The Namesake

The Namesake is a film directed by Mira Nair following the Ganguli family over a period of about twenty five years. The film starts with Ashoke Ganguli (Irfan Kahn) who is a bookish young man who prefers to read over travel. A train accident makes him change his mind and the book he was reading when it occurred the works of Nikolai Gogol remain in his memory. We meet up with him several years later as his parents are arranging a marriage for him with Ashima (Tabu).

After their marriage the coupe goes to the United States where Ashoke is in school. The film follows the couple as they adjust to each other and Ashima adjusts to living outside of India. They have a family and name their first child Gogol. As Gogol grows up he is resistant to his parents and wants to change his name. At this point the film follows Gogol (Kal Penn) while also returning to Ashoke and Ashima. Tragedy strikes the family and Gogol must struggle between the American life he knows and has established with his Indian culture.

This film was quite good. It's quite pleasing with all the fancy footwork films made in Hollywood pull off, that there are still people making films that are just about people. This is just a character study that follows some very interesting people. Kal Penn is pleasant enough as Gogol but the meat of this film lies in Tabu's and Irfan Kahn's performances. As the couple of an arranged marriage they show amazing range. From the early scenes of disorientation of Ashima being with a man she hardly knows in a country so different from her own to the confident way she announces her plans now that her children are settled, I was fascinated with Tabu's performance. Irfan Kahn was no different. The two of them together had amazing chemistry.

I actually found myself irritated when the film moved away to deal with Gogol's life. It isn't as though he is less interesting (or maybe it is that he is less interesting) but Ashoke and Ashima just leap off the screen. This film is funny and sad (even heartbreaking) all while showing a culture that I know very little about. If you like a strong character driven plot then I recommend this film.