Brief Discussion Of The Short Story 'An Astrologer's Day' Written By R. K. Narayan
Introduction : This blog is written as a response to the Thinking Activity assigned by Yesha Bhatt in studying R. K. Narayan's short story 'An Astrologer's Day' along with the screening of the short story. In this blog, I will be discussing few questions with comparative reference with the movie and the original short story.
Introduction to the Short Story : An Astrologer's Day :
The short story “An Astrologer’s Day” by R. K. Narayan (Rasipuram Krishnaswami Iyer Narayanaswami) follows a man posing as an astrologer meeting the man he once tried to kill. Originally published in Hindi, the piece, along with twenty-nine other short stories by Narayan, was first published in English in 1947.
To read the original text of the short story, click here.
The first is about the opening scene, in the text it is described that the astrologer comes and opens up his equipments whereas in the beginning of the movie, the astrologer is shown already to be sitting under tree looking for customers.
Second lack in the movie is of detailed screening of groundnut-seller as described in the original text with its variety of names.
Third one is important improvisation in the movie by the editor, which is about adding a brief and simple dialogue between the astrologer and his wife which is not found in between the prequel and sequel story. And when he returns home where he tells his her that all day he does is but a cyclical business of the same and passé words, this improvisation gives the story a living flow which helps to save the story from becoming a monotonous one.
(2) After watching the movie, have your perception about the short story, characters or situations changed?
Answer : Well, if I am asked to opine on the asked question, I would just say that there are pros and cons of screening any text into moving pictures which also becomes an important part of the Film Studies. So, hereunder I would like to mention the the positive as well as negative side of the screening of any text into moving pictures :
There is a personal reason, the way the astrologer tricked naive people with fine hoaxing arts can somewhat be related to the modern-day-gurus and babas as well as political leaders who all for their personal benefits and wealth-expanding intentions deceive the unruly mass of societies all around the world. They too show same kind of pretentious and vainful use of speeches, body-language, harangues, and other agendas in order to fulfil their desires under the sham of people's well-being.
Here is the list of fake babas, click here to look at it.
(4) Does screening of movie help you in better understanding of the short story?
Answer : Yes, at few extent it does, although I would opine that - as already stated in the answer of the second question - it depends on the individual whether or not the one chooses either of the modes to understand the story. As far as my experience is concerned, I would want to read the original text at the first place, and then I would also want to watch the enactment of the story, so I would prefer both the modes of understanding stories in better way rather than relying only on one aspect of narration.
(5) Was there any particular scene or moment in the story that you think was perfect?
Answer : Yes, the whole story by and large is enacted well with appropriate people who played the respective characters of the story. But, being specific, there was a perfect-kind of scene when the fast-forward scene of astrologer cheating people is shown.
(6) 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?
Answer : If the matter of making changes in already prepared movie is concerned, I think that there should be an addition of a bit real storyline at some points in the movie, so in order to illustrate, we can take the first scene of dialogues between the astrologer and his wife which is an improvised one, so, undoubtedly here it adds to the suspense to the storyline and its fine use of cliffhanger technique is also noteworthy tool introduced by the director of the movie, but it, at the same time, takes the main storyline which is faithful to the original text in the grounds of novelty.
Conclusion : By briefly looking at all the questions asked and their possible proposed answers, we can say that it is interesting comprehensive exercise to explore the importance and drawbacks of both the modes of understanding any text - by reading and by watching. Each has got its own pros and cons but magically if utilised together, definitely nourishes the appetitive reader's or spectator's hunger to get into any literary text by an intuitive reading as well as zealous performance either on the stage or in a film-theatre in the modern times.
Thank you!
Word Count : 1506
Introduction to the Short Story : An Astrologer's Day :
The short story contains strong themes that are apparent through Narayan’s creative work, including deception, revenge, and the ironies of life. “An Astrologer’s Day” combines suspense, realism, and thriller genres.
