Master Manjunath

Manjunath Nayaker aka Master Manjunath is a well-known award-winning child artiste known mainly for Kannada films such as Ranadheera (1988) and Swathi Kiranam (1992), as well as a few Hindi films including Agneepath (1990). However, he is most popular for his central role as Swamy in the tele-serial Malgudi Days (1986-1988) based on the literary works of renowned writer R K Narayan, which chronicles the lives of people living in the fictitious small-town of Malgudi. He was the perfect visual representation of Malgudi's Swamy, in a series whose ‘beauty lies in its simplicity’, as he himself puts it.  Simultaneously shot in Hindi and English by Shankar Nag, his role in Swami and Friends (also made into a full-length film) fetched him the maximum recognition - six international, one national and a state award. Due to the pan-India popularity of Malgudi Days which aired on Doordarshan—the only TV channel at the time—and the success of Swamy, he subsequently got the chance to play the young Vijay Dinanath Chauhan (Amitabh Bachchan) in Agneepath (1990). A particularly successful and popular child actor, he was known for his versatility and professionalism.

Born on 23 December 1976 in Bangalore, Karnataka, his parents worked with Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL), a public sector company. He debuted as a child artiste at the age of three; some of the early films he went on to feature in include Hosa Theerpu (1983) and Nodi Swamy Navirodu Hige (1983) in which he played a character named Chotay – both directed by Shankar Nag, and T S Nagabharana’s Banker Margayya (1983). More films such as Benki Birugali (1984), Makkaliralavva Mane Thumba (1984), and Manava Danava (1985) followed. 

Up until this time, Manjunath was a familiar face only to Kannada film watchers. This changed with his being cast for actor-director Shankar Nag's television serial Malgudi Days (1986-1988). He had previously done a number of films with Nag, and had even won a state award for his role in the latter’s home production Parameshi Prema Prasanga (1985). Confident of Manjunath’s capabilities as also his ability to master anything quickly, Nag signed him on, despite his not knowing a single word of Hindi!

Based on R K Narayan's novel, Malgudi Days made Manjunath a familiar and well-loved face all over India. Malgudi Days also happened to be the first Hindi serial to be made in south India. Set in the fictitious town of Malgudi in south India, the serial chronicled the adventures of the 10-year old Swami and his friends as they navigate through school, holidays, cricket and family in the 1930s. Viewers were charmed by Manjunath's husky childish voice and impish smile.

Made by film producer T S Narasimhan, Malgudi Days was filmed in both English (first 13 episodes) and Hindi (all 54 episodes). It was based on the 1943 short story collection of the same name by noted author R K Narayan. While Carnatic musician L Vaidyanathan composed the score, R K Narayan's younger brother and acclaimed cartoonist R K Laxman was the sketch artist. It etched itself on the memories of serial watchers the world over. 

Manjunath reportedly did one episode initially titled Hero for the first block of 13 episodes of Malgudi Days. This story went down so well with the viewers that Nag decided to devote the next 13 episodes entirely to Swami And Friends, with Manjunath in the title role. Manjunath would later reveal that after the film and the serial based on Malgudi Days became a great hit, there was a small celebration party at Woodlands Hotel. Mr Narayan was also in attendance. It was then that the renowned author paid him, what he calls the biggest compliment he has received in his whole life, when he said, 'Manju, you acted exactly as I imagined Swamy to be.' 

Incidentally, he had never read Swamy And Friends before he enacted the role of Swamy on screen. He was also unaware of the outline of every story before shooting, instead only thinking about the scenes to be enacted on that particular day. He believes this was the best way as, had he known in advance the conclusion of a story, he might have played his scenes differently. The main reason he did not read the book is because he was attending full day school at the time and was also in the middle of a hectic career as a child star. Coping with hectic schedules left him with no time for reading. 

Malgudi Days would be one of his toughest assignments ever as he did not know a word of Hindi, and thus had to learn and dub for his own lines. Working for nearly 14 hours a day in a hot and gruelling three-month schedule in the hilly region of Agumbe on the South Karnataka coast, was, nevertheless, a unique experience. He reveals that the child artistes as well as the unit-hands were all aboard just for a Shankar Nag project and they worked out of love for the actor-director. 

Malgudi Days also opened the doors of Hindi cinema to him. The Amitabh Bachchan-starrer Agneepath brought him added attention, as he essayed the young Vijay in the action crime drama about a young boy's quest for revenge that leads him to become a gangster as an adult, turning increasingly like his own enemies with each passing day. He would later call it a ‘fabulous experience’, shooting with greats like Bachchan, Rohini Hattangadi, and Mukul Anand.

The Hindi film Vishwatma (1992), directed by Rajiv Rai, saw him play a character named Babu, in the drama thriller about a cop and a criminal, both on their respective missions of duty and revenge, who go from India to Kenya in order to extradite a reclusive crime lord. The film starred Naseeruddin Shah, Sunny Deol, Chunky Pandey, Sonam and Divya Bharti. 

Other significant films he acted in are the V Ravichandran-directed Ranadheera (1988), about a criminal who kidnaps a young girl on orders from his boss but later falls for her and attempts to redeem his life. The cast included V Ravichandran, Khushboo and Anant Nag. 

The musical drama Swathi Kiranam (1992) saw him cast in a key role of Gangadharam in the K Vishwanath-directed film, whose plot revolved around a classical singer, who finds it difficult to cope with the rising popularity of a child-prodigy.

Having ‘been there and done that’, he acted till he was 19 and then questioned what it was that he wanted from life, going ahead. It was during an award ceremony at an international film festival in Italy that the seeds of this epiphany had been sown. He was there all alone with his award for Swamy, and no friends or family to share it with, as organisers, then, didn’t pay to take the family along. He knew he had to quit.

Finance was another factor that prompted his decision, as, at the time, payments for acting were low and endorsements, rare. Hailing from a lower middle-class family, he knew he had to get educated and find a job. Wiping off the greasepaint, he chose to focus on academics, doing his MA in Sociology, along with a diploma in cinematography and even his CA foundation course.

Working in the IT industry for some time, he then moved into government licensing. He has revealed that he though he doesn’t miss the movies and had enjoyed his career while it lasted, he nurses a secret desire – to go behind the camera and direct a film, probably a hard-core commercial thriller. 

In February 2023, the iconic characters of Swamy and his friends were immortalised as bronze statutes in Yadavgiri, Mysuru, near the home of their legendary creator R K Narayan. Manjunath, who had attended the unveiling, said, “After 35 years of being part of R K Narayan’s classic, brought to life by a visionary like Shankar Nag, witnessing a statue of one’s character is surreal. When writing has soul and its true essence is captured onscreen, it resonates across generations.” 

On the personal front, he is married to National-level athlete Swarnarekha, a sprinter and long jump champion. They are parents to a son named Vedant.