The Hybridity of Pattachitrakatha media: The folk-pop art narrative tradition of Bengal

Abstract

This paper evaluates Pattachitrakatha, a traditional cloth-based art narrative from Bengal, as a post-colonial hybrid media genre. It originated over 2,500 years ago combining visual storytelling with music and oral traditions, evolving through socio-cultural changes, globalization, and technological advancements. The study highlighted the hybridity within Pattachitrakatha shaped by processes of regionalization, indigenization, and ethinification allowing marginalisaed patua artists to navigate and reinterpret their cultural identity. The paper has addressed the themes of colonialism and identity politics, particularly related to gender dynamics. It has revealed that Pattachitrakatha engages in both global and local narratives. Through contemporary adaptations, the genre has been relevant, transforming into a vehicle for cultural expression and communication. The research highlights the need for a theoretical framework to understand the complex relationship of hybridity and identity in Pattachitrakatha as it continues to resonate in the evolving landscape of folk art and media.