Review of The Namesake (2006) by Angelica G — 20 Sep 2008

The Namesake(based on the novel) by director Mira Nair's, is story of a bengali family journey from an old tradtional life style from India to a modern life in New York.

Ashoke, who is the father, desires to give his family and his children a better education and more opportunities. This was the reason why he chose his journey to America. He began this journey in 1977 and was inspired by an author of a book Nikholai Gogol and a passenger on a train. Ashoke whom is an engineer was played by Irfan Khan, who earned his degree in America, and also wanted the same for his children.Born and raised in India, Ashoke was still dedicated to his religious beliefs and customs. One of the customs was an arranged marriage to Ashima. Ashima was a trained singer and a very beautiful young lady, who had never experienced life from her family.

Their marriage was a traditional Indian marriage, which was arrnaged and they were dressed in their religious customs. Ashoke and Ashima Ganguli leave her life in India and moves to New York where Ashima will become adopted to Ashoke's life style. Ashima has her first child, which is a son named Gogo and a daughter named Sonial. Who is named after Ashoke's favorite author, Nikholai Gogol, who the story was based around. Trying to live up to their traditional customs, and giving a child two meaningful names; learning that americans traditional naming was different from their way of naming a child.

The film unfolds does not aband Ashoke and Ashime desire to keep their children invovled with their religious beliefs, as well as, adopting to the Americans way of life. Ashima who wanted to return back to India, so that her children could be exposed to Indian tradition, was advised by her husband that the children would have a better life style in America. This desire that Ashoke and Ashima encouraged to take their children back to India, so that they could be exposed to Indian religious beliefs and customs. This exposure to their traditions enhanced Gogol's and Sonia's understanding of their parnets as of their customs.

Gogol first girlfriend was an american girl, who didnt quite understand Gogol's religigous beliefs; but was willing to adopt to his customs. Gogol becomes involved with his american life style and becomes distant with his family and Indian beliefs and customs. He becomes so distant that when his father dies, he gets and reality check. Which makes him realizes that although he was born raised in America, he was still an Indian.

He becomes distant with his girlfriend and begans to pursue his Indian beliefs and customs, and marries a bengali girl; whose name is moushumi, which was an arranged marriage. Moushimi, who has traveled the world, and adapted to american tradition; only married Gogol to satisfiy her family, was his discovery to the journey he needed to began a new life.

The desire to have a better life is a stuggle for anybody, but the biggest struggle of all is tryting to take a old tradition and incorporated with a new one. The Ganguli family was a perfect example of any family who are trying to adapt to a new life style. In the process of wanting a better life style for themselves and their children some of the traditional beliefs were not practiced by their children, becasue of not being exposed to them and was not born in India. Although they respected their customs and beliefs, the children had to learn the life of both worlds.