Chetan Bhagat profile

       In The Guardian Nirpal Dhaliwal profiles Chetan Bhagat: Bollywood's favourite author.
       Dhaliwal suggests:

The books are Hornby-lite: schmaltzy, earnest and simplistic. But, like Bollywood films, they are both a window on to Indian society and an engine of social change. Their apparent lack of sophistication -- for which Indian critics pan him -- is, on closer inspection, proof of intelligence and sensitivity.

       Of Salman Rushdie's dismissal of Bhagat's work Dhaliwal writes:

That it isn't to the taste of the Rugby-educated doyen of the jetsetting chapatirati is no surprise. But it's telling that such culture-wallahs have never recognised why the books are so appealing to ordinary Indians.

       I'm not so sure Rushdie doesn't recognize why the books appeal so much -- that's rather a different issue. And the fact that his books apparently get people to read in English seems rather over-stated as a selling-point -- useful, yes, but there's no reason they couldn't be better.
       On the other hand, Bhagat is probably right:

Of Rushdie's relevance to readers in India, Bhagat notes: "Frankly, most Indians don't know much about Rushdie's work. They may know him through the controversy of The Satanic Verses, or through [his ex-wife] Padma Laxmi, because she was super-hot ... He's not part of the dialogue."

       Several Bhagat titles are under review at the complete review:

• Five Point Someone
• One night @ the call center
• The Three Mistakes of my Life