International Journal of Research e-ISSN: 2348-6848 p-ISSN: 2348-795X Available at https://journals.pen2print.org/index.php/ijr/ Volume 07 Issue 03 March 2020 Chetan Bhagat’s novel One Indian Girl ----A Portrayal of a modern Indian Girl ‘s change in attitude towards life Mrs. K.Umakiran Assistant Professor Department of English Kakatiya Government College, Hanamkonda, Warangal Dist, Telangana Abstract: Keywords: Feminism, Fifty shades of Grey, Indian Girl, fiction, bollywood Chetan Bhagat’s novel One Indian Girl is moves, human relations. the story of Radhika Mehta, a vice-president at Goldman Sachs in London. It is a good Introduction place to note most of Radhika’s story told in three extensive flashbacks framed between a Chetan Bhagat is one of the most reputed prologue and a epilogue. Every one is popular fiction writers in contemporary excited,as Radhika’s wedding in Mehta post-modern Indian English Literature. So family is first destination wedding in Goa. far Chetan Bhagat has authored six fictions But Radhika’s mind is in undisclosed mess, and one non-fiction. They are Five Point because of the situation she is in where she Someone (2004), One Night@ the Call doesn’t have the slightest clue what exactly Centre (2005), The 3 Mistakes of My Life is going to happen. The solution for the (2008), 2 States: The Story of My Marriage chaos is not straightforward. Radhika is (2009), Revolution 2020(2011), and Half going to get married to Brijesh Gulati, an Girlfriend (2014). Non-fiction is What intelligent and caring person working at Young India Wants (2012). Few bestselling Facebook in San Francisco for whom novels are made into successful Bollywood Rahika has some good feelings. She earlier movies. All his novels are sold in millions. had relationships with Debashish Sen and His characters in the novels are portrayed Neel Gupta. Both of them planned to marry realistically. The plots of his novels reflect her but to certain reasons, marriage could contemporary society. Thus, his characters not take place. Each time she feels and plots connect to the young readers disappointed and leaves the place where she emotionally and also arouse reader’s interest was working. In the end, when she was in the novel. about to marry Brijesh, other two persons Author for the first time has written One arrive to marry her. She feels frustrated and Indian Girl novel in feministic perspective. cancels the marriage and goes on world tour In an interview, Chetan Bhagat said: “All to find out what she really likes. At last,she my earlier books were about a middle class meets Brijesh in San Fransisco and asks him Indian male character but in this book I took to come to Arjit Singh concert with her. He the perspective of a modern Indian Girl and agrees and both of them start laughing in the wrote from a female perspective. To write end. this novel, I interviewed around 100 girls to know their aspirations, strengths and pains”. Available online: https://journals.pen2print.org/index.php/ijr/ P a g e | 16 International Journal of Research e-ISSN: 2348-6848 p-ISSN: 2348-795X Available at https://journals.pen2print.org/index.php/ijr/ Volume 07 Issue 03 March 2020 Is it written in feministic perspective totally, twice her age, married and has two children. somehow I don’t agree. Feminism talks On her business trips she shares bed with about gender equality, liberty and freedom him. She wishes to get married with him for all. Here in this novel only in the end, and have family. When she asks Neel to get protagonist will take life into her hands. married, he says Radhika is good for career Radhika, in all here earlier relationships and not suitable for family. Again, she gets with men, experiences male chauvinism, discarded and plans to resign her job. But, insecurity of men and exploitation of her. on the advice of Neel she gets transferred to London. After much persuasion by her In this novel writer puts female character as mother, she agrees to get arranged marriage. his protagonist. He raises critical issues such She finds Brijesh Gulati on Shadi.com. She as gender equality, prejudiced Indian speaks to him on Skype and agrees to get customs and traditions, feminism, society married in Marriot hotel, Goa. verses individualism, liberation and humanism. Author skilfully directs the pace of the book. The narration switches rapidly from The novel starts with the wedding scene of the present to the past and to the present the protagonist Radhika Mehta in Marriot effortlessly. The book is of 280 pages, hotel in Goa. Radhika is going to get readers will not get bored even once. married to Brijesh Gulati, who works in Interesting part