Malgudi Days (1987)

Karthi is a 9 year old boy living in Malgudi with his parents and grandmother. Once while reading the newspaper, his father reads an article about the bravery shown by an 8-year old boy and feels that Swami should do something similar. Swami has the habit of sleeping with his grandmother after listening to a story told by her. This irritates Swami's father. Swami's father then challenges, or rather forces, him to sleep in his office. When Swami tells his friends of the ordeal, his friends warn him about a ghost living near the office. When Swami sleeps in his father's office he has nightmares about the ghost and wakes up with a start. At the same time, Swami spots an intruder breaking into the office. Mistaking him for the ghost, Swami grabs the intruder's leg and yells for help. The members of the house rush inside the office and catch the intruder. The police tell Swami that the intruder was a thief wanted by the police and congratulate him. The incident is published in the Malgudi Times but little Swami is so scared after the incident that he starts sleeping with his grandmother again.

Muni is a very poor man living in Malgudi with his wife. Every day, he takes his two goats to graze near an old statue of a horse outside. One day Muni's wife requests him to buy some food but Muni doesn't have any money. He goes to the grocer only to get kicked out because he had not settled previous debts. The same night, his wife tells him about a body found near the well and is afraid to go out for fear of the police. The next day, when Muni takes his goats out to graze, he spots a motor car. Out of the car comes a white man from New York who starts talking with Muni but he does not understand a word of it. He thinks that he is a policeman who has come for the body and starts telling his suspicions about other people. The conversation carries on with both persons not understanding each other. The tourist then examines the statue of the horse and makes an offer to buy it. Muni misunderstands it as an offer for his goats and is reluctant but when the American offers a hundred rupees, Muni relents. When he gets home he surprises his wife with the money and tells her that he sold off the goats. When they hear the bleating of their goats outside they find the goats in their yard with the statue gone.

This is the story of how Thanappa, the village mailman, turns the hero, and saves the big day.

Charu is the village miser who cares more about money than his own family. He never spends a rupee when he doesn't have to. This is the day he realizes that money cant substitute for everything in life.

Seth is a merchant and a grocer who also owns a boarding house filled with tenants who constantly complain about his tight-fisted ways. One of his tenants, an exorcist makes a living by removing evil spells and spirits from afflicted individuals. The exorcist comes through for the Seth in an unexpected way in this story.

Swami and Friends is the story of ten-year old Swaminathan, a boy full of innocence, wonder, and mischief, and his experiences growing up in the fictional town of Malgudi. He is a student at the British-established Albert Mission School, which stresses Christianity, English literature, and the value of education.

‘Lawley Road’ is a charming story that begins with the Talkative man, an endearing character created by R.K. Narayan. In the episode, the Talkative Man recounts to his friends the incident of how he came to have a house in the New Extension in Malgudi though he is a mere freelance journalist. The story is set just after India had got her independence. A blanket seller, who used to sell blankets to the British, wins the election and becomes a Municipality chairman. Having won the election, the new chairman want to do things that will earn him posterity. His ambition leads to a number of hilarious incidents; including changing the names of the streets and causing utter confusion. The chairman however, is still not satisfied. He is on the look out to do more when he realizes that though India has got her independence, Sir Frederick, a British officer’s Statue stands proudly in the center of Malgudi. He wants to bring it down immediately. A plan to evacuate the statue is set in motion but the statue made out of metal proves to be a burden. Finally the Talkative man offers to take it if he is given it free of cost. The chairman agrees. The Talkative Man manages the Herculean task of bringing the statue to his home, but it gets stuck in the doorway. He and his family can neither get in to the house nor go out. His wife gets angry at the entire incident and leaves for her father’s house. In the meantime, the chairman gets a letter from the government saying Sir Frederick Lawley was a supporter of India’s Independence movement and that an error has been committed by removing his statues. The government also instructs that Sir Frederick Lawley Statue should immediately be reinstalled with honor. But the statue is stuck in the doorway of the Talkative man’s house. The talkative Man refuses to give back the statue. He ultimately strikes a deal with the chairman and sells his house along with the Sir Frederick Lawley’s Statue to the government as a National Trust. That is how the Talkative Man got to own a new house in the New extension Layout.

‘Lawley Road’ is a charming story that begins with the Talkative man, an endearing character created by R.K. Narayan. In the episode, the Talkative Man recounts to his friends the incident of how he came to have a house in the New Extension in Malgudi though he is a mere freelance journalist. The story is set just after India had got her independence. A blanket seller, who used to sell blankets to the British, wins the election and becomes a Municipality chairman. Having won the election, the new chairman want to do things that will earn him posterity. His ambition leads to a number of hilarious incidents; including changing the names of the streets and causing utter confusion. The chairman however, is still not satisfied. He is on the look out to do more when he realizes that though India has got her independence, Sir Frederick, a British officer’s Statue stands proudly in the center of Malgudi. He wants to bring it down immediately. A plan to evacuate the statue is set in motion but the statue made out of metal proves to be a burden. Finally the Talkative man offers to take it if he is given it free of cost. The chairman agrees. The Talkative Man manages the Herculean task of bringing the statue to his home, but it gets stuck in the doorway. He and his family can neither get in to the house nor go out. His wife gets angry at the entire incident and leaves for her father’s house. In the meantime, the chairman gets a letter from the government saying Sir Frederick Lawley was a supporter of India’s Independence movement and that an error has been committed by removing his statues. The government also instructs that Sir Frederick Lawley Statue should immediately be reinstalled with honor. But the statue is stuck in the doorway of the Talkative man’s house. The talkative Man refuses to give back the statue. He ultimately strikes a deal with the chairman and sells his house along with the Sir Frederick Lawley’s Statue to the government as a National Trust. That is how the Talkative Man got to own a new house in the New extension Layout.

