Review of The Namesake (2006) by Tammye G — 05 Dec 2010
I must begin this review by saying bravo, excellent film. The short title The Namesake explains the film on some many parallels. Directed and Produced by Mira Nair and released in 2007. Kal Penn as Gogol Ganguli, Sahira Nair as Sonali Ganguli, Tabu as Ashima Ganguli, and Irrfan Khan as Ashoke Ganguli all tell a beautiful story of staying true to tradition yet resisting and conforming to mainstream.
The Namesake begins telling the story of an arranged marriage that happened to be fate of true love. Ashima and Ashoke Ganguli's parents arranged their marriage. There was subtle foreshadowing that their marriage would be successful before they even met each other. Shortly after their wedding they moved from India to New York where Ashoke hoped to pursue a career in engineering.
After the Ganguili's arrival in America their two children Sonali and Gogol were born. The film begins to direct the focus on Sonali and Gogol's life as American Indians. The two didn't experience the culture shock like their parents yet they struggled with practicing Indian traditions and fitting in with Native Americans especially New Yorkers. Gogol struggled more than his sister; he felt his name stumped his growth professionally and socially later changing his name to Nikhil.
As the film progress the family struggle increased his parents felt Gogol was ashamed of their heritage and couldn't understand why he would spend time with his new girlfriend Maxine family over his own. To add to his mother's insult Maxine wasn't an Indian woman by race or manners. Even though everyone's life progressed the Ashoke life unexpectedly ending with a heart attack.
The Namesake is related to Living Religions by Mary Pat Fisher because the religious traditions of the Ganguili's are of Hindu descent practicing the four goals of Sannatana Dharma which define the good life they're: dharma, artha, kama, moksha. The first and second generation of American Ganguli's shows their quest to achieve the four goals.
Works Cited.
Fisher, Mary P. Living Religions. 7th ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson, 2008. 100. Print.
This review of The Namesake (2006) was written by Tammye G on 05 Dec 2010.
The Namesake has generally received very positive reviews.
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