The third-person, omniscient narrator begins by describing a day in the life of an astrologer. As opposed to astronomers who are scientists by training and study the physical properties of the universe, astrologers follow the pseudo-science of predicting the future based on the speculative motions of the stars, moons, and other planets. (Source)
Brief Introduction of the Author : R. K. Narayan :
R.K. Narayan, in full Rasipuram Krishnaswami Narayan, original name Rasipuram Krishnaswami Narayanswami, (born October 10, 1906, Madras [Chennai], India—died May 13, 2001, Madras), one of the finest Indian authors of his generation writing in English.
Reared by his grandmother, Narayan completed his education in 1930 and briefly worked as a teacher before deciding to devote himself to writing. His first novel, Swami and Friends (1935), is an episodic narrative recounting the adventures of a group of schoolboys. That book and much of Narayan’s later works are set in the fictitious South Indian town of Malgudi. Narayan typically portrays the peculiarities of human relationships and the ironies of Indian daily life, in which modern urban existence clashes with ancient tradition. His style is graceful, marked by genial humour, elegance, and simplicity.
Among the best-received of Narayan’s 34 novels are The English Teacher (1945), Waiting for the Mahatma (1955), The Guide (1958), The Man-Eater of Malgudi (1961), The Vendor of Sweets (1967), and A Tiger for Malgudi (1983). Narayan also wrote a number of short stories; collections include Lawley Road (1956), A Horse and Two Goats and Other Stories (1970), Under the Banyan Tree and Other Stories (1985), and The Grandmother’s Tale (1993). In addition to works of nonfiction (chiefly memoirs), he also published shortened modern prose versions of two Indian epics, The Ramayana (1972) and The Mahabharata (1978). (Source)
Reared by his grandmother, Narayan completed his education in 1930 and briefly worked as a teacher before deciding to devote himself to writing. His first novel, Swami and Friends (1935), is an episodic narrative recounting the adventures of a group of schoolboys. That book and much of Narayan’s later works are set in the fictitious South Indian town of Malgudi. Narayan typically portrays the peculiarities of human relationships and the ironies of Indian daily life, in which modern urban existence clashes with ancient tradition. His style is graceful, marked by genial humour, elegance, and simplicity.
Among the best-received of Narayan’s 34 novels are The English Teacher (1945), Waiting for the Mahatma (1955), The Guide (1958), The Man-Eater of Malgudi (1961), The Vendor of Sweets (1967), and A Tiger for Malgudi (1983). Narayan also wrote a number of short stories; collections include Lawley Road (1956), A Horse and Two Goats and Other Stories (1970), Under the Banyan Tree and Other Stories (1985), and The Grandmother’s Tale (1993). In addition to works of nonfiction (chiefly memoirs), he also published shortened modern prose versions of two Indian epics, The Ramayana (1972) and The Mahabharata (1978). (Source)
Here is the video of the short story which was screened in the classroom on 23rd June, 2022 :
To read the original text of the short story, click here.
Q&A :
(1) How faithful is the movie to the original short story?
Answer : The original short story lacks some of the improvisations added into the movie by the editor, this makes the difference between the original short story and the adapted movie. Let us see as at what turns both the narrations differ from each other.
(1) How faithful is the movie to the original short story?
Answer : The original short story lacks some of the improvisations added into the movie by the editor, this makes the difference between the original short story and the adapted movie. Let us see as at what turns both the narrations differ from each other.
Second lack in the movie is of detailed screening of groundnut-seller as described in the original text with its variety of names.
Third one is important improvisation in the movie by the editor, which is about adding a brief and simple dialogue between the astrologer and his wife which is not found in between the prequel and sequel story. And when he returns home where he tells his her that all day he does is but a cyclical business of the same and passé words, this improvisation gives the story a living flow which helps to save the story from becoming a monotonous one.
(2) After watching the movie, have your perception about the short story, characters or situations changed?
