From Text to Screen: Intersemiotic Translation in Satyajit Ray’s Devi

Abstract

This article investigates Devi (1960), directed by Satyajit Ray, as a case study in thematic intersemiotic translation—the process of transferring meaning from a literary text into a cinematic form. Adapted from Prabhat Kumar Mukhopadhyay’s short story, the film reimagines central themes of faith, superstition, and patriarchy within the socio-cultural context of 19th-century Bengal. Grounded in Roman Jakobson’s concept of intersemiotic translation and informed by adaptation theory, the study examines how Ray reconfigures the original narrative’s structure, imagery, and thematic emphasis for the screen. It argues that Devi transforms the written word into an expressive interplay of visuals, sound, and performance, preserving the cultural and social essence of the source text while highlighting the inherent complexities of translating meaning across different sign systems.