2025, Vol. 7, Issue 10, Part C

Author(s): Dr. Kumari Rupa

Abstract: Film adaptation has emerged as one of the most dynamic sites of cultural and literary negotiation in the modern era. In India, where cinema is both a mass medium and an art form, the adaptation of literary texts into films has a long and complex history. From canonical works like Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay’s Devdas to modern novels by Chetan Bhagat, Indian cinema has repeatedly drawn from literature, transforming narrative forms while reaching wider audiences. This study examines film adaptation as a mode of critical interpretation rather than mere translation, exploring how cinematic techniques reinterpret, reshape, and sometimes challenge the meaning of literary texts. It focuses on comparative case studies, including Devdas (Chattopadhyay/Sanjay Leela Bhansali), Guide (R.K. Narayan/Vijay Anand), and 2 States (Chetan Bhagat/Abhishek Varman), alongside select adaptations of Shakespeare in Indian cinema. By situating adaptation within theoretical frameworks from scholars such as Linda Hutcheon and Robert Stam, the paper argues that film adaptations must be understood as creative dialogues between literature and cinema. Far from being derivative, they function as reinterpretations that reflect cultural contexts, audience expectations, and the affordances of visual media. Ultimately, the study highlights how adaptation enriches both literary and cinematic traditions in India, generating new forms of meaning through the interplay of word and image.

DOI: 10.33545/27068919.2025.v7.i10c.1743

Pages: 224-226 | Views: 144 | Downloads: 63

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