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Indian classical epic literature has traditionally adopted a male-oriented perspective, in which female characters have been marginalised or confined within the dichotomy of the ‘ideal woman’ and the ‘malignant instigator.’ However, through her novel Sita’s Sister, Kavita Kane challenges the male-dominated narrative by bringing the focus to Urmila, who has remained sidelined throughout history. This research work will undertake a complete feminist study of the portrayal of women characters in Kavita Kane’s Sita’s Sister. It utilises theoretical frameworks such as Elaine Showalter’s “gynocriticism,” Deniz Kandiyoti’s “patriarchal bargain,” and Miranda Fricker’s concept of “epistemic injustice.” The study examines how Kavita Kane deconstructs the idealisation of female silence, passivity, and unrecognised sacrifice in the patriarchal structure. It also elaborates on Urmila’s intellectual independence and her resistance to traditional masculine notions of responsibility, the tacit bond of sisterhood forged among the princesses of Mithila, and the complex survival strategies adopted by the older generation of queens, particularly the ostracised Kaikeyi. Kane’s work reclaims the narrative from the margins and humanises these legendary figures, but also gives a powerful critique of the institutional patriarchy embedded in ancient literature. The study argues that Sita’s Sister is an indispensable gynocentric text and tries to re-establish epistemic agency for women. It also argues that hegemonic heroism in the ancient epics is fundamentally flawed because it neglects the psychological, emotional, and intellectual power of its female protagonists.
Mr. Hiraman Pandurang Kamble, Dr. Jayashri Aher. “Subverting Patriarchal Discourse: A Feminist Counter-Narrative Reading of Kavita Kane’s Sita’s Sister.” The Criterion: An International Journal in English, vol. 17, no. 4, August 2026, pp. 1122-1134. DOI, https://doi.org/10.66376/criterion.v17.n4.69.
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