Sunday, July 6, 2025

Short Story: An Astrologer’s Day by R K Narayan

Hello everyone,
This blog is about R.K.Narayan’s short story “An Astrologer’s Day” as a response to a part of a thinking activity task. assigned by Megha ma'am.


#Introduction:
Rasipuram Krishnaswami Narayanaswami best known as ‘R.K.Narayan’. He is one of the prominent pre-independent writers. Narayan is well known for creating the fictional town Malagudi in the realm of Indian English Literature, just as Hardy's Wessex and William Faulkner's Yoknapwatpha. Additionally, one of the major themes in the work of Narayan is exploration of prevalent superstition in India. His first novel is Swami and Friends published in 1930. Other Works:- The Bachelor of Arts-1937, The Dark Room-1938, His first short stories collection is Malgudi Days-1942,The FInancial Expert-1952, Waiting for the Mahatma-1955, The Guide-1958, My Dateless Diary-1960 is collection of autobiographical essays.


For this short-film: Click Here


( ‘An Astrologer's Day’)

#Pre-viewing tasks:

Setting of the story is Malgudi (Fictional town).

Plot:- This short story is about an astrologer who is escaping from his past and coming up to Malgudi and working in this profession for To make a living . Once he finds relief from his past by the unexpected revelation of living Guru Nayak.

At the end he asks his wife about his past event and he sleeps. Additionally this story reveals the superstitious side of Indian society and Also highlights acutely of people.

Characters: An Astrologer, his wife and child, Guru Nayak1) An 1)Astrologer: Main Character
  • Not a real astrologer, he fakes it using street smarts.
  • Guilt-ridden about his past.
  • Intelligent, persuasive, quick-witted.
2)Guru Nayak:
  • The man who was attacked years ago.
  • Seeks the astrologer for answers about his assailant.
  • Represents fate catching up, but is ultimately deceived again.
3)Astrologer's Wife:
  • Her presence provides insight into the astrologer's personal life and the relief he feels at the end.
Themes 
1)Fate vs. Free Will:-The story plays on the Indian cultural belief in fate and astrology. People outsource responsibility for their lives to destiny. Ironically, the astrologer, who manipulates this belief, is himself at the mercy of fate had he not recognized Guru Nayak, he might have been exposed or attacked.
The encounter shows that fate operates in ironic and unexpected ways, regardless of belief. 

2)Deception and Truth:- The astrologer’s life is built on lies and performance. He deceives others daily, yet the greatest deception is self-deception  thinking he is a murderer. The truth emerges accidentally, and ironically it liberates him. Narayan shows that truth and lies are not binary people live in grey zones for survival. 

3)The Past Haunting the Present:- A central tension is created by the astrologer's past crime. He cannot truly escape it; it returns in the form of Guru Nayak, showing how unresolved pasts shape our present lives. However, rather than being punished, he is set free, revealing Narayan’s interest in grace, irony, and human psychology over morality tales.

4)Irony and Moral Ambiguity:- The story thrives on situational irony:
A fake astrologer gives the most accurate reading of his life.
A man running from guilt is redeemed by his own lie.
There’s no neat morality. The story ends with quiet irony the astrologer feels relieved, not guilty, and goes home content.

#While Viewing tasks:
1) Beginning of the original story is different from this short film. In this short film the story begins with a morning or afternoon scene.

2)Encounters of Guru Nayak and astrologer are starting quite normal. Suddenly astrologer sees the face of guru nayak and he remembers his past then he has relief from his past event.

3)Conversation between the Astrologer and his wife is quite different from the original story. In the original story this scene comes at the end of the story but in the short film it comes twice and also specifies his wife's name as Usha.

4)Market Scene begins from the morning, Peanut vendor selling fried groundnut in corn of paper, astrologer’s fee is per question 50 rupee per question in short film.


#Post-viewing:
Part of the post viewing task now is answering some questions.

1. How faithful is the movie to the original short story?
-The movie adaptation of “An Astrologer’s Day” is largely faithful to R.K. Narayan’s original short story. It preserves the core plot, characters, and setting, especially the astrologer’s life under the tamarind tree and the climactic encounter with Guru Nayak. The dialogue and key events follow the original quite closely. However, the film includes additional visual elements and emotional depth through music, lighting, and flashbacks, which are not part of the written story. These cinematic additions enhance the narrative but slightly alter the tone and simplicity of the original.

2.After watching the movie, have your perception about the short story, characters or situations changed?
-Yes, after watching the movie, my perception of the characters, especially the astrologer, changed. In the text, he seemed clever and manipulative, but the movie added emotional depth and guilt to his character, making him appear more human. The film’s visuals and performances also made the tension between him and Guru Nayak feel more intense and personal, giving a new layer to the situation that I hadn’t fully imagined while reading.


3.Do you feel ‘aesthetic delight’ while watching the movie? If yes, exactly when did it happen? If no, can you explain with reasons?
-Yes, I did feel aesthetic delight while watching the movie. It happened particularly during the scene when Guru Nayak lights a cheroot and the astrologer sees his face clearly. The lighting, music, and expressions in that moment were beautifully done and heightened the suspense. It was visually powerful and captured the dramatic turning point in the story with elegance.


4.Does screening of movie help you in better understanding of the short story?
-Yes, watching the movie helped me understand the short story better. The visuals added context to the marketplace and made the astrologer’s environment more vivid. The emotions of the characters were more apparent, and their reactions helped me interpret their thoughts and intentions more clearly than in the text. The movie also emphasized the tension and guilt, which deepened my appreciation of the story’s themes.


5.Was there any particular scene or moment in the story that you think was perfect?
-According to me the last scene of confession. The relief of astrologer is the perfect scene where he find that Guru Nayak is alive.


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?
-If I were the director, I would avoid adding extra subplots or overly dramatic elements that are not in the original story. I would focus more on maintaining the story’s simplicity and subtle irony. I might include a few brief flashbacks to the astrologer’s past to hint at his guilt but keep them minimal. I would also give slightly more screen time to the ending scene with his wife to show the emotional relief he feels after confronting his past.



References:-

Narayan, R. K. Malgudi Days. Penguin, 1984.

Pocket Films. “An Astrologer’s Day - Hindi Short Film.” YouTube, 17 June 2017, www.youtube.com/watch?v=TkfrjYFQozA .

Profile, Visit. Worksheet :- Screening of Short Film “An Astrologer’s Day” Based on R.K.Narayan’s “An Astrologer’s Day”. 7 Sept. 2021, vaidehi09.blogspot.com/2021/09/worksheet-screening-of-short-film.html . Accessed 6 July 2025.


Thank You!!!

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