I always wanted to write about Kashmir

Two things surprised everyone at the recent book launch of Revolution 2020 – one – a crowd of book lovers came swarming in front of the author and two – Chetan Bhagat’s Konjam Konjam Theriyum Tamil.  More than 100 Chennaiites gathered at the atrium of the City Centre to welcome the author. And as our 7am Arivu actor, Suriya stepped on to the stage, the crowd just couldn’t stop chanting his name. That took Chetan by surprise! The well-suited man, who is also a celebrity writer, posed a few questions to the actor about his love life and if it related to any of the author’s books. Without shying away, the actor responded and his eyes lit up as always when he spoke about his wife, Jo. Suriya also showed interest acting in 2 States if it is ever got made into a film. After a few questions and some shouting from the audience, Suriya unveiled Revolution 2020 and also received the first copy of the book. And it didn’t stop there, Chetan didn’t leave his fans unhappy; he autographed every book and also had a small chat with everyone present there. In his recent book, Revolution 2020, Chetan has now brought in the new character, ‘The Media’, but with a slight disappointment. Has media become a weaker section for him? “No, I didn’t mean to say that, like we all know, Indian Express is powerful as always. but there are quite a few medias that have become weaker. Again, contrary to that, we do see a new media coming, which is stronger and taking over power in its hands.”With another fiction novel on its way, Chetan now has no plans to write non-fiction. “I think it’s too early to write one and I always like to tell a story to my readers, whether inspired from my life or my surroundings,” he says. His 2 States was definitely a hit, especially in the south. But what was not liked in the book was his description of Tam-brahm. But Chetan sees it differently. “I take the liberty of talking about my own people. My wife is a Tam-brahm and now, I’m one among them. In fact, in my first few pages in the book, I had only acknowledged them and had appreciated the culture of Tamil Nadu. So, I didn’t intend to make fun of my own people in the book. I was just adding some humour to it.” On inspirations, Chetan says, "I do get a lot of stories from across the country and I have always wanted to write about Kashmir and its present condition. I also want to write about the north eastern parts of the country." He also adds that any story, good or bad needs to be conveyed easily to the readers. “Any story whether fiction or non- fiction, should be conveyed to the readers easily. I’m not sure if I would want to be called a commercial writer because everyone does it. My language is simple but I write what I want and most of my books are more like a conversation I have with my readers,” says Bhagat.So, can his readers expect a graphic novel any time soon? “No, I don’t think so. I can’t draw, but if I do get a good illustrator then I will try for a graphic novel. But I want to display my own talents. So, I better stick to what I’m presently doing.”