Regarded as a people’s author, Chetan Bhagat is the most read writer in India. He started his journey from IIM and ended up being a novelist of light-hearted and relatable stories. His books are not only a delight to the readers but are also an inspiration to other aspiring writers.
The New York Times cited Chetan Bhagat as ‘The Bestselling English Language Novelist In India’s History’ in 2008. In 2010, Time magazine named him one of the ‘100 Most Influential People In The World’. The Fast Company, USA lists him under ‘100 Most Creative People In Business’. Read on to know our top selection of the best books by Chetan Bhagat.
1. Five Point Someone
Set in the Indian Institute of Technology, Five Point Someone is a story that revolves around three free-spirited students. The novel talks about three friends – Hari, Ryan and Alok and their impeccable journey in one of the top engineering colleges of India. The novel is a subtle satire on the education system and how students survive the competitive environment. The Hindi movie 3 Idiots is an adaptation of this novel.
Year Of Publication: 2004
Number Of Copies Sold: More than a million copies worldwide
Rated: 4.4/5
Awards: Indo-American Society’s Society Young Achiever’s Award & Publisher’s Recognition Award
2. The Three Mistakes Of My Life
One of the most bestselling books by Chetan Bhagat, The Three Mistakes Of My Life is a novel based in Ahmedabad that talks about cricket, business, and religion. The book revolves around three young boys, Omi, Ishaan, and Govind. Govind and his mistakes overthrow the dream of his life. Filled with dramatic twists in simple writing, this one is sure to get you glued till the end. Kai Po Che! is a popular movie based on this story.
Year Of Publication: 2008
Number Of Copies Sold: 2.5 million copies as of 2013
Rated: 4.3/5
3. 2 States: The Story Of My Marriage
Partly an autobiography, Chetan Bhagat’s 2 States is a tale of his love story. This fun-filled romance takes an emotional turn when marriage comes up. Coming from two different states, the characters take on a long and hard time convincing their parents for approval. This book is an irony on the concept of marriage and the caste culture in India. 2 States was later turned into a 100 crore Bollywood movie.
Year Of Publication: 2009
Number Of Copies Sold: 10 million copies in 10 weeks
Rated: 4.3/5
4. Revolution 2020: Love, Corruption, Ambition
The fourth book by Chetan Bhagat on our list is Revolution 2020. With a backdrop of one of India’s oldest cities, Varanasi, Revolution 2020 is a reflection of the rampant corruption in the Indian education system. The story is about three childhood friends, Gopal, Raghav, and Aarti who are looking for love and success in their small town. While Gopal gives in to the corrupt world for success, Raghav aims to revolutionize it. The question is who will win?
Year Of Publication: 2011
Number Of Copies Sold: 10 lakh copies in 100 days
Rated: 4.4/5
5. The Girl In Room 105
Chetan Bhagat’s latest novel, The Girl In Room 105 is a suspense thriller that will keep you engaged. Starting as a broken relationship of a Hindu boy, Keshav and a Muslim girl, Zara, the story unfolds into a series of mysterious events when Zara calls Keshav back in her hostel room number 105 like old times. Chetan calls it an ‘Unlove Story’, which outlines the current scenario of Indian politics in the Kashmir valley.
Year Of Publication: 2018
Number Of Copies Sold: National bestseller on pre-order sales alone
Rated: 4.3/5
6. One Night @ The Call Center
Revolving around a group of six employees of a call center based in Gurgaon, One Night @ The Call Center is a story about reinstating self-belief and determination. During one night, all the characters confront aspects of their lives and discuss how they would like to change it. The story unfolds with a call from God who guides and motivates them to face life and its issues to ultimately win.
Year Of Publication: 2005
Number Of Copies Sold: 1.35 lakh copies within a month
Rated: 4.1/5
7. What Young India Wants
What Young India Wants is a compilation of speeches and essays that focus on Indian society and its politics. Explaining the desires and issues faced by the youth in India, it provokes thoughts and innovative ideas to improve the Indian economy through social reforms. From parenting to the education system, Bhagat urges the readers to make a difference for a free and forward India.
Year Of Publication: 2012
Rated: 4.3/5
8. Half Girlfriend
Half Girlfriend is a young adult romance about a village boy named Madhav who falls in love with an influential Delhi girl, Riya. Riya rejects the proposal made by Madhav and offers to stay friends with him instead. Soon enough, their relationship takes a confusing turn. Will they be able to decide where exactly they stand with each other? The novel was also adapted into a Hindi movie in 2017.
Year Of Publication: 2014
Number Of Copies Sold: 1.5 million copies for the first print run
Rated: 4.2/5
9. Making India Awesome
Next on the Chetan Bhagat book list we have Making India Awesome. Following the footsteps of its first non-fiction book, Bhagat returned with another novel that collects essays and its analysis to offer inspired solutions. Making India Awesome talks about the intractable problems of poverty, unemployment, corruption, discrimination, illiteracy, violence and more. The book helps the reader understand the most complex issues prevailing in India in the simplest language.
Year Of Publication: 2015
Rated: 4.0/5
