Indian literature boasts a rich tapestry of literary giants, but not every acclaimed writer lives up to the hype. Despite their widespread fame and attention, some authors have been deemed overrated due to various reasons ranging from lack of innovation to subpar storytelling. Let’s take a closer look at 11 such authors who, despite their accolades, don’t deserve the level of attention they have acquired:
Arundhati Roy:
Arundhati Roy is an acclaimed Indian novelist known for her novel “The God of Small Things,” which won the Booker Prize. While her debut was widely praised, subsequent works lacked the same impact, leading to debates on whether her literary career warranted the level of attention and fame she received. Critics argue that her later works failed to match the brilliance of her debut, leading to her being considered overrated as a novelist.
Chetan Bhagat:
Often criticized for his simplistic writing style and predictable plots, Bhagat’s novels tend to cater to the masses but lack literary depth. He made a smashing debut with “Five Point Someone”, but post “Half Girlfriend”, things went only downhill.
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Durjoy Datta:
Known for churning out romance novels in rapid succession, Datta’s works often suffer from formulaic storytelling and underdeveloped characters. For the depth in his romantic novels, the less said, the better.
Devdutt Pattnaik:
If Asaram had a soul brother in the literary world, this guy would probably be the one. Forget his literary skills, his social skills are so horrible, that even Shobhaa De would look like an angel in front of this guy. Zero knowledge of shastra, negligible knowledge of our culture, and yet this guy behaves as if he is the JRR Tolkien of the cultural literature.
Ravinder Singh:
While his early novels touched hearts, Singh’s subsequent books have been repetitive, relying on clichés and failing to show significant growth in his writing. It wouldn’t be wrong to see that Ravinder has somehow become the ‘Rohit Shetty’ of the literal world, with zilch variety in his novels.
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Amish Tripathi:
While his mythological retellings gained initial popularity, Tripathi’s writing style has been deemed mediocre, with the stories losing their charm over time. Going by the massive outrage over Manoj Muntashir’s writing for “Adipurush”, one only wonders the scene if they discover his legendary thoughts about some of our most revered figures in the “Ram Chandra” series.
Shobhaa De:
Although a prominent figure in the Indian literary scene, De’s works have been criticized for being more sensationalist than substantive. Wouldn’t be wrong to say that Shobhaa aimed to become the Anne Rice of Indian literature, but ended up as the Ekta Kapoor in the same.
Preeti Shenoy:
Despite her popularity among certain readers, Shenoy’s books have been criticized for their repetitive themes and lack of originality.
Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni:
While she explores diverse themes in her works, Divakaruni’s storytelling style has been seen as tedious and overly sentimental by some critics. Some of her works make us wonder if she wants to be the Greta Thunberg of Indian literature.
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Ashwin Sanghi:
Often referred to as the “Dan Brown of India,” Sanghi’s attempts at weaving historical and mythological elements into thrillers have been considered subpar in comparison. Though not as horrible as some of the folks mentioned above, people definitely deserve better!
It is essential to note that “overrated” does not imply a complete dismissal of an author’s works or their contribution to literature. Many of these authors have their own set of fans who genuinely enjoy their writing. However, the fame and acclaim they receive may not always be proportional to the literary merit of their works. True literary greatness lies not just in popularity but in the ability to inspire and provoke thought, leaving a lasting impact on readers for generations to come.
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