The namesake is based on a bestselling 2003 novel by jhumpa lahiri and has been beautifully adapted for the screen by sooni taraporevala. Everyday low prices on a huge range of new releases and classic fiction. Still mira nair has done a competent job in converting the book. Jhumpa lahiri has said of the namesake, america is a real presence in the book. Her lush palette lends her films a throbbing physicality that invites you to step into the screen and embrace the sensuous here and now.
Bridging cultures and generations, the story of a familys. A novel 9780618485222 by lahiri, jhumpa and a great selection of similar new, used and collectible books available now at great prices. The symbol of books in the namesake from litcharts the. The power and purity of her performance are enough to make to say namaste to the namesake. Buy the namesake directed by mira nair online at alibris.
Tabu and zuleikha robinson at the after party of the premiere of the namesake. In august 1968, ashoke and ashima ganguli welcome their brand new baby boy into the world. The namesake is a diasporic novel that traces the story of the ganguli family. Upon his graduation, ashoke gave his son a book by nikolai gogul, nicks namesake. Tabu at the grand finale of wills india fashion week. Ashima and ashoke ganguli arrive in america at the end of the 1960s, shortly after their arranged marriage in calcutta, in order for ashoke to finish his engineering degree at mit. The namesake is a 2006 drama film directed by mira nair and written by sooni taraporevala based on the novel the namesake by jhumpa lahiri. Jul 01, 2004 the namesake is the story of a boy brought up indian in america, from the kind of writer who makes you want to grab the next person and say read this. Ashoke is forwardthinking, ready to enter into american culture if not fully at least with an open mind. Jhumpa lahiris interpreter of maladies established this young writer as one the most brilliant of her generation. Her debut collection of stories, interpreter of maladies, was awarded the pulitzer prize, the penhemingway award and the new yorker debut of the year. The namesake by jhumpa lahiri reading is my superpower. March 9, 2007 in the namesake, the film based on the bestselling novel by jhumpa lahiri, a family from india struggles with the immigrant experience and the meaning of identity. Americanborn gogol, the son of indian immigrants, wants to fit in among his fellow new yorkers, despite his familys unwillingness to let go of their traditional ways.
Did the namesake allow you to think of america in a new way. Even so, and due to being born in the states, both kids are far more comfortable with american culture than their parents. Artistic objects such as paintings, books, or photographs carry particular meaning. Based on the bestselling book by jhumpa lahiri, the film follows two generations of the ganguli family. If you havent read the book i think you might find it quite hard to understand, so many of the important moments in the book which give it structure are passed by in a flash. In her adaptation of the namesake, mira nair hits it right at least half the time. The novel was adapted into a movie starring tabu, irrfan khan, kal penn, and sahira nair in 2006. The 2006 film adaptation of jhumpa lahiris novel the namesake, tugs at the heartstrings and exposes the contrasts between indian tradition and american life. Bought after reading the book the namesake i was looking forward to a treat. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading the namesake. Kal penn, tabu, irrfan khan, jacinda barrett, zuleikha robinson, brooke smith, sahira nair the namesake is the story of the ganguli family whose move from calcutta to new york evokes a lifelong balancing act to meld to a new world without forgetting the old. The namesake is mira nair s ninth feature, and i suspect the one closest to her heart.
Only in order to be released from their hospital in cambridge, massachusetts, they must break with bengali custom and give their son an official name on that pesky birth certificate. In the namesake, lahiri introduces the ganguli family who find themselves in cambridge, massachusetts where husband ashoke pursues graduate studies in engineering at mit. Its about cultural heritage and personal legacy, about the things that change across generations, and the things that stay the same. Ashima comes from an older, subtler, more discreet culture, where a wifes love is conveyed by the care with which she fulfills her obligations. Jan 16, 2004 the namesake by jhumpa lahiri 304pp, flamingo. The namesake starts by establishing how ashoke ganguli irfan khan and his wife ashima tabu met, moved to the united states, and then started a family. I have a college friend who is from india, so much like you, lahiris books really speak to me. Zuleikha robinson, glenne headley, brooke smith, sahira nair dont take any notice of what they say. They have another child, a girl called sonia who is acted by sahira nair. Read the namesake a novel by jhumpa lahiri available from rakuten kobo. Sep 01, 2004 i ordered the namesake after greatly appreciating unaccustomed earth which had me reaching for a notebook to capture forever some wonderful quotes from it. Mira nair is the internationally acclaimed director of monsoon wedding, salaam bombay. This coming friday, march 9, the movie based on jhumpa lahiris the namesake opens. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets.
