Chetan Bhagat On Inspiration Behind Audible's Silicon Valley, 'IIT Connection' With His New Work- EXCLUSIVE

Chetan Bhagat interview: Imagine the collaboration between a top novelist and a leading audio-storytelling platform in India. You can expect a blockbuster product, can't you? As Chetan Bhagat joined hands with Audible for its original 'Silicon Valley', he interacted with Filmibeat and spoke about the appeal of telling stories in audio format, the inspiration behind his new work and a lot more.

Chetan Bhagat, in an exclusive interview with Filmibeat's Chief Copy Editor Abhishek Ranjit, expressed enthusiasm about his ongoing collaboration with Audible, highlighting that the current project is the first original story he wrote specifically for Audible. He described the collaboration as "amazing" and praised Audible's commitment to producing original, light, and fun content with a modern love story angle. He complimented Audible's production quality and acknowledged the significant effort involved in creating audio content, appreciating the platform's innovative approach to storytelling.

Chetan Bhagat On Appeal of Audio Storytelling

Chetan compared audio storytelling to traditional oral narration, likening it to "nani ki kahaniya" (grandmother's stories), which historically preceded written books. He emphasized that audio stories engage the imagination more than visual media because listeners must visualize scenes themselves, making the experience immersive and creative.

The successful author pointed out the convenience of audio formats, which allow multitasking (e.g., walking, cycling, gym) and offer a screen-free entertainment alternative.

"It's the oldest nani ki kahaniya format, where your grandmother told you stories. Stories were historically, even before books, told audibly. You know somebody would narrate a story and it's basically that and it's how human beings love to hear stories it still involves your imagination but it's still very convenient you don't have to actually read," the best-selling novelist told Filmibeat.

Chetan Bhagat Reveals Inspiration Behind Silicon Valley Idiots in Love

Chetan's story revolves around youth and love, reflecting his personal insights from two distinct worlds: Bollywood and Silicon Valley. Drawing from his Bollywood experience and his IIT background with friends in the Bay Area tech scene, he created characters representing these contrasting environments.

The female protagonist is an aspiring Bollywood actress experiencing the industry's highs and lows, while the male lead is part of the Silicon Valley tech ecosystem. The story aims to reveal the realities inside these worlds, beyond common perceptions.

Sharing how he developed the characters, Bhagat quipped, "Well, it's always been about youth. And if I'm writing a love story, it's usually about young people. And I know two worlds. I mean, I've worked in Bollywood a little bit, so I knew a little bit of that world. So this girl gets a chance in Bollywood after college. And I wanted to show certain aspects of Bollywood, especially about what happens when you're successful and what happens when you're not as successful and how the industry just discards you."

"And Silicon Valley, because I'm from IIT and a lot of my friends live in Silicon Valley. I mean, they live in San Francisco, Bay Area, and they're running or working in these tech companies. So that's a whole world which I have a unique insight into. So I wanted to bring two interesting worlds as a writer to people who may not know, like they have heard of them, but they don't know what it's like inside. So that's how I came up with this," he added.

Stay tuned for the second segment of the fun-filled interview.