Half Girlfriend

Last updated

Half Girlfriend
Half Girlfriend.jpg
First edition
Author Chetan Bhagat
LanguageEnglish
Genre Fiction, Romance
Publisher Rupa & Co.
Publication date
1 October 2014
Publication placeIndia
Media type Paperback
Pages280
ISBN 978-81-291-3572-8

Half Girlfriend is an Indian English coming of age, young adult romance novel by Indian author Chetan Bhagat. [1] The novel, set in rural Bihar, New Delhi, Patna, and New York, is the story of a Bihari boy on a quest of winning over the girl he loves. [2] [3] This is Bhagat's sixth novel, which was released on 1 October 2014 [4] by Rupa Publications. The novel has also been published in Hindi [5] and Gujarati. [6]

Contents

Dedicated to "non English-types", as Chetan Bhagat wrote, the book divulges the sentiments and linguistic struggles of a backward, rural Bhojpuri-laced Hindi-speaking boy from Bihar as he enrolls himself at the prestigious English-medium St. Stephen’s College in New Delhi, and falls in love with a "high class English-speaking rich Delhi girl" schooled at the Modern School in the same city. The girl does not openly claim the relationship but agrees to be his "half girlfriend". [7] Chetan Bhagat commented, "'half-girlfriend', to me, is a unique Indian phenomenon where boys and girls are not clear about their relationship status with each other. A boy may think he is more than friends with the girl, but the girl is still not his girlfriend. Hence, I thought we needed a term like 'half girlfriend'. Because, in India, that is what most men get." [7]

Plot

Madhav Jha, a rural boy from Dumraon, a village in Bihar, comes to meet the author, who is actually Chetan Bhagat, and leaves behind a few journals from his half-girlfriend, who he believes has died. Chetan Bhagat calls him up the next morning to hear his story. He starts by describing his trouble entering St. Stephens, as his English wasn't good enough. Being a good basketball player, Madhav gets accepted through the sports program.

The rich and beautiful Riya Somani is a Sindhi girl from Delhi, who is also selected through the sports program. Madhav and Riya become close 'friends' due to their association with basketball. Madhav wants to make her his girlfriend, but she refuses. He demands that they get physical. Offended by his obscene ultimatum, Riya parts company with him and tells him not to talk to her anymore.

A year later, Riya marries her childhood friend Rohan and settles in London, where Rohan has a big business. Finding Delhi unbearable on the grounds of losing Riya, Madhav decides to settle in his hometown Dumraon and helps his mother, Rani Sahiba, who runs her school. Seeing the condition of the school – no proper classes or toilets – Madhav decides to meet local MLA Ojha for financial help, but the MLA refuses to help. An opportunity comes when Ojha informs Madhav about Bill Gates' visit to some schools in Bihar. Madhav tries his best to convince Gates to fund his school, but to do so he has to prepare a speech, preferably in English.

In the course of his struggle, he comes across Riya, who is now a divorcee. Riya helps him prepare the speech. The two are successful in their fundraising, but after the speech, Riya leaves a letter for him which states that she is in the last stage of lung cancer and has only 3 months left to survive. Riya's letter confesses her love for Madhav even though she doesn't have much time left. When Madhav attempts to track her down, he finds that she has cut all ties in India and has disappeared.

After three years, it is revealed from Riya's journals that she is alive and that she had faked her cancer. Madhav goes search of her in New York. After three months of extensively searching, he finds her at Cafe Wha, and the two reconcile and finally consummate their relationship.

The book ends with the author visiting the rural school in Dumraon, three and a half years later, and seeing that both Madhav and Riya are successfully running the school, and have a son, Shyam. [8]

Main characters

Reception

Rituparna Chatterjee of CNN-IBN called it a "massively disappointing book written exclusively for another Bollywood sobfest". [9] Pranav Joshi of Daily News and Analysis called it "old wine in new glass" with a rehashed storyline that promotes negative stereotypes. [10]

Adaptation

The film rights to the novel were sold before it was published. [11] A Bollywood film adaptation directed by Mohit Suri and produced by Ekta Kapoor and Bhagat. [12] It stars Arjun Kapoor [13] and Shraddha Kapoor. [14] It is the first film produced by Bhagat. [15]

Initially the film based on the novel starred Kriti Sanon who inaugurated the book, but was replaced by Shraddha Kapoor. The film released on 19 May 2017.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chetan Bhagat</span> Indian celebrity columnist (born 1974)

Chetan Bhagat is an Indian author, columnist, screenwriter and YouTuber. He was listed in Time magazine's list of World's 100 Most Influential People in 2010. Five of his novels have been adapted into films. His novels focus on youth and urban India, making him very popular among urban audiences and garnering a strong following from Indian youth.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dumraon</span> Town in Bihar, India

Dumraon is a town, near Buxar city and nagar parishad corresponding community development block in Buxar district in the Indian state of Bihar. Historically, it was the capital of the Dumraon Raj.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mohit Suri</span> Indian film director (born 1981)

