You fail to impress Chetan Ji
The man with the Midas touch has done it again.. I'm not sure what the statistics are but, going by the readership of the latest Chetan Bhagat novel "Revolution 2020", it is a sellout and has achieved what was expected of it - to bring in the moolah for Bhagat and his publishers.. But the book for me has been a total let down.. I really liked Bhagat's last book "2 States - the story of my marriage".. the book was well written, with a lot of humor and made for an interesting read.. So it was but natural for me to be enthusiastic about his latest novel.. But alas! R2020 fails to impress..
Firstly the title is misleading. There is absolutely no hint of a revolution, atleast none involving the protagonist Gopal Mishra.. The story is pretty ordinary and the book is missing the 'punch' that usually accompanies Bhagat's novels.. Even the novel "The 3 mistakes of my life" that didn't generate much hype had a much better storyline than "Revolution 2020". R2020 is a very ordinary story of 3 childhood friends, based in Varansi.. A love triangle, and also a tale of ambition and corruption.. Bhagat claims it to be mainly a story of the 3 people and their lives, with the corruption issue serving only as a background.. So why name the book Revolution 2020, is my question.. Why not something like U, ME and Aarthi? Sounds tacky right? Well, that's exactly what Bhagat has reduced his novel to.. And the story is plain, ordinary and basically drab.. In an attempt to reach out to the masses and ensure that many people read his book, Bhagat has compromised on quality.. the book totally lacks it..
Bhagat has become the Salman Khan of the literary world.. Salman's movies off late have no substance, but somehow appeal to the masses.. In the same way Bhagat, the astute businessman has the pulse of the nation and knows what sells..
Of course the book has some plus points too.. Its priced at a nominal Rs 140/- which ensures that buying your own copy will not burn a hole in your pocket.. And since the book has a simple storyline and even more simpler language you can finish reading it in a matter of hours.. No waste of time..
If you're a Bhagat fan, I suggest you don't read this book and feel let down.. wait for it to be made into a movie.. The song and dance routine in the movie and some nonsensical dialogues may be able to numb the pain of an otherwise ordinary story :)
Firstly the title is misleading. There is absolutely no hint of a revolution, atleast none involving the protagonist Gopal Mishra.. The story is pretty ordinary and the book is missing the 'punch' that usually accompanies Bhagat's novels.. Even the novel "The 3 mistakes of my life" that didn't generate much hype had a much better storyline than "Revolution 2020". R2020 is a very ordinary story of 3 childhood friends, based in Varansi.. A love triangle, and also a tale of ambition and corruption.. Bhagat claims it to be mainly a story of the 3 people and their lives, with the corruption issue serving only as a background.. So why name the book Revolution 2020, is my question.. Why not something like U, ME and Aarthi? Sounds tacky right? Well, that's exactly what Bhagat has reduced his novel to.. And the story is plain, ordinary and basically drab.. In an attempt to reach out to the masses and ensure that many people read his book, Bhagat has compromised on quality.. the book totally lacks it..
Bhagat has become the Salman Khan of the literary world.. Salman's movies off late have no substance, but somehow appeal to the masses.. In the same way Bhagat, the astute businessman has the pulse of the nation and knows what sells..
Of course the book has some plus points too.. Its priced at a nominal Rs 140/- which ensures that buying your own copy will not burn a hole in your pocket.. And since the book has a simple storyline and even more simpler language you can finish reading it in a matter of hours.. No waste of time..
If you're a Bhagat fan, I suggest you don't read this book and feel let down.. wait for it to be made into a movie.. The song and dance routine in the movie and some nonsensical dialogues may be able to numb the pain of an otherwise ordinary story :)
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