I'm Not The Best Writer, But The Bestselling Writer: Chetan Bhagat

NEW DELHI: He admits he may not be in the same league as the literary greats of India when it comes to fiction, but has revamped the concept of "bestsellers". This, says novelist Chetan Bhagat, is because his stories are by an Indian and written for Indians.

The 40-year old was interacting with the alumni and students of the Indian Institute of Technology-Delhi during the annual "Rendezvous 2014" festival here Saturday evening. During the hour-long lecture on "From Institute to Bollywood", the author of bestseller "Five Point Someone" that was adapted into the blockbuster movie "Three Idiots", spoke about his journey of changing the course of his life by listening to his inner self.

"When my first novel came in 2004, there was a different literary landscape in India. It was the time when many young people were learning to speak in English for better job prospects," said Bhagat.

"I know that I am not the best writer in India, but I am the bestselling writer because I write for the people of my country. I write in the language they understand and converse with them through this," he added.

The entire conversation turned out to be a light-hearted evening for the audience, which applauded, giggled and laughed at Bhagat's impeccable sense of humour. The audience could associate with Bhagat's nostalgic references of the culture, girls' attitude towards IIT boys and how he did many daring things during his stint at this prestigious institute.