The Namesake

Based on best-selling author Jhumpa Lahiri's novel by the same name, the film, directed by Mira Nair, is an enchanting story of an immigrant Bengali family to the US.

The film opens in Irfan Khan's fateful train journey Calcutta. He comes out of a terrible train accident - alive - but a man with an objective of moving to the US in search of a new life - which he hopes he will never regret.

After finding his feet in the 'land of opportunities', he makes a quick trip back home to fetch a bride for himself - a ritual which continues till date!!  Tabu his new bride is a strong woman who is smitten by Irfan's Khan's shoes even before she sees him! She dutifully leaves behind her Bengali family to go to a freezing, lonely land - NYC.

Although the film has nothing very radical or sensational to portray till almost Interval, the mundane is delivered so well, so charmingly that it leaves the audience (or atleast me) enchanted. Reminds me a bit of the same director's Monsoon Wedding - where something as mundane and chaotic as an Indian wedding is turned to be one of the most exciting and well-directed films I've seen.

Irfan Khan's Bengali accent is effortless, commendable. Not to mention his acting - is delightful and stands out as usual.

Tabu is good, I would say. After 30 years in the US, she still wears sarees, still speaks in the SAME Bengali/Indian accent. I'm not sure if that's the way it works for some people, but probably even a v v slight change in Tabu's accent/style would have been refreshing.

Kal Penn(Gogol) is wonderful. Comes across well as a American with Bong roots who is enormously embarrassed by his parents, his name ('Gogol') and all things Indian. He plays a whole array of emotions in a v charming manner - pulled in various directions at the same time. A character which many will identify with easily. After a lot of cross-culture drama he decides to marry a like-minded Bong girl only to realize it doesn't always work. Much to Gogol's dismay, she turns out to be more of a French woman than a Desi!

Overall Kal Penn's acting is worth a standing ovation I would say.  And so is Mira Nair's direction and her entire adaptation of a seemingly simple story in a careful and sensitive manner.