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The Namesake (film)

January 01, 1970

For other uses, see Namesake (disambiguation).

The Namesake is a 2006 English-language drama film directed by Mira Nair and written by Sooni Taraporevala based on the novel The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri. It stars Kal Penn, Tabu, Irrfan Khan and Sahira Nair. The film was produced by Indian, American and Japanese studios.[4] The film was released in the United States on 9 March 2007, following screenings at film festivals in Toronto and New York City. The Namesake received positive reviews from American critics.[5]

The Namesake
Promotional poster
Directed byMira Nair
Screenplay bySooni Taraporevala
Based onThe Namesake
by Jhumpa Lahiri
Produced byMira Nair
Lydia Dean Pilcher
StarringKal Penn
Tabu
Irrfan Khan
Zuleikha Robinson
Jacinda Barrett
Sebastian Roché
Sahira Nair
Ruma Guha Thakurta
Sabyasachi Chakrabarty
Supriya Devi
CinematographyFrederick Elmes
Edited byAllyson C. Johnson
Music byNitin Sawhney
Production
companies
Distributed byFox Searchlight Pictures
Release dates
  • 2 September 2006 (2006-09-02) (Telluride)
  • 9 March 2007 (2007-03-09) (United States)
  • 23 March 2007 (2007-03-23) (India)
Running time
121 minutes[1]
CountriesUnited States
India
Japan
LanguagesEnglish
Bengali
Budget$9.5 million[2]
Box office$20.14 million[3]

Plot edit

The Namesake depicts the struggles of Ashoke and Ashima Ganguli, first-generation immigrants from the state of West Bengal to the United States, and their American-born children Gogol and Sonia. The film takes place primarily in Kolkata, New York City, and suburbs of New York City.

The story begins as Ashoke and Ashima leave Calcutta and settle in New York City. Through a series of miscues, their son's nickname, Gogol (named after Russian author Nikolai Gogol), becomes his official birth name, an event which will shape many aspects of his life. The story chronicles Gogol's cross-cultural experiences[6] and his exploration of his Bengali heritage, as the story primarily shifts between the United States and Kolkata.

Gogol becomes a lazy, pot-smoking teenager who is indifferent to his cultural background. He resents many of the customs and traditions his family upholds and doesn't understand his parents. After an eight month long trip to India before starting college at Yale, Gogol starts opening up to his culture and becomes more accepting of it.

Shortly after his eighteenth birthday, much to his parents' annoyance, Gogol legally changes his name to "Nikhil", (the name he had supposedly refused to be addressed by when he was in kindergarten). In college, Gogol uses his "good name" Nikhil (later shortened to Nick). He works as an architect and dates Maxine, a white American woman from a wealthy background, who is clueless about their cultural differences. Gogol introduces her to his parents, who struggle to understand his modern, American perspectives on dating, marriage and love. They are hesitant and guarded when meeting her. Gogol gets along with Maxine's family and feels closer to them than he does his own family.

Before he goes to Ohio for a teaching apprenticeship, Ashoke tells Gogol the story of a nearly fatal train accident that he had suffered years ago back in India and how he came up with his name. Shortly after, while Gogol is on vacation with Maxine's family, Ashoke dies. Grieving, Gogol tries to be more like what he thinks his parents want him to be and begins following cultural customs more closely. He grows distant from Maxine and eventually breaks up with her.

Gogol rekindles a friendship with Moushumi, the daughter of family friends. They begin dating and soon after get married. However, the marriage is short-lived as Moushumi, bored with being a wife, starts having an affair with an old boyfriend from Paris. Gogol divorces her, while Ashima blames herself for pressuring Gogol to marry a fellow Bengali. Gogol returns home to help Ashima pack the house when he finds the book (a collection of short stories by Nikolai Gogol) which Ashoke had gifted him on his fourteenth birthday. Searching for comfort, and accepting his new life alone, Gogol finally reads the stories written by his namesake on the train home.

As well as depicting Gogol/Nikhil's experiences, the film describes the courtship and marriage of Ashima and Ashoke, and the effect on the family from Ashoke's early death from a massive heart attack. Through experiencing his father's funeral rites on the banks of the Ganges, Gogol begins to appreciate Indian culture. Ashima's decision to move on with her life, selling the suburban family home and returning to Calcutta for part of each year, unifies and ends the story.