A simple farmer was exploited constantly by the landlord, who is a drunk and debauch landlord. Unable to bear the torture, the farmer pushes him into a well and flees, fearing the police will catch him. But the landlord has a miraculous escape and survives as the well has dried up. For many years the landlord thirst for revenge and is on the search for the farmer. One day he hears of a famous astrologer who can predict almost anything under the sun. Though the landlord is very cynical about astrology, he decides to pay a visit to the astrologer at the insistence of a friend. The astrologer shocks the landlord when he precisely recounts the landlord’s past by narrating to him the attempt on his life by the farmer. When the landlord asks him for the whereabouts of the farmer the astrologer tells him that the farmer has met with a gruesome death and that he should stop his futile search. The landlord, somewhat appeased, leaves. The astrologer returns home and removes his disguise. We find that he is none other than the farmer himself! All these years the farmer has been guilt – ridden for having killed the landlord, but since finding out that the landlord is alive, he is happy and relieved and makes plan to lead a normal and open life. A light and lively tale, “An Astrologer’s Day” has R.K. Narayan’s satire with a twist in the tale.

Dr. Raman has a reputation of foreseeing his patient’s future; life or death. He is known never to have gone wrong. But Dr. Raman faces a strange predicament when his closest friend Gopal falls ill and his is compelled to predict whether he is going to live or die. It is imperative that Gopal knows whether he is going to live or die since he has to sign papers concerning property documents. If he does not sign them, his family will be poverty stricken. But if Dr. Raman allows him to sign them, that would mean giving his friend not even an iota of hope. After much contemplation, Dr. Raman decides to play with fate and for the first time lies to Gopal. He tells Gopal that he has to fear no more and that he is going to live for many years to come. After the surgery, Dr. Raman has no hope, but to his surprise, Gopal’s health steadies and he becomes hale and hearty! In this simple tale, R.K. Narayan plays between the virtues of honesty against dishonesty, and end up showing the strength of a determined spirit and that dishonesty works too when the intension are good.

‘Four Rupees’ is a delightful story of Ranga a poor man who is lazy and good for nothing. The story begins with Ranga being scolded by his wife to go and look for job, as they do not have anything to eat. Reluctantly, Ranga goes out and asked people for odd jobs such as climbing the coconut tree and plucking the coconuts. At all his efforts are to no avail. As he sits dejected in the market road, a servant comes by and seeks his help to fetch an antique pot, which has fallen into the well. He even promises good money. Ranga is enticed by the offer, but is scared to get into the well. But the servant leaves him no choice and drags him along. When they reach the rich man’s house, Ranga is petrified looking at the deep well and wants to back out, but the entire family coaxes him to get into well. To postpone the impending task, Ranga claims he is hungry and they feed him like a royal prince. They even increase his fee for fetching the pot. Finally, mustering enough courage, Ranga goes into the well and by accident retrieves the pot. He goes home with four rupees, a box of sweets and new clothes much to the disbelief of his wife who thinks he must have stolen the money. He tells her of his ordeal of getting into the well but the wife does not believe him. When he notices a similar looking antique pot belonging to the mother – in – law Ranga starts running, shouting that he will not return till the pot is taken away from his sight.

‘Annamalai’ is a touching story of a warm and gentle worker who starts to work for a writer under very strange circumstances. The writer wants peace but is unable to bear the racquet the nearby lorry depot makes. The lorry owner gives him a choice of moving to a peaceful place and even lends him one of his lorries to move. One of the movers happens to be Annamalai who has been working as an indenture labourer for the lorry owner. Annamalai decides to stay back at the writers home. The writer and Annamalai develop a beautiful relationship. Annamalai does many things; cooks, guards the house but most of the time takes care of the garden. Annamalai is an uneducated person, but has a strong sense of morals and ethics. One day, Annamalai finds out that a tailor who owes him money in his village is cheating him and his family. Annamalai requests the writer for a 10 day leave, but the writer refuses as he has begun to become dependent on him. Instead the writer offers him money. But Annamalai is not so much bothered about money as he is about being cheated. So, he begs him to give him leave but to no use. Finally, Annamalai decides to leave without the writer’s permission. Assuring the writer that he is not a thief and telling him that he has taken only is belonging, Annamalai leaves. After many months, the writer gets a letter from Annamalai asking him some financial help. The writer sends him more than he had asked for, hoping he will come back. One day as the writer sits writing, the sound of the gate opening is heard. He sees Annamalai is back.

‘Annamalai’ is a touching story of a warm and gentle worker who starts to work for a writer under very strange circumstances. The writer wants peace but is unable to bear the racquet the nearby lorry depot makes. The lorry owner gives him a choice of moving to a peaceful place and even lends him one of his lorries to move. One of the movers happens to be Annamalai who has been working as an indenture laborer for the lorry owner. Annamalai decides to stay back at the writers home. The writer and Annamalai develop a beautiful relationship. Annamalai does many things; cooks, guards the house but most of the time takes care of the garden. Annamalai is an uneducated person, but has a strong sense of morals and ethics. One day, Annamalai finds out that a tailor who owes him money in his village is cheating him and his family. Annamalai requests the writer for a 10 day leave, but the writer refuses as he has begun to become dependent on him. Instead the writer offers him money. But Annamalai is not so much bothered about money as he is about being cheated. So, he begs him to give him leave but to no use. Finally, Annamalai decides to leave without the writer’s permission. Assuring the writer that he is not a thief and telling him that he has taken only is belonging, Annamalai leaves. After many months, the writer gets a letter from Annamalai asking him some financial help. The writer sends him more than he had asked for, hoping he will come back. One day as the writer sits writing, the sound of the gate opening is heard. He sees Annamalai is back.