Mohit Suri is an Indian film director. Born into the Bhatt family, he is well known for directing the films Murder 2 (2011), the musical romance Aashiqui 2 (2013) and the romantic thrillers Awarapan (2007), Ek Villain (2014) and Malang (2020). He has been married to Udita Goswami since 2013.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shobha Kapoor</span> Indian producer

Shobha Kapoor is an Indian television, film and web series producer. She is the managing director of Mumbai-based Balaji Telefilms Limited, a film, TV and web series production house, which she runs together with her daughter Ekta Kapoor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shraddha Kapoor</span> Indian actress and singer (born 1987)

Shraddha Kapoor is an Indian actress who primarily works in Hindi films. One of India's highest-paid actresses, Kapoor has been featured in Forbes India's Celebrity 100 list since 2014 and was featured by Forbes Asia in their 30 Under 30 list of 2016.

<i>2 States: The Story of My Marriage</i> 2009 novel by Chetan Bhagat

2 States: The Story of My Marriage commonly known as 2 States is a 2009 novel written by Chetan Bhagat. It is the story about a couple coming from two states in India, who face hardships in convincing their parents to approve of their marriage. Bhagat wrote this novel after quitting his job as an investment banker. This is his fourth book after Five Point Someone, One Night @ the Call Center and The Three Mistakes of My Life.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arjun Kapoor</span> Indian film actor (born 1985)

Arjun Kapoor is an Indian actor who works in Hindi films. Born to the Surinder Kapoor family, he is the son of film producers Boney Kapoor and Mona Shourie. Kapoor made his acting debut in 2012 with the drama Ishaqzaade which was commercially successful and earned him the Zee Cine Award for Best Male Debut.

<i>2 States</i> (2014 film) 2014 Indian film written and directed by Abhishek Varman

2 States is a 2014 Indian Hindi-language romantic comedy-drama film directed by Abhishek Varman and produced by Karan Johar and Sajid Nadiadwala. Based on Chetan Bhagat's 2009 novel of the same name with the story rewritten by Varman and Bhagat, the film stars Arjun Kapoor and Alia Bhatt with Amrita Singh, Ronit Roy, Revathi and Shiv Kumar Subramaniam in supporting roles.

<i>Aashiqui 2</i> 2013 Indian Hindi musical romantic film

Aashiqui 2 is a 2013 Indian Hindi-language romantic musical drama film directed by Mohit Suri and produced by Mukesh Bhatt, Bhushan Kumar and Krishan Kumar under the Vishesh Films and T-Series Films, with Mahesh Bhatt serving as presenter. A spiritual successor to the 1990 musical film Aashiqui, and an adaptation of both the original 1937 version and the 1976 remake version of the American cult classic A Star is Born, the film stars Aditya Roy Kapur and Shraddha Kapoor in the lead roles, with Shaad Randhawa and Mahesh Thakur in supporting roles, as well as Salil Acharya in a cameo appearance. Set in the early 2010s, the film centers on a turbulent romantic relationship between a failing singer, Rahul Jaykar, and his protege, aspiring singer Aarohi Keshav Shirke, which is affected by Rahul's issues with alcohol abuse and temperament but this is the second installment of Aashiqui series franchise.

<i>Ek Villain</i> 2014 film directed by Mohit Suri

Ek Villain is a 2014 Indian Hindi-language action thriller film directed by Mohit Suri and jointly produced by Shobha Kapoor and Ekta Kapoor under Balaji Motion Pictures. Based on a script written by Tushar Hiranandani and Milap Milan Zaveri, it stars Riteish Deshmukh, Sidharth Malhotra and Shraddha Kapoor in lead roles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Galliyan</span> 2014 Hindi song

Galliyan (transl. Lanes/Streets) is a romantic Hindi song from the Hindi film, Ek Villain. Composed by Ankit Tiwari, the song is sung by Tiwari himself, with lyrics penned by Manoj Muntashir. The music video of the track features actors Sidharth Malhotra and Shraddha Kapoor. A revised version of the song is created for its spiritual sequel for the 2022 film, Ek Villain Returns titled "Galliyan Returns". The music video of the track is picturised on lead couples John Abraham and Disha Patani also Arjun Kapoor and Tara Sutaria. Ankit Tiwari again sang and composed for the revised version and lyrics was written by Manoj Muntashir.

<i>Half Girlfriend</i> (film) 2017 film by Mohit Suri

Half Girlfriend is an Indian Hindi-language romantic drama film based on the novel of the same name written by Chetan Bhagat. The film is directed by Mohit Suri and stars Arjun Kapoor and Shraddha Kapoor in lead roles. The film also places Vikrant Massey and Rhea Chakraborty in pivotal roles. It performed moderately well at the box office despite receiving mixed to negative feedback from critics.

<i>Box Cricket League</i> Indian sports reality television show

Box Cricket League (BCL) is an Indian sports reality television show where celebrities are seen competing against each other in an indoor cricket game format.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">One Indian Girl</span> 2016 book by Chetan Bhagat

One Indian Girl is a novel by the Indian author Chetan Bhagat. The book is about a girl named Radhika Mehta, who is a worker at the distressed debt group of Goldman Sachs, an investment bank.

