Product description American-born Gogol the son of Indian immigrants wants to fit in among his fellow New Yorkers despite his family's unwillingness to let go of their traditional ways. System Requirements:Running Time: 114 Mins.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: DRAMA/AMERICANS ABROAD Rating: PG-13 UPC: 024543456087 Manufacturer No: 2245608 .com Adapted by screenwriter Sooni Taraporevala from the novel by Jhumpa Lahiri, director Mira Nair's The Nameksake is populated by well-drawn characters and filled with memorable shots and engaging scenes. But in the larger sense, the film is a provocative look at the two sides of immigration: the adjustments faced by a couple who move here from a distant land, and the struggles of their offspring to reconcile their parents' traditional culture with their own distinctly American outlook. The tale begins in the late '70s, when aspiring engineer Ashoke Ganguli (Irfan Khan) and his new wife Ashima (the radiant Tabu) move to New York from Calcutta. Life in America is strange, in ways both good (the gas in their apartment stays on 24 hours a day! You can drink water straight from the tap!) and not-so-hot (New York's winters). But for their children, first son Gogol (a standout performance by Kal Penn, heretofore best known for the stoner comedy Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle), nicknamed for his father's favorite author, the Russian novelist Nikolai Gogol, and then daughter Sonia (Sahira Nair), "the American way" is at odds with their folks' more conservative mores. Gogol (who later adopts his more formal first name, Nikhil) smokes dope, calls his parents "you guys," goes to Yale, and hooks up with a preppie white girl (Jacinda Barrett); for her part, Sonia complains that she wants to "go home" when the family returns to India for a visit. Only when tragedy strikes suddenly does the young man realize how totally alienated from his family he has become, prompting some major changes. There's nothing especially original about any of this, and even those who haven't read the book may sense that some of Lahiri's material has been lost on the way to the screen (the treatment of Gogol's marriage to a beautiful Bengali-American girl, played by Zuleikha Robinson, seems oddly truncated). But even while dealing with life's Big Issues (birth and death, marriage and separation, joy and misery), Nair has created a winning, intimate film that reminds us of the strength of family ties and effortlessly persuades us to care. --Sam Graham Kal Penn Blogs About The Namesake Welcome to The Namesake DVD. After touring the festival circuit last year, our film opened globally (including North America) in March of this year, and Im proud to bring you the DVD! This is a project that has been close to me from the beginning. I was a big fan of the book ever since John Cho recommended it to me during the first Harold & Kumar shoot. John and I tried to get rights to turn the book into the film, but Mira [Nair, director of Monsoon Wedding and Salaam Bombay] had already acquired them. That began a really aggressive campaign on my part to try to get seen for the role. Id call Miras office, have my manager call but we had no luck in getting in the door. Luckily, unbeknownst to me, Miras son Zohran and her agents son Sam were lobbying on my behalf (turns out they are huge Harold and Kumar fans, so they were trying to get their parents to bring me in to read for the part of Gogol). Mira finally agreed, and I got a call saying that Id be able to audition. I flew out to New York, and luckily things worked out. There are some similarities between my life and Gogols. We are both Americans of Indian descent, both born and raised on the East Coast, both bilingual, and both passionate about our careers. But Gogol is much more subdued than I am; he carries a certain silence (which he gets from his father). His place in the world is one of constant shift -- a byproduct of being single in New York, being passionate about his job, close with his family, and so on. This film is my favorite to -date. Mira has been a role model of mine since I was very young, Jhumpa [Lahiri, author of The Namesake] is one of my favorite authors, Sooni [Taraporevala, screenwriter for Salaam Bombay] one of my most admired screenwriters, so its an honor to have the chance to be part of the screen adaptation of this story. To me, its a very American film. Its about family, about hope about how we all got here, through the lens of this particular family. With so much negativity every time I turn on the television, Im proud to be part of something that hopefully leaves the audience with a tremendous amount of hope, and a connection to the people we love. -- Kal Penn
D**E
Amazing!