Cast edit

The film has cameo appearances by actor Samrat Chakrabarti, academic Partha Chatterjee and visual artist Naeem Mohaiemen.

Development edit

Initially Rani Mukerji was considered for the principal lead, but due to scheduling conflicts with Karan Johar's Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna, the role then went to Tabu. Kal Penn was recommended for the movie by John Cho and strongly requested by Nair's son, who was a fan of Penn in Harold and Kumar.[7][8]

Soundtrack edit

The soundtrack has varied music: Indian, Anglo-Indian (by Nitin Sawhney, influenced by Ravi Shankar's music for Pather Panchali),[9] and a French piece. One British Indian electronica piece is State of Bengal's "IC408." The ringtone from Moushumi's mobile phone is the song "Riviera Rendezvous" by Ursula 1000 from the album Kinda' Kinky; this is the same song that is played when Gogol and Moushumi first sleep together. The Indian classical pieces (performed on screen by Tabu) were sung by Mitali Banerjee Bhawmik, a New Jersey-based musician.

Critical reception edit

The film received favorable reviews from critics. As of 23 February 2009, the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reported that 86% of critics gave the film positive reviews, based on 126 reviews.[5] Metacritic reported the film had an average score of 82 out of 100, based on 33 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim".[10]

Top ten lists edit

The film appeared on several critics' top ten lists of the best films of 2007.[11]

Awards and nominations edit

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ "The Namesake (12A) – BBFC". BBFC. from the original on 10 October 2022. Retrieved 7 May 2017.
  2. ^ "The Namesake". from the original on 25 June 2023. Retrieved 10 March 2021.
  3. ^ The Namesake at Box Office Mojo
  4. ^ . BFI. British Film Institute. Archived from the original on 4 December 2018. Retrieved 3 April 2019.
  5. ^ a b "The Namesake - Rotten Tomatoes". Rotten Tomatoes. from the original on 4 August 2015. Retrieved 23 February 2009.
  6. ^ "The Namesake (2006) : When Cultures Clash". Movierdo. 15 February 2020. from the original on 25 June 2023. Retrieved 12 July 2020.
  7. ^ Pause, Arun Kale, code fixes and updates by Stef. . niralimagazine.com. Archived from the original on 7 October 2017. Retrieved 3 October 2016.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  8. ^ "Why Rani, Abhishek lost out on Namesake". Rediff.com Movies. 23 March 2007. from the original on 15 July 2011. Retrieved 12 March 2011.
  9. ^ Observer Music Monthly March 2007
  10. ^ "Namesake, The (2007): Reviews". Metacritic. from the original on 17 January 2008. Retrieved 5 January 2008.
  11. ^ . Metacritic. Archived from the original on 2 January 2008. Retrieved 5 January 2008.
  12. ^ "Ретроспекция Любовта е Лудост | IFF "Love Is Folly"" (in Bulgarian). 4 March 2018. from the original on 10 October 2022. Retrieved 10 October 2022.
  13. ^ "2007 Artios Awards". www.castingsociety.com. from the original on 26 March 2020. Retrieved 10 October 2022.
  14. ^ "17th Annual Gotham Awards Unveil Nominees for Year's Best Independent Films". PRWeb. 22 October 2007. from the original on 10 October 2022. Retrieved 10 October 2022.
  15. ^ Sciretta, Peter (27 November 2007). "Independent Spirit Awards Nominations: A Look At The Best Indie Films Of 2007". /Film. from the original on 10 October 2022. Retrieved 10 October 2022.

