The film adaptation of Jhumpa Lhiri’s novel is a cinematic lost gem as it didn’t get much play or press. However, the result is a marvelous film that should be discovered by those that appreciate a compelling story and fine performances.
Ashoke Ganguli (Irfan Khan) is a young Indian professor in America. However, he’s returned to India to find the bride that his parents have arranged for him to marry. He’s meeting his betrothed, Ashima (Tabu), for the first time and the marriage continues in the ornate traditional manner.
The newly married strangers return to America where they get to know one another and soon children are in the picture. Their first child is to be named in the traditional manner in that the elder is to choose the name for the child. The children are called “pet names” until their official name is chosen.
However, in the United States the proud parents discover that they can’t take the baby without a name being on the birth certificate. So Ashoke decides to put the name of his favorite author, the Russian Nikolai Gogol. The plan is that when the letter arrives that they’ll change it to the new name. The letter never arrives from India and Gogol decides that he prefers his “pet name” over the “real name” of Nikil. When Gogol (Kal Penn) is grown he finds love (twice) and discovers the origin of his unique name (which he’s grown to despise).
I really didn’t have too much interest in watching the film even though I had read the book. It didn’t help that the trailer seemed to play up the comedy aspect since Kal Penn is in the film. This is even clearer to me after seeing the film. They even move a scene in the movie around in the trailer to make it a comedy punch line (the lady at the party bit).
This is far from what the film is about since I consider Ashoke and Ashima more of the main characters and Gogol more a secondary one, the trailer makes it look like it’s Penn’s show. Actually, it is a bit surprising in that Penn pulls off a fine performance. The last thing I saw him in was the atrocious Epic Movie and this probably was another worry in seeing him in the trailer. I have to admit that I was pleasantly surprised in that he puts in a good performance.
Irfan Khan and Tabu are the focus of the story and are truly excellent. The events of the book are a bit compressed but it still captures the gist of the book and is quite an excellent film.
The Namesake is presented in anamorphic widescreen (1.85:1) and is enhanced for 16x9 televisions. Special features include a commentary from director Mira Nair. There are also 3 minutes of deleted scenes with optional commentary by Nair. The 32 minute “Anatomy of a Namesake: a Class at Columbia University Graduate Film School” has Nair sitting down with some students to discuss the film.
The 3 minute “Fox Movie Channel Presents: In Character with Kal Penn” interviews (guess who?) – Penn. The 3-minute “Kolkata Love Poem” is a series of images of the city. The 8 minute “Photography as Inspiration” with a series of photographs that inspired scenes from the film. The 2-minute theatrical trailer is included as well as trailers for other Fox DVDs.
Kal Penn delivers fine performances, but it is Tabu and Khan that shine. The result is a fine film that should be savored by those that enjoyed the novel, but is quite a delightful discovery for those that don’t know about the novel. A marvelous film.
The Namesake is now available at Amazon and AmazonUK . Visit the DVD database for more information.
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