The Namesake abandons its confused protagonist

Radheyan Simonpillai

With her latest cross-cultural opus, The Namesake, director Mira Nair (Monsoon Wedding) has reaffirmed her artful vision of the Indian diaspora that runs throughout her work. However, the film gets stuck in a generation gap it its struggles to depict a new kind of Indian, the so-called "ABCD" (American-Born Confused Desi).

Given the traditional name of Gogol Ganguli by his immigrant parents, the protagonist (Kal Penn) adopts an anglicized name while growing up in New York City. However, his ethnic issues prove to be far less authentic (and coherent) than those of his parents, Ashoke and Ashima, impressively played by Bollywood stars Irfan Khan and Tabu

Theirs is an old-school Indian romance cleverly juxtaposed against the American setting. After an arranged marriage with clear promises of relocation, Ashoke and Ashima face the difficult task of negotiating their personal differences-they marry as near-strangers-and larger ones between the lingering cultures of the Old World and their strange new Western home. Life doesn't get any easier when the Ganguli kids grow up distinctly American and make their parents feel like aliens in their own home.

Nair paints a picture of the cultural struggle of first-generation Indians-or any other immigrants for that matter-facing assimilation into their new country. With short playful moments, like when Ashima mixes a bowl of Rice Krispies with curry powder and cashews for breakfast, Nair teases out a bittersweet blend of hope and homesickness.

But when the film settles on the love life of Gogol, Nair seems uncomfortable and unsure of her storytelling. While Gogol struggles to shake off the expectations of his ethnic heritage and prove himself a well-adjusted young American man free of cultural restraints, Nair's film cannot help but treat his life and surroundings as a one-dimensional stereotype. It's ironic that a woman whose work strives to expand caricaturish North American perceptions of Indians falls victim a narrow-minded Indian view of America.

Spartans of swing
Express Feature Service

Our Bollywood stars seem to be the most enthusiastic about Hollywood releases, as the red carpet event of Warner Bros’ latest blockbuster 300 at Cinemax in Versova, proved. Salman Khan arrive early, dressed in his trademark tight tee, with Katrina Kaif in tow (Finally some blue blooded celebrities at film premieres). Zayed Khan made a grand entrance with his parents Sanjay and Zarine, and wife Malaika. Filmmakers Sanjay Gupta and Shirish Kunder were some of the frontbenchers, taking notes for future inspiration, we presume. Sikander Kher was seen brandishing a Spartan spear menacingly while dancing man Ganesh Hegde was seen chatting up the shutterbugs. Another one cavorting for the shutterbugs was a slightly purple Kashmera Shah who was showing off a new man to everyone present.

Showstopper Lovebirds Parvin Dabbas and Preeti Jhangiani were joined at the hip even though the film wasn’t a romantic comedy.