Chetan Bhagat's new novel 12 Years: My Messed-Up Love Story sparks outrage
Popular author Chetan Bhagat is once again in the spotlight, but this time for all the wrong reasons. His upcoming book, 12 Years: My Messed-Up Love Story, has triggered a wave of online debate after its teaser was unveiled by HarperCollins India. The story revolves around a 33-year-old divorced man and a 21-year-old woman, sparking accusations of romanticising inappropriate relationships. While Bhagat describes the novel as emotional, funny, and thought-provoking, many readers are criticising its premise as outdated and even “creepy.”
The teaser for 12 Years highlights the key characters: he’s 33, Punjabi, and divorced; she’s 21, Jain, and has never been in a relationship. Despite their differences, they cannot stay away from each other. The book explores themes of love, lust, and fate while asking a central question: how do you know if someone is truly “the one”?
The novel marks Bhagat’s return to love stories after more than a decade, following hits like 2 States and Half Girlfriend. While an exact release date has not been officially confirmed, the book is expected to hit shelves later this year.
The announcement sparked a flurry of reactions on social media, with many users slamming the age gap between the lead characters. Critics argue that the storyline normalises grooming and unhealthy power dynamics.
The guy who wrote this is 51
— ABHI (@aksiiita06) September 2, 2025
and 5'6". 🤷 pic.twitter.com/afy9NaH98F
Am I only finding affair with 21 old creepy?
— Radhika Barman 🇮🇳 (@RadhikaBarman5) September 2, 2025
One X user wrote, “He's ancient. She's barely legal. This shouldn’t have been written.” Another commented, “Yes, let’s normalise creepiness and turn it into a Bollywood film next.”
Memes and jokes have also flooded the internet, with some comparing Bhagat to global romance writers like Colleen Hoover and others suggesting that his books are now written with movie adaptations in mind.
wish chetan bhagat found out about wattpad at 15 yo like the rest of us and moved on as he grew older
— Anushka (@Kulfei) September 2, 2025
Nobody has a problem with any kind of movie, serial, web series, song, reel being made. But when it comes to books, all the elitism jumps out. It's like they hate it that everyone is reading now. It was their cool thing. So hate the author they are reading too, of course.
— Chetan Bhagat (@chetan_bhagat) September 4, 2025
Seemingly addressing the criticism, Bhagat posted a cryptic message on X, urging writers to “push the envelope” and challenge assumptions. He hinted that the story is meant to spark discussions about modern relationships and deeper social issues, wrapped in entertainment. Bhagat continues to stand by his work, calling 12 Years one of his best books, blending humour, emotion, and thought-provoking themes.