Mumbai: India’s bestseller author Chetan Bhagat spills the tea about why self-Googling is like cyber masturbating, ChatGPT writing the summary of his next plot and why you shouldn’t confuse media attention with love in Sumedha’s sensational podcast Bluntly Streaming this week
“I never became a writer to change the world. I wanted to make enough money to afford to treat his friends with pizzas and Hot Chocolate Fudge at Nirula’s. I took the investment banker role only to make money,” he said. At work, all that he wanted was a 10 percent hike at work but his horrible boss deprived him of it. “I quit and during the break wrote my first book and the rest is history,” said India’s bestselling author in Sumedha’s sensational podcast Bluntly Streaming this week. In the podcast, Sumedha dives deep into the minds and lives of influential figures and captures Chetan in his wackiest best.
While talking about the memorable moment of being featured in Time’s 100 Influential Indians, Chetan recalled how his horrible boss said in his appraisal that he had ‘poor communication skills’. The writer said that he followed the LBDN mantra – Look Busy Do Nothing – when he was under a horrible boss, which resulted in his first book.
Sumedha then veers the conversation towards the news about Chetan’s cyber presence. Has he ever Googled himself? “That’s like cyber masturbation. Yes, one has to be aware of their image all the time,” he said.
What’s the toughest part about being an author, Sumedha asked. He said, “Dealing with rejections as each rejection is like a slap,”. Chetan talks about spending two years writing his debut work, two in publishing it and in the end left with no enthusiasm to actually promote the book.
In a moment of reflection, Chetan shares the importance of authenticity and acceptance, acknowledging that not everyone will like you, and that’s okay. He confesses to his unhealthy relationship with food and the pressures of maintaining a public image in the age of social media.
The conversation takes a poignant turn as Chetan discusses relationships and marriage. He confesses to having a strained relationship with his father which is reflected in the book 2 States. He also went on to say that he is blessed with a supportive partner. Is their’s a Rab Ne Bana De Jodi, Sumedha asked. “Rab jodi bana tha hai par kaam toh hamey karna hai,”
Adding her sparkling wit and wry humor, Sumedha extracts sensational answers from Chetan about deep fakes, 70-hour work weeks, influencer Orry and what made him move from heartbreak to homicide in his book trajectory. Sumedha throws a Googly at him asking him what his pen name would have been if he were to ghostwrite a book. “Majnu perhaps,” he says. Make it Chetana, she helpfully suggests. The author also talks about how he struggles to stay normal and disconnected from his phone to be able to sleep well and be at his creative best for his next book.
As the podcast draws to a close, Chetan Bhagat leaves listeners with a glimpse into his next literary endeavor, teasing titles like “Chetan ki Chethana” or “Ek tha Chetan.” Sumedha prods him about his relationship with the media – from being an eye candy to an eye sore. Chetan warns: Media attention is not love, you are just content for the media.
In the end, “Bluntly Streaming” offers not just a glimpse into the life of Chetan Bhagat but a mirror reflecting the universal struggles and triumphs we all face. With his trademark blend of honesty and humor, Chetan reminds us that while success may be fleeting, the journey itself is where true fulfillment lies. Bluntly Streaming is currently streaming on all video and audio streaming networks.
