Hello everyone,

Thanks for the great comments of last time. Read and absorbed all of them, and am sure the other readers did too. I am finally getting the groove of my life back, which is hard given I have ten things going on at the same time. In yoga they have a very important concept called ‘mindfulness’ that should be practiced at all times. Mindfulness refers to an inner awareness that is present even if we are interacting with the external world. So if you are in a work meeting or in a group conversation, you are aware of what exactly you are feeling and thinking at that point. However, most of the times we keep ourselves so busy in life that there is no time to think basics - ‘why am i doing this?’, ‘how am i feeling right now?’ or ‘does it really matter?’.

Mindfulness leads to being present in the current moment, said by many spiritual disciplines to be the key to happiness. However, the human mind plans ahead and looks back all the time. This is a key difference between humans and animals. It is a gift for the most part. We can postpone gratification and build something for the future. We can go back and convert our mistakes into lessons. However, this ability is also a curse. The human mind, and especially for some people more than others, oscillates constantly. Some people are lucky, they don’t think too much. Whereas some like me, think all the time. It is called a neurotic mind in psychology terms, and is a basic personality trait. These constant stream of thoughts make for great stories, but do not necessarily help in living a peaceful life. During periods when I did intense yoga practice, I had learnt to control it. But now, with so much going on, yoga has taken a backseat and my mind is buzzing all the time. It is like I know I should not think so much, but I can’t help it. Do any of you identify with that sort of state? I don’t know, I hope I am not the only one.

This state can be particularly detrimental if you have a negative event. The mind keeps going to that all the time. Someone disappointed me bigtime recently, and apart from being hurt I am upset with myself for trusting without thinking. Still, it’s life. Now if only my mind would get a grip and move on. But no, right now that is all I think about.

As a resolve for next year, I will bring yoga back into my life. A city like Mumbai doesn’t help when you are trying to find peace. But as my teacher used to say at the end of class ‘May you live like the lotus, at home in the muddy waters.’

***

Why I say next year for yoga is because this year is packed. Office is busy always, but now I have the release of hello coming up (Oct 10 is the new and final release date by the way). The music should be out in stores next week and the TV promos should become quite visible in September. Atul said he will need me, and I have to be there for the team which has worked relentlessly for two years. I also have a script I am working on, which is really fun but I can only write it when my mind is not in a negative state. There are other script offers, but it is all a polite no for now. There are lots of invitations from colleges/ corporates for talks (I think the Sparks speech did it) and just doing a fraction of them takes a lot of time (The next one is at 30 Aug at NIT Calicut). This whole new inspiring/ youth icon role is new for me, and as I have always said, makes me a little uncomfortable. I am extremely emotionally driven, and when young boys and girls start having faith in me or looking up to me or want me to do something for the country, I have no choice but to listen to them. After all, whoever gives you love has some rights over you. But I don’t know how much I can do at this point.

I went to Indore last Saturday and gave a talk in an indoor basketball stadium where 4,000 people turned up. I saw their eyes, and I know you are looking at me in a greater role. But please give it time, and leave it to destiny. If it is meant to happen, it will. I did write some thoughts on Independence day for the BBC, which you can read here. This basically summarizes what I feel for the country right now.

***
As you may have noted, this is one of my more personal blog posts. I don’t blog frequently especially compared to some of the other celebrity blogs, and my blogs are not controversial or that personal. I find it difficult to open up (beyond the books) and I am going through a weird emotional phase right now. I am not sure if I should dump my thoughts in this state on wonderful people like you. I will share something though. Despite all the hype around my book sales figures, the reason I write is not to top any lists or break records . I write to heal some of my childhood wounds, which the 3 books have helped soothe to a certain extent. But if I don’t write, the pain comes back again. This means the healing is not fully done. So, I must keep writing for now. And it is just a great bonus that you guys like to read it and I get to say things like ‘Indian publishing is moving to a new direction’.

But the fact is, if I don’t write the pain is going to kill me.

So thank you. Without you, I won’t be there.

May you live like the lotus, at home in the muddy waters.

Love,
Me

Dear All,
It is finally here. The promo of Hello, the film based on One Night @ the Call Center. You can see it below. Do give your feedback. The film releases September 19th, so mark that date!

