It is a humongous task for any director to convert a novel into a movie retaining its authenticity. It becomes all the more difficult when the story is humorous. In my young adult days I used to be a great fan of RK Narayan. I still am. Malgudi Days, directed and produced by Shankar Nag did full justice to the characterization of the denizens of the fictional town Malgudi. Rarely did I miss an episode when it was first telecast on Doordarshan. Sometimes while random channel surfing I come across an episode of Malgudi Days on DD. It is as delightful to watch it today as it was three decades back.
In our country, we have more memorials built for religious and political leaders than writers and artists. If you go to a country like England or Canada, a famous writer’s erstwhile residence is marked as a must visit place for tourists to that city. But not here in India. How many of the present generation who visit Mysore would know that RK Narayan was a resident of that city. Of course after much hue and cry, the dilapidated house of RK Narayan was restored a couple of years back and now it functions as a memorial. Still, does it feature in the top ten, or, top twenty five places to see in Mysore?
This is in sharp contrast with the adaption of RK Narayana’s Guide for the eponymous movie. The movie was a hit. But it was so different from the theme of the book that even RK himself got disappointed with the movie.
image credit: thebetterindia.com
PEBBLES AND WAVES 
I agree that humor has almost vanished and somewhat media is to be blamed as anything said is so twisted and represented that any known person is thinking twice before saying anything 🙂
http://www.sunshineandzephyr.com/2016/10/meeting-fiction-concluding-part/
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Yes Shweta ji, quite often media twist the truth. Of course there are some serious TV shows where the participants act and shout like jokers.
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I have a couple of books on Swami and friends’ adventures in Malgudi. What a delight! Perhaps I could find the series on YouTube?
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Yes, a lot of episodes are available on utube, like this one:
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Oh lovely. Thanks for sharing. I will search for more. I might need subtitles…
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Relevant musings. Lack of humor sense is indicative of intolerance.
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We must confess, we are more intolerant than imagined.
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You have nicely presented some truths.
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Thanks Jyotirmoy
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A very relevant post! Sad but true…
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Hope things improve..
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Agreeable thoughts. Now all kinds of intolerant ones are only ruling the roost on the social media who can’t tolerate any criticism of or sarcasm aimed at themselves and their gods.
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Yes, now people fall prey to all kinds of propaganda in social media and get provoked
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Humour makes our life easier and we all know, laughter is the best medicine. However, as you’ve pointed out, it’s somewhat missing from today’s life.
Thanks for reminding me of Swami. R K Narayan is one of the most eminent Indian writers… 🙂
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Our country also needs to preserve the legacy of writers and artists. Thanks Maniparna, for stopping by.
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I look forward to some of those humors 🙂 Let them not vanish please. I hop none of them files any defamation suit.
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True ! The whole episode has demonstrated that we odia folks lack anything at all, it is a sense on humor . But let us admit that Katju has no great sense of humor either !
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Awesome, really a deep post in a sarcastic way……. and yes we must start recognizing places by the artists born there!
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Hope, more memorials are built for our writers and artists to show case their work
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One legend paid tribute to the other. Malgudi & Swami make our lives even today
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