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நகரம் [Nagaram]
This book is written by Sujatha, published by Kizhakku Pathippagam.
136 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1972
About the author
Sujatha
305 books1,394 followersSujatha was the allonym of the Tamil author S. Rangarajan, Author of over 100 novels, 250 short stories, ten books on science, ten stage plays, and a slim volume of poems. He was one of the most popular authors in Tamil literature, and a regular contributor to topical columns in Tamil periodicals such as Ananda Vikatan, Kumudam and Kalki. He had a wide readership, and served for a brief period as the editor of Kumudam, and has also written screenplays and dialogues for several Tamil movies.
As an engineer, he supervised the design and production of the electronic voting machine (EVM) during his tenure at Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), a machine which is currently used in elections throughout India. As an author he inspired many authors, including Balakumaran, Madhan.
As an engineer, he supervised the design and production of the electronic voting machine (EVM) during his tenure at Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), a machine which is currently used in elections throughout India. As an author he inspired many authors, including Balakumaran, Madhan.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
August 17, 2016
3.5/5
நகரம்,சுஜாதாவின் சிறுகதைகளில் எனக்கு மிகவும் பிடித்த சிறுகதை.நகரத்தைத் தவிர பார்வை,காரணம்,இளநீர் மற்றும் மகன் தந்தைக்கு ஆகிய சிறுகதைகளும் என்னைக் கவர்ந்தன.இச் சிறுகதைத் தொகுப்பிலுள்ள மற்றைய சிறுகதைகள் சுமார் ரகம் தான்.
நகரம்,சுஜாதாவின் சிறுகதைகளில் எனக்கு மிகவும் பிடித்த சிறுகதை.நகரத்தைத் தவிர பார்வை,காரணம்,இளநீர் மற்றும் மகன் தந்தைக்கு ஆகிய சிறுகதைகளும் என்னைக் கவர்ந்தன.இச் சிறுகதைத் தொகுப்பிலுள்ள மற்றைய சிறுகதைகள் சுமார் ரகம் தான்.
August 7, 2015
One of the best shorts that anyone has ever written
July 13, 2026
Sujatha's Nagaram (The City) is more than a story about a mother navigating a government hospital. It is a powerful critique of an urban system where bureaucracy, poverty, and human vulnerability intersect. Through a single day in Madurai, Sujatha reveals how an unfamiliar city can become an overwhelming maze for those who have neither education nor social privilege.
One of the story's greatest strengths is its immersive realism. The opening vividly captures the rhythm of Madurai, from crowded streets and political slogans to buses, temples, and the endless movement of people. The city is not just a backdrop; it functions as a living character that feels indifferent to the suffering unfolding within it.
At the heart of the story is Valliammal, a rural mother desperately trying to save her daughter, Pappathi. Her inability to read, understand medical procedures, or navigate the hospital turns a simple admission process into a terrifying ordeal. Every clerk, doctor, and corridor pushes her further into confusion, exposing how systems designed to help people often fail those who need them the most.
Sujatha avoids melodrama, allowing the emotional weight to emerge naturally through ordinary interactions. Valliammal's fear, helplessness, and determination make her deeply human, while the hospital's endless referrals and paperwork create a quiet but relentless tension. The most heartbreaking moments arise not from dramatic events but from the painful reality of a mother losing precious time in an unfamiliar institution.
An important aspect of the story is that it refuses to portray doctors as villains. The senior physician immediately recognizes the seriousness of Pappathi's condition and orders her admission. The tragedy lies elsewhere: the healthcare system itself. His instructions disappear into layers of administrative procedures, miscommunication, and overcrowding. Sujatha suggests that institutions do not always fail because of malicious individuals, but because impersonal systems can erase accountability.
Although written decades ago, Nagaram remains remarkably relevant. Many readers will recognize the frustrations of navigating overcrowded public hospitals, especially for people from rural backgrounds who struggle with literacy, bureaucracy, and unfamiliar urban environments. The story's social commentary continues to resonate because these structural issues persist.
