I see that smile ! Anybody who grew up in India in the 1980's cannot but smile with fond recollections at this name, or that "ta na na...na na" tune.
This much-loved television series is a faithful adaptation of the genius of everybody's favorite author R. K . Narayan. It follows the life of Swami, who, like every other 10 year old, loves playing cricket, listening to stories from his grandmother and hates books, writing exams. These stories are a gentle reflection of those times, when life was characterized by a lazy simplicity. Everybody seemed to have all the time in the world. Particularly Swami.
Partly to introduce Daivik to this simplicity, but mostly to indulge myself in them again, we start watching a random episode from "Swami and Friends". Swami's father wants to wean him away from cuddling up with grandma's stories before falling asleep. So he insists that Swami sleeps by himself, to much opposition from his mother and grandmother. Fifteen minutes of delightful non-events passby thus at a gentle lazy pace.
Much to my surprise, Daivik stays rooted to the story. Soon we end up in an argument. Some kind of invisible rule asserts itself as Daivik sides with Swami and I with his father. Daivik says "Appa, why should he sleep alone if he is afraid". I reply something like "so that he can face his fears and get rid of them". Daivik, suddenly getting very logical, introduces a delicious circularity into the argument. "But appa", he says, "if he is afraid to sleep alone, he cannot sleep alone, so he need not be afraid of sleeping alone".
Meahwhile Swami twists and turns in his new separate room when a thief decides to break into the house, of course through this very same room (quite hilarious the way he 'breaks in', by the way!). Swami, in his half-sleep, rather accidently find the thieve's legs (!) and as an impulsive reaction bites into it. The thief cries out aloud and gets caught. The next day, the police felicitate Swami, even as he finds it hard to stop bragging to his friends about how the thief tried to attack him and he fought the thief and caught him with great difficulty.
"See", Daivik says, "if he was not sleeping alone, he would not have met the thief". "But see", I say, "he became a brave boy and caught the thief". No, Daivik is not ready to give up. "But appa ", he extrapolates, "what if the thief has attacked him. I think he has to go back to sleep with his grandma". This, incidentally, is the precise argument of Swami's mother and grandmother.
I don't know if Swami went back to sleeping with his grandma, but looks like Daivik found a brotherhood. Not sure if we should continue to watch the series :)
This much-loved television series is a faithful adaptation of the genius of everybody's favorite author R. K . Narayan. It follows the life of Swami, who, like every other 10 year old, loves playing cricket, listening to stories from his grandmother and hates books, writing exams. These stories are a gentle reflection of those times, when life was characterized by a lazy simplicity. Everybody seemed to have all the time in the world. Particularly Swami.
Partly to introduce Daivik to this simplicity, but mostly to indulge myself in them again, we start watching a random episode from "Swami and Friends". Swami's father wants to wean him away from cuddling up with grandma's stories before falling asleep. So he insists that Swami sleeps by himself, to much opposition from his mother and grandmother. Fifteen minutes of delightful non-events passby thus at a gentle lazy pace.
Much to my surprise, Daivik stays rooted to the story. Soon we end up in an argument. Some kind of invisible rule asserts itself as Daivik sides with Swami and I with his father. Daivik says "Appa, why should he sleep alone if he is afraid". I reply something like "so that he can face his fears and get rid of them". Daivik, suddenly getting very logical, introduces a delicious circularity into the argument. "But appa", he says, "if he is afraid to sleep alone, he cannot sleep alone, so he need not be afraid of sleeping alone".
Meahwhile Swami twists and turns in his new separate room when a thief decides to break into the house, of course through this very same room (quite hilarious the way he 'breaks in', by the way!). Swami, in his half-sleep, rather accidently find the thieve's legs (!) and as an impulsive reaction bites into it. The thief cries out aloud and gets caught. The next day, the police felicitate Swami, even as he finds it hard to stop bragging to his friends about how the thief tried to attack him and he fought the thief and caught him with great difficulty.
"See", Daivik says, "if he was not sleeping alone, he would not have met the thief". "But see", I say, "he became a brave boy and caught the thief". No, Daivik is not ready to give up. "But appa ", he extrapolates, "what if the thief has attacked him. I think he has to go back to sleep with his grandma". This, incidentally, is the precise argument of Swami's mother and grandmother.
I don't know if Swami went back to sleeping with his grandma, but looks like Daivik found a brotherhood. Not sure if we should continue to watch the series :)
Daivik is right and so are you !
ReplyDeleteI found myself exactly in the same situation when I decided to watch the series with my boys!
It's really funny how boys that age resemble our dear Swami so much :)
I for sure thoroughly enjoyed watching the entire series with my boys...felt like a child :)
Nice account! :)
ReplyDelete"if he is afraid to sleep alone, he cannot sleep alone, so he need not be afraid of sleeping alone"
ReplyDeleteI had to re-read this before finally agreeing. I am 100% with Daivik and convinced that kids know better.