7 reasons we’ll never forget Malgudi
Article / October 21, 2016

The name Malgudi evokes a nostalgic response in almost anyone you meet. Somehow it seems to bring about memories of a simpler, less complicated era in our lives, so much so that even Indians who've never experienced village life firsthand feel as though 'Malgudi' might be their 'native village'! Advertisers for quite a few products now use 'Malgudi' and its associations to help brand their products – fruit juice, restaurants, home-stays for tourists… Just why do we all collectively love Malgudi so much? Could be any or all of these reasons. 1. The travails of the common man. Most of R.K.Narayan's stories were extremely simple, and had simple plots – an ordinary person, most often a young boy or man, would be jolted out of his peaceful existence through no fault of his own, and be forced to grapple with problems that were obviously too complex for him. Somehow, he would emerge from the experience, not gloriously successful but not a complete failure either. There were no heroic characters. These could well be tales about the author's brother's equally popular creation, the Common Man. 2. The wry sense of humour. Feeling nostalgic? Here's the famous Malgudi Days theme song: While…