Thinking Activity- 'An Astrologer's Day' By R K Narayan

 This blog is written in response to the thinking activity given by Megha Trivedi Ma'am on the short story ‘An Astrologer’s Day’ by R K Narayan.

R.K. Narayan

R.K. Narayan, whose full name was Rasipuram Krishnaswami Iyer Narayanaswami, was born on October 10, 1906, in Madras (now Chennai), British India, and passed away on May 13, 2001, in Chennai.

Narayan is best known for his fictional works set in the fictional town of Malgudi, which is loosely based on his own hometown of Mysore in South India. Through his insightful storytelling, Narayan captured the essence of everyday life in India, portraying the intricacies of human relationships, the complexities of social dynamics, and the challenges faced by ordinary individuals.

Narayan's writing style is characterized by its simplicity, wit, and gentle humor. He had a unique ability to transform ordinary, mundane occurrences into engaging narratives that resonated with readers worldwide. His works often revolve around the lives of middle-class characters, and he explored various themes such as tradition, modernity, spirituality, and the clash between Indian and Western cultures.

Some of Narayan's most famous works include "Swami and Friends" (1935), his debut novel which introduced readers to the enchanting world of Malgudi, followed by "The Bachelor of Arts" (1937), "The English Teacher" (1945), and "The Guide" (1958), which is considered his magnum opus. "The Guide" was adapted into a highly acclaimed film in 1965.

An Astrologer’s Day

"An Astrologer's Day" is a captivating short story written by R.K. Narayan. First published in 1947 as part of his collection titled "An Astrologer's Day and Other Stories," the story is set in a small town in India, it follows an astrologer who sets up his stall on a roadside, offering predictions and guidance to people seeking answers about their past and future. When a man with a personal vendetta approaches him, the astrologer discovers a shocking truth. As the story unfolds, it explores themes of fate, deception, and self-discovery, leaving readers questioning the complexities of human nature and the power of destiny.

Here are some points to write in this task after watching the Short Film based on the story by R K Narayan.

How faithful is the movie to the original short story?

The short film is very accurate to the characters and place but the setting is surely changed from Narayan’s Fictional world to the modern day small city. There is also some extension given to the character of Astrologer’s wife to give more depth to the character of Astrologer. Otherwise it is very similar to the story by R K Narayan.

After watching the movie, has your perception about the short story, characters or situations changed?

Short story is focused on the element of suspense that it represents and that's why the characters are more mysterious. The character of Astrologer is also seems very crooked while reading the story but as we see this short story it focus on also the representation of Astrologer as he lives in a city with his family and is doing everything to earn living and survive in a city life so we can say that it surely changes our perception of the character of Astrologer so of the story in whole.

Do you feel ‘aesthetic delight’ while watching the movie? If yes, exactly when did it happen? If no, can you explain with reasons?

It is when the Astrologer starts his day and we see a montage of his work where various people come with their different problems to be solved by the astrologer. In that sequence we see the blind faith of people in astrology and their superstition. That sequence is so accurate that it gives a kind of aesthetic delight.

Does screening of movie help you in better understanding of the short story?

In my opinion literature of any kind should be explored in its original form but to be accurate with time we have to adapt various kinds of literature. 

In this movie if we say it is showcase the story as it was but it also changes the setting to be relevant to the time. It also provides depth to the characters and that’s why it is very good to see the movie. The story is not very hard as it deals with simple plot and character and also in simple language but the film makes it more easy to understand as it is a visual representation.

 Was there any particular scene or moment in the story that you think was perfect?

The meeting sequence of Guru Nayak and Astrologer was very accurate to the story by R K Narayan.

 If you are director, what changes would you like to make in the remaking of the movie based on the short story “An Astrologer’s Day” by R.K.Narayan?

The one thing i would certainly do is to replace the actor of the character Guru Nayak and also improvise the situation of the two character meeting.