Namesake

Last weekend I saw Namesake, Mira Nair movie. Namesake was on my long pending list of movies for quite sometime now. I got warning from my friend about not watching this movie on Saturday evening, nothing like movie being bad or worthless, but due to its depressing nature. My friend said quote unquote “you should not see this movie after coming to US from INDIA, but to watch this before going to INDIA from US”. This kind of statement would certainly make you to reconsider your decision to watch this movie on Saturday evening. So basically 2 reasons to see this movie even after so many warnings (1) We had got this DVD from Sunnyvale library and we had to return this next day and (2) Want to finish this movie from my long pending list. 

I was little delighted to see Kal Penn in the movie because of the kind of movies that I have seen of him (Harold and Kumar) and also he remind me of one of my Good friend/colleague (Those knowing me and my office circle would know who this person is J). 

Movie started with Ashok’s (Irfan Khan) Train journey, which obviously reminded me about the wonderful experiences that every Train journey brings with it. Ashok is shown reading a novel by author called Nikhlai Gogol, and inspired by him Ashok names his kid Kal Penn, Gogol Ganguly. Instead he should have carried the name which the hospital guy suggested to put on birth certificate “Babyboy Ganguly” J. Kal Penn carries Gogol as his name till younger days only having him to blame, during his school days he had opted to be called Gogol rather than Nikhil. 

Till this point movie was quite entertaining and I was starting to wonder what depressing can happen hereafter. Till this point only daily life in New Jersey during Snow looked depressing to me. Somehow I don’t enjoy snow around me in my day to day life. I feel snow is good for a change or for vacation where you can play in snow, got out for some kind of snow activities. 

Gogol potrays perfect ABCD i.e. American born CONFUSED desi and I mean it CONFUSED DESI. Ashok and Ashima’s (Tabu) both kids move out with their separate lives. As movie progresses, Gogol is shown moved out of house, on his own with job and his American girlfriend Maxi. He starts avoiding his parents while he is involved in relationship. When Ashok dies, his wife Ashima is left alone, this sort of reunites the family and brings all of them together. Gogol returns home to support his mother and completes all the necessary rituals. 

After sometime in movie Gogol is pushed into relationship with a Bengali girl and then they get married only to find her cheating on Gogol. Meanwhile Ashima’s has decided to move on with her life and her daughter Sonia is doing well with an American guy in her life. 

At the end Sonia is shown happy with an American guy and Gogol with broken marriage. One would think, what if Gogol would have continued with his American girl friend? Ofcourse story would not have moved as it did. I am not sure if movie wants to pass this message “ABCD should marry only Americans”, just a thought but how do I care. 

I was glad to see that after Ashok’s death, Ashima carried herself well even after being miles away in different world and culture. She was not shown slipping into depression and was able to get her family back together. Overall a good movie and must watch, at least once.