Malgudi Days
## 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.
Cast: Manjunath, Girish Karnad, Anant Nag
16 episodes
- 1. Swami and Friends - 01Nine-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.15CC23minMar 17, 1987
- 2. Swami and Friends - 02With 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.15CC22minMar 24, 1987
- 3. Swami and Friends - 03Exam 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. IMDb15CC22minMar 31, 1987
- 4. Swami and Friends - 04Swami 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.15CC22minApr 7, 1987
- 5. Swami and Friends - 05Swept 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. IMDb15CC22minApr 14, 1987
- 6. Swami and Friends - 06Swami 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. IMDb15CC22minApr 21, 1987
- 7. Swami and Friends - 07As 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. IMDb15CC22minApr 28, 1987
- 8. Swami and Friends - 08Lost 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.15CC22minMay 5, 1987
- 9. Vendor of Sweets - 01Jagan 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.15CC22minMay 12, 1987
- 10. Vendor of Sweets - 02Jagan 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. IMDb15CC22minMay 19, 1987
- 11. Vendor of Sweets - 03Letters 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.com15CC22minMay 26, 1987
- 12. Vendor of Sweets - 04Mali 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.15CC22minJun 2, 1987
- 13. Vendor of Sweets - 05Grace 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. IMDb15CC22minJun 9, 1987
- 14. Vendor of Sweets - 06Jagan 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. IMDb15CC22minJun 16, 1987
- 15. Vendor of Sweets - 07Mali 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. IMDb15CC22minJun 23, 1987
- 16. Vendor of Sweets - 08After 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.15CC22minJun 30, 1987
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Malgudi Days
## 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.
Creators and cast
- Directors
- Shankar Nag
- Created by
- Shankar Nag, Girish Karnad
