Yeap Yeap this is the latest from Chetan Bhagat - Two States! Finished reading this book a good month back...grabbed it almost as soon as it was out... not cause am a hardcore fan of Chetan Bhagat but well it just happened
The first thing tht stuck me about the novel is the back cover page that so well enumerates the rules of marriage in India:
Simple hey... Thou it sounds hilarious THE TRUTH........n u better get this straight! Sabi, this one is just for u :)
N now back to the book! Like his other novels this is a easy read. Tak, tak tak it makes u turn he pages......Simple yet engrossing! Brings about the south vs north divide beautifully.....sample this.... while IITs, IIMs sell in south Indian Matrimonial markets its Fair skins n Petrol bunks that sell up north! Hilarious but the truth again!
So any of u there deciding to have this south-north wedding, gift urself this book n u can pick a few handy tips......n sorry Ms.Dark-skinned-Southie, the only tip there if u gotta impress your fair skinned northie in-laws is to rush to the nearest beauty parlour :)
The first thing tht stuck me about the novel is the back cover page that so well enumerates the rules of marriage in India:
Love marriages around the world are simple:
Boy loves girl. Girl loves boy.
They get married.
In India, there are a few more steps:
Boy loves Girl. Girl loves Boy.
Girl's family has to love boy. Boy's family has to love girl.
Girl's Family has to love Boy's Family. Boy's family has to love girl's family.
Girl and Boy still love each other. They get married.
Boy loves girl. Girl loves boy.
They get married.
In India, there are a few more steps:
Boy loves Girl. Girl loves Boy.
Girl's family has to love boy. Boy's family has to love girl.
Girl's Family has to love Boy's Family. Boy's family has to love girl's family.
Girl and Boy still love each other. They get married.
Simple hey... Thou it sounds hilarious THE TRUTH........n u better get this straight! Sabi, this one is just for u :)
N now back to the book! Like his other novels this is a easy read. Tak, tak tak it makes u turn he pages......Simple yet engrossing! Brings about the south vs north divide beautifully.....sample this.... while IITs, IIMs sell in south Indian Matrimonial markets its Fair skins n Petrol bunks that sell up north! Hilarious but the truth again!
So any of u there deciding to have this south-north wedding, gift urself this book n u can pick a few handy tips......n sorry Ms.Dark-skinned-Southie, the only tip there if u gotta impress your fair skinned northie in-laws is to rush to the nearest beauty parlour :)
At the outset I should admit that I have not read Chetan Bhagat’s ‘ Two States' nor am I planning to read it...but I did read the blurb and went through a few reviews before I wrote this response(since the post was for me ;)...well, I believe the success ingredient for any marriages to succeed( love, arranged, contrived, manipulated or call it what you may!) are much the same...trust, mutual respect and an unconditional love between the partners, not to say the "working on the relationship" which is absolutely essential to keep it going...I feel winning over the families is secondary and seems too contrived, manipulative and ridiculous although that predominates the conventional Indian marriage scenario...seems ironical that those who choose their own partners also have the arduous task of “winning over” the in-laws and outlaws for a decision which should actually be honoured for being responsible and individualistic in finding their own spouses just as they have earned their degrees and jobs and in many ways not draining the parents off money as gifts and lavish banquets in the name of conventional marriages...even if this maybe funny yet realistic as you say, I refuse to get this “hypocritical logic” straight ...so the Meenas in the world can read Chetan Bhagat as bedtime story to your kids as they grow up...and make karan johar’s “all about loving the family series” as mealtime entertainers and force-feed generation Y on it and wait for them to “win you over” maybe as chetan did by buying you gold rings or something ...and brag to society hypocritically about the virtues of your Punjabi or Marathi son/daughter-in-law...although I personally believe that your husband will accept an eskimo or an aborigine for a son/daughter-in-law any day... with no (wedding) strings attached!!
ReplyDeletePS. The views expressed above are entirely personal and not meant to denigrate a person or a prevalent system in India.
Sabina
OK the last comment was quite a mouthful. I am yet to read this book and I plan to read it asap. Further comments after that
ReplyDelete@Sabi, what u say is absolutely right...But well in a idealistic world which isnt the case at all with us...so please get back to reality :)
ReplyDeleteidealistic is not the case with all of us...i don't agree...please correct it to some of us...then what do i say about the marraiges of friends i know across the globe which do not fit into any conventional framework...so what is convenient and subscribed by a majority of opportunists is reality...love that philosophy!!...and if not for ideals we,nay the next generation would be living in an unscrupulous decadent and regressive world.so beware!! grow up and start thinking out of the box:)sabina
ReplyDeleteSABINA~U ROCK :)
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ReplyDeleteIt is not as good as his earlier works...Though good for one time read.I'm a hardcore chetan fan But i was bit disappointed with this book,may be coz of my over expectation...between nice review :)
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