Demonetisation: You've to take good with bad, says Chetan Bhagat

Bengaluru: “Demonetisation has been hard on the country, but it is still too soon to say anything concrete about it,” bestselling author Chetan Bhagat told Deccan Chronicle in an interview in Bengaluru on Saturday.

“I still believe in some principles behind it. I think it was a move for the better, but we have to wait for another 3-4 months, till the end of deadline, to say anything. I do agree that it could have been executed better, but sometimes, you just have to take the good with the bad,” he said.

On the Supreme Court order making National Anthem mandatory at all cinemas, he said that imposing nationalism on people who are just going to watch a movie on a weekend is wrong.

“Playing the National Anthem is a matter of pride. If someone wants to do it at home on their own, out of love and respect, that’s great! But I don’t think it should be imposed on anybody. It should come from within you. In my opinion, it doesn't go with the freedom ideals and image of my country. Imposing nationalism should not be encouraged.”

‘Success is being more than society permits’
The Career Utsav began with a bang at the Nimhans Convention Centre in the city on Saturday with author Chetan Bhagat declaring the two-day fest open. Sharply dressed in a black ensemble, the author displayed his signature humour as he advised an auditorium crawling with students, parents and visitors, about the secret behind being successful.

He spoke about breaking the concept of aukaad. “Some people think it is fame, some think it is making money, but success is personal and it’s unfair to judge. Real success is doing more than what is expected of us. It is being more than what our societal aukaad permits us,” he said addressing the crowd.

His mantra to success is simple, he said, all one needs at the end of all effort is faith, . “Set a goal first, identify the reasons behind the goal, have a plan and take a leap of faith. At some point, you will face disappointments which you have to deal with as a part of reaching your goal.”

He expressed his desire to contribute to society through entertainment. “First, I’d like to grab your attention through entertainment, but once I have it, I will talk to you about other things. Like right now, I am not talking to you about relationships, but I still have your attention. I want to use this to influence India towards a progressive society,” he said, referring to his books, which are centred on relationships.