Chetan Bhagat’s latest book, 11 Rules For Life, is now available on Audible. While the bestselling author is not new to the format, it is the first time he takes control as a narrator. Bhagat, who had to work on his Punjabi-Delhi accent for the audiobook, talks about the transformative factor of the book, how to cut off from Reels and more. Excerpts.

You are finally the narrator of your book, with 11 Rules of Life. How was the experience?

Yes, this is the first time I read my audiobook because it’s a motivational and very personal book. It has a lot of personal incidents and hence it just felt like it would be more effective if I read it. It was quite a challenge. It took me around a week to read the whole thing. There are a lot of audible standards relating to accents which I had to keep in mind. I had to take out my Delhi Punjabi accent, which was difficult. And then you have to maintain the right pace, not too slow, not too fast and have the right expression… so yeah, this book is in my voice.

You have been giving motivational speeches on the stage and even on video platforms, how was this different?

There is a lot of demand for videos and we are all watching videos all day and live on stage is also amazing. But all those things, will at maximum be from 10 minutes to one hour. And while they have their place, I do genuinely believe that true transformation comes from a pep talk. It’s a book which I feel can change people’s lives if they apply it. I’ve given maybe a thousand YouTube videos and talks but I felt it needed to all be distilled into what it all means for me. What has worked for me, what didn’t work for me, what mistakes I did, what is really my way of thinking about how you should approach your life... and for that, I felt I needed a proper book.

I can give talks on 11 Rules for Life and I can cover it in the highlights in an hour, but to really make it convince you that you need to make this change in your life, I need you to go through the entire book, whether an audiobook or a book as it allows you a certain depth.

Can you list a few rules from the book that you swear by?

Before giving out a few things, let me mention you have to listen to the audiobook and it is worth listening to because highlights might give you a few moments to think, but it will not change you. So the first rule is about not ignoring your fitness. Now it’s something I ignored till in my mid-forties. I would say that I don’t have a profession which requires fitness. So we ignore our health by saying that I’m a writer, or an engineer or I am not an actor or a model that I require to work on my body, I don’t need to be fit, I’m doing well in life. That’s the wrong way of thinking. Fitness is for all, both physical and mental.

How important is the audio format for you?

It’s very important because we have to get to the youth and we are almost having a battle with Instagram Reels and WhatsApp and YouTube shorts. We all are like newspapers and books, and we have to get to them somehow. Audiobooks are growing in India; it’s still new. People are spending so much time watching Reels and you don’t learn anything.

Do you spend time on Instagram watching Reels? If yes, how do you disconnect?

We are all addicts. We all are tempted. It’s just crazy. I put a screen time limit of one hour for Instagram. The best way I’ve seen is to find other things to do like reading a book or listening to an audiobook or working out at the gym.

Are you listening to anything interesting now?

I am a big fan of motivation by the way. I wasn’t earlier, but now I realise how it can give you that 10- 20 per cent extra kick. There’s a guy called David Goggins, he’s an ex-navy, an ultra-marathoner now and he’s very powerful. He’s got two books and both are amazing.

What’s next in terms of books?

I am working on a new story, but I have not finalised it and it’s too early to say anything. It’s probably going to be fiction next time.