Covering Bollywood and the Hindi Cinema

I finally caught the Namesake with my mother and seldom does a movie invoke so many emotions. With the Namesake I have a new found respect for Tabu and Irrfan Khan who have immortalized the characters Ashok and Ashima Ganguli and the very thought of Rani or Abhishek playing them (as decided earlier) is enough to make me break into hives!

The Namesake is cinematic journey, which begins in chaotic Calcutta and moves on to the States where everything is so structured!! The newly married Ashima may be excited to begin her married journey with Ashok however she is not enthralled by the wonders of US! In one of the scene she writes a letter to her mum and talks about getting water, gas 24/7 but you can still see the longing on her face when she mentions India! To her people make a country not just comforts. However as long as she has Ashok on her side she has no complaints and settles into martial bliss.

The Gangulis real challenge start when their kids grow up and as expected cultural clashes begin! But the Namesake is refreshing as it doesn’t take the “mera bharat mahan” path and Ashok and Ashima donot start espousing the wonders of the Indian Culture. What we saw is their quite acceptance of their son’s “white girlfriend” and their resignation to the fact that Gogol is more of a WASP than his future in-laws!

But all this changes when tragedy strikes and Gogol starts questioning his own behavior (or lack of it) towards his parents The Namesake is about the human journey and deals with issues like relationships, human identity, alienation and loneliness. The characters lives come to a full circle and even Gogol manages to find his true self!

The movie is a must watch and is tribute to parents from all cultures sans the melodrama (as seen in Johar’s film).Tabu is stunning and takes your breath away with her performance. Tabu has managed to infuse the character of Ashima with a natural grace seldom seen on cinema. If this doesn’t deserve an Oscar I don’t know what will! The scene where she finds out about her loved one’s death gives you Goosebumps and her quite resolve is inspiring. From a young bride to a librarian with an empty nest , Tabu tackles all the nuances beautifully!

Irrfan Khan also matches Tabu’s grace with earnesty and dignity. You cannot envision anyone as Ashoke Ganguli but Khan and kudos to him for such a heartfelt performance. Kal Penn also surprises with his ABCD (American Born Confused Desi) character however doesn’t resort to clichés! The Namesake is a must watch for anyone who appreciates good cinema and who has lost a loved one! The movie may not be perfect and falters at time with the narration, however those are just minor issues. Overall The Namesake is a great piece of cinema, which will pull at your heartstrings in all the right way. Here is a trailer of the movie!