Chetan Bhagat's Daddy Issues: Ex-Army Officer, Parents Separated, Father Didn't Attend His Marriage

Chetan Bhagat is hands down the biggest English language novelist in India's history. At the peak of his career, he was named in TIME Magazine's 100 Most Influential People in the World. Chetan Bhagat's unique writing style is the reason why he has delivered ten blockbuster books in his illustrious career as an author. Chetan's bestselling books of all time include Five Point Someone, The Three Mistakes Of My Life, 2 States: The Story Of My Marriage, Revolution 2020: Love, Corruption, Ambition, The Girl In Room 105, One Night At The Call Center, What Young India Wants, Half Girlfriend, Making India Awesome, and One Indian Girl. 

A look at India's most celebrated English-language writer, Chetan Bhagat and his journey so far

Chetan Bhagat has received tons of awards and accolades for his incredible contribution to the field of literature and arts. Some of his most notable awards include Publisher's Recognition Award in 2005, TIME Magazine's World's 100 Most Influential People of 2010, Fast Company's 100 Most Creative People 2011, CNN-IBN Indian of the Year 2014, 2017 Forbes India Celebrity 100 list, Golden Book Awards 2022, and many more.

Apart from being an exceptional author and screenwriter, Chetan Bhagat also has a strong educational background. For the uninitiated, Chetan is an alumnus of IIT Delhi and IIM Ahmedabad. Before becoming a full-time author, he worked as an investment banker for a period of 11-long-years in Hong Kong.

Chetan Bhagat was working at Goldman Sachs when he published his first book, Five Point Someone, in 2004. After gaining some recognition after publishing his second novel, One Night at the Call Center, Chetan returned to India in 2008. In May 2008, Chetan published his third novel, Three Mistakes of My Life and quit his high-paying banking job to become a full-time writer. 

Meet Chetan Bhagat's parents: The '11 Rules Of Life' author's father is a retired Indian Army officer

Chetan Bhagat was born on April 22, 1974, into a traditional Punjabi family to his parents. While his father, Prakash Bhagat, was a Lieutenant Colonel in the Indian Army, his mother (unknown name) worked as a scientist at the Indian Agricultural Research Institute in New Delhi. For the uninitiated, Chetan Bhagat's parents no longer live together. Once, in an interview with The Times Of India, the doting son admitted that after parting ways with her husband, his mother had been the happiest he had ever seen her. He said:

"Her relationship with my father was always turbulent and still remains like that. But today, they are separated and she is the happiest I have ever seen her. A lot of time has passed and I'm not looking for an apology as her life cannot be undone, but I try and make her as happy as I can."

Chetan Bhagat's turbulent relationship with his father: Reality about the climax of 2 States, which is far from the reality of the author's real life

Chetan Bhagat and his father, Prakash Bhagat's relationship was no different from the bond most Indian fathers share with their sons. Time and again, in many of his interviews, the ace writer has shared that his father was way too strict and behaved like an authoritarian with him and his mother. Since childhood, he has seen his father having intense arguments and indifferences with his mother, which built a bridge between the father and son. As per Chetan, his father stopped his mother from doing basic things like meeting her maternal family, which pained him.

In a heart-to-heart conversation with The Times Of India, Chetan Bhagat penned 2 States to forgive his father. The writer decided to explore his father's inner frustrations and forgive him at the end of his story. It was quite difficult, but he managed to forgive his father for abusing his mother with the power he had given himself for being a husband. Despite forgiving him, Chetan admitted that he rarely met his father. Further, in the same interview, he shockingly revealed that the climax of the film, in which the father attends the wedding, is a pure work of fiction.

In real life, Chetan Bhagat's father didn't attend his wedding with Anusha Bhagat. However, he added that his father visited them after their marriage, and their relationship is now neutral. Chetan's father was against his decision to marry Anusha, not because of the difference in their culture or caste but because his father couldn't tolerate that he was deciding by himself. However, after years of anger and frustration, Chetan Bhagat finally forgave his father and is now enjoying his own journey as a father with his twins, Ishaan and Shyam. 

What are your thoughts on Chetan Bhagat's healing journey, which started with his decision to give a happy ending to the father-son duo in 2 States? Let us know.

Also Read: Who Was Ram Kapoor's Father, Anil 'Billy' Kapoor? Renowned Ad Guru, Didn't Speak To Son For 10 Years

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