Buy the namesake by lahiri, jhumpa from amazons fiction books store. Color is the stuff of life in the movies of mira nair, the indianborn director whose newest film, the namesake, follows two generations of a bengali family from late1970s calcutta to new york city. On the heels of their arranged wedding, ashoke and ashima ganguli settle together in cambridge, massachusetts. Of course, its impossible to completely capture a fine book like the namesake into a movie. A namesake is a person or thing named after someone or something else namesake may also refer to. Find books like the namesake from the worlds largest community of readers. The best movie quotes, movie lines and film phrases by movie quotes. The books had been promised to ashoke throughout his childhood, and for as long as. Ashoke and ashima move to the burbs and have children, a daughter named sonia sahira nair and a son named gogol kal penn, after ashokes fateful book, a. A finetuned, intimate, and deeply felt novel of identity from. The namesake short story, by willa cather the namesake, childrens book by c. Its a simple thing, but made with obvious care by the perpetually underrated mira nair, and its gentle humanism is like a breeze of fresh spring air. Gogol returns home to help ashima pack the house when he finds the book ashoke gave him as a graduation present.
The namesake is a 2006 indianamerican drama film directed by mira nair and written by sooni taraporevala based on the novel the namesake by jhumpa. And i loved that the writers gave a vocation to ashima in the movie, unlike in the book. Ashoke died of a massive cardiac arrest when his son gogol was in his twenties. Director mira nair and actor kal penn discuss the film. Mira nair mira nair s the namesake, adapted from the jhumpa lahiri novel of the same name, tells the story of two generations of the ganguli family, providing a glimpse at the immigrant experience in america. Amy tanwhen her grandmother learned of ashimas pregnancy, she was particularly thrilled at the prospect of naming the familys first sahib. The namesake summary from litcharts the creators of sparknotes. Mira nair s the namesake, based on jhumpa lahiris novel, conveys a palpable sense of people as living, breathing creatures who are far more complex than their words might indicate. A life between two worlds march 9, 2007 in the namesake, the film based on the bestselling novel by jhumpa lahiri, a family from india struggles with the immigrant. The namesake 2003 is the first novel by american author jhumpa lahiri. In striving to enrich the lives of all readers, teachingbooks supports the first amendment and celebrates the right to read.
Lahiris prose describes well the struggle of both first and second generation immigrants who are caught between two worlds, yet her narrative failed to draw me into the emotional struggle of her characters. The namesake is a 2006 indianamerican drama film which was released in the united states on 9. In her small apartment kitchen in cambridge, massachusetts, ashima ganguli is mixing together rice krispies, peanuts, diced onion, salt, lemon juice and chili peppers in a humble approximation of a snack she used to buy in calcutta. The namesake directed by mira nair available on dvd. The namesake takes the ganguli family from their traditionbound life in calcutta through their fraught transformation into americans. Whether its vladimir nabokovs lolita or jhumpa lahiris namesake, something is always lost in translation in the journey from book to movie. The namesake is mira nairs ninth feature, and i suspect the one closest to her heart. In 2007, nair was asked to direct harry potter and the order of the phoenix, but turned it down to work on the namesake. The book looks at the themes of family, identity, parental love, and nostalgia.
Tabu and director mira nair at the premiere of the namesake during the rome film festival festa internazionale di roma. The namesake merits special attention because here nair explores the question of living in between worlds, of being tugged by a longing for roots and being yanked by. Mira nair, regisseur van onder meer monsoon wedding en mississippi massala, moest fors snoeien in lahiris wijdlopige roman. Upon a trip to india, nick finds what he wants to do with his life, and one can glimpse into his views of the world and society. Kal penn plays gogol, who the title of the movie is after. A portrait of the film based on the novel by jhumpa lahiri newmarket pictorial moviebooks mira nair, jhumpa lahiri on. Zuleikha robinson, sahira nair and tabu at the premiere of the namesake.
Isnt that what were told when were younger when someone says something to us that isnt necessarily true. My grandfather always says that is what books are for. Such a delicate film is the namesake, and such a sweet relief from the exceptionally draining run of crap id gotten myself stuck in recently. Original essays and glorious photography, stunningly designed in this. Years later, gogol kal penn is a teen who gets grief from others about his name, unlike his younger sister, sonia sahira nair. Often, it takes a miniseries to develop the kind of rapport with the characters that nair achieves in a mere two hours. In the namesake, the film based on the bestselling novel by jhumpa lahiri. They also can grant a reader the power to travelan idea made literal by gogols purchase of an italian guidebook. Still the namesake sat about for a while as a to be read tbr i.
