This dissertation attempts to compare Film Naga-Mandala and fiction Naga-Mandala. The paper focuses on the narrative comparative study of film verses written medium. The fiction Naga-Mandala by Gisrish Karnad was adopted into a film by Director T.S Nagabharana. How the popularity and powerful plot of the written medium showcased in the film medium is being analyzed and interpreted in this paper. The study opts for a qualitative research method. Qualitative research method would enable for a wider scope to collect and compare both the medium through different narrative tools. The narrative tools have been applied and compared to see the changes during the adaptation into film medium.
Table of Contents
Chapter 1: Introduction and Literature Review
1.1 Introduction
a. About the drama Naga-Mandala
b. About the film Naga-Mandala
c. About Girish Karnad
d. About T.S Nagabharana
e. Drama and the film
1.2 Literature Review
a. Critical Literature on Narrative in Film and Literature
b. Critical Literature on Girish Karnad and Naga-Mandala
1.3 Problem Statement
Chapter 2: Methodology
2.1 Rationale
2.2 Objectives
2.3 Methodology
2.4 Operational Methodology
Chapter 3: Analysis and Interpretation
3.1 Storyline of Girish Karnad’s Naga-Mandala / Storyline of T.S Nagabharan’s Naga-Mandala
3.2 Plot of the drama / Plot of the film
3.3 Characterization
3.4 Narrative Transition
3.5 Narrative Focuses
3.6 Point of View/ Voice
3.7 Symbolism
3.8 Allegory
3.9 Theme
3.10 Time
3.11 Place
3.12 Tone
Chapter 4: Summary and Conclusion
4.1 Summary
4.2 Comparison
4.3 Conclusion
Research Objectives and Key Themes
This thesis conducts a comparative narrative analysis between Girish Karnad’s play "Naga-Mandala" and the film adaptation directed by T.S. Nagabharana. The primary research objective is to examine how narrative elements are adapted from the literary text to the film medium and to evaluate the differences in narrative stance and storytelling techniques between the two versions.
- Analysis of narrative structure in drama versus film.
- Exploration of mythical and folk elements in Indian literature.
- Comparison of character development and portrayal in both media.
- Investigation of symbolisms and allegories as narrative tools.
Excerpt from the Book
3.1 Storyline of Girish Karnad’s Naga-Mandala
Naga-Mandala is a play divided into Prologue, Act I, Act II and the latter half of Act II acts as the Epilogue. The prologue has allegorical characters like ‘Story’, ‘Man’, and ‘Flames’. The prologue fades into the background with the exposition of Act I, only to return to center stage in the Epilogue. In Naga-Mandala, Karnad weaves two Kannada folktales together.
The drama starts at the inner sanctum of the ruined temple. The man is sitting in the temple alone silently. He is trying his best not to fall asleep. He starts sharing his problem by addressing the audience. He talks about the mendicant who had cursed him. Mendicant has told the Man if he can keep himself awake at least one whole night that month then he may live. Otherwise he will die immediately the last day of the month. And this was his last night. When asking for the reason for his curse mendicant replied that because the Man with his stories caused so many good people who came trusting him to fall asleep in miserable chairs and all that abused mass of sleep has turned against the Man and become the ‘Curse of Death’. Thus Man swears God, if he survives this night he shall have nothing more to do with themes, plots or stories. He shall adjure all storytelling and all playacting.
At the same time he hears some female voice talking to them. And he will be shocked looking at the naked lamp flames on their own floating in the air. He listens to the stories and learns about the old women who were hiding ‘story’ and a ‘song’ inside her for several years and today it came out when she yawned. The ‘story’ turns into a beautiful girl and the song in a sari. And that beautiful girl is joining the flames and narrating her story. Hearingthis Man waits for her arrival and grabs her hands. He forces her to narrate a story to him. But the story agrees only on one condition of renovating the story to others.
Summary of Chapters
Chapter 1: Introduction and Literature Review: Provides an overview of the adaptation of Indian literature into film and summarizes critical literature related to narratology, Girish Karnad’s plays, and specifically "Naga-Mandala".
Chapter 2: Methodology: Outlines the qualitative research approach used to study the narrative elements and sets the rationale and objectives for the comparative study.
Chapter 3: Analysis and Interpretation: Examines specific narrative components such as storyline, characterization, symbolism, and themes to compare the textual play with the film adaptation.
Chapter 4: Summary and Conclusion: Summarizes the findings of the study and concludes that while both media effectively convey the story, the film uses different visual and cinematic techniques to interpret the original narrative.
Keywords
Naga-Mandala, Girish Karnad, T.S. Nagabharana, Narrative Analysis, Adaptation, Folklore, Mythology, Indian Theatre, Film Narratology, Symbolism, Allegory, Characterization, Feminism, Oral Tradition, Comparative Study.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the fundamental focus of this research?
The research is a comparative study exploring how the narrative structure and elements of Girish Karnad's play "Naga-Mandala" are translated and adapted into the film version directed by T.S. Nagabharana.
What are the central themes discussed in the work?
Central themes include the role of folk tradition and myth, gender dynamics in patriarchal society, the concept of chastity, and the power of storytelling as an act of resistance.
What is the primary objective of the thesis?
The primary objective is to systematically analyze and compare the narrative stance, plot devices, and symbolic representations between the original written play and the cinematic interpretation.
Which methodology is employed in this research?
The research utilizes a qualitative methodology, focusing on narrative analysis to interpret the symbolic, structural, and thematic elements present in both the text and the film.
What content does the main analysis section cover?
The main analysis covers the storyline differences, character development, narrative transitions, symbolism, allegories, and the use of time and place in both the drama and the film.
How would you characterize the primary keywords of this study?
The keywords highlight the intersection of literature and film, the specific cultural context of the work (Naga-Mandala, Karnataka), and the analytical frameworks used (narratology, mythology, symbolism).
How does the film version differ from the play in its ending?
The play offers a more complex, triple-ending structure, whereas the film opts for a singular, clear resolution where the Cobra is killed by Appanna, leading to a conventional happy ending.
What role do the "Flames" play in the narrative?
In the drama, the Flames serve as allegorical narrators, representing the oral tradition of storytelling and providing a framing device that links the narrative layers together.
- Citar trabajo
- Deekshitha R. (Autor), 2013, "Naga-Mandala" – Drama (Girish Karnad) and Film (T.S Nagabharana). A Comparative Study, Múnich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/298327
