Malgudi Days - 1986

Introduction 

Set in the pre-independence era in the fictional town of Malgudi, Malgudi Days shows the best of R.K. Narayan's work. Upon its premiere in 1986, it quickly became one of the most beloved shows on Indian television. The influence of the show was such that it was revived once again in 2006 for a fourth and final season and is available for streaming at Amazon Prime and Disney+ Hotstar. 

The series is based on R.K. Narayan's short story collection named Malgudi Days. It was primarily shot in the small town of Agumbe, Karnataka, and was telecasted on Doordarshan. Malgudi Days impressed the people with its excellent acting and stellar yet simple stories. 

Table of Contents

• Details
• Plot
• Schedule
• Cast
• Crew
• Character Analysis
• Seasons
• Controversy
• TRPs
• Conclusion

Details

Plot

Malgudi Days does not follow a specific plot arc. Much like its source material, it shows the lives of the people living in the fictional town of Malgudi.

In season 1, the show told 13 individual stories. For instance, one episode of the series narrates the story of the postman, Thanappa, as he learns tragic news about another villager, Ramanajun, just a day before Ramanajun's daughter's wedding. Another episode tells the tale of a night watchman comforting a girl who wants to attempt suicide. Roman Image episode shows a witty tale of how archaeologists believe Malgudi has the remnants of Ancient Rome and their quest to prove it. 

Several episodes in Season 2 show the adventures of Swami and his friends, Samuel, Sankar, Somu, and Mani. Swami befriends the new boy, Rajam, in his school. After many adventures together, the six friends form a cricket club. The episodes follow Swami as he navigates through exams, new friendships, political views, and his love for cricket. Other episodes in this season focused on individual stories of different people, such as the story of the man who wins a train engine in the lottery.

Season 3 of Malgudi Days follows the same format as its predecessor. Except for the first five episodes, most of the episodes focus on the life of Rajam, a sweets shop owner. Rajam is a hardworking and devoted widow. He loves his son, Mali, the most and struggles to say no to him. That is why he supports Mali even when he leaves for America after taking Rajam's money. After Mali returns to Malgudi with his American wife, Grace, Rajam tries his hardest to bond with both and rekindle their relationship. 

Season 4 of the show followed a similar format as its predecessors. The first two episodes of the season showed the life of a loyal servant, Annamalai, and his care for his master. Another two episodes narrate the hilarious struggle of Swami trying to get his wife's story published. The last episode shows a witty tale of a cunning astrologer and how he escapes from his master.  

Schedule

Malgudi Days was divided into 4 seasons. The first season was released on 24 September 1986, and the second season premiered in 1987. The third season came out in 1998. Twenty years after the original premiere, the show was revived for a fourth and final season in 2006. The show is now available to stream on Amazon Prime and Disney+ Hotstar. 

Cast

Crew

• Director: Shankar Nag (Seasons 1-3), Kavitha Lankesh (Season 4)
• Composer: L. Vaidyanathan
• Producer: T.N. Narasimhan (2 episodes)
• Cinematography: S. Ramachandra
• Written By: Sameer Rajda, R.K. Narayan

Character Analysis

• Master Manjunath as Swami: Swami is a ten-year-old boy living in Malgudi. He seems innocent and has little concerns that every child his age has. He is an average child, neither clever nor foolish, though he can lie sometimes. He has four good friends and tends to get extremely enthusiastic about adventures. 
• Girish Karnad as W.T. Srinivasan: Srinivasan is a strict father to Swami. He rules his household with an iron fist and believes in learning from fears. However, despite his strict attitude, he encourages Swami to do better in his own way. 
• Vaishali Kasaravalli as Swami's mother: Swami's mother is a gentle and mild woman. She is entirely devoted to her family and loves Swami very much. She often defends Swami in front of his father. 
• Rajaram as Jagan: Jagan is a widower and a sweets shop owner. He is honest, humble, hardworking, and a devout follower of Mahatma Gandhi. He preaches piousness and tries to live his life following the principles laid by Bhagavad Gita. He loves his son, Mali, very much and cannot say no to him. 
• Rohit Srinath as Rajam: Rajam is fearless, confident, and witty. He is also Swami's closest friend. Rajam's character has several layers. On the one hand, he inspires friends to do better and follow their goals; on the other, he also bullies them. 

Seasons

Malgudi Days aired in four seasons. The first three seasons aired between 1986-1988, and the last aired in 2006. Here are the details of each season.

Season 1

Season 1 of Malgudi Days aired from 24 September 1986 to 17 December 1986. It consisted of 13 episodes, each narrating a little story. The episodes were shot both in English and Hindi. 

Season 2

The second season of Malgudi Days began in 1987, with the last episode airing on 6 May 1987. The season again had 13 episodes, with the first five narrating five different stories, while the last eight episodes focused on the adventures of ten-year-old Swami and his friends. 

Season 3

The third season of Malgudi Days aired in 1988. The season followed the path taken by Season 2 and had 13 episodes. The first three episodes showed individual stories. The following two episodes narrated the story of Venkatesh, a snake charmer. The rest of the episode of the season told the story of Jagan, a sweets shop owner. 

Season 4 

Season 4 of Malgudi Days aired on 26 April 2006, twenty years after the first season. Directed by Kavitha Lankesh, the series contained 15 episodes with twelve individual stories. Anant Nag, who played Jagan in Season 3, also returned to the series and starred in episodes 11, 12, and 14. 

Controversy

Malgudi Days didn't face any controversies during its run. However, recently Disney+ Hotstar started streaming the show. They have censored a bit of the first episode of the first season before streaming. The part shows a catholic priest mocking idol worship and calling the idols "dirty and lifeless idols of God." Disney+ Hotstar has removed the word "dirty" from the show to prevent any controversies. However, this raised some eyebrows among citizens who questioned the need for editing a 35-year-old show. 

TRPs

Malgudi Days was an instant hit in India. The plot's simplicity, brilliant performances, and heartwarming music made it extremely popular among the Indian audience. The show appealed to the people in ways no show had ever appealed to before. It is a slice-of-life show with everyday problems that perhaps children in even today's modern world sometimes face. 

The popularity of the show was such that Indian Railways renamed the Arasalu Railway station in Shivamogga, Karnataka, as Malgudi Railway Station in honour of the location of the show. 

Conclusion 

Malgudi Days are heartwarming tales of different people belonging to different ages. They are funny; they are sad; they are endearing; they are innocent, but most of all, they are relatable. Perhaps, that is why, even today, if you ask an 80s kid about their favourite show, they will proudly answer Malgudi Days. This is not to say that the series only appealed to 80s kids. The simplicity, authenticity, and everyday lives depicted by Malgudi Days have also made it famous among today's generation.