Love,
Me
PS: I am also overwhelmed at the response to Sparks. Your amazing, heartfelt comments really moved me. Not only on the blog, but the speech was forwarded over email across the country, and ended up being in my inbox alone several times. Thank you. It means that today in India, the right message can travel extremely fast.

Hi all,

Sorry for the delay in making a new post. To compensate, I will make this a longer one. I recently visited the fantastic Symbiosis campus in Pune and gave the inaugral speech to the incoming BBA batch. Since many of you may be joining/rejoining college soon, I thought I will share this speech with you.

Otherwise, I shall be in Delhi for the OSIANS film festival. I have a session on Literature and Cinema on Sunday, July 13, 2008 at 5pm in the Siri Fort Auditorium.  It is free entry, so do come if you wish to meet me. The festival also has a great selection of movies that you don’t normally get to see and there are major bragging rights for weeks even if you watch one of them ( “I was at OSIANS last weekend, and you? shopping at the mall again?”).

Anyway,  back to the speech, I decided to call it Sparks.  I am pasting it below.

Till next time, love and regards - me.

—-

Keep the Spark

Inaugural Speech for the new batch at the Symbiosis BBA program 2008

Good Morning everyone and thank you for giving me this chance to speak to you. This day is about you. You, who have come to this college, leaving the comfort of your homes (or in some cases discomfort), to become something in your life. I am sure you are excited. There are few days in human life when one is truly elated.  The first day in college is one of them.  When you were getting ready today, you felt a tingling in your stomach. What would the auditorium be like, what would the teachers be like, who are my new classmates - there is so much to be curious about. I call this excitement, the spark within you that makes you feel truly alive today. Today I am going to talk about keeping the spark shining. Or to put it another way, how to be happy most, if not all the time.

 Where do these sparks start? I think we are born with them. My 3-year old twin boys  have a million sparks. A little Spiderman toy can make them jump on the bed. They get thrills from creaky swings in the park. A story from daddy gets them excited. They do a daily countdown for birthday party – several months in advance – just for the day they will cut their own birthday cake.

 I see students like you, and I still see some sparks. But when  I see older people,  the spark is difficult to find. That means as we age, the spark fades. People whose spark has faded too much are dull, dejected, aimless and bitter. Remember Kareena in the first half of Jab We Met vs the second half? That is what happens when the spark is lost.   So how to save the spark?

Imagine the spark to be a lamp’s flame. The first aspect is nurturing - to give your spark the fuel, continuously. The second is to guard against storms.

 To nurture, always have goals. It is human nature to strive, improve and achieve full potential. In fact, that is success. It is what is possible for you. It isn’t any external measure - a certain cost to company pay package, a particular car or house.

Most of us are from middle class families. To us, having material landmarks is success and rightly so. When you have grown up where money constraints force everyday choices, financial freedom is a big achievement.

 But it isn’t the purpose of life. If that was the case, Mr Ambani would not show up for work. Shah Rukh Khan would stay at home and not dance anymore. Steve Jobs won’t be working hard to make a better iPhone, as he sold Pixar for billions of dollars already. Why do they do it? What makes them come to work everyday?

They do it because it makes them happy. They do it because it makes them feel alive. Just getting better from current levels feels good. If you study hard, you can improve your rank. If you make an effort to  interact with people, you will do better in interviews. If you practice, your cricket will get better. You may also know that you cannot become Tendulkar, yet. But you can get to the next level. Striving for that next level is important.

Nature designed  with a random set of genes and circumstances in which we were born. To be happy, we have to accept it and make the most of nature’s design. Are you? Goals will help you do that.

I must add, don’t just have career or academic goals. Set goals to give you a balanced, successful life. I use the word balanced before successful. Balanced means ensuring your health, relationships, mental peace are all in good order.

There is no point of getting a promotion on the day of your breakup. There is no fun in driving a car if your back hurts. Shopping is not enjoyable if your mind is full of tensions. 

 You must have read some quotes -  Life is a  tough race, it is a marathon or whatever. No, from what I have seen so far, life is one of those races in nursery school. Where you have to run with a marble in a spoon kept in your mouth. If the marble falls, there is no point coming first. Same with life, where health and relationships are the marble. Your striving is only worth it if there is harmony in your life. Else, you may achieve the success, but this spark, this feeling of being excited and alive, will start to die.

