The Namesake
Cast: Irfan, Tabu, Kalpen Suresh Modi (Kal Penn). Direction: Mira Nair. Story: Jhumpa Lahiri
I am a big movie buff and honestly, not a good reader. That is why I’m a little vary of movies based on popular stories. I find them interesting only in bits and pieces i.e. a scene here and a situation there and the overall product, branded as serious cinema is generally interesting but a tad slow paced and appeals only to a limited audience. In that context, I was pleasantly surprised with The Namesake. Mira Nair does a fantastic job with Jhumpa Lahiri’s story and takes the audience on a journey through the lives of the characters, at the end of which, you get up emotionally satiated.
‘The Namesake’ is essentially a story of an NRI family where the two generations are divided over their entities. Ashima (Tabu) is a girl from Calcutta who gets married to Ashok (Irfan) a bengali professor settled in New York. She arrives to an alien land to begin a new chapter in her life with her husband. In the wet, cold and lonely country, they discover each other’s warmth. As time goes by, they have two kids Gogol (Kal Penn aka Kalpen Suresh Modi) and Sonia (Sahira Nair). As they grow up, they embrace America and its ’isms. The parents wonder how and why do the kids behave the way they do and that’s more painful when the parents only have their family while the kids have found new friends and partners. The kids ultimately, as it happens in America, start living separately for different reasons and once again, Ashok and Ashima are left with no one but each other. When realization actually dawns on Gogol, it’s too late for him to make amends.
The life of the Ganguli family would appeal to every Immigrant Indian settled outside India and they would relate to them in more ways than one. Honestly, living in the UAE doesn’t feel so different from home because of the large Asian crowd here but it still strikes a chord and Mira Nair takes you through each feeling and each emotion of their lives as if you’re watching reality TV. You chuckle when Gogol’s aunt discards red chilli peppers over Gogol to ward off evil eyes from him; you feel upset when Gogol wants to go on vacation with his girlfriends family instead of seeing off his dad; you feel the void in Ashima’s life when she gets the news of Ashok’s death; She runs out of the house and screams out loud but in an instant stifles her screams realizing she’s in a foreign country. You feel you would’ve done the same thing. In terms of situations and narration, The Namesake is brilliant.
In terms of performances, The Namesake is brilliant again. Tabu and Irfan prove once again, why they are class acts and why it is not enough to just appear in a Mira Nair film. They take the story to another level with their depiction of Ashok and Ashima. Though the roles are well written, they still need good execution. The split second expression on Ashima’s face when Gogol’s girlfriend calls her by name is worth a million dollars. And the surprise package is Kal Penn; he fulfills Gogol’s role with amazing maturity and never feels out of place while sharing screen space with Tabu and Irfan. Being born to a Gujarati immigrant family, portraying Gogol wouldn’t have been difficult for him. He is simply adorable as Gogol and extremely hateful as Nikhil.
Another brilliant aspect of the movie is its cinematography. Fred Elmes makes you live through the lanes, sights and sounds of 1977 Kolkotta as well as experience the chill and loneliness of New York. All put together, The Namesake is definitely worth a watch. The only thing I had a problem with were Tabu’s sarees. She could have, being a financially sound Professor’s wife afforded better than what she was shown as wearing.
Compelling literature has been transformed in compelling cinema and my advice to you is do not miss the experience.
Personally, i didn’t like the movie, a little better than Monsoon wedding but not commercial…
Hi
I like this movie a lot..
really a good movie..
Good review ! I really enjoyed the Namesake too. Read about it on my blog !