In the end, Nagaram is not simply about illness or a hospital visit. It is about the alienating nature of the modern city and the quiet violence of bureaucracy. Through Valliammal's desperate journey, Sujatha delivers a timeless and deeply moving reflection on humanity, inequality, and the hidden costs of institutional failure.
One of the story's greatest strengths is its immersive realism. The opening vividly captures the rhythm of Madurai, from crowded streets and political slogans to buses, temples, and the endless movement of people. The city is not just a backdrop; it functions as a living character that feels indifferent to the suffering unfolding within it.
At the heart of the story is Valliammal, a rural mother desperately trying to save her daughter, Pappathi. Her inability to read, understand medical procedures, or navigate the hospital turns a simple admission process into a terrifying ordeal. Every clerk, doctor, and corridor pushes her further into confusion, exposing how systems designed to help people often fail those who need them the most.
Sujatha avoids melodrama, allowing the emotional weight to emerge naturally through ordinary interactions. Valliammal's fear, helplessness, and determination make her deeply human, while the hospital's endless referrals and paperwork create a quiet but relentless tension. The most heartbreaking moments arise not from dramatic events but from the painful reality of a mother losing precious time in an unfamiliar institution.
An important aspect of the story is that it refuses to portray doctors as villains. The senior physician immediately recognizes the seriousness of Pappathi's condition and orders her admission. The tragedy lies elsewhere: the healthcare system itself. His instructions disappear into layers of administrative procedures, miscommunication, and overcrowding. Sujatha suggests that institutions do not always fail because of malicious individuals, but because impersonal systems can erase accountability.
Although written decades ago, Nagaram remains remarkably relevant. Many readers will recognize the frustrations of navigating overcrowded public hospitals, especially for people from rural backgrounds who struggle with literacy, bureaucracy, and unfamiliar urban environments. The story's social commentary continues to resonate because these structural issues persist.
In the end, Nagaram is not simply about illness or a hospital visit. It is about the alienating nature of the modern city and the quiet violence of bureaucracy. Through Valliammal's desperate journey, Sujatha delivers a timeless and deeply moving reflection on humanity, inequality, and the hidden costs of institutional failure.
August 19, 2023
There’s something about Sujatha’s style of writing that makes me pick his books over others. Though some of the short stories in the book isn’t up to his mark, there were some that was funny, different and downright “this is everyday life” in the 80’s. Nagaram was the best story in the book. It brought forth anger on the hospital workers, pity on Valliammal and a sense of helplessness at the end.
January 1, 2022
I cried 😥
January 8, 2024
Heart touching short story! Feeling very pity for the innocent mother character.
February 14, 2017
A crisp story on how complex and cold the city is to an innocent illiterate villager.
Sujatha's narration takes us through the hospital in valliyammal's shoes and all of sudden the whole system just looks so complicated!
Sujatha's narration takes us through the hospital in valliyammal's shoes and all of sudden the whole system just looks so complicated!
January 27, 2013
The open ended finishes in most stories make you imagine whatever you'd wish, and complete the story in the best ways possible. Beautiful beautiful short stories.. A must read for all those who would want to kick off reading Sujatha.
July 25, 2015
a crisp story about a suffering of common women in general hospital, it's one of my favourite, the language Sujatha used especially for explaining the feelings of a mother (a village women ) shows his intelligence
January 19, 2014
Nagaram, Kaanikkai are my favorites.
July 19, 2014
Sujatha's word excellent. Way he grows story is very superb. All story's climax are left to reader's imagination, which is new to me :)
August 26, 2014
A small picturesque description of an individual with a crisp in every story.. Much(Must) to read... :)
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June 6, 2015Good
April 23, 2016
The short story "Nagaram" is fantastic. Many other stories are also exciting in this collection.
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July 15, 2019fvx
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 3, 2013
Nagaram is my most favourite Sujatha short story. :-)
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews