But the story in Gujarat, Bhagat says, is not Modi. “He’s just an elected guy. It’s the people’s choice,” he says. “The question is: Why are people thinking that way?”
Like his writing, Bhagat’s ideas are nothing particularly deep or profound—but he oozes sincerity. It’s almost cheesy, but hey, I’m a fan.
“Young people don’t find it cool to discuss politics... We want to be rich. That is the agenda we need to adopt. If we have this Hindu-Muslim issue, this Maharashtra versus non-Maharashtra, it will never happen,” he says, voice rising. “Drop it for the greater cause… I have not seen a developed nation where people spit on the street. Why is my country like this?”
Two months ago, Bhagat moved back to India from Hong Kong to take up a job with Deutsche Bank in Mumbai, working in stressed debt. He also plans to dabble more in entertainment; he wrote the screenplay for Hello, this summer’s movie based on One Night starring Salman Khan.
Really, he doesn’t have to work any more (although he wouldn’t tell me how much money he’s really made off these books) but two things keep him going: a desire to live a real life, crossing roads, hailing cabs, making small talk in the lift. And then, there’s male ego: His wife, also an Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad, graduate, is the chief operating officer at UBS India. He needs to keep up.
Bhagat laughs when I ask what it’s like when two IIM grads run a household; PowerPoint to potty train three-year-old twins, Ishaan and Shyam?
“My daughter is the same age,” I tell him. “How on earth do you manage?”
“We have a whole army at home,” he says.
We wind down as another reporter arrives. Bhagat schedules book readings and media interviews on weekends. On Monday, he has to report back to work.
“Do you really work?” I ask. “I mean, Chelsea Clinton says she works at a hedge fund, but I don’t think anyone really knows what she does.”
I can tell he’s not sure he likes the Chelsea comparison. But for the first time in our 90 minutes together, Bhagat gets self-important. “Hey, I’m a really senior guy!”
“Got it,” I back off. “Aren’t your colleagues in India star-struck then?”
“I don’t want to talk about my books in office,” he says. “I’m also a very chilled-out guy.”
“Ladies and gentlemen, please fasten your seat belts as we are beginning descent on Logan International Airport…”
“Hey, wake up,” Ishaan nudges Naya. “We’re landing.” Sleepily, Naya says: “Don’t forget to give me your number. Maybe we should put our parents back in touch, too.”
“Well, you’ll meet our dad this semester. He’s a guest speaker at Harvard for this class called Great Indian Literature: Its Role in the Rise of a Nation…taught by Salman Rushdie.”
CURRICULUM VITAE
Born: 22 April 1974
Education: Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi (1995); Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad (1997)