Answer : Well, if I am asked to opine on the asked question, I would just say that there are pros and cons of screening any text into moving pictures which also becomes an important part of the Film Studies. So, hereunder I would like to mention the the positive as well as negative side of the screening of any text into moving pictures :
Positive Side of Screening the Literary Texts :
The screening of any chosen literary text is good for getting things in a well-arranged way as it involves the audio-visual aspect as essential part of it. It also takes the audience into the world of chosen literary text with ultimate and realistic frames shown in the film.
Negative Side of Screening the Literary Texts :
Film screening of any of literary texts would definitely give good understanding of the chosen text by showing the characters embodied into real-life actors, but it will curtail the imaginative aspect of readers, although the movie being screened is an outcome of director's creative imagination, still it limits the expansion of imaginative aspect of readers of the original text which the movie is screened of.
(3) Do you feel ‘aesthetic delight’ while watching the movie? If yes, exactly when did it happen? If no, can you explain with reasons?
Answer : Yes, I felt aesthetic delight while watching the movie. Especially, when the astrologer's counterfeit and fauxing facial expressions are shown by close-up of the camera, it gave me the experience of aesthetic delight.
The screening of any chosen literary text is good for getting things in a well-arranged way as it involves the audio-visual aspect as essential part of it. It also takes the audience into the world of chosen literary text with ultimate and realistic frames shown in the film.
Negative Side of Screening the Literary Texts :
Film screening of any of literary texts would definitely give good understanding of the chosen text by showing the characters embodied into real-life actors, but it will curtail the imaginative aspect of readers, although the movie being screened is an outcome of director's creative imagination, still it limits the expansion of imaginative aspect of readers of the original text which the movie is screened of.
(3) Do you feel ‘aesthetic delight’ while watching the movie? If yes, exactly when did it happen? If no, can you explain with reasons?
Answer : Yes, I felt aesthetic delight while watching the movie. Especially, when the astrologer's counterfeit and fauxing facial expressions are shown by close-up of the camera, it gave me the experience of aesthetic delight.
Here is the list of fake babas, click here to look at it.
Another frame which borders itself around the beauty of filming occurs when Guru Nayak's face gets revealed as he himself lightens the cheroot (a cigar with both ends open) in front of the astrologer in dim light of evening, and when the astrologer finds his face familiar somehow which is not revealed in the story as well as film, here the astrologer's facial expression and his subsequent behaviour provide audience with an experience of aesthetic delight.
(4) Does screening of movie help you in better understanding of the short story?
Answer : Yes, at few extent it does, although I would opine that - as already stated in the answer of the second question - it depends on the individual whether or not the one chooses either of the modes to understand the story. As far as my experience is concerned, I would want to read the original text at the first place, and then I would also want to watch the enactment of the story, so I would prefer both the modes of understanding stories in better way rather than relying only on one aspect of narration.
(5) Was there any particular scene or moment in the story that you think was perfect?
Answer : Yes, the whole story by and large is enacted well with appropriate people who played the respective characters of the story. But, being specific, there was a perfect-kind of scene when the fast-forward scene of astrologer cheating people is shown.
Answer : If the matter of making changes in already prepared movie is concerned, I think that there should be an addition of a bit real storyline at some points in the movie, so in order to illustrate, we can take the first scene of dialogues between the astrologer and his wife which is an improvised one, so, undoubtedly here it adds to the suspense to the storyline and its fine use of cliffhanger technique is also noteworthy tool introduced by the director of the movie, but it, at the same time, takes the main storyline which is faithful to the original text in the grounds of novelty.
Conclusion : By briefly looking at all the questions asked and their possible proposed answers, we can say that it is interesting comprehensive exercise to explore the importance and drawbacks of both the modes of understanding any text - by reading and by watching. Each has got its own pros and cons but magically if utilised together, definitely nourishes the appetitive reader's or spectator's hunger to get into any literary text by an intuitive reading as well as zealous performance either on the stage or in a film-theatre in the modern times.
Thank you!
Word Count : 1506
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