In the golden time of Indian Televsion, during the year of 1986 a TV Series named Malgudi days was telecast. It was loved and appreciated by the people who watched it. Based on the works of R. K. Narayan the series was made by director Shankar Nag (late Kannada Actor/Director). R. K. Narayan’s equally talented brother famous cartoonist R. K. Laxman was the sketch artist for the series. Anant Nag was the lead actor of the series. The serial was then revived and telecast from April 25, 2006 on Doordarshan. The serial was re-telecast o Sony Entertainment Television and Maa Television too.
There is no high-fi drama nor wealthy set or costly costumes. It was all a simple tale stationed at the small village called Malgudi. The days of childhood of a boy Swami were explored in the same. Yet it is loved for its simplicity.
TV Serial | : | Malgudi Days |
Director | : | Shankar Nag |
Created By | : | R. K. Narayan |
Sketch Artist | : | R. K. Laxman |
Actors | : | Master Manjunath [Swami], Girish Karnad [Swami’s father], Vaishali Kasaravalli [Swami’s Mother], B Jayashree [Swami’s Grand Mother], Kanti Madiya [ Muni / Muniya ], B Jayashree [Muni’s Wife], Somu [Shopkeeper], Teddy White [American / Newyork tourist] and others (including but not limited to Anant Nag, Dada, Vishnuvardhan, Shankar Nag, Ramesh Bhat, Padmini Sirish) |
Swami wakes up and gets ready to go out. When asked by his grand mother he asked that there is a cricket match between MCC and a High School next day and he is going for the practice. We got to know that Swami is the vice-captain of MCC (Malgudi Cricket Club) and the opening bowler too. Swami has the plans to attend the practice session first and then go to the school.
He wanted to skip is breakfast for the same. But as his father was there he was unable to escape. During the break-fast his fathers reads the news of survival of an 8 year old boy from the tiger with his courage (Swami is also of around the same age) to Swami. When asked by Swami that the body could be bigger then 8 years, how can one survive from the tiger if one is only 8 years old. His father then tells him that Courage is the most important thing (rather than the physical appearance). Very True Indeed!
With the courage a small boy can be a tiger, without courage its reverse. Swami innocently asks that well consider if I am the bravest and courageous boy of the world but if a tiger attacks me I need to have the power and capacity to fight otherwise what only courage will do? His father then asks him to prove that he have some courage at least before going into the deep about the question answer stuff.
Swami insist that he have the courage and guts. Well, his father then asks him to prove it by sleeping alone at his office tonight. Somehow Swami have had no other way but to agree with the same. He was feared from without without showing it out. He then demands a few rupees from his father to purchase new cricket goodies. His father asks him that the will be taken care of later. But, first Swami needs to see the place properly as he needs to spend a night there (in the office) alone tonight. When Swami tried to reschedule the courage test to the first of the next month. His father refused and asked him that he had to sleep there alone today itself!
Distracted with the thoughts of spending the night in the office alone later, Swaminathan aka Swami was unable to concentrate on study. When he was playing with his team he see a group of freedom-fighters doing a march. He and his friends were in the conversation about ghost.
Swami tried several gimmicks to avoid the situation to sleep alone in his father’s office but somehow he failed in all his tries. His father send him to his office with love and affection, opens the window for him and affirms him to not to worry, there are very near to Swami in case of any need. Of course there is an aim behind all the exercise and his father was not his enemy at all. But what will Swami’s fate for the night now? Will he be able to sleep alone or will run-away later to his grand-mother? Will he be the joke in his friends for being courage less? Well, all the answers can be found when you watch the episode on your own.
The good thing is such nice, simple and value oriented tale(s) is available on DVD so it can be (re)visited at the leisure in the comfort of home. The stuff not to miss.