 One last thing about nurturing the spark - don’t take life seriously. One of my yoga teachers used to make students laugh during classes. One student asked him if these jokes would take away something from the yoga practice. The teacher said  - don’t be serious, be sincere. This quote has defined my work ever since. Whether its my writing, my job, my relationships or any of my goals. I get thousands of opinions on my writing everyday. There is heaps of praise, there is intense criticism. If I take it all seriously, how will I write? Or rather, how will I live? Life is not to be taken seriously, as we are really temporary here. We are like a pre-paid card with limited validity. If we are lucky, we may last another 50 years. And 50 years is just 2,500 weekends. Do we really need to get so worked up? It’s ok, bunk a few classes, goof up a few interviews, fall in love. We are people, not programmed devices.

 I’ve told you three things - reasonable goals, balance and not taking it too seriously that will nurture the spark. However, there are four storms in life that will threaten to completely put out the flame. These must be guarded against. These are disappointment, frustration, unfairness and loneliness of purpose.

 Disappointment will come when your effort does not give you the expected return. If things don’t go as planned or if you face failure. Failure is extremely difficult to handle, but those that do come out stronger. What did this failure teach me? is the question you will need to ask. You will feel miserable. You will want to quit, like I wanted to when nine publishers rejected my first book. Some IITians kill themselves over low grades – how silly is that? But that is how much failure can hurt you.

But it’s life. If challenges could always be overcome, they would cease to be a challenge. And remember - if you are failing at something, that means you are at your limit or potential. And that’s where you want to be.

 Disappointment’s cousin is  frustration, the second storm.  Have you ever been frustrated? It happens when things are stuck. This is especially relevant in India. From traffic jams to getting that job you deserve, sometimes things take so long that you don’t know if you chose the right goal. After books, I set the goal of writing for Bollywood, as I thought they needed writers. I am called extremely lucky, but it took me five years to get close to  a release.

Frustration saps excitement, and turns your initial energy into something negative, making you a bitter person. How did I deal with it? A realistic assessment of the time involved – movies take a long time to make even though they are watched quickly, seeking a certain enjoyment in the process rather than the end result – at least I was learning how to write scripts  , having a side plan – I had my third book to write and even something as simple as pleasurable distractions in your life  - friends, food, travel can help you overcome it. Remember, nothing is to be taken seriously. Frustration is a sign somewhere, you took it too seriously.

 Unfairness - this is hardest to deal with, but unfortunately that is how our country works. People with connections, rich dads, beautiful faces, pedigree find it easier to make it – not just in Bollywood, but everywhere. And sometimes it is just plain luck. There are so few opportunities in India, so many stars need to be aligned for you to make it happen. Merit and hard work is not always linked to achievement in the short term, but the long term correlation is high, and ultimately things do work out. But realize, there will be some people luckier than you.

In fact, to have an opportunity to go to college and understand this speech in English means you are pretty darn lucky by Indian standards. Let’s be grateful for what we have and get the strength to accept what we don’t. I have so much love from my readers that other writers cannot even imagine it. However, I don’t get literary praise. It’s ok. I don’t look like Aishwarya Rai, but I have two boys who I think are more beautiful than her. It’s ok. Don’t let unfairness kill your spark.

 Finally, the last point that can kill your spark is isolation. As you grow older you will realize you are unique. When you are little, all kids want Ice cream and Spiderman. As you grow older to college, you still are a lot like your friends. But ten years later and you realize you are unique. What you want, what you believe in, what makes you feel, may be different from even the people closest to you. This can create conflict as your goals may not match with others. . And you may drop some of them. Basketball captains in college invariably stop playing basketball by the time they have their second child. They give up something that meant so much to them. They do it for their family. But in doing that, the spark dies. Never, ever make that compromise. Love yourself first, and then others.

 There you go. I’ve told you the four thunderstorms - disappointment, frustration, unfairness and isolation. You cannot avoid them, as like the monsoon they will come into your life at regular intervals. You just need to keep the raincoat handy to not let the spark die.

