Translation as Cultural Mediation: Examining Linguistic Adaptation in Multi-lingual Indian Films

Abstract

Aims: This study aims to investigate the role of linguistic adaptation as a process of cultural mediation in multi-lingual Indian cinema. It seeks to understand how translation, beyond mere linguistic transfer, functions in negotiating cultural meanings across diverse audiences in the context of Pan-Indian film circulation.

Methodology and Approaches: The study adopts a qualitative research design grounded in Cultural Translation Theory and Audiovisual Translation Theory, along with Venuti’s concepts of domestication and foreignisation. It employs comparative textual and thematic analysis of selected Pan-Indian films—Baahubali: The Beginning (2015), Pushpa: The Rise (2021), and Kantara (2022).

Outcome: The findings indicate that translation in multi-lingual Indian cinema operates as an active process of cultural negotiation rather than a mere transfer of meaning. Translators reconstruct meaning to balance audience accessibility with cultural authenticity, employing varied strategies to make culturally embedded content comprehensible across linguistic boundaries.

Conclusion and Suggestions: The study concludes that effective cultural mediation through translation plays a crucial role in the wider dissemination, reception, and success of multi-lingual Indian films.  The study suggests further interdisciplinary research integrating translation studies, audiovisual media, and cultural studies to better understand evolving practices in contemporary Indian cinema.