Decades before Harry Potter became a global sensation, there was a boy who lived in a small village – Malgudi. His life story gripped millions of viewers across the subcontinent, who, glued to their television sets in their drawing rooms, got a glimpse into his life on a weekly basis.
Perhaps, this is what makes Malgudi the most famous Indian village of all time. Its children, mailmen, doctors, beggars, school headmasters, sadhus and dogs are all household names in India. There’s a catch, though – Malgudi isn’t a real village. It exists in the imagination and work of R.K. Narayan, and in the minds of the millions who’ve read his books and watched the TV series.
“Malgudi Days” is the collection of short stories set in the fictional town of Malgudi, by R.K. Narayan. As he told Frontline, “There is a place called Lalgudi near Trichy and a place called Mangudi near Kumbakonam or somewhere. But Malgudi is nowhere. So that was very helpful. It satisfied my requirement.”
Narayan’s first foray into a novel was with Swamy and Friends – a short set of stories from Malgudi’s school children.
You might read the first story, and take in the vivid description of a small boy’s experience on a Monday morning in school. You will be flooded by memories as Narayan’s every word evokes a forgotten past. His protagonist, Swami, is bold and raises objections to the teacher’s tirade – only to have his ear firmly pulled.
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