If I regard all the timeless classics I have been fortunate enough to be a part of, the one series that sticks out like a gentle reminder of life itself is the late Sh.R K Narayan's 'Malgudi Days' which was brought to life by the late Kannada actor/director/genius Shankar Nag. The two names that have become synonymous to me with being simple yet powerful. The two souls that have given me so many memorable moments on print and celluloid. I am still fascinated at the ease with which these men managed to craft the rhythm of the life in the stories of Malgudi.
Narayan's creation the town called Malgudi. Just the mention of that name spells magic as far as viewers of Nag's 'Malgudi Days' are concerned. As I sat watching some episodes from the DVD pack of this gem a couple of days back it was as if I was watching myself in them. Each scene brought back an essence that I have almost forgotten in the high-tech world we live in. Values that have shaped us as Indians. Ideals that we seem to have put somewhere at the back of a dusty old room. My mind kept dusting off those old piles of memories as the characters spoke to me in a profound yet simple way. A whole new perspective arose. A new dimension. A new light. Draped in the practicality we are so used to, it hid within the simple nothings of life that are everything. The words that stay behind after an enriching conversation. A song. A poem.
The message that 'Malgudi Days' conveys represents every human emotion there ever was and every personality there ever will be. We truly miss Shankar Nag's genius and Sh RK Narayan's wisdom. Please come back to us.
