Malgudi Days (1987)
Synopsis
## Series Overview Set in the fictional South Indian town of Malgudi, *Malgudi Days* brings R. K. Narayan’s celebrated stories to life through a rich collection of tales about ordinary people and everyday experiences. Blending humour, warmth, irony and social observation, the series explores childhood, family, friendship, ambition, poverty, tradition, superstition and the changing values of Indian society. From schoolboys and shopkeepers to servants, postmen, astrologers and wandering performers, each story captures the distinctive character of Malgudi while reflecting universal human emotions. Adapted from Narayan’s short stories and novels, *Malgudi Days* remains one of Indian television’s most enduring literary adaptations.
First Air Date: 1987-03-17
Last Air Date: 2006-12-25
Number of Seasons: 4
Number of Episodes: 54
Created By: Shankar Nag, Girish Karnad
Networks: DD National
Top Cast
- Manjunath as W. S. Swaminathan “Swami” / Pundi
- Girish Karnad as W. T. Srinivasan (Swami’s Father) / The Watchman
- Anant Nag as Jagan / Seshadri (The Talkative Man) / Various Characters
- Shankar Nag as Venkatesh
- Vaishali Kasaravalli as Swami's Mother
- Raghuram Sitaram as Mani
- Rohit Srinath as Rajam
- Arundathi Nag as Kamala
- Vishnuvardhan as Venkat / Venkat Rao
- Ramesh Bhat as Rajam’s Father / Ramu / Theatre Gatekeeper / Friend / Various Characters
Seasons
Season 1 (1987)
The first season follows life in Malgudi through two extended stories. Swami & Friends captures the adventures, friendships, fears and growing pains of young Swami, while Vendor of Sweets shifts focus to Jagan, a traditional father struggling to understand his increasingly modern son. Together, the stories explore childhood, family, generational conflict and the changing face of Indian society.
Episodes:
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Ep. 1: Swami and Friends - 01
Nine-year-old Swami leads an ordinary schoolboy’s life in Malgudi until the confident Rajam joins his class. Rajam’s arrival immediately creates tension with Swami’s formidable friend Mani, placing Swami awkwardly between the two.
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Ep. 2: Swami and Friends - 02
With examinations approaching, Swami’s father becomes increasingly strict about his studies. Meanwhile, Swami’s growing friendship with Rajam causes friction among his old friends, until Rajam attempts to bring the quarrelling boys together.
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Ep. 3: Swami and Friends - 03
Exam fever grips Swami and his friends, with Mani even trying to obtain hints about the question papers. Once the examinations end, the boys celebrate their freedom with an adventurous trip to the old Malgudi fort. IMDb
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Ep. 4: Swami and Friends - 04
Swami desperately wants a bicycle wheel to use as a hoop and places his trust in a cartman who promises to help him. When the man cheats him, Swami, Mani and Rajam devise a childish plan to recover what he has lost.
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Ep. 5: Swami and Friends - 05
Swept up in the excitement of India’s independence movement, Swami joins a political protest and gets into serious trouble at school. His punishment leads to a dramatic break with the Mission School and the beginning of a new chapter in his education. IMDb
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Ep. 6: Swami and Friends - 06
Swami struggles to adjust to the stricter Board School, where homework and compulsory drill leave little time for fun. His spirits rise when Rajam forms the Malgudi Cricket Club and challenges another local team to a match. IMDb
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Ep. 7: Swami and Friends - 07
As the cricket match approaches, Swami’s school drill repeatedly prevents him from attending practice. His increasingly desperate attempts to escape school obligations end in confrontation, rebellion and an unexpected journey away from Malgudi. IMDb
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Ep. 8: Swami and Friends - 08
Lost outside Malgudi, Swami is rescued and eventually reunited with his worried family. But his absence has consequences for the cricket team, and worse news follows when he learns that Rajam will soon be leaving Malgudi.
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Ep. 9: Vendor of Sweets - 01
Jagan is a successful sweet-shop owner whose simple life is shaped by Gandhian ideals and traditional values. His comfortable world is unsettled when his son Mali announces that he intends to abandon his college education.
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Ep. 10: Vendor of Sweets - 02
Jagan tries to understand Mali’s ambitions while remembering his late wife and the family life they once shared. He discovers that Mali wants to become a writer and is making plans that may take him far beyond Malgudi. IMDb
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Ep. 11: Vendor of Sweets - 03
Letters from America reveal how rapidly Mali’s outlook is changing and leave Jagan increasingly uneasy about the distance between them. News of Mali’s personal life and impending return also causes Jagan to reflect on his own youth and marriage. TVGuide.com
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Ep. 12: Vendor of Sweets - 04
Mali returns from America accompanied by Grace, whom he introduces as his wife. While Mali remains distant from his father, Jagan develops an affectionate relationship with Grace and begins sharing memories of his earlier life with her.
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Ep. 13: Vendor of Sweets - 05
Grace tells Jagan about her background and how she met Mali, while Jagan introduces her to aspects of Indian society and tradition. The uneasy family peace is disrupted when Mali reveals an ambitious plan to manufacture an automated story-writing machine. IMDb
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Ep. 14: Vendor of Sweets - 06
Jagan is disappointed to discover that Mali has no intention of continuing the family sweet business. As pressure over Mali’s proposed factory grows, Jagan begins reconsidering his relationship with money, work and the business that has defined his life. IMDb
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Ep. 15: Vendor of Sweets - 07
Mali becomes increasingly resentful of his father’s refusal to support the factory scheme, while tensions also develop between Mali and Grace. Jagan finds himself caught in a family conflict that exposes how little he truly understands his son’s new life. IMDb
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Ep. 16: Vendor of Sweets - 08
After learning disturbing truths about Mali and Grace’s relationship, Jagan attempts to resolve matters through a traditional marriage. Instead, events force him to confront his failures as a father and reconsider what remains of his attachment to family and worldly life.
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