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One Indian Girl is a novel written by Indian author Chetan Bhagat. The book follows the life of Radhika Mehta, a successful and ambitious woman working as a senior employee in the distressed debt group of Goldman Sachs, a leading investment bank. Set against the backdrop of her high-pressure job in the financial sector, the novel delves into the challenges Radhika faces both personally and professionally.
 Book Cover Image | |
| Author | Chetan Bhagat |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Subject | Feminism |
| Genre | Fiction |
| Set in | India,South Asia |
| Publisher | Rupa & Co. |
Publication date | October 1, 2016 |
| Publication place | India |
| Media type | Paperback |
| Pages | 280 |
| ISBN | 978-8129142146 |
Plot
editRadhika, the main character, is preparing for her wedding to Brijesh Gulati, a software engineer in San Francisco. Throughout the book, Radhika reflects on growing up in Delhi as a studious,introverted girl from a middle-class family. She has an outgoing older sister Aditi and tends to communicate with her inner "mini-me," a judgmental voice.
At a social event, Radhika is approached by her ex-boyfriend, Debashish Sen, who wishes to meet her. After having his request denied, Sen still appears at her wedding ceremony in Goa and disrupts the traditional puja bhajan ceremony, causing distress to the bride. Later, Radhika confronts Sen in the hotel gym, reproaching him for his past behavior.
The novel also depicts Radhika's past, as she begins her job training at Goldman Sachs four years later and enters a live-in relationship with Debu. However, her work in the distressed debt department starts affecting her personal life, including her relationship with Debu.
Following a tumultuous year, Radhika seeks to plan a future with her ex Debashish Sen. However, he expresses reservations about the idea, leading to a heated argument between the two, and ultimately, Sen chooses to end the relationship.
In an effort to reconcile, Radhika resigns from her job and proposes to Sen but is devastated to discover him with another woman. Subsequently, she accepts a transfer to the Goldman Sachs Hong Kong office, bidding farewell to her life in New York.
After transferring to Goldman Sachs' Hong Kong office, Radhika's career prospers as she closes a big investment deal in the Philippines. Radhika transfers to London and agrees to an arranged marriage after facing rejection from several suitors who were intimidated by her job and salary. She finally meets Brijesh and says yes to marriage.
Reception
editThe book received positive feedback from A. R. Rahman.[1] The book has attracted some controversy due to the mention of The Beauty Myth by feminist author Naomi Wolf. The Indian Express calls the book "a likable handbook for feminists". Most sources described the book as "an improvement over Half Girlfriend." [citation needed][2]
Plagiarism controversy
editAuthor Chetan Bhagat faced allegations of plagiarism for this book, which was found to have similarities to a short story written by Anvita Bajpai. A court order was issued to suspend publication for six months following its initial launch.[3]
Film adaptation
editThe rights for the film adaptation of this novel were acquired by Sony Pictures International Productions in 2022.[4]
References
edit- ^ Rahman, A.R. (April 29, 2010). "The 2010 Time 100: Chetan Bhagat". Time Magazine.
- ^ "Half Girlfriend is purely fiction, says Chetan Bhagat".
- ^ "One Indian vs Chetan's Indian Girl". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 2018-12-13. Retrieved 29 May 2018.
- ^ "Sony Pictures International Productions acquires rights to Chetan Bhagat's best-seller One Indian Girl". Bollywood Hungama. 3 May 2022.