Ek Tha Rusty is a television show that revolves around the life and experiences of a young nine-year-old boy called Rusty who stays in a boarding in Mussorie and studies there. The concept of the show is from Ruskin Bond’s novel. Shubhadarshini Singh produces the serial. The story is a sort of reflection of Bond’s childhood to some extent. The show has run for about three seasons till now. However, each season had continuity in it. The characters were also repeated from the previous seasons. The first part revolves around how Rusty stays with his father who talks to him about nature. His father introduces him to this word of books and environment. His mother has left them and lives in another city. When his father passes away, his mother puts him to a boarding school.
The story continues how he runs away and then is brought home by his step-father. It ends with the Major’s hostility turning into affection with the help of a book he received from Miss Constance Mackenzie. The second season shows Rusty witnessing a family scandal and then going away to London. When he returns, he is a young writer and settles in Mussorie.
Part 1 had around 13 episodes and at the end of the second seasons, the show had completed 52. The second season also had three Sikkim actors Hisheyla Bhutia, Sheri Bhutia, and Sangey Udenla. Bhanu Uday plays the character of Rusty. The serial is about the time of the 1960s. They directors have kept up pretty well with the setting and costumes of those times. It is a period drama.
The show concentrates on the bitter and sweet experiences of the life of the author. The show also has many of Bond’s poems converted to Hindi and played as songs. With the seasons passing by, the show-makers declared that the story, unlike the first season, is not just for children now. It concentrates on a lot of things that were not a part of the first seasons. It deals with elements of love, murder, betrayal, and mystery. Season three of Ek Tha Rusty started from 10th July. It will have 52 episodes. The story takes very interesting turns and deals with a lot of emotions.
The author, Ruskin Bond, was born in India. The show is cast on the Doordarshan channel and runs for about 25 minutes. Though it initially started as a show for children, the story has shifted and now has taken a turn. Now, the show is for age groups.