindustan Times |language=en}} He then attended the IIM Ahmedabad (IIMA), graduating in 1997 with a Degree in Business Administration with an emphasis on marketing.{{Cite web |author=India TV News Desk |date=2013-10-21 |title=25 best quotes by Chetan Bhagat on career, education, love and success - IndiaTV news |url=https://www.indiatvnews.com/business/india/updated-news-chetan-bhagat-quotes-career-education-success-8301.html |access-date=2022-12-05 |website=www.indiatvnews.com |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=The Sunday Tribune - Books |url=https://www.tribuneindia.com/2006/20060604/spectrum/book5.htm |access-date=2022-12-05 |website=www.tribuneindia.com}} In June 2018, IIMA awarded him the "Young Alumni Achiever's Award 2018" in the Art & Entertainment category.{{Cite web |date=2018-06-26 |title=IIM Ahmadabad celebrates alumni success with YAAA 2018 |url=https://www.ibtimes.co.in/iim-ahmadabad-celebrates-alumni-success-yaaa-2018-773149 |access-date=2022-12-05 |website=www.ibtimes.co.in |language=en}}

Career

= Banking =

Before transitioning to a full-time writing career, Chetan Bhagat worked as an investment banker in Hong Kong for approximately 11 years. He began his career at Peregrine Investments Holdings in Canada, but after six months, the company ceased its operations. Subsequently, he joined Goldman Sachs in Hong Kong, where he worked for several years. Later, he moved to Deutsche Bank in Mumbai, where he served as a director.{{Cite web |date=2021-06-10 |title=How Chetan Bhagat Became a Writer from Investment Banker? |url=https://thedigitalyug.com/stories/how-chetan-bhagat-became-a-writer-from-investment-banker |access-date=2025-01-29 |website=thedigitalyug.com |language=en}}

During his tenure at Goldman Sachs, Bhagat wrote his first novel, "Five Point Someone," which was published in 2004. He continued his banking career until 2009, when he transitioned to full-time writing.{{Cite web |last=Shohon |first=Habibur |date=2023-07-13 |title=Chetan Bhagat Biography: A Journey in Writing |url=https://www.seema.com/chetan-bhagat-biography-a-journey-in-writing/ |access-date=2025-01-29 |website=Seema |language=en-US}}

In 2005, he published his second novel, One Night at the Call Center.{{Cite book |last=Bhagat |first=Chetan |url=https://archive.org/details/onenightcallcent0000bhag |title=One night @ the call center |date=2005 |publisher=New Delhi : Rupa & Co. |others=Internet Archive |isbn=978-81-291-0818-0}} In March 2008, Bhagat moved back to India as a director at Deutsche Bank in Mumbai.{{Cite news |last=Ganguly |first=Dibeyendu |date=2008-08-22 |title=Chetan Bhagat: Novelist turn rock star |url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/chetan-bhagat-novelist-turn-rock-star/articleshow/3391727.cms |access-date=2025-01-29 |work=The Economic Times |issn=0013-0389}} The same year, his third novel, The 3 Mistakes of My Life, was published. In 2009, Bhagat quit his banking career to become a full-time author.{{Cite web |last=AFP |date=2014-07-26 |title=Chetan Bhagat: From investment banking to Bollywood scripts |url=http://www.dawn.com/news/1121775 |access-date=2022-12-05 |website=DAWN.COM |language=en}}

= Author =

While working at Goldman Sachs in Hong Kong during the early 2000s, he began writing his debut novel, Five Point Someone. In an interview, he revealed that he drafted approximately 15 versions of the manuscript before submitting it to various publishers.{{Cite news |last=Surendran |first=C.P. |date=2016-08-06 |title=Chetan Bhagat, the Feminist, is ready for the trolls |url=https://www.livemint.com/Sundayapp/Oi474Q8DXDE3zTSPRqg2UK/Chetan-Bhagat-the-Feminist-is-ready-for-the-trolls.html |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20230324131850/https://www.livemint.com/Sundayapp/Oi474Q8DXDE3zTSPRqg2UK/Chetan-Bhagat-the-Feminist-is-ready-for-the-trolls.html |archive-date=2023-03-24 |access-date=2025-02-27 |work=mint |language=en}} The manuscript was eventually accepted by Rupa Publications in Delhi and published in 2004.

File:Chetan Bhagat at BlrLitFest 2024.jpg

Bhagat then started working on his second book, One Night at the Call Center, which was published in 2005.{{Cite web |title=One Night at the Call Center by Chetan Bhagat {{!}} Penguin Random House Canada |url=https://www.penguinrandomhouse.ca/books/13295/one-night-at-the-call-center-by-chetan-bhagat/9780345498328 |access-date=2025-03-21 |website=www.penguinrandomhouse.ca |language=English}} Almost 50,000 copies were sold in the first three days of its release.{{Cite web |title=Review: Hello |url=https://www.rediff.com/movies/2008/oct/10hello.htm |access-date=2025-02-06 |website=www.rediff.com}}

Bhagat began his full-time career as a novelist with his third novel, The 3 Mistakes of My Life, published in 2008.{{Cite journal |last=Alok |first=Dr. Nagmani |date=2020-09-14 |title=Adaptation of The 3 Mistakes of My Life into the Film Kai Po Che |url=https://ijels.com/detail/adaptation-of-the-3-mistakes-of-my-life-into-the-film-kai-po-che |journal=International Journal of English Literature and Social Sciences |language=en |volume=5 |issue=5 |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20230808083459/https://ijels.com/detail/adaptation-of-the-3-mistakes-of-my-life-into-the-film-kai-po-che/ |archive-date=2023-08-08}}

Bhagat's fourth novel, 2 States, was published in 2009 and drew inspiration from his marriage and wife.{{cite web | url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2372678/ | title=2 States | website=IMDb }}

Bhagat's later novels Revolution 2020, Half Girlfriend, and One Indian Girl also achieved commercial success.{{Cite web |title=Chetan Bhagat: books, biography, latest update |url=https://www.amazon.com/stores/Chetan-Bhagat/author/B001IQWOKY |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20231121163130/https://www.amazon.com/stores/Chetan-Bhagat/author/B001IQWOKY |archive-date=2023-11-21 |access-date=2025-02-06 |website=Amazon.com |language=en-us}}

In 2018, Bhagat published The Girl in Room 105, in 2020, One Arranged Murder, and in 2021, 400 Days, remaining active as an author.

= Screen presence =

Bhagat was a judge, alongside Marzi Pestonji and Preity Zinta, on the dance reality show Nach Baliye season 7, which aired on the Indian television channel Star Plus.{{Cite web |date=2015-03-24 |title=Chetan Bhagat excited to judge ‘Nach Baliye 7’ |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/television/chetan-bhagat-excited-to-judge-nach-baliye-7/ |access-date=2025-02-06 |website=The Indian Express |language=en}}

Bhagat also appeared in Netflix's series Decoupled, which stars R. Madhavan in the lead role. In the show, Madhavan plays the second best selling author in India, while Bhagat portrays himself as India's best selling author and Madhavan's rival.{{Cite news |date=2021-12-21 |title=After Twitter fight with Chetan Bhagat and mocking his books, R Madhavan offers clarification |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/entertainment/bollywood/after-twitter-fight-with-chetan-bhagat-and-mocking-his-books-r-madhavan-offers-clarification-101640081605566.html |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20220115194000/https://www.hindustantimes.com/entertainment/bollywood/after-twitter-fight-with-chetan-bhagat-and-mocking-his-books-r-madhavan-offers-clarification-101640081605566.html |archive-date=2022-01-15 |access-date=2025-02-06 |work=Hindustan Times |language=en-us}}

= Screenwriting =

For Kai Po Che (2013), based on his novel The 3 Mistakes of My Life, Bhagat was one of the four screenplay writers.{{Cite web |last=Khan |first=Ujala Ali |date=2013-02-19 |title=Chetan Bhagat talks about Kai Po Che, the film based on his book |url=https://www.thenationalnews.com/arts-culture/books/chetan-bhagat-talks-about-kai-po-che-the-film-based-on-his-book-1.330631 |access-date=2022-12-05 |website=The National |language=en}} The film was a commercial success{{Cite web |last=Hungama |first=Bollywood |date=2013-02-22 |title=Kai Po Che! Box Office Collection {{!}} India {{!}} Day Wise {{!}} Box Office - Bollywood Hungama |url=https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/movie/kai-po-che/box-office/ |access-date=2025-02-06 |language=en}} and Bhagat, along with Pubali Chaudhuri, Supratik Sen and Abhishek Kapoor, won the Filmfare Award for Best Screenplay for Kai Po Che! at the 68th Filmfare Awards.{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2213054/awards/ |title=Kai Po Che (2013) - Awards - IMDb |language=en-US |access-date=2025-02-06 |via=www.imdb.com}}

= YouTube =

Bhagat is also a YouTuber creating motivational content.{{Cite web |title=Chetan Bhagat|url=https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMhRbMzPqr_vca_bISQyvsA |access-date=2022-12-07 |website=YouTube}}

He launched a podcast show Deep talk with Chetan Bhagat where he invites accomplished guests to discuss how they achieved success in life.{{Cite news |title=Chetan Bhagat on his new podcast 'DeepTalk', reinventing himself, and his secret to a happy life - Times of India |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/books/interviews/chetan-bhagat-on-his-new-podcast-deeptalk-reinventing-himself-and-his-secret-to-a-happy-life/articleshow/94200202.cms |access-date=2022-12-07 |website=The Times of India |date=14 September 2022 |language=en}}

