Namesake-Revisited, Family, America and much more…

I had starting writing this post sometime back but hadn’t posted it because of the last post on mangoes. I got mixed reactions about that post. Some people felt I was going over the top for my love for mangoes. Some felt over awed and asked for more. Some felt offended (Kidding =:P). Anyhow I felt happy. When you get such reactions you feel like writing more. So here I am back again revisiting “Namesake” and much more. I am back to my long blog posts so if you don’t want to read till the end, leave it now as the real essence of this post of mine comes in some of the last paragraphs.

 

As far as I remember I haven’t seen a Bollywood movie (If I can dare to call it one) run in US for that long. It’s still playing in Pittsburgh in Squirrel hill for consecutive 2 months showing 6 shows a day. Discussing the movie with my friends-Americans and Indians both. I have got some pretty mixed reviews inclined more on the good side.

 

As I lay down yesterday in between my sleeps thinking about the movie( I saw it again with one of my friends who hadn’t seen it) I realized the movie definitely wasn’t the reason for  the blog  as I had explicitly stated earlier. The movie was definitely the platform but the essence was different. It was definitely the trigger but to pronounce it as reason would not be doing justice to the feelings I harbored upon in previous 10 months. But I will get to that soon. Anyways now that I have mentioned the movie it definitely deserves some space here.

 

Some points from the movie:

 

First things first, I agree people the book is still better. You can’t convert a 300 page book to a two hour movie EVER!!!. Having read the book twice (once in India then again here), I can surely say that there were poignant moments which the Screenplay writer ignored. Especially the part of the insecure Moushmi and her reasons for being disloyal to Gogol wasn’t covered well in the movie. What I got from the 2 reads was something completely different and you will know when you read more.

P.S:: The movie showed a Hrithik Roshan’s poster on street and yeah it was 1977.haha.

 

I saw a couple of American Indians-(I prefer using this term American Indians more in place of something people prefer using- ABCD-American born confused desi which is kinda stupid) and some Non-desis (Non-Indians) in the theatre. It was hearting to see how they felt of the whole movie. Some of them clapped some of them cried and some of them felt overjoyed. There were so many touching moments in the film that brought back the memories of friends and family lost back and it looked as if they absolutely loved it (Specially the old American Indians). I heard the ooh’ and the aah’s from every corner when Ashoke, Gogol’s father (played by Irfan Khan) suddenly died.

 

There are innumerous scenes which reminded me of early months in US like the scene where they show on Tabu (Ashima) trying to see how a Washing Machine works. It’s not as if we haven’t seen such machines back there in India. It’s just that we have never used them even if they were at homes.

I wouldn’t say the BOOK moved me, because that would be an understatement. It’s when u start seeing yourself in the book, that you realize it’s an absolute genius. And the Namesake did that for me. It’s a story of lives, some of our lives, beautifully told. I couldn't wait for the release of the movie after reading the book and though I don’t like the movie as much as I like the book I feel it was worth the effort.

 

The way it covered the aspects both of Indians and American Indians was absolutely great. It would be fair to say this is the first “crossover” movie which gave adequate space to both of them. In a nutshell NAMESAKE successfully peeps into the minds of American Indians and shows them in very good light at least much better than some of the previous crossover movies I have seen. Though I know a lot of American Indians don’t agree with this but I think I know of more Yes’s than no’s.

 

It was intriguing to see how Ashima wanted to see Gogol married to a Bengali while he was happy dating American girls and then the final transition of Ashima of acceptance of Maxine (American girlfriend of Gogol) but suddenly Gogol’s acceptance of his parents wishes of marrying Moushmi (Parent’s American Indian choice) and their marriage failing .There are definitely no set rules of how and when should a marriage works. At the end of the day it depends on the two people. Be it Americans or the Indians. This plus not hiding the fact the Americans have a higher Divorce is a separate issue altogether. Indians are not far behind either.

 

The question which egged me for sure was that in a country where we can invent ourselves anew, how does family define us?

Though the basic premise of the movie was how a child would survive in a society with name as tongue twisted as that-Gogol. And it made me think that it’s our names, mangled and gutted in Western tongues that are our lonely mementos of who we used to be. Every time the store clerk pauses when our name pops up on the screen, we are reminded that we are strangers. In desperation, Nikhil becomes Nick, Sarthak becomes SJ but that act of lonely camouflage is at best temporary.

 

The movie covered a lot more aspects like the double minds of American Indians trying to be a part of both cultures Indian and American. And much more. The pangs of migration, which run through much of Indian-American writing was the theme of the film. He (Gogol) is tethered to the rock of an Indian upbringing, but he pulls it as far as he can to be part of the culture that he has to live in. He is extremely loyal to his parents, but sees no contradiction in having a family of his own by virtue of a relationship with a white girl. He quickly accepts his mother's suggestion to marry an American Indian, but ironically finds that his Indian wife is disloyal.

 

The movie actually expanded the central idea by leaps and bounds which is what is most impressive. It gives a piece of mind of American born Indians on their attitude towards India thankfully without all the clichés` which was a revelation in the movie.

 

The best part is the way movie was woven from the novel. It will appeal to all who haven’t read the book as well unlike a Da Vinci Code. I haven’t met a person who hadn’t read Da Vinci but still liked the movie. In fact there were people who didn’t like the movie in spite of reading it. That was the not the case with the Namesake and that is because of its Universal appeal and people liked it even though they hadn’t read the book.

 

The movie shows how children of immigrant Indians cope up with the two different cultural worlds simultaneously. It shows that in a way it is easier on the older generation to live in the new world. They bond with fellