Thursday, May 9, 2024

Malgudi Days by R.K.Narayan

Malgudi Days is a collection of short stories written by R. K. Narayan, published in 1943 by Indian Thought Publications, the publishing company Narayan himself founded in 1942. He founded the company after he was cut off from England as a result of WWII, and needed some outlet for his writing. It wasn’t just a vanity press, though, as during the war there was no other way to circulate Indian writing, and Indian readers had no access to new work. The press is still in operation, now run by Narayan’s granddaughter, Bhuvaneswari, or Minnie. Malgudi Days was first published outside of India in the 1982, by Penguin Classics. The book consists of 32 stories, all of which take place in the fictional town of Malgudi, in southern India. Each story is meant to portray a different facet of life in Malgudi. The project has been adapted several times, beginning in 1986 when a few of the stories were adapted into a television series, also called Malgudi Days, which was directed by actor and director, Shankar Nag. In 2004, it was revived by the film maker Kavitha Lankesh; the new series was broadcast on the public service broadcaster founded by the Government of India, Doordarshan.“An Astrologer’s Day” features an astrologer who knows absolutely nothing about stars or astrology. He never wanted the job but he was so impoverished, he couldn't turn down the job. Through clever guesswork and manipulation, he has made many amazing predictions over the years so that people keep using his services. One day he comes across his rival, a man he thought he had killed years ago. He disguises himself as “the astrologer” and fools his rival, effecting a narrow escape.





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