This movie was truly more moving than I anticipated. The Namesake is about a young man by the name of Gogol and his struggle between his given Indian culture and the American culture that he was raised in. His parents Ashoke and Ashima are from West Bengal, India. His parents settled in New York and shortly after gave birth to him. Gogol was originally his nickname which eventually becomes his permanent name and the movie will chronicle the significance of his name.The movie shows how Gogol battles to conform to his American life while his parents try to remain true to their Indian heritage. Being that Gogol’s friends are mostly white American kids, he adapts behaviors that his parents detest. He is lazy, disrespectful and smokes marijuana. After a trip to India with his parents, he seems to understand and appreciate his culture a little more.Gogol goes off to college and after graduating he lands a job as an architect. He also decides to change his name to Nikhil and begins dating a white woman named Maxine from a wealthy family. He spends less time with his parents and they began to feel that their son is ashamed of where he comes from. As Gogol falls in love with Maxine, he decides to introduce her to his parents and their insecurities are confirmed as they fail to understand their son’s American customs. Gogol in fact grows closer to Maxine’s family and enjoys being around them more.As Gogol is vacationing with Maxine’s family, he ignores calls from his parents as they attempt to wish him a happy birthday. While enjoying his time away, his father suffers a massive heart attack and passes away. After this he totally changes. Suddenly, he morphs into the man that his parents wanted him to be. He is open and accepting of his culture and realizes that he no longer wants to be with Maxine. He continues to support his family and take his father’s place as a male figure amongst his mother and sister.In the movie there are several instances where culture is referenced which is closely related to religion. For instance, you will see the figures of the Hindu deities at the wedding of Ashoke and Ashima. That is one significant thing that I remember regarding religion in this movie. I ‘ve always assumed that Hindu followers are strong and devoted to their belief. Their devotion makes them strong and very proud. I see all these qualities in Ashoke and Ashima and they strongly believed in raising their children to be the same way.
B**R
What a wonderful movie!
I caught a bit of this movie recently on television and it intrigued me enough that I bought a copy. My wife and I watched it and quickly became engrossed in the lives of the characters. The story unfolds at a leisurely pace without ever becoming boring. It contains subtle subtexts of racism and cultural diversity, as well as some nice twists on the common "fish out of water" film cliches.While there is no action per se, the story itself is captivating and the cinematography is compelling. The visuals of both America and India show both the beauty and the ugliness that is abundant in both nations. The film is joyous without being artificial and tear-jerking without being melodramatic.The performances are subtle, textured, and as close to perfect as you will ever find. I guess the best compliment I can pay this little film is that my wife and I were still talking about it days after we watched it together, reliving our favorite moments. There is far more to discuss than one might think. There is multi-generational misunderstanding, cross-cultural confusion, a lifelong love story, and ultimately, the way these various issues help transform a confused young man into a mature and confident adult.There are already dozens of positives reviews here that outline the plot and the performances, and I really have nothing new to add to those comments. I just had to take a moment and rave about what is simply a diamond of a movie that the American public somehow largely overlooked.
R**V
Heartwarming
A wonderful story.
R**E
Conflicts of Immigrant Cultures
"The Namesake" is a look into the lives of an immigrant Bengali-American family as two generations cope with conflicts of culture and life. The parents assimilate into American life, arriving in this country as married grown adults. They adhere to their Bengali traditions but learn to build new lives, far away from their roots and relatives. The children, born in this country, regard themselves as "American" first, and seek to reconcile their family's upbringing and Bengali traditions with the secular, loose, American lifestyle. These are often in conflict."The Namesake" refers to why the father, Ashoke, named his son "Gogol", honoring the famed but flawed Russian author. Ashoke was reading one of Gogol's books while talking to a fellow train passenger outside Calcutta when there was a tragic train wreck. Before dying, the passenger advised Ashoke that life was short and to get out of India and see the world. This was a life transforming experience, and as one of the few survivors of the wreck, Ashoke took his advice and ended up living and raising a family in America. The name "Gogol" was a problem for the boy, making him the target of ridicule. The idea of names and identity is a theme throughout the movie.This is an excellent movie that feels Indian but not Bollywood. There is something universal about the problems immigrants face on coming to America, and the impacts on the next generation. The movie talks to people of all immigrant backgrounds in a genuine and realistic way. It is truly a beautiful, powerful film.
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