The Adventures of Pratapan is adapted from Pratapa Mudaliar Charitram, the first novel to be written in Tamil. Written in 1879 by Mayuram Vedanayakam Pillai (1826-1889), the novel was a landmark in Tamil literature because till that time, Tamil literature only consisted of poetry. Vedanayakam Pillai, influenced by the ideas of women's liberation and secularism, created a strong female character, Jnanam. The story begins with the hero, Pratapan, being completely in love with Jnanam's beauty and strength of character. Jnanam returns his feelings. Unfortunately their happiness is marred by the constant bickering of their fathers. The couple is separated and one day, Jnanam goes missing. Pratapan's adventures begin then and conclude with a surprising twist to the story.