If you have grown up in India in 1980’s, then you will surely remember the stories of ‘Malgudi’ , every story is like a brushstroke painting a vivid picture of simpler times. These stories will never leave you, they remain etched in your memory, tugged away deeply in your heart. In a world of excess, these stories represent simplicity of life. The author does not seek the crutches of intense drama, thrilling plots, major catastrophes or any grand representation of life. These stories are written with an intent to reflect simplicity of life. The characters are vulnerable, they are easily pleased and deceived. The readers are made aware of the very nature and significance of various identities that effortlessly move beyond reality and border on realism. These stories were shot in the quaint Agumbe Village situated in the western ghats of India.
RK Narayan’s Malgudi Days co-exist and co habitat within you forever’. Each story is simple revering into basic human emotions and its interplay with everyday mundane things. They leave you with a warm earthy feeling, similar to the satisfying feeling of sipping freshly brewed hot cup coffee sitting under the coconut trees or the aroma of a handful of Mogras in a bustling flower markets or lighting a small lamp for the evening prayers in a temple illuminated by hundreds of lit oil lamps. The author takes the readers into a philosophical journey and leaves them with an understanding that the universal truths lie hidden in the simple stories that we live every day.
In our lives we visit many a places, embrace different cultures, wear several masks, and oscillate between different versions of oneself but there is that one childhood story which becomes the resting point, a point of reference that define one’s adult life. Personally, I found a whole lot of me in the lush green Malaenadu and revisiting Malgudi Days with an informed and a matured perspective.
This fictional story was directed by legendary Shankar Nag in Agumbe and telecasted in 1986. The crew lived there for 2 years and was welcomed into the modest homes of this small village. This series is coming together of the great minds-Shankar Nag’s cinematic genius, the R.K. Narayan’s brilliant narration sketched to life like by R K Laxman with the classic background score by Vadiyanthan and the brilliant performances of the cast. The idea to film the stories into TV series was brought to Shankar Nag by his older brother Anant Nag and they both played their part on screen as well. The Agumbe village till date has the house, the school, the abandoned fountain (specially built for the series), the village square and many of the iconic backdrops that still exist. The older folk of the village talk about those times and proudly point to different spots where the stories were enacted and fortunately nothing has changed. However the village which once was a sensorium of creativity in 1980’s during the filming of Malgudi Days, today stands neglected. It is almost certain that the quaint iconic village is on the verge of losing its essence. As an ardent fan of the book and the series, there is sadness that the heritage is at risk of disappearing.
I happened to walk into one of the homes where two episodes and some scenes were shot. The owner humbly opens his home for a tour. The house Doddamane is beautiful and is in the centre of the village. However it appears neglected and parts of it are on the verge of collapse just like the other spots and locations in the village. It is a certainty that as the 1940’s generation vanishes so will the village and all the ‘behind the scenes’- Malgudi stories. The small idyllic village will be destroyed and in its place will erupt the fast food chains, the unimpressive malls, residences and bring forth the decadence of the modern society. There is a pressing need to preserve the village and celebrate the setting that brought life into these iconic stories.
A beautiful story is created in what is left unsaid. The mind is disquieted by the aspects that unfold within and in those moments one begins a ‘journey’ of discovery. The simplicity of Malgudi Days is a gentle irony, in a way that though fictitious it can never ever be disregarded, it is a testimony that complex truths of life unfold in simple stories.
This piece is as much about you and me as much as it is about ‘Master Manjunath’, his friends -Mani, Somu, Sankar and his world. We will always find Malgudi in our lives.
I have now returned to Bangalore and regularly spend my weekend afternoons in ‘Rangashankara’ theatre. My head bows to the creative energy of RK Narayan, Shankar Nag, R.K. Lakshman and L Vaidyanathan. It is therefore not a simple co incidence that I have been a part of this setting- the stories, the village, the people and the creator’s sanctum-the land of Malenadu. My life has come full circle and I am compelled to write in earnest, that there is a need to reclaim and preserve this village and the nostalgia of Malgudi Days.
We can draw parallels to The house of Anne Frank in Amsterdam, or The 221 Baker Street which was not even the set of the famous Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes, yet tourists pay to visit the place. We are doing disservice to this beautiful village which played host to creative geniuses of the yesteryears.
Malgudi days represents the essence of authentic India and like the museum in Arasalu, Agumbe too needs to be reclaimed and cherished so that one can continue to bask in the afterglow of Malgudi Days.
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