• Dr. Swarnabharati Evani

This paper, Public and Private Spaces: The Intersection of Surveillance, Intimacy, and Intrusion in Bhaskar Chattopadhyay’s Aperture, explores the complex interplay between public and private realms as depicted in Chattopadhyay’s novel Aperture. Employing close reading, narrative inquiry, and visual semiotic analysis, the study investigates how the act of photography and the omnipresence of surveillance serve as metaphors for intrusion into personal lives. The novel’s multifaceted portrayal of urban decay, voyeurism, and the erosion of boundaries between private and public spheres is examined within the postcolonial context of Kolkata. Drawing upon theoretical frameworks such as Foucault’s (1977) concept of the panopticon and Lefebvre’s (1991) notion of the production of space, this paper critically assesses how characters navigate a reality in which technological mediation disrupts traditional conceptions of intimacy and privacy. The narrative’s aesthetic depiction of violence and the quiet desperation of urban existence reveal underlying tensions between exposure and concealment, thereby questioning the ethics of constant observation. A thorough literature review of open access sources supplements this analysis, situating the novel within broader debates on surveillance, identity, and urban transformation in contemporary society. Ultimately, the findings illuminate how Aperture not only challenges established narratives about space and identity but also serves as a critical commentary on the pervasive impact of surveillance in modern life. The study contributes to interdisciplinary scholarship by bridging literary analysis with social theory, offering new insights into the intersections of visual culture, urban studies, and postcolonial critique.

surveillance, intimacy, intrusion, public space, private space, urban decay, voyeurism

"Public and Private Spaces: The Intersection of Surveillance, Intimacy, and Intrusion in Bhaskar Chattopadhyay's Aperture", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.11, Issue 12, page no.h667-h677, December-2024, Available :http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR2412778.pdf

"Public and Private Spaces: The Intersection of Surveillance, Intimacy, and Intrusion in Bhaskar Chattopadhyay's Aperture", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org | UGC and issn Approved), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.11, Issue 12, page no. pph667-h677, December-2024, Available at : http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR2412778.pdf