Bhagat, Chetan. Revolution 2020

Bhagat, Chetan. Revolution 2020, Rupa publications, New Delhi, 2011 (Pages 296, paperback)

Rating: 4.5/10

This was the first Chetan Bhagat book I read. The Rs 95 price tag in the past was part of the reason to put me off his books. (This book is priced at Rs 140, now that Mr Bhagat is famous, pricing no longer needed as the marketing mix.)

Overtly, the book is about the rotten education system in India. But more space is devoted for a love triangle with one girl and two boys. The book is full of wit, and the male narrator’s struggle with the female psychology is poignant, though clichéd. It’s a formula book waiting to be picked up by a Bollywood production house.

Not surprisingly, like most Bollywood films, the book loses its plot near the end. The characters start behaving out of characters. Idealism wins over reason. The last thirty pages, the utterly unconvincing part of the book wipe out all the good work done until then. It is as if Mr Bhagat, apart from writing the script, has also taken over the function of the censor board. Why wait for the censor board to say good must win, and evil must lose? Sorry Mr Bhagat, but in novels (and in life) evil is often on top. 

Verdict: High on readability, recommended to carry on long-haul flights. Spending Rs 140 on the book is cheaper than watching the film with popcorn and cokes.