External links edit

January 01, 1970
namesake, film, other, uses, namesake, disambiguation, namesake, 2006, english, language, drama, film, directed, mira, nair, written, sooni, taraporevala, based, novel, namesake, jhumpa, lahiri, stars, penn, tabu, irrfan, khan, sahira, nair, film, produced, in. For other uses see Namesake disambiguation The Namesake is a 2006 English language drama film directed by Mira Nair and written by Sooni Taraporevala based on the novel The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri It stars Kal Penn Tabu Irrfan Khan and Sahira Nair The film was produced by Indian American and Japanese studios 4 The film was released in the United States on 9 March 2007 following screenings at film festivals in Toronto and New York City The Namesake received positive reviews from American critics 5 The NamesakePromotional posterDirected byMira NairScreenplay bySooni TaraporevalaBased onThe Namesakeby Jhumpa LahiriProduced byMira NairLydia Dean PilcherStarringKal PennTabuIrrfan KhanZuleikha RobinsonJacinda BarrettSebastian RocheSahira NairRuma Guha ThakurtaSabyasachi ChakrabartySupriya DeviCinematographyFrederick ElmesEdited byAllyson C JohnsonMusic byNitin SawhneyProductioncompaniesUTV Motion PicturesMirabai FilmsEntertainment FarmDistributed byFox Searchlight PicturesRelease dates2 September 2006 2006 09 02 Telluride 9 March 2007 2007 03 09 United States 23 March 2007 2007 03 23 India Running time121 minutes 1 CountriesUnited StatesIndiaJapanLanguagesEnglishBengaliBudget 9 5 million 2 Box office 20 14 million 3 Contents 1 Plot 2 Cast 3 Development 4 Soundtrack 5 Critical reception 5 1 Top ten lists 5 2 Awards and nominations 6 See also 7 References 8 External linksPlot editThe Namesake depicts the struggles of Ashoke and Ashima Ganguli first generation immigrants from the state of West Bengal to the United States and their American born children Gogol and Sonia The film takes place primarily in Kolkata New York City and suburbs of New York City The story begins as Ashoke and Ashima leave Calcutta and settle in New York City Through a series of miscues their son s nickname Gogol named after Russian author Nikolai Gogol becomes his official birth name an event which will shape many aspects of his life The story chronicles Gogol s cross cultural experiences 6 and his exploration of his Bengali heritage as the story primarily shifts between the United States and Kolkata Gogol becomes a lazy pot smoking teenager who is indifferent to his cultural background He resents many of the customs and traditions his family upholds and doesn t understand his parents After an eight month long trip to India before starting college at Yale Gogol starts opening up to his culture and becomes more accepting of it Shortly after his eighteenth birthday much to his parents annoyance Gogol legally changes his name to Nikhil the name he had supposedly refused to be addressed by when he was in kindergarten In college Gogol uses his good name Nikhil later shortened to Nick He works as an architect and dates Maxine a white American woman from a wealthy background who is clueless about their cultural differences Gogol introduces her to his parents who struggle to understand his modern American perspectives on dating marriage and love They are hesitant and guarded when meeting her Gogol gets along with Maxine s family and feels closer to them than he does his own family Before he goes to Ohio for a teaching apprenticeship Ashoke tells Gogol the story of a nearly fatal train accident that he had suffered years ago back in India and how he came up with his name Shortly after while Gogol is on vacation with Maxine s family Ashoke dies Grieving Gogol tries to be more like what he thinks his parents want him to be and begins following cultural customs more closely He grows distant from Maxine and eventually breaks up with her Gogol rekindles a friendship with Moushumi the daughter of family friends They begin dating and soon after get married However the marriage is short lived as Moushumi bored with being a wife starts having an affair with an old boyfriend from Paris Gogol divorces her while Ashima blames herself for pressuring Gogol to marry a fellow Bengali Gogol returns home to help Ashima pack the house when he finds the book a collection of short stories by Nikolai Gogol which Ashoke had gifted him on his fourteenth birthday Searching for comfort and accepting his new life alone Gogol finally reads the stories written by his namesake on the train home As well as depicting Gogol Nikhil s experiences the film describes the courtship and marriage of Ashima and Ashoke and the effect on the family from Ashoke s early death from a massive heart attack Through experiencing his father s funeral rites on the banks of the Ganges Gogol begins to appreciate Indian culture Ashima s decision to move on with her life selling the suburban family home and returning to Calcutta for part of