= Filmography =

Five of Bhagat's novels have been adapted into films:{{Cite web |last=Grover |first=Reeka |date=2018-04-10 |title=Novels that became Movies: Chetan Bhagat - Movies |url=https://www.mapsofindia.com/my-india/movies/novels-that-became-movies-chetan-bhagat |access-date=2022-12-07 |language=en-US}}

Hello (2008) – Based on the book "One Night at the Call Center"
3 Idiots (2009), Nanban (2012), and 3 Idiotas (2017) – Based on the book "Five Point Someone"
Kai Po Che! (2013) – Based on the book "The 3 Mistakes of My Life"
2 States (2014) – Based on the book "2 States"
Half Girlfriend (2017) – Based on the book "Half Girlfriend"

Bibliography

= Novels =

==Standalone==

==Series==

= Non-fiction =

What Young India Wants (2012)
Making India Awesome (2015)
India Positive (2019){{Cite web |date=2019-06-23 |title=Book Review: India Positive, Chetan Bhagat |url=https://www.deccanherald.com/sunday-herald/sunday-herald-books/book-review-india-positive-chetan-bhagat-741869.html |access-date=2022-12-05 |website=Deccan Herald |language=en}}
11 Rules For Life: Secrets to Level Up (2024)

Awards and accolades

Chetan Bhagat was recognized as "The best outgoing student" by the IIM Ahmedabad in 1997.{{Cite web |last=Dahiya |first=Renu |date=2022-05-31 |title=Chetan Bhagat - Biography, Family, Books, & Achievements |url=https://www.myticketstoindia.com/indian-vibes/chetan-bhagat/ |access-date=2022-12-12 |website=Myticketstoindia.com |language=en-US}}
Chetan won the Society Young Achiever's Award in 2000.
He won the Publisher's Recognition Award in 2005.
Featured on Time magazine's list of World's 100 Most Influential People of 2010 in the Artists category.{{Cite magazine |title=The 2010 TIME 100 - TIME |language=en-US |magazine=Time |url=https://content.time.com/time/specials/packages/completelist/0,29569,1984685,00.html |access-date=2022-12-12 |issn=0040-781X}}
Listed '47' among the "100 Most Creative People 2011" by the Fast Company American business magazine.{{Cite web |title=Most creative people 2011:Chetan Bhagat |url=https://www.fastcompany.com/3018453/47-chetan-bhagat |website=fastcompany.com |date=2011-05-18 |access-date=2022-12-05}}
Won the "CNN-IBN Indian of the Year 2014" award in the Entertainment category.{{Cite web |date=2015-03-17 |title=List of winners of Indian of the Year 2014 |url=https://www.news18.com/news/india/ioty-2014-7-974374.html |access-date=2022-12-05 |website=News18 |language=en}}{{Cite web |date=2015-03-18 |title=Chetan Bhagat Receives the Indian of the Year Award in the Entertainment Category from IBN |url=https://www.desimartini.com/news/martini-shots/chetan-bhagat-indian-year-award-entertainment-category-ibn-article18791.htm |access-date=2022-12-05 |website=Desimartini |language=en}}
Ranked No. 82 on the 2017 Forbes India Celebrity 100 list.{{Cite web |title=Chetan Bhagat: Writing For Millennials |url=https://www.forbesindia.com/article/2017-celebrity-100/chetan-bhagat-writing-for-millennials/49039/1 |access-date=2022-12-05 |website=Forbes India |language=en}}
Won the [https://www.imdb.com/event/ev0001935/2014/1/ IBN Live Movie Awards] in 2014 for Best Screenplay for Kai Po Che.
Won the Zee Cine Awards in 2014 for Best Story for Kai Po Che.
Honoured with Golden Book Awards 2022 for the Book - 400 Days.{{Cite web |title=Wings Publication announces winners of India's most prestigious book award - Golden Book Awards 2022 |url=https://www.aninews.in/news/business/business/wings-publication-announces-winners-of-indias-most-prestigious-book-award-golden-book-awards-202220220125122223/ |access-date=2022-12-05 |website=ANI News |language=en}}

Personal life

In 1998, Bhagat married Anusha Suryanarayan, whom he met during their college days at IIM. One of his novels, "2 States" was inspired by their real-life love story. They have twin sons named Shyam Bhagat and Ishaan Bhagat.

Controversy

In the wake of the MeToo movement in India, an anonymous woman accused Bhagat of inappropriate behavior. Screenshots of a WhatsApp conversation suggested that he had pursued her despite her lack of interest. Bhagat later issued an apology on Facebook, acknowledging his actions.{{Cite news|url=https://indianexpress.com/article/trending/trending-in-india/chetan-bhagat-issues-apology-to-woman-and-wife-after-harassment-accusation-surfaces-5389833|title=Chetan Bhagat issues apology to woman and wife after harassment accusation surfaces|newspaper=The Indian Express|date=2018-10-06}}