THE NAMESAKE

I never felt like an immigrant, so I have to work hard understanding this film and I have never seen any of Mira Nair’s film, until this one. With a poetic title, I expect nothing much although I am pleased that this got to be a unique Indian cinema where no characters suddenly burst out from a scene to dance and sing, thus the story aren’t as boring as the usual Indian film.

The visual style is appealing, from the crowded street in India to the shaven and clean looks of New York streets and the wonder of Taj Mahal. Since this film was taken from a book, I expect many things botched out, and my expectation on this is fulfilled. Many gaps left, makes me have to imagine what happened in between those gaps.

I never heard the name Irrfan Khan, but Tabu is quite famous for Bollywood movie goers in Indonesia, she is beautiful and talented, while Kal Penn is more famous for "Harold & Kumar" which the sequel for that film due to be released this April.

Spanning a quarter of century, the story is moving too fast (the make up on Tabu is not very convincing), concerning the fate of a Bengali family who moved to New York and has to adjust themselves to the new situation, the kid, Nikhil/Gogol (Not the name of some Russian General in James Bond films) has problems with his names.

So this is the problem, where culture and values clashes and how this Indian family, especially Gogol, have to face that obstacle. The search for a good name in this film becomes a lyrical metaphor for the character's own struggle to assert his identity. I guess it tells the story of American Dream, on how immigrants have the dreams in the new country, while the kids grow up to be a different person and the cultures merge each other.

I am curious on how this film will be accepted in India, since it has short duration plus nobody sings and biref nudity, will it capture the heart and soul of non immigrant Indian? Or will it be banned? Since in India, Indian movies are forbid to show on-screen kiss.