The Namesake
Follows two generations of a Bengali family from late-1970s Calcutta to nowadays New York City. Ashima (Tabu) and Ashoke (Khan) move to America in 1977 after their arranged marriage in Calcutta. The shy, polite newlyweds attempt to get to know each other, and make their way in the foreign country. As their US born son Gogol (Kal Penn) grows up, he rebels from his family, behaving like your typical American teenager. Gogol, becoming increasingly aware of his heritage, and his parents, attempt to balance a new world without forgetting the old.
2007Rating: M, contains drug use122 minsIndia, USAEnglish, Bengali & Hindi [with English subtitles]
ComedyDramaRomance
- Director:
- Mira Nair ('Monsoon Wedding', 'Mississippi Masala')
- Writer:
- Sooni Taraporevala
- Cast:
- Kal PennTabuIrfan KhanJacinda BarrettGlenne Headly
The Namesake | Reviews
The New York Times
The Namesake, adapted from Jhumpa Lahiri’s popular novel, conveys a palpable sense of people as living, breathing creatures who are far more complex than their words might indicate...
Full review
Rolling Stone
This is a generational family saga everyone can relate to, and Nair gives it her special magic...
Full review
New Zealand Herald
Solid but uninspired adaptation of a novel about the immigrant experience is held together by fine performances...
Full review
Los Angeles Times
Despite being rooted in knotty issues of identity, Lahiri's novel forgoes didacticism in favor of vivid portraiture. Nair and her uniformly superb cast take the same tack: The characters are individuals before they are emblems...
Full review
Empire Magazine
This Indian immigrant family saga is a pleasant watch, but given the emotive source novel, it’s surprisingly superficial...
Full review
BBC
An intimate family saga that spans continents and generations yet stays close to the heart. An adaptation of Jhumpa Lahiri's Pulitzer prize-winning novel, The Namesake stars Kal Penn as Gogol, a young Indian American whose Russian name provokes a personal identity crisis. Exploring the Asian American immigrant experience, this poignant tale resonates wherever you are placed in the world...
Full reviewThe Namesake | Release Details
The Namesake is available to stream in New Zealand now on Google Play and Apple TV.