Govind Patel, a maths-loving young man from a modest Ahmedabad family, dreams of running a business. With his friends Ishaan, a cricket fanatic whose own playing career stalled, and Omi, the son of a temple priest, he opens a small cricket-goods shop in the temple compound, and the three begin coaching boys in the neighbourhood.
They discover Ali, a Muslim boy with an extraordinary batting talent, and Ishaan becomes determined to help him reach the national team. Meanwhile Govind tutors Ishaan's sister Vidya in maths, and a secret romance begins. The 2001 Gujarat earthquake, rising political tension and the Godhra train burning of 2002 push the friends into situations that test their loyalty.
Framed as a story Govind tells the author after a suicide attempt, the novel mixes business ambition, cricket and romance with communal violence. It was adapted into the acclaimed 2013 film Kai Po Che! It is among Bhagat's darker books, and its treatment of the riots gives it more weight than his campus comedies.
Book details
| Author | Chetan Bhagat |
|---|---|
| First published | 2008 |
| Original language | English |
| Genre | Literary fiction |
| Type | Fiction |
| Pages (approx.) | 258 |
| Setting | Ahmedabad, Gujarat, 2000 to 2002 |
Themes
- Friendship
- Entrepreneurship
- Communal violence
- Cricket
- Secret romance
Who should read it
Young readers who like fast, accessible fiction about friendship and ambition against a real backdrop.