[20] REWRITING MYTH, REWRITING GENDER: INDIAN POPULAR FICTION AS FEMINIST INTERVENTION : ARTICLE INFO: Date of Submission: Mar 25, 2026, Revised: Apr 7, 2026, Accepted: Apr 12, 2026, CrossRef d.o.i : https://doi.org/10.56815/ijmrr.v5i4.2026.244-251. How To Cite: Debarati Ghosh (2026). Rewriting Myth, Rewriting Gender: Indian Popular Fiction as Feminist Intervention. International Journal of Multidisciplinary Research & Reviews. 5(4). 244-251.

Dr. Debarati Ghosh

Authors

Dr. Debarati Ghosh HoD & Assistant Professor, Department of English, St. Xavier’s College, Burdwan, West Bengal, India.

Abstract

This paper examines how contemporary Indian popular fiction reimagines mythological narratives to challenge and reconstruct gender roles. Focusing primarily on The Palace of Illusions by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni alongside select comparative texts, the paper argues that mythological retellings function as powerful feminist interventions within popular literature. By foregrounding female subjectivity, reclaiming silenced voices, and interrogating patriarchal structures embedded in canonical texts like the Mahabharata, such narratives destabilize traditional gender hierarchies. Drawing upon theoretical frameworks from The Second Sex and Gender Trouble, the paper explores how gender is reconstructed as fluid, performative, and historically contingent. Ultimately, the study situates Indian popular fiction within broader debates on gender, authorship, and cultural memory.