Chetan Bhagat is a writer, converts his books to entertaining bollywood movie scripts, talks his wisdom gained from reading, writing and life experiences in the show. And, he is heftily paid for being so.
He is a Modi-Man, (arguably) that makes him more of a ‘pro-development-rest-I-don’t-care’ person. One can see his highlighted dedication towards this movement with a tweet from himself, on April 1, 2018, fooling the whole nation by declaring his support for Indian National Congress and party president Rahul Gandhi.
Chetanji’s way of April fooling!
Away from all the interesting equations of Indian politics, Chetanji happened to be in Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry. This time, if the official figure to be trusted- 300 times plus Live shows he had already, he was ‘entertaining/educating’ a gathering of students and parents with a topic on career guidance and counseling.
Now, it is really interesting to understand the career trajectory Chetanji has chosen/’Just-happened’ in his life till as he stood at the podium – 76% scorer @ tenth, dream of opening chains of STD/ISD booths hence to start a STD-Booth-Revolution (may be), then, his realization of crossing ‘the aukaat’ (a hindi word which roughly translates in to ones’ status/limit), followed by his odyssey to IIT first, then conqueror of IIM, landing in a banking job at Hong Kong. This followed by resentment he had for his boss, successful adoption of LBDN strategy (Look-Busy-Do-Nothing), during the busy hours of all that – writing his first book ‘5 Points Someone’. Rest is history!
I am quite amazed by this resurrection and constant re-invention and innovation happening in this personality! From ‘mediocracy’ to ‘meritocracy’ to ‘conventional NRI life format’ to ‘self-realization’ to ‘politically ambitious moves’!
Who does that! I wanted to ask him, directly, in that Q&A session! For some reason, my conscientiousness stopped me.
Lucky him!
Now, as he was explaining students and parents importance of pursuing education and meaningfulness in spending quality time and hard work till 30s, followed by reaping benefits in the years followed, which will enable a ‘smooth’ transition to ‘pension’ life. But, his career journey to his current age 43 stood exactly on the opposite side of the pendulum. The career path he choose never coincided with the thick predictable graph pattern he had in his teenage life! If it never happened to him, how it can happen to the students who are living in ‘each-second-changing’ times of 2018!
Still, it must be appreciated that, from this ‘widely-read Indian author of many books’, audience has learned ‘eating big elephant by cutting it in to pieces’ strategy for achieving long term and complicated tasks; and ‘raising above the aukaat’ strategy for a legendary success.
As I said before, expected was much more from him. Not a readymade kind of predicable career efforts for predictable career results and then a predicable career life. Audience was expecting something that closely resembles true career life.
Yet, I stand by my definition of career which I have since October 2006, “Career is something which happens to us. It’s the summation of all our passion, efforts and results. It is not time bounded/limited. You can be successful at any age. You can be established at any time. The only thing, you cannot predict your future. Changes will come. Than building a tall wall around and pretending to be safe, is like, building a tall wall around yourself and hoping to be safe within it.”
There exist many rights. A view which may look/sound right for me may not be same for another one. Chetan Bhagat’s definition of career for himself, and for others can be different, that can be again different from mine, all can be different from each and everyone’s gathered in that hall. The beauty is, all are different and exists as equally right.
Published in PatlaMujeeb.Wordpress.com (April 2, 2018)
Mujeeb Patla 