Exploring Female Identity in the Workplace: A Study of Chetan Bhagat's 'One Indian Girl'

Chetan Bhagat, a prolific Indian author, explores the lives of middle-class urban Indians, and his novel One Indian Girl (2016) centres on Radhika Mehta, a successful and highly educated woman navigating the complexities of her professional and personal life. This paper analyses One Indian Girl through a feminist lens, emphasising the protagonist’s struggles with male supremacy, gender expectations, and societal pressures. While Bhagat's novel may be framed as a modern feminist story, it sheds light on the bitter truths of patriarchal norms that are deeply rooted in Indian culture. As Simone de Beauvoir asserts in The Second Sex, “One is not born, but rather becomes, a woman.” This quote emphasizes the social construction of gender, which aligns with the challenges Radhika faces in shaping her identity within a patriarchal and male-dominated environment. In contemporary Indian literature, the theme of female identity has been explored through various lenses, reflecting the evolving roles of women in society. Chetan Bhagat's One Indian Girl presents a compelling narrative that delves into the complexities of being a woman in a modern, globalised corporate environment. The novel's protagonist, Radhika Mehta, navigates her career and personal life, grappling with societal expectations, gender biases, and her pursuit of self-identity. This paper aims to analyze how Bhagat portrays female identity in the workplace, focusing on Radhika’s character development and the challenges she faces in her professional journey. By examining these elements, the paper seeks to contribute to the broader discourse on gender roles and workplace dynamics in Indian fiction.