Chetan Bhagat, who's lately got too big for his boots riding on the admiration of millions of pinhead teenagers, was firmly put in his place recently by a man whose boots he is not fit to lick - see this - and I am happy.
Thank you, Rajdeep, for sending me the link.
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9 comments:
Dear Sir,
Thanks for putting up the link Sir. All I want to say is that when some 'sophisticated' lunatics or half apes try to become or rather like to think that they are poets or writers then it becomes absolutely necessary that someone asks them to shut up!
Sir,
It is no wonder that these people get to climb the peak of "success" as described by the young generation referred to as the "GenY".But still this illusionary fame lasts momentarily.Chetan Bhagat's books(especially the Five point Someone)can be stigmatized as nothing but
utter crap.I was going through the Robibashoriyo yesterday and found out that today,the children have completely become detached from the classics like the works of Charles Dickens and the books like The three musketeers,Twenty thousand leagues under the sea,works of Jules Verne and all.Teenagers complain that they can't relate those works with the contemporary lifestyle.They just don't take interest in the societal structure that prevailed during those period.Only the things that they're concerned about are College affairs,divorce,mutual parallel relationships and all.They are enchanted by the Love Stories of Durjoy Dutta....You can clearly make out why divorces are so much common today than they were before
yours faithfully
Soumallya Chattopadhyay
P.S. I pointed out the name of only one book of Chetan Bhagat's because at one time I was also swayed by the overwhelming fame of Chetan Bhagat as a writer and had read only that book,but it turned out to be so aweful that I found it better to turn the book down once read and stay away from his writings further.
yours faithfully,
Soumallya Chattopadhyay
Sir,
I shared this on my Facebook wall, and I'd like to repeat what I said there. That Chetan Bhagat chose "Kajra Re" as his most favourite Gulzar song is in itself amusing. I quite like the song, but I fail to see how this could be anyone's favourite Gulzar song, when he has written poetry like "Mera Kuch Samaan", "Chaiyya Chaiyya", "Aanewala Pal" and so many others.
Secondly, Gulzar did not even ask him to explain a very complicated metaphor. "Kimaam" and "Lu" are very common Hindi terms, I wonder if Chetan Bhagat just decided to keep quiet because he was caught off guard. Or, maybe because he wisely decided not to reply, out of respect for the poet?
Dear Sir
This little post means much to me if only because it involves Gulzar in it. He has been a favorite, though I repent having discovered him for myself much later than I should have, half a decade ago perhaps. I feel flattered sometimes that I share my birthdate with him; and that's the closest I can get to him in this lifetime!
If you don't mind, Sir, may I pose that I have problem with the title of this post because lately Chetan Bhagat has been trying too hard to underline the demarcation between himself and people who 'write'! I can recapitulate Chetan saying in the Jaipur Lit Festival that his literary abilities were far inferior to those of Rushdie's and in another interview that his latest book is meant for kids who are just beginning to pick up English, the language. So I think it's not completely fair to accuse him of vying with the genius of Gulzar.
Nivedita madam, I am not sure Chetan could have articulately explained the lines he were asked to. This particular "Kimaam ki khushboo" phrase reminds me the starting lines of Marquez's 'Love in The Time of Cholera' where the author relates a similar smell sensation to the quality of nostalgia.
Regards
Manoshij Banerjee
Dear Sir,
Thanks for sharing this. I am going to share this with some of my friends who are'fans' of CB. Some of them, who hardly ever read anything, have listed his books as their favourites. I actually started disliking him when he tried to get himself into the limelight either by creating controversy, like when Three Idiots was released, or writing something about the Anna Hazare movement.
Sincerely
Nishant.
Chanchal,
I just read your comment, sorry about the late reply. Like you, I like listening to and reading Gulzar a lot and I am quite happy he shut Chetan Bhagat up.
But this is why I thought maybe Bhagat's silence was more because he was caught unawares/and or because he simply did not want to carry on the conversation: Chetan Bhagat studied (and so, lived) in Delhi. "Kimaam" and "Lu" are such ordinary words for that region, it is really difficult for me to believe he did not know what Gulzar was saying. Or, could not have explained if he really thought for a while. Kajra Re is a very well-written song, but it is not Gulzar's most complex.
And Bhagat's definitely not a fool. Anyone who has been able to make a living out of writing and given up MBA-type jobs in the process can't be one.
I was curious to see if he'd retorted later and looks like he did not. Another wise and decent move, I thought.
Sorry, I mistook your account name for your real one, Manoshij. Many apologies.
Nivedita madam
I am sorry to have gotten this much late in replying.
Yes, I think I got you; thank you for explaining.
Sincerely
Manoshij Banerjee
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