RK Narayan:13 May - in history
Rasipuram Krishnaswami Iyer Narayanaswami, popularly known as R.K. Narayan, was an Indian writer globally known for his fictional writings of Malgudi. Also, R.K. Narayan was amongst the first few Indians who started writing Indian literature in English.
R.K. Narayan was born on October 10, 1906, in a Tamil Brahmin family, to parents Rasipuram Venkatarama Krishna Swami Iyer and his wife Gnanambal. His full name in the family tradition is Rasipuram Krishnaswami Iyer Narayanaswami.
Narayan was an avid reader from his childhood days and loved to read the writings of some of the best authors of that time. Some of his favourite authors were Charles Dickens, Thomas Hardy, Arthur Conan Doyle, and Wodehouse. Narayan developed a deep interest in writing after reading all these phenomenal authors and thus started to look for opportunities to showcase his abilities to the world.
R.K. Narayan took four years to complete his graduation, which was a year longer than the normal duration of the course. And, then he started teaching in a school but soon decided to quit this job to pursue a full-time career in writing. Narayan was once visiting Coimbatore, and there R.K. fell in love with a girl named Rajam. After facing several obstacles, he finally married Rajam in 1934.
Considered as one of the greatest Indian writers, R.K. Narayan changed the landscape of English writing in India with his novels and short stories set in the fictional South Indian town of Malgudi but based on his own experiences. Swamy and Friends, The Guide, The Bachelor of Arts, The English Teacher, and Malgudi Days are considered Narayan’s most important works. His stories have highlighted social issues in India through the use of humour.
The biggest breakthrough for R.K. Narayan came when he got a recommendation for "Swami and Friends" publication from the renowned English writer Graham Greene. The recommendation came because Narayan had earlier sent a copy of his novel to one of his friends in England, and then his friend showed the novel to Graham Greene. "Swami and Friends" finally got published in 1935 and received a positive perception. Also, it was amongst the 100 Most Influential Novels by BBC in 2019.
Green also helped publish Narayan's next two novels, The Bachelor of Arts (1937) and The Dark Room (1938). The published novels were appreciated by the critics but failed to sell many book copies. Also, these two novels, along with "Swami and Friends," are considered a part of a trilogy based on a common theme.
R.K. Narayan’s youngest brother is the famous Indian cartoonist and illustrator R.K. Laxman, who illustrated many of R.K. Narayan’s stories. R.K. Laxman provided the sketches shown in the Malgudi Days (1986-1988), the televised adaptation of Narayan’s short story collection of the same name. Several of Narayan’s stories were adapted for television and for films, but he never worked on them. The 1947 Tamil film, Miss Malini, was the only one for which he wrote a story.
R.K. Narayan’s fifth novel, The English Teacher (1945), was autobiographical and is about the passing of his wife Rajam in 1939, from typhoid. He received the Sahitya Akademi Award for his eighth novel, The Guide (1958). He was also the recipient of the Padma Bhushan and the Padma Vibhushan.
R.K. Narayan passed away on May 13, 2001, at the age of 94.
Some of R.K. Narayan's best books are:
1. The Guide: This is a lovely story based in Malgudi. The novel is about a tour guide who transforms into a spiritual guide. It shows how you can change from someone bad to someone good.
2. Swami and Friends: This is a really sweet story of a ten-year-old boy named Swaminathan and his friends. He is called Swami throughout the novel and all the events in this book take place in Malgudi.
3. My Dateless Diary: This book is a collection of autobiographical essays by R.K. Narayan. The book is focused on his interactions with the American people and is based on the writings from the daily journal that he maintained during his visit to the United States on a Rockefeller Fellowship in 1956.
4. Gods, Demons and Others: This is a book containing short stories adapted from Indian history and mythology. It even includes epics like The Ramayana and Mahābhārata.
5. The Vendor of Sweets: This book is the biography of a fictional character named Sri K.V. Jagan who is a sweet vendor of Malgudi. It deals with his life and his relationship with his estranged son.
6. A Tiger for Malgudi: This book is told by a tiger in the first person. It follows the tiger's life and how his life changes at the hands of a kind monk.
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His vivid depictions of life in Malgudi and its people inspired filmmakers and producers who eventually adapted his writings for both films and television. On his death anniversary, we take a look at such adaptations of his works below.
Miss Malini (1947)
Miss Malini was the first and only film for which RK Narayan officially wrote the story. The screenplay of this cult film was written by Tamil author and filmmaker Kothamangalam Subbu, who also directed the film. The film tells the story of a woman named Malini who joins a theatre group to help her family financially, but is seduced by success and experiences a downfall after she falls for the charms of a charlatan.
Mr Sampat (1952)
Both RK Narayan’s 1949 novel, Mr Sampath – The Printer of Malgudi as well as the film, Miss Malini served as the basis for the story of this Hindi-language satirical film, by director S.S. Vasan. Here, we have a con artist who uses his charms and cunning to exploit a theatre actress and a ghee merchant for money. In 1972, another film named Mr Sampath was made based on the same novel by Narayan.
Guide (1965)
Director Vijay Anand’s Guide, starring Dev Anand and Waheeda Rehman, Guide became a cult-hit film that won numerous awards. The film traces the journey of a man from being a corrupt tour guide to a man eventually finding enlightenment. Narayan received a Filmfare Award for Best Story.
Banker Margayya (1983)
This National Award-winning Kannada-language film was based on Narayan’s The Financial Expert (1952) novel. Directed by T.S. Nagabharana, Banker Margayya is about a moneylender who faces a series of unfortunate financial and social mishaps that teach him valuable life lessons.
Malgudi Days (1986-88)
The most famous adaptation of RK Narayan’s work is of course Malgudi Days on Doordarshan. The television series was directed by Shankar Nag while RK Laxman, Narayan’s younger brother, did the sketches. The series documented the life of the people of Malgudi.
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