each year unifies and ends the story Cast editKal Penn as Nikhil Gogol Ganguli Soham Chatterjee as child Gogol aged 4 years Tabu as Ashima Ganguli Irrfan Khan as Ashoke Ganguli Sahira Nair as Sonia Ganguli Jacinda Barrett as Maxine Ratcliffe Sebastian Roche as Chris Wright Linus Roache as Mr Joshua Lawson Gogol s teacher Glenne Headly as Lydia Zuleikha Robinson as Moushumi Majumdar Ruma Guha Thakurta as Ashoke s mother Sabyasachi Chakrabarty as Ashima s father Supriya Devi as Ashima s grandmother Jagannath Guha as Ghosh Sukanya Chakraborty as Rini Tanushree Shankar as Ashima s mother Tamal Roy Choudhury as Ashoke s father Jhumpa Lahiri as Jhumpa Mashi The film has cameo appearances by actor Samrat Chakrabarti academic Partha Chatterjee and visual artist Naeem Mohaiemen Development editInitially Rani Mukerji was considered for the principal lead but due to scheduling conflicts with Karan Johar s Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna the role then went to Tabu Kal Penn was recommended for the movie by John Cho and strongly requested by Nair s son who was a fan of Penn in Harold and Kumar 7 8 Soundtrack editThe soundtrack has varied music Indian Anglo Indian by Nitin Sawhney influenced by Ravi Shankar s music for Pather Panchali 9 and a French piece One British Indian electronica piece is State of Bengal s IC408 The ringtone from Moushumi s mobile phone is the song Riviera Rendezvous by Ursula 1000 from the album Kinda Kinky this is the same song that is played when Gogol and Moushumi first sleep together The Indian classical pieces performed on screen by Tabu were sung by Mitali Banerjee Bhawmik a New Jersey based musician Critical reception editThe film received favorable reviews from critics As of 23 February 2009 the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reported that 86 of critics gave the film positive reviews based on 126 reviews 5 Metacritic reported the film had an average score of 82 out of 100 based on 33 reviews indicating universal acclaim 10 Top ten lists edit The film appeared on several critics top ten lists of the best films of 2007 11 6th Peter Rainer The Christian Science Monitor 8th Carrie Rickey The Philadelphia Inquirer 8th Claudia Puig USA Today 9th James Berardinelli ReelViews Awards and nominations edit Won Love is Folly International Film Festival Bulgaria Golden Aphrodite Mira Nair 12 Nominated Casting Society of America Best Feature Film Casting Cindy Tolan 13 Nominated Gotham Awards 2007 Best Film Mira Nair amp Lydia Dean Pilcher 14 Nominated Independent Spirit Award Best Supporting Male Irrfan Khan 15 See also editNikolai Gogol s The Overcoat References edit The Namesake 12A BBFC BBFC Archived from the original on 10 October 2022 Retrieved 7 May 2017 The Namesake Archived from the original on 25 June 2023 Retrieved 10 March 2021 The Namesake at Box Office Mojo The Namesake 2006 BFI British Film Institute Archived from the original on 4 December 2018 Retrieved 3 April 2019 a b The Namesake Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes Archived from the original on 4 August 2015 Retrieved 23 February 2009 The Namesake 2006 When Cultures Clash Movierdo 15 February 2020 Archived from the original on 25 June 2023 Retrieved 12 July 2020 Pause Arun Kale code fixes and updates by Stef Nirali Magazine 21 Things You Didn t Know About The Namesake niralimagazine com Archived from the original on 7 October 2017 Retrieved 3 October 2016 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a CS1 maint multiple names authors list link Why Rani Abhishek lost out on Namesake Rediff com Movies 23 March 2007 Archived from the original on 15 July 2011 Retrieved 12 March 2011 Observer Music Monthly March 2007 Namesake The 2007 Reviews Metacritic Archived from the original on 17 January 2008 Retrieved 5 January 2008 Metacritic 2007 Film Critic Top Ten Lists Metacritic Archived from the original on 2 January 2008 Retrieved 5 January 2008 Retrospekciya Lyubovta e Ludost IFF Love Is Folly in Bulgarian 4 March 2018 Archived from the original on 10 October 2022 Retrieved 10 October 2022 2007 Artios Awards www castingsociety com Archived from the original on 26 March 2020 Retrieved 10 October 2022 17th Annual Gotham Awards Unveil Nominees for Year s Best Independent Films PRWeb 22 October 2007 Archived from the original on 10 October 2022 Retrieved 10 October 2022 Sciretta Peter 27 November 2007 Independent Spirit Awards Nominations A Look At The Best Indie Films Of 2007 Film Archived from the original on 10 October 2022 Retrieved 10 October 2022 External links editThe Namesake at IMDb nbsp Official trailer The Namesake at AllMovie The Namesake at Rotten Tomatoes nbsp The Namesake at Metacritic nbsp The Namesake at Box Office Mojo Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title The Namesake film amp oldid 1217137250, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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