Daily Times

Half Girlfriend is a novel written by the beloved Indian novelist, Chetan Bhagat. Bhagat has written a total of seven novels. The Half Girlfriend was adapted into a Bollywood movie, starring Arjun Kapoor and Sharadha Kapoor as the leads and Bhagat produced the film.

Bhagat dedicated Half Girlfriend to the average rural Indian, who is not multilingual. The novel was also listed as one of the bestselling novels of India, according to The Times of India.

With Half Girlfriend, Bhagat brought traditions and cultures of an India of yesteryears to the mainstream. The sardari system still exists in most of the rural areas of India, especially those of Bihar. Along with depicting the life of an average rural Indian, the writer also lists numerous problems which arise due to the sardari system.

Next, Bhagat draws a comparison between rural India and “modern India.” The Half Girlfriend is an able depiction of “two different peoples” of the same land.

In this novel, Bhagat also highlights the rape culture that is prevalent in India today. Even young children are being raped by their own family members. Bhagat tackles this alarming situation by floating it into different angles.

The Half Girlfriend also tackles other societal problems impacting the lives of the Indian youth, like dowry, early engagement etc.

The Half Girlfriend was an interesting read and provides logical ideas to deal with social problems that are worth thinking about.

Published in Daily Times, July 19^th 2018.