An Astrologers day by R.K. Narayana + Short film review
Introduction
This blog is part of a thinking activity task based on short story called An Astrologer's Day. In this blog the comparison is made between the short film and the short story. For more information click here.
In just a single evening, under the dim lights of a bustling Indian street, a man who reads stars comes face to face with a buried past. R.K. Narayan’s An Astrologer’s Day reads like a perfect short film compact, gripping, and full of unexpected turns. With a cinematic setting, subtle suspense, and a twist that catches you off guard, the story unfolds like a reel of fate, where chance and irony meet. This blog views the story through a filmmaker’s eye short, sharp, and storytelling at its finest.
Pre-Viewing Tasks:
- Observe the setting, plot, character, structure, style, theme of the original short story.
R.K. Narayan’s An Astrologer’s Day is set in a bustling South Indian marketplace, alive with street vendors, flickering gaslights, and the constant murmur of the crowd. In this vibrant setting, an astrologer sets up his small, colorful stall each evening, pretending to read people’s futures. The atmosphere is rich with sensory detail, where the shadows of the night play a key role in concealing both truth and identity. The astrologer is not a trained mystic but a clever man who relies on sharp observation and human psychology to earn his living. The story takes a dramatic turn when he encounters a stranger named Guru Nayak, who unknowingly turns out to be the man he once tried to murder. With wit and manipulation, the astrologer convinces him that his attacker is dead which is technically true allowing both men to walk away with a strange sense of closure.
Narayan builds this short story with subtle suspense, a tight narrative structure, and a quiet yet powerful twist. The characters are few but deeply symbolic the astrologer as a representation of deception and survival, and Guru Nayak as a figure of fate and unresolved vengeance. The author’s style is simple, clear, and lightly ironic, allowing the story to unfold with ease while still leaving a strong impact. Thematically, the story explores the conflict between fate and free will, guilt and redemption, and the ironic ways in which truth can emerge from lies. Ultimately, An Astrologer’s Day captures the unpredictability of human life, showing how chance encounters and hidden truths can reshape destinies all within the space of an ordinary evening on an ordinary street.
While viewing task :
The Beginning – The Market Scene
The film opens with a vibrant and realistic portrayal of a busy marketplace, capturing the daily rhythm of the astrologer’s work. Amidst flickering lights and crowded stalls, the astrologer delivers predictions with confidence and calculated mystery. His advice often mixes vague truths with humorous superstitions, like blaming the customer's troubles on peanut consumption affecting the Bharani constellation. This scene sets the tone of the astrologer’s livelihood one built on performance, persuasion, and survival.
Important Scene – The Conversation with Wife
In a brief yet intimate domestic scene, the astrologer’s wife engages him in a light-hearted conversation that reveals their family dynamics. Her recounting of their daughter Chutki’s innocent misunderstanding adds humor and emotional warmth to the story. The wife’s reflections on her village memories and their current urban life highlight a contrast between nostalgia and necessity. Her dialogue reveals that despite longing for her past, she understands the city offers them better stability. The scene subtly grounds the astrologer in an ordinary, relatable domestic world.
Important Scene – The Encounter with Guru Nayak
This is the film’s turning point. Guru Nayak, suspicious and intense, challenges the astrologer's skills, offering to pay double for accuracy. As the conversation unfolds, the atmosphere thickens with tension. The astrologer not only recognizes his former victim but cleverly manipulates the moment, stating that the attacker (himself) is already dead in a lorry accident. His guidance to return north and avoid the south is both strategic and symbolic pushing Guru Nayak away from the truth. The calm with which the astrologer applies a "tilak" and offers parting advice underscores the control he maintains, even while internally shaken.
The Climax Scene
In a rare moment of vulnerability, the astrologer confesses his truth to his wife. The weight he had carried for years the belief that he had committed murder is lifted when he learns that the man he once attacked is alive. His recounting of that drunken night, the gambling, and the stabbing reveals a hidden layer of guilt and regret. This confession marks a shift in his character, transforming him from a deceiver to a man seeking emotional relief. His gesture of bringing sweets for his daughter signifies a renewed sense of freedom and a symbolic act of redemption.
The End
The film closes on a powerful silent note. The wife listens quietly, processing the magnitude of her husband’s revelation. Her stillness, paired with her thoughtful expression, speaks volumes not just of shock, but possibly of forgiveness, understanding, or the complexity of their shared past. The silence allows the audience to reflect alongside her, ending the film on an emotionally resonant and introspective tone.
Post-Viewing Tasks: Reflection Questions
1. How faithful is the movie to the original short story?
The film is very faithful to the original short story. It captures the core plot, tone, and characterizations with accuracy. Some visual additions, like the domestic scenes and Chutki’s innocence, enrich the story without altering its essence.
2. After watching the movie, have your perception about the short story, characters or situations changed?
Yes, the visual representation made the characters feel more real and relatable. The astrologer’s internal burden and his interaction with Guru Nayak felt more intense in the film than in the written text. The wife’s role, though minimal in the original, adds emotional balance in the movie.
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 felt aesthetic delight during the astrologer’s confession scene. The lighting, his calm tone, and the silent reaction of the wife created a beautiful emotional contrast. The marketplace scenes were also visually satisfying and culturally rich.
4. Does screening of movie help you in better understanding of the short story?
Absolutely. Seeing the characters, expressions, and setting visually made the underlying themes of guilt, irony, and identity much clearer. The added emotional context helped me understand the astrologer as more than just a clever fraud he’s a man shaped by his past.
5. Was there any particular scene or moment in the story that you think was perfect?
The encounter with Guru Nayak was perfectly executed. The tension, dramatic irony, and subtle expressions conveyed more than the dialogue. It truly captured the climax of the story and kept me fully engaged.
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 add a short flashback during the astrologer’s confession a brief scene of the gambling night to visually connect the past and present. It would add more clarity and emotional weight to his journey without altering the story’s timeline.
Here is video of Shortfilm:
Thank youuu🤗
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