"Phir Bhi Tumko Chaahunga" is a song from the 2017 Hindi film Half Girlfriend. Picturised on Shraddha Kapoor and Arjun Kapoor, the song has been sung by Arijit Singh and Shashaa Tirupati. The music of the song is composed by Mithoon and the lyrics are penned by Manoj Muntashir. The track has over 900 million views on YouTube as of July 2023. Reprise version of the track is sung by Arijit Singh titled, "Pal Bhar ", and also another female version titled, "Phir Bhi Tumko Chaahungi" is sung by Shraddha Kapoor along with the instrumental "Half Girlfriend ".

Anushka Shahaney (Anushqa) is an Indian singer and songwriter who has written and sung "Lost Without You" and "Stay a Little Longer with Me" in the film Half Girlfriend, both of the songs were picturised on Shraddha Kapoor and gained popularity. in Half Girlfriend (2017).

<i>The Girl in Room 105</i> Novel by Chetan Bhagat

The Girl in Room 105 is the eighth novel and the tenth book overall written by the Indian author Chetan Bhagat. The book became a bestseller based on prearranged sales alone. It tells about an IIT coaching class tutor who goes to wish his ex-girlfriend on her birthday and finds her murdered. The rest of the story is his journey where after her death he is determined to bring justice. The book also addresses several stereotypes and political issues in India.

Vishnu Rao is an Indian cinematographer, best known for his work in Feature Films, Web Series, Commercials, Music Videos and underwater cinematography.

<i>Malang</i> (film) 2020 Indian Hindi film by Mohit Suri

Malang (transl. Vagrant/Wanderer) is a 2020 Indian Hindi-language vigilante action thriller film directed by Mohit Suri, produced by Luv Films, T-Series & Northern Lights Entertainment and distributed by Yash Raj Films. It stars Aditya Roy Kapur, Disha Patani, Anil Kapoor and Kunal Khemu.

<i>Ek Villain Returns</i> 2022 Indian film directed by Mohit Suri

Ek Villain Returns is a 2022 Indian Hindi-language action thriller film directed by Mohit Suri and produced by T-Series and Balaji Motion Pictures. The film, which is a sequel to his 2014 film Ek Villain, stars John Abraham, Arjun Kapoor, Disha Patani and Tara Sutaria.

References

  1. ↑ "Chetan Bhagat agrees in Delhi HC to change setting of 'Half Girlfriend'". DNA/Diligent Media Corporation Ltd. PTI. 1 May 2015. Retrieved 13 September 2015.
  2. ↑ Dumraon Royal family send legal notice to Chetan Bhagat
  3. ↑ The five myths of Chetan Bhagat's 'Half Girlfriend'
  4. ↑ Nair, Nithya. "Chetan Bhagat launches new book 'Half Girlfriend' with Ekta Kapoor and Mohit Suri". India WebPortal Private Limited. Retrieved 13 September 2015.
  5. ↑ "Half Girlfriend (Hindi) Paperback – 1 Mar 2015". Amazon.in.
  6. ↑ "Half Girlfriend (Gujarati) Paperback – 9 Mar 2015". Amazon.in. Retrieved 13 September 2015.
  7. 1 2 "Half Girlfriend - Q & A". Chetan Bhagat. Retrieved 13 September 2015.
  8. ↑ "Summary and review of the adult romance Half Girlfriend by Chetan Bhagat| Kaitholil.com". kaitholil.com. Retrieved 30 July 2022.
  9. ↑ Chatterjee, Rituparna (10 October 2010). "Interactive, live review of Chetan Bhagat's 'Half Girlfriend' on Facebook and Twitter: A massively disappointing book written exclusively for another Bollywood sobfest". CNN-IBN . Archived from the original on 11 October 2014. Retrieved 14 October 2014.
  10. ↑ Joshi, Pranav. "Book Review: Half Girlfriend is old wine in new bottle". Daily News and Analysis . Retrieved 19 October 2014.
  11. ↑ Rajani, Kanika (17 October 2014). "Bhagat to co-produce Half Girlfriend". The Indian Express . Retrieved 25 November 2015.
  12. ↑ "Mohit Suri kick starts 'Half Girlfriend'". The Free Press Journal . 24 June 2015. Archived from the original on 25 November 2015. Retrieved 25 November 2015.
  13. ↑ "Arjun Kapoor replaces Sushant Singh Rajput in 'Half Girlfriend'". The Indian Express . 5 January 2016. Retrieved 5 January 2016.
  14. ↑ Iyer, Meena (2 January 2016). "Shraddha Kapoor is the 'Half Girlfriend'". The Times of India . Retrieved 2 January 2016.
  15. ↑ Pathak, Ankur (16 September 2014). "Chetan Bhagat turns producer with Half Girlfriend". The Times of India . Retrieved 25 November 2015.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.