Myths on Wheels: Cultural Memory and Translation of Lord Krishna in The Indian Anime Roll No. 21

Book: Cultural Memory in Translation: Revisiting Cultural Memory Through Interpretative Lens from India by CSMFL Publications

Aida Shaji1 & Dr. Sangeeta Mukherjee2
1Research Scholar, Vellore Institute of Technology, Vellore, Tamil Nadu, India – 632014; 2Senior Assistant Professor, Vellore Institute of Technology, Vellore, Tamil Nadu, India – 632014.

10.46679/9789349926639ch14
This chapter is a part of: Cultural Memory in Translation: Revisiting Cultural Memory Through Interpretative Lens from India
ISBN (Ebook):978-93-49926-63-9
ISBN (Hardcover Print):978-93-49926-41-7
ISBN (Softcover Print):978-93-49926-75-2

© CSMFL Publications & its authors.
Published: November 10, 2025

Shaji, A. & Mukherjee, S. (2025). Myths on Wheels: Cultural Memory and Translation of Lord Krishna in The Indian Anime Roll No. 21. In A. G. Uppal & D. Barot, Cultural Memory In Translation: Revisiting Cultural Memory Through Interpretative Lens (pp 199-213). CSMFL Publications. https://dx.doi.org/10.46679/9789349926639ch14

Abstract

Cultural memory is the shared memory of a society that it preserved, recollected and transmitted across generations. While the way it communicates differs, depending on the context and ideologies of that period, the essence remains intact. However, the prosthetic memory of every generation will have its own variations. Building on this concept of cultural memory and translations, the chapter aims to explore the Indian animated series Roll No. 21, first aired on 27 November 2010 by Cartoon Network and Animasia Studios, which is a re-imagination of Lord Krishna as Krish in a modern school setting that invites attention to the influence of the medium in carrying a deep cultural memory and actively transferring it to young minds. It also addresses how in this cultural translation, humour and technology are infused in order to make the ancient Indian mythology easily delivered to fit the context and audience. The series will be thoroughly examined to draw parallels between the series and the mythology and thereby identify the major narrative moments where the cultural memory got translated using contemporary codes and patterns and transmitted symbolically. Drawing upon the concept of incredulity of metanarratives as proposed by Lyotard in his work, The Postmodern Condition and the idea of prosthetic memory proposed by Alison Landsberg, the chapter investigates how the grand mythological narrative was broken down and adapted in popular culture through the cartoon series, Roll No. 21, to create and transfer cultural memory among young children. It also examines how the mediated prosthetic memory is created by the cultural translation, which brings children close to ancient cultural narratives with much ease.

Keywords: Mythologies, Popular Culture, Cultural Translation, Prosthetic Memory, Indian Animation.

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