 I welcome you again to the most wonderful  years of your life. If someone gave me the choice to go back in time, I will surely choose college. But I also hope that ten years later as well, you eyes will shine the same way as they do today. That you will Keep the Spark alive, not only through college, but through the next 2,500 weekends. And I hope not just you, but my whole country will keep that spark alive, as we really need it now more than any moment in history. And there is something cool about saying - I come from the land of a billion sparks.

 Thank You.

 —-

PS: Thanks for your lovely comments. If any of the above relates to your life, do share.

1. Five Point Someone - 5,000 copies (new author, this was a good number)

2. One Night @ the Call Center - 50,000 copies (since FPS was already popular).

And now for 3, I just received the figure this morning for the sales last month:

3. The 3 Mistakes of my life - 5,00,000 copies.

Wow! Well, first of all, thank you! You made it happen.

I don’t know how 3 achieved 10x increase over the previous book. Maybe the first two books had become quite popular, maybe there was a long gap, maybe we had good media coverage, maybe it was the whole hype about the “#1 selling author in history” or maybe the theme this time had wider reach than the narrow setting of the previous two books. Whatever it is, it is leaving all of us gobsmacked. The book will be the highest selling book of the three pretty soon, (yes, more than FPS too) and that too by a wide margin.

I do hear the term “Bollywoodish” associated with some of my stories. As long as that is an observation, it is fine. (Good) Bollywood is about drama, plot, message, fun, emotions, action and happy, hopeful endings. I like that about Bollywood. I think most Indians do too. As one comment said, who wants stories that move painfully slow and end in despair? I don’t, and if you do - there are plenty of books in the store you will find like that.

As expected, the fringe readers continue to have this love-hate relationship with me. My third book didn’t work for them, though they read it in the first week of release, and they couldn’t put it down while reading it.

Dear All,
Just a quick short post. Things have been hectic and the response to 3 quite overwhelming. I am still in the middle of launches and so life will settle down only after a few weeks. I have read each and every comment and fan mail that has come to me. The sheer volume makes it difficult to reply (and please forgive me for not), but I do want to thank you for making the effort to give me feedback. And if you liked the book, thanks once more.
Everything about 3 was beyond expectations for myself and everyone in the team. The opening sales, the media attention, the volume of fan mail, the frenzy at the launches.
I am still under equipped at handling all this. I knew the books were popular - but so much? I went to McDonald’s at CST and three people came to me. I had sauce smeared on my face - not very youth icon like at all.
I am trying to come up with a system to better respond to readers, an area where I can definitely improve. To that effect, I am cutting down on media stories for now. I think I have said enough and people have seen the yellow book and me enough times. I have four more cities left for the launches in this phase, and it will end in the next 10 days. The ad is below, see if you can come. Please do.
The most important thing is, a large number of people have liked the book. To match up to the last two is an achievement in itself. I want to thank you for giving these new characters a place in your heart. I had big concerns given the topic, but I have received so many complimentary mails from Gujarat as well. When I received the first mail praising 3 from Ahmedabad, I cried.
More soon.

Love,
Chetan

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My Writing Principles - Chetan Bhagat

1) My reader’s interests always come first. My experience shows that if I serve readers well, my own success will follow.

 2) I have two goals. My first goal is to make my readers happy. This can come from the enjoyment they get while reading the book, or a positive influence the book can become in their lives. My second goal is a personal agenda to do whatever I can to make India a developed country as soon as possible.

 3) I take pride in having an Indian audience. I will strive for excellence to cater to them first. Though my books may be published abroad across various countries, if it came to a choice I’d rather be writing for Indians than anyone else.

4) Be simple yet articulate. The idea of writing is to express, not to impress.

5) Always try something new as that keeps me challenged. I will never arrive, and I don’t want to arrive. The game is to keep going.

 6) Every reader is important. While the sheer number of readers may make it difficult to have a one-on-one interaction, reader feedback is to be taken very seriously.

7) The ‘celebrity’ factor is essential to promoting my work and fun to a certain extent. However, it is not an end-goal in itself or to be taken seriously. What matters is my work, not my face.

 8 ) I am not working alone. While the books carry my name, there is a whole team behind that works relentlessly. The printers, salespeople, editors, promotion departments have all had a contribution in the book’s success. And of course, the biggest contribution is the readers who passionately recommend my books to others.

