Translating the Movie Experience: An Analysis of the Screen Translation of the Malayalam Movie Manichithrathazhu

Exploring the Challenges of Translating a Malayalam Psychological Thriller

Abstract

Translation has brought the world and cultures of the world closer. The mass media, whether it is print or electronic, have benefited a lot from the act of translation. Screen translation or audiovisual translation, as the translation of products displayed via screen is known, includes movies, games, DVDs etc. Audiovisual translation involves diverse challenges when compared to the translation of works in print. This paper analyses the subtitles of the movie Manichithrathazhu (The Ornate Lock) with special focus on the song ‘pazhama thamizh pattizhayum'. Manichithrathazhu is a classic Malayalam psychological thriller released in the year 1993. The song was chosen as it occurs at a crucial juncture of the movie. Horror and humour constitute the dominant moods of the movie. The translation horror is supported by background music while the translation of the latter is context specific and dependent on the source language.