ADAPTATION, FIDELITY, AND THE ORIENTAL GAZE: A LINGUISTIC ANALYSIS OF THE BIOPIC LION (2016)

Abstract

The study critically examines Lion (2016), a biographical adaptation of Saroo Brierley’s memoir A Long Way Home (2013), through the lens of fidelity (Hutcheon, 2013) within the framework of the systemic model of adaptation (Yau, 2016). Additionally, it explores the film’s representation of binary oppositions, including poor/rich, white/black and east/west, through the theoretical perspective of Orientalism (Said, 1978). A Long Way Home narrates Saroo’s (protagonist) story of getting lost in a train as a five-year-old child in the impoverished Indian neighbourhood of Khandwa. The narrator, the author, movingly recounts how he travelled thousands of miles across the country, faced devastating challenges, and was finally adopted by an Australian couple. However, his indefinite childhood memories led him to retrace his roots with the help of Google Earth almost after 25 years.

The biopic Lion successfully translates Brierley’s real-life experiences into a cinematic narrative, capturing both his physical journey and emotional struggles. This threefold analysis evaluates the adaptation’s ideological underpinnings, compares the film (Lion, 2016) with its source text (A Long Way Home, 2013), and assesses its effectiveness despite certain limitations. The findings suggest that while the adaptation takes creative liberties, it remains a compelling and impactful representation of Brierley’s story.