I picked up this book more out of curiosity than interest - many reviewers had good things to say about Chetan Bhagat’s writing. I work for a tier I MNC - in the IT / ITES sector and am in the HR team. As an HR professional and an avid reader of Indian writing, I think this book fares very poorly.
The characters depicted are well...too smart to be working for an unknown and ‘unsavy’ product like ’Western Appliances’. To be honest, most small / medium sized call centers have people who speak their native language better than English. And they are certainly not this hep / modern. Anyone who has called sify or even a medium sized bank will know that making any complex query understood is usually difficult. The young call centre employees do have money to spend but not all have a lifestyle as this. Chetan should have chosen a better company / organization with a better profile for his story. The management and Bakshi’s attitude is too filmy. Any organization has a team of stakeholders who look into the wellbeing and progress of its employees. I am not saying that the world does not have bad managers. Bakshi’s portayal is however over-done. The last few chapters on the transformation of the protagonists after they speak to God, took the cake. Gosh! How weird and bollywood like - Shyam says ’no’ and then chases Priyanka to say ’yes’ and they kiss on the road. Pleaseee...watch fewer hindi movies while you are at your book, Chetan. And the ’plot’ employed to get the call centre back - isn’t it too familiar a climax in all hindi movies.
Chetan’s idea in his epilogue on ’which was a better end’ is taken off ’The Life of Pi’. No originality here either.
Well, I think the reason this book has caught attention is because it does address the youth and there are smart kids who work hard in call centres and who live a life like that depicted by Chetan. But the profile, role and company just do not fit one another. Overall, I think Chetan will do better selling his scripts to a mediocre hindi film producer rather than hope to write a book on it. Thank God the book is cheap – just Rs. 95.
Kavita Narasimhan