She-lf Space

Indian women may have found desi style guide books on the travails of singlehood and finding love with the Indian Chick Lit genre picking up steam. Padmalatha Ravi reports.

“Chick Lit” as a phenomenon is fairly new to India. Only in the last few years have we seen the Indian version of this genre. Typically the book focuses on women in their 20s and 30s who are looking for that perfect man, house, and that particular pair of blue shoes that will go with that little black number at the back of that closet. Needless to say the protagonists are hip, stylish, independent and from an urban environment. 

A little bit of digging tells us that this term was possibly introduced in 1995 when editors Cris Mazza and Jeffrey DeShell titled the anthology of stories from women writers as “Chick-Lit: Post Feminist Fiction”. The genre was defined as a “type of post-feminist or second-wave feminism that went beyond female-as-victim to include fiction that covered the breadth of female experiences including love, courtship and gender. The collection emphasised experimental work, including violent, perverse and sexual themes.” Although Cris Mazza later said “the title Chick-Lit was meant ironically” the marketing gurus however caught on to the term and have been pushing the genre for high profits.  Helen Fieldings’ Bridget Jones Diary, Candace Bushnell’s Sex and the City and Lauren Weisberger’s Devil Wears Prada are the most popular books of the genre. All of them have been made into movies, termed not surprisingly as “chick flicks”.

The very fact that “Chick” is American slang for women has attached a bit of a negative connotation to the term. This is the definition one finds in The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable 2006 – “chick lit: (chiefly derogatory) literature which appeals to young women.” This has however not dampened the curiosity and enthusiasm of writers, publishers or readers for the genre. The Indian chick lit or “Ladki-lit” as it was once called, kicked off probably with Swati Kaushal’s A Piece of Cake published by Penguin in 2004. This book was later published in German by a major publishing company Goldmann, Germany. Managing Editor of Penguin India, Diya Kar Hazra admits that this genre is new to India but there is certainly a growing market. She says, “People aren’t ashamed to write ‘chick lit’ anymore. It is very fashionable to do so. There’s a steady demand and supply.”

Some of the other books published under this genre are Rupa Gulab’s Girl Alone, Ira Trivedi’s What Would You Do To Save the World, Advaita Kala’s Almost Single, Rajashree’s Trust Me and the latest from Penguin, Meenakshi Reddy Madhavan’s You Are Here.  A quick survey at the books stores tell you that these books are in fact selling like hot cakes. Pramila, a 19-year-old college student, says, “I have always loved these romance novels and the women in these books are so hip and happening I can totally relate to them.” Priya R, a 30-year-old stay-at-home mom, says, “I have a weak spot for Mills & Boons. But I sometimes get embarrassed about being caught reading it as it is a very teenage fetish. But these books are more adult and I can read it without being embarrassed.”

However there are critics of this genre too. Smita Raina, a college professor, says, “The kind of lifestyle that is depicted in these books is an option for very few women in this country and is not the entire truth. But the fact that it is on print might make it seem like it is widely prevalent. I understand it is meant to be a “fun” book read. But the trouble is, it might be taken seriously.”

Sivaram J, father of a teenaged girl, says, “I know my daughter loves Mills & Boons. I didn’t think it was a threat of any sort. But these Indian books put romance and sex in an Indian context. I read the reviews of some of these books and I don’t think I want my daughter to think that independence means alcohol and boyfriends that come and go.”

Whatever the critics might say for the new Indian woman in her 20s or 30s who is just beginning to enjoy independence -- economically and otherwise -- unlike the earlier generation of women, chick  lit is a sure shot to entertain and allow a bit of fantasy element desi style if not a lesson in women’s liberation in its true sense.