 9) The connection my readers feel to me and my books is greater than one finds in most other books. I think this is an important part of my success.

 10) I regularly receive mails from readers who open up about their lives. To breach their confidence and trust is unthinkable. Integrity and honesty is at the heart of my relationship with my readers

 11) There is a lot of competition among books and authors.However, I must always be a fair competitor and must never criticize other books and authors. Similarly, all critical feedback is accepted and not to be argued with.

12) Irrespective of the above, never forget that the idea is for all connected to my books to have fun. Don’t be serious, be sincere. There is a difference.

That will be all for now.

Love,

Chetan

• Mumbai- 8th May - 7:00 PM
  Courtyard, Near Big Bazaar,
  Phoneix Mills Compound, Lower Parel, Mumbai
  -
• Delhi - 10th May - 6:30 PM
  Ambience Mall, Big Bazaar,
  Ambience Mall, Near Gurgaon Border, NH-8, Delhi-Jaipur Highway, Gurgaon
  -
• Kolkatta - 11th May - 4:30 PM
  Kankurgachi Pantaloons
  Pantaloon Kankurgachi, Orchid Point, 33/1A,
  Upendra Chandra Banerjee Road, Kankurgachi
  -
• Kolkatta - 11th May - 7:00 PM
  Hiland Park, Big Bazaar,
  Big Bazaar Hiland Park, 6, Hiland Park 1925 Chakgaria,
  Near Peerless Hospital, Em Bypass,
  Kolkatta - 700094
  -
• Hyderabad - 17th May - 6:30 PM
  Ameerpet, Big Bazaar,
  Big Bazaar,-Hyderabad-Ameerpet, 8-3-949/1, Ameerpet,
  Hyderabad - 5000016
  -
• Bangalore - 18th May - 6:30 PM
  OMR, Big Bazaar,
  Salapuria Nova, No.1 & 2, Varthur Road,Nagavarapalya, Old Madras Road
  Bangalore - 560016
  -
• Ahmedabad - 24th May - 6:30 PM
  Himalaya, Big Bazaar,
  Big Bazaar, Himalaya Mall, Drive in Road
  Near Drive in Open Theater, Gurukul,
  Ahmedabad
  -
• Pune - 25th May - 4:00 PM
  Kothrud, Big Bazaar,
  Plot No. CC3 of S. No. 20/2, Adjoining City Pride Multiplex, Kothrud
  Pune

P.S.: There are 2 events in kolkata on same day. Irrespective of the launch events, the book will be avaliable in bookstores across India from May 8. 2008.

All I would like to say is, if you can come, do come. It will make me very happy.

Dear All,

Thanks so much for you wonderful comments and encouragement. And special thanks to those who remembered/figured-out my birthday. I have some idea about the 3 launch events, though will make a separate post later with all the details. I only get to meet readers at launch time. So, if you are in that city, I want to see you there. As of now, here is what I know about the schedule:

Thu, May 8th: Mumbai    

Venue and Time: Big Bazaar, Phoenix Mills, Lower Parel, 7:00pm

Sat, May 10th: Delhi (Gurgaon)

Venue and Time: Big Bazaar, Gurgaon @ 6:00pm (TBC)

Other cities (Venue and Time TBC):

Sun, May 11th: Kolkata

Sat, May 17th: Bangalore

Sun, May 18th: Hyderabad

Sat, May 24th:  Ahmedabad

Sun, May 25th: Pune

More cities (Dates, Venue and Time TBC):

Lucknow, Bhubneshwar, Trivandrum, Jaipur and possibly some others.

We have tied up with Depot, the bookstore chain of Big Bazaar group who will co-ordinate all the launches.  They have promised me that they will make me reach as many of my readers as possible and make it the biggest book launch ever.  It’s all pretty low key for now but the action will begin soon. So, do join the fun.

My dear friends/ readers,

This is my first post. My third book is complete and releases on May 8, 2008. I am very excited to be interacting with you. We have just updated the site with details about the third book, “The 3 mistakes of my life.” There is an excerpt as well, and after you read that you will find a way to get yet another secret, bonus excerpt.

I am thankful for all your love and support, and look forward to interacting with you more on this blog. I shall be posting more details on the launch of 3 in the coming days.

Yours,

Chetan Bhagat