Vol. 6, Issue 1, Part A (2024)

The present paper makes an in-depth analysis of the two novels titled Badhu Nirupama and Maya Miriga written by the well-known Odia novelist Bibhuti Pattanaik. It primarily focuses on the contents of the novels as they have been rendered by the author, and then it spotlights on the shifts to the cinematic adaptations of both the novels. The analysis is based on the relevance of plot deviations on the basis of temporal shift of the context of the novels to that of the contexts of the cinema. Then, there is a cross examination of the major factors like reflections on the social practices, role of both male and female characters, point of views and the realistic portrayal of the events of daily life of Odisha of a post-independent period when women education, feminist perspectives in society and revolution against social prejudices were slowly gaining momentum. It is noticed that both the novels bear two very important dimensions of society. Badhu Nirupama is mainly based on developing awareness against the so-called prejudices and conservative outlook related to the role of women in the family and society whereas Maya Miriga is about the uncontrollable family disintegration as a social malady. Finally, the novels along with their cinematic adaptations have been taken together for a critical discussion on the basis of audience feedback, presence of intertextual elements both at the levels of novels as literary narratives and reflections on typical social and cultural constructs which happen to be inseparable from each other.