of the book is its climax--- it Face book in USA. Radhika works in is totally unpredictable and gives the reader distressed debt department of Goldman a big surprise. sachs. She earns fat salary. Radhika is supposed to be envoy of modern Unexpectedly her ex-boyfriends Debu and educated and career oriented Indian women. Neel arrive in the hotel. Both of them regret In this novel, Bagath deals with various breaking relationships with her. And they women issues like envy of women’s success propose to marry her. Radhika rejects by men, Debu feels insecure because of marriage proposals of Debu and Neel, she Radhika’s earning. Men use women but tells Brijesh too that she wants to cancel the when asked to get married Neel says that marriage and wishes to go on world tour. Radhika is suitable for career but not useful This act shows modern girls attitude for family and have kids. Bagath portrays towards marriage and tradition. Here author male chauvinism, Indian culture and takes you to flashback to New York and tradition in the novel explicitly. He also Hong Kong. portrays liberal attitude of women and innocence. Radhika maintains a live in relationships with Debu in New York. He rejects her Unexpectedly Goa’s CM arrives in the hotel because she earns more than him. She gets to attend an event. Therefore, hotel staff is dejected and plans to resign her job. But, forced to lessen the number of rooms somehow gets transferred to Hong Kong. allotted to the Mehta family. At this, There in the office she gets into intimate Radhika suggests to reallocate rooms to relationship with her boss Neel Gupta. He is Available online: https://journals.pen2print.org/index.php/ijr/ P a g e | 17 International Journal of Research e-ISSN: 2348-6848 p-ISSN: 2348-795X Available at https://journals.pen2print.org/index.php/ijr/ Volume 07 Issue 03 March 2020 Boy’s side. But, Mehta family members man like Neel was kneeling before Radhika disagree with her. for love and marriage? It is beyond anybody’s guess. What made him to divorce During the discussion Radhika says “Don’t his wife? use this Girls side and Boys side logic with me again. I don’t like it.” Usually in India, And not only that, Radhika, even though Girls side adjusts and provides all having an affair with Debu and Neel is conveniences to Boys side. Here the author enjoying smoking joints with Brijesh at a tries to give female perspective and resort in Goa. It shows care free attitude of assertiveness for gender equality from today’s modern girl. Author depicts the Radhika’s point of view. Author portrays change in the attitude of modern Indian Indian culture and tradition practiced even girls. Instead of being subservient to men in 21st Century. In another instance, and culture, Radhika exhibits rebellious Radhika’s mother goes to Hong Kong and attitude. Do Indian girls behave like pesters her to get married. Radhika? She gets involved with two different men before her marriage and We all know that human beings have abruptly steps back on her marriage day physical desires which need to be satisfied, with Brijesh. Not all Indian girls behave like but there should be an ethical way to do it. Radhika, but there is change in the attitude Radhika is an intelligent girl, who topped of Modern girls working in corporate every class she studied. On the other hand, houses in India and abroad. They are no her sister was an average student with more bound by gender inequality, age old impressive looks and had fan following. She traditions and culture which discriminates got married at appropriate age and bore women from men. Title of the novel is apt children. Why does Radhika has this calling it One Indian Girl, as all Indian Girls peculiar behaviour then? Was she jealous of don’t have this attitude. her sister’s life? What she wants to prove? Does she want to show that she is no less Chetan Bhagat might have been inspired by than Aditi? E.L James’s “Fifty Shades of Grey” as his bold revelation of the intercourse between When her success was celebrated in her Debu and Radhika is depicted in the novel. office, she aspired to introduce Debu to her It is not only romantic but also erotic and colleagues. Why? She wanted to show that sensuous to a large extent. The scene girls with average looks can also have narration reflects like anatomy class for the boyfriends. Chetan Bhagat explicitly reader. mentions these aspects of female mentality openly and vividly in his stories. In this The novel revolves around ambition, career, novel, Bhagat seems have crossed the limits relationships, love-heart break and marriage of morality, ethicality, values and decency. from the girls’ perspective.