Bengaluru actor who played Swami in Malgudi Days celebrates son's gold medal, catches R Madhavan's attention

For many television viewers, Master Manjunath remains unforgettable as Swami from the much-loved series Malgudi Days. Decades after his childhood acting days, the Bengaluru-based former actor and PR professional is making headlines for a very different reason. Manjunath recently celebrated his son Vedanth's swimming achievement on Instagram after the youngster won a gold medal while representing Neev Academy at an International Schools Sports Organisation competition. His proud post also caught the attention of actor R Madhavan, himself a proud father of a champion swimmer.

Master Manjunath celebrates son's swimming gold

Manjunath shared the achievement on Instagram, posting about Vedanth's gold medal win. His caption, “A gold medal for my Golden boy,” reflected his pride in his son's accomplishment. Vedanth won the gold medal in swimming while representing Neev Academy in an International Schools Sports Organisation, or ISSO, competition. The achievement drew attention from R Madhavan, who was reportedly left in awe of the young swimmer's talent.

The moment also created an interesting connection between the two actors. Both Manjunath and Madhavan have sons who have pursued competitive swimming and earned recognition for their performances.

Who is Master Manjunath, the actor who played Swami?

Manjunath Nayaker, better known by his screen name Master Manjunath, is a former Indian actor and public relations professional from Bengaluru. He became widely recognised after playing Swami in Malgudi Days, the 1987 television series directed by Shankar Nag. He also reprised the character in the film version, Swami and Friends.

Manjunath began acting when he was just three years old and went on to appear in 68 films across Kannada, Telugu and Hindi cinema. His performance as Swami brought him major recognition, along with six international awards, one national award and a state award. His filmography also includes several popular projects associated with actor-director Shankar Nag, including Nodi Swamy Navirodu Hige, Sangliana and S.P. Sangliana 2.


Manjunath also played young Vijay Deenanath Chauhan in Agneepath, the 1990 film starring Amitabh Bachchan. He later shared the screen with Mammootty in the 1992 Telugu film Swati Kiranam.

Master Manjunath's life beyond acting

Although he began his career in front of the camera as a child, Manjunath later pursued academics and professional work outside acting. As per reports, he was born in Bangalore, Karnataka. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and a Master of Arts degree in Sociology from Mysore University and Bangalore University, respectively.
He also holds a Diploma in cinematography and completed a CA Foundation course. Manjunath is married to athlete Swarnarekha, a sprinter and long jumper. The couple have a son, Vedanth, whose latest swimming achievement became the reason for his father's proud social media post.

R Madhavan's son Vedaant is also a competitive swimmer

The swimming achievement has an interesting parallel with R Madhavan's family. While Madhavan continues to be a prominent actor, his son Vedaant Madhavan has carved out his own path in competitive swimming. Vedaant has represented India at national and international tournaments and has won several medals. His achievements include a gold medal at the Danish Open as well as multiple medals at the Khelo India Youth Games.