Malgudi days
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| Malgudi Days | |
|---|---|
 A house in which Malgudi Days was shot in Agumbe, Karnataka |
|
| Format | TV Series |
| Created by | R. K. Narayan |
| Directed by | Shankar Nag |
| Country of origin |  India |
| Language(s) | Hindi |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | -60 Total |
| Production | |
| Running time | approx. 22 minutes |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | DD National Sony Entertainment Television India TV Asia |
| Picture format | 480i (SDTV), |
Malgudi Days is a collection of short stories by R.K.Narayan that focused on the trial and tribulations of a small Indian town of Malgudi. According to R.K. Narayan, Malgudi is a town "habited by timeless characters who could be living anywhere in the world" and is located on the banks of river Sarayu and surrounded by the Mempi Hills.
[edit] Background
As an attempt to popularize television, the Government of India undertook several steps to popularize the already powerful medium. The 1970s and 1980s saw a boom in television programming as the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting invited independent producers and directors to shoot television serials on a regular basis; Malgudi Days was one such television serial.
The serial was directed by the late Kannada actor and director, Shankar Nag, and was shot entirely near Agumbe in Shimoga District, Karnataka. The music was rendered by L. Vaidyanathan and was produced by T.S. Narasimhan of the Padam Rag Films. It included many of Narayan's short stories and novels such as Swami and Friends and The Vendor of Sweets.
Vendor of Sweets narrated the story of a sweet vendor, Jagan, his business and confrontation with his son who had returned from abroad. The title role was played by Kannada actor, Anant Nag, and its plot is non-existent in the book.
Swami and Friends revolves around ten-year old Swaminathan, or Swami as he is known by other characters. Swami portrays the growing pangs of a boy who despises school, as he makes excuses and roams around Malgudi with his friends. Swami's father works in a government office and his mother is a housewife. At home, Swami shares his adventures with his aged granny, who lovingly addresses him as "Chamy." Swami also has two close friends; Mani and the son of the Police Chief Superintendent, Rajam. Swami's character was enacted by Manjunath, a regular feature in many of Shankar Nag directed movies.
The sketches for the serial were done by Narayan's brother and acclaimed cartoonist, R.K. Laxman. Thirty-nine episodes of "Malgudi Days" were telecast on Doordarshan . Subsequently, it was re-telecast on Doordarshan and later on Sony Entertainment Television. Currently, director Kavitha Lankesh is scripting and directing new 26 episodes of "Malgudi Days" in Hindi based on R.K. Narayan's short stories/novel.
[edit] Return of Malgudi Days
The National Film Award-winning film-maker Kavitha Lankesh was recently hired by Doordarshan to re-shoot the serial in an effort to resuscitate it[1].