Like her previous films vanity fair, monsoon wedding, and hbos hysterical blindness, mira nair s the namesake is a lush, beautiful film bursting with rich color and visual texture. Kal penn as gogol ganguli irfan khan as ashoke ganguli tabu as ashima ganguli jacinda barrett as maxine ratliff zuleikha robinson as moushumi mazumdar sahira nair as sonia ganguli glenne headly as lydia ratliff daniel gerroll as gerald ratliff. The namesake follows the ganguli family through its journey from calcutta to cambridge to the boston suburbs. Books are records of the past and carriers of names, as in the case of moushumis inscribed books from graham or dimitri, or ashimas books of addresses. The namesake is the story of a boy brought up indian in america, from the kind of writer who makes you want to grab the next person and say read this. Jhumpa lahiris first novel, the namesake, begins with a recipe. The namesake by jhumpa lahiri overdrive rakuten overdrive. Reviewing the russian connection he had been traumatized since the accident claustrophobia and nightmares brought back haunting memories of that train accident throughout his life till his death in the usa. It was directed by mira nair and featured a screenplay written by sooni taraporevala. But the present film is a far more poignant effort. The namesake is the story of the ganguli family whose move from calcutta to new york evokes a lifelong balancing act to meld to a new world without forgetting the old. His parents ashima and ashoke are played by tabu and irrfan khan respectively. The outstanding cinematography of frederick elmes vividly conveys the huggermugger of the streets of.
With the tagline, two worlds, one journey, the movie is directed by mira nair and stars tabu, irfan khan, kal penn, zuleikha robinson, jacinda barrett and sahira nair. Nair s film is based on jhumpa lahiris novel of the same name. Soon after i read brotherly love, the poignant story of two brothers subhash and udayan, in the new yorker june 10, 20, i became eager to read jhumpa lahiris the lowland from which the short story is. Its a tearjerker, sometimes, and sweetly funny at other moments. Goodreads members who liked the namesake also liked.
If you want to study the difference between bollywood and serious indian filmmakers, endure vipul shahs namastey london, which opened here last week, and then enjoy mira nairs the namesake, which opens this week. The namesake is a 2006 englishlanguage drama film directed by mira nair and written by sooni taraporevala based on the novel the namesake by jhumpa lahiri. Sep 16, 2003 the namesake follows the ganguli family through its journey from calcutta to cambridge to the boston suburbs. When her grandmother learned of ashimas pregnancy, she was particularly thrilled at the prospect of naming the familys first sahib. The family shifts to america from calcutta and thus the story starts unravelling. The namesake 12 directed by mira nair written by sooni taraporevala, based on the novel by jhumpa lahiri starring. Kal penn, irrfan khan, tabu, jacinda barrett, zuleikha robinson, brooke smith, sahira nair, jagannath guha, ruma guha. The namesake is the story of two generations of the gangulis, a family of indian immigrants to the united states when we first meet ashoke and ashima ganguli they are living in a small apartment in cambridge, massachusetts, about to welcome their first child into the world. Oct 10, 2008 the namesake is a finely wrought, deeply moving family drama that illuminates this acclaimed authors signature themes. Take a boy, born in the late 1960s to indian parents living in the american suburbs, far from their native calcutta. A portrait of the film based on the novel by jhumpa. Nair s daughter, sahira, is the adult sonia and romes zuleikha robinson portrays another of gogols love interests. The namesake has a scope that many multigenerational stories lack. The namesake is a 2006 englishlanguage drama film directed by mira nair and written by.
It stars tabu, irrfan khan, kal penn and sahira nair. Sahira nair is known for her work on the darjeeling limited 2007, monsoon wedding 2001 and mississippi masala 1991. Have you read her book of short stories, interpreter of maladies. The namesake is the story of a boy brought up indian in america. The film was produced by indian, american and japanese studios. Director mira nair vanity fair, a monsoon wedding does an incredible job telling this complicated story that spans two continents and two generations. Published in 2003, the namesake continues her exploration of the cultural dissonance experienced by first and second generation bengali immigrants to the united states. The namesake by jhumpa lahiri read online on bookmate.
Based on the book by pulitzer prizewinner jhumpa lahiri, sooni taraporevala s screenplay follows the son of indian immigrants who wants to fit in with new york society, but struggles to get away from his familys traditional ways. Nair has previously traced the pleasures and perils of leaving home in mississippi masala 1991 and the perez family 1995. I heard a rumor that she has another book of short stories coming out in the spring. Mira nair s the namesake is a celebration of real family values of the love between father and son, between husband and wife, mother and daughter. And so ashima and ashoke have agreed to put off the decision of what to name the baby until a letter comes. Read free book excerpt from the namesake by jhumpa lahiri, page 1 of 10. Amy tan when her grandmother learned of ashimas pregnancy, she was particularly thrilled at. The namesake by jhumpa lahiri book club discussion. It tells the story of a young couple who have an arranged marriage in calcutta and move to new york, where they discover each other and their new country, and have two children.
But tabus face cant hide the deep emotions that make any declaration of love redundant. Kal penn, tabu, irfan khan, jacinda barrett, sahira nair, zuleikha robinson, brooke smith directed by. The namesake is directed by mira nair, with jhumpa lahiri helping out with the screenplay along with sooni taraporevala. In the namesake, objects say a lot about the social status of the characters check out society and class under themes if you need a refresher.