Season 2
13 episodes · premiered Jul 7, 1987
The second season presents a collection of self-contained stories centred on the ordinary people of Malgudi. From servants, postmen and watchmen to struggling families, performers and eccentric townsfolk, each episode reveals the humour, compassion and irony hidden within everyday life. The stories frequently explore loyalty, poverty, ambition, superstition and the consequences of human judgement.
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E1 The Watchman
An elderly watchman guarding a lonely tank encounters a young woman intent on ending her life. During the long night he listens to her troubles and offers his own simple perspective, only learning many years later what became of her. TheTVDB
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E2 Leela's Friend
An elderly watchman guarding a lonely tank encounters a young woman intent on ending her life. During the long night he listens to her troubles and offers his own simple perspective, only learning many years later what became of her.
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E3 The Gateman's Gift
After retiring from years of loyal service, former gateman Govind Singh discovers a talent for making clay models. When he sends one to his former employer and later receives an official-looking letter, his inability to read it fills him with mounting fear.
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E4 The Gold Belt
Sambasivan believes he has finally arranged the perfect marriage for his daughter, only for the groom’s family to make an additional dowry demand at the last moment. A gold belt suddenly becomes the price of preserving the wedding and the family’s honour. TheTVDB
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E5 The Edge
Ranga, a travelling knife-sharpener, works tirelessly so his young daughter can receive the education he never had. His simple faith in others places him in danger when a seemingly helpful ride turns into an attempt to exploit him. IMDb
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E6 Nitya
Years after making a religious vow during their son’s childhood illness, Nitya’s parents suddenly decide it must be fulfilled. The now-grown, independent-minded Nitya is horrified to discover that fulfilling it means sacrificing the hair he treasures.
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E7 The Performing Child
A young girl attracts the attention of filmmakers after they witness her performing and is invited for a screen test. While her parents become excited about the opportunity, the frightened child has very different ideas about the future being planned for her. TheTVDB
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E8 The Snake Song
The Talkative Man recalls the time when he dreamed of becoming an accomplished flautist under a respected music teacher. His ambition takes a supernatural turn after he refuses food to a wandering mendicant and later plays a raga associated with snakes. TheTVDB
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E9 The Antidote
Actor Gopal is scheduled to film his character’s death scene on his birthday, the very day an astrologer has warned him to avoid anything inauspicious. Unable to persuade the filmmakers to postpone it, he devises his own comical safeguard against fate.
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E10 Dodu
Young Dodu is determined to earn money of his own and repeatedly launches small business ventures with great enthusiasm. His innocent attempts at commerce bring disappointment, confusion and finally an encounter with an archaeologist who understands the boy better than most adults do.
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E11 Minister Without Portfolio & Korean Grass
A government minister with no actual portfolio desperately seeks ways to demonstrate his importance. His increasingly absurd schemes—including importing Korean grass—turn his political irrelevance into a sharp satire of bureaucracy, status and vanity. TheTVDB
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E12 Iswaran
After repeatedly failing his college examinations, Iswaran has become the object of ridicule among classmates and disappointment at home. Terrified of another failure, he avoids checking the results and struggles between hope, humiliation and despair. IMDb
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E13 The Missing Mail
Postman Thanappa has become almost a member of Ramanujam’s family and takes a personal interest in arranging his daughter’s marriage. When devastating news arrives just before the wedding, Thanappa must choose between his official duty and what he believes will protect the family’s happiness. IMDb