Meta-Textual Adaptations of Popular Mythological Fiction into Films: A Study with Reference to Kalki 2898 A.D.

Young people in India cannot be understood in separation with films, film-going as a culture in India is so popular and influential on the lives of young people in India in specific and all over the world in general. They need to be informed of the strategies of "Story-telling" in which meta-adaptations of popular texts as an approach had been primordial. This paper explores the evolving practice of meta-textual adaptations of popular mythological fiction into films, with particular reference to Kalki 2898 A.D., a science fiction retelling of the Hindu epic Mahabharata. The phenomenon of translating ancient mythological narratives into the context of contemporary and futuristic cinematic representations is analyzed through the lens of postmodern theory. This study critically examines how such adaptations mediate the relationship between traditional narratives and modern sensibilities, incorporating elements from both the original texts and their reinterpretations. The paper contends that the adaptation of mythological works into films is not merely a transference of stories, but a dynamic interplay of texts, subtexts, and cultural dialogues in which the audience is invited to both deconstruct and reconstruct meaning.