Malgudi's Swami turns proud dad as Master Manjunath's son Vedanth wins back-to-back national swimming gold

From Malgudi to the podium: a new generation takes gold

Master Manjunath, remembered by generations of readers and viewers as the mischievous Swamy from the television series Malgudi Days, based on R.K. Narayan's beloved book Swami and Friends, recently shared a very different kind of milestone on social media — a sporting triumph from his own household.

His son, Vedanth, has retained his national swimming titles with his school team, striking gold once again at the ISSO National Swimming Championship in Pune.

Double gold in Pune

Vedanth and his teammates Tanay, Kabir and Ayaan, representing Neev Academy, won gold in both the 4x100m Medley Relay and the 4x100m Freestyle Relay at the national championship. And this was not their first time standing on top of the podium — the boys had won the very same national titles in 2025 as well.

The proud father marked the repeat triumph with a celebratory post, writing: "Gold is even better the second time around!"

Back-to-back champions — and eyeing a hat-trick

The most striking part of Manjunath's post may be the dates: 2025 and 2026. The boys have now retained their national titles for a second consecutive year, confirming their status as the relay pair's dominant force on the school swimming circuit.

True to the spirit of the celebration, Manjunath ended his post by looking ahead rather than back, writing that he was already "looking forward to the Hattrick Next Year!"

A life beyond the character

For many who grew up with Swami and Friends, Master Manjunath remains closely associated with Swamy, the schoolboy at the heart of R.K. Narayan's fictional world of Malgudi — a character from a very different era, when childhood meant school corridors, friendships, homework, playground adventures and the small dramas that could feel enormous to a child.

Decades later, Manjunath's social media post offered a glimpse into another chapter of his life: not as the schoolboy everyone remembers, but as a father celebrating his own child's achievement — and there was no shortage of pride in his words.

The little boy from Malgudi belongs to another time. Today, Master Manjunath is celebrating a different young boy — his son, standing on a national podium, gold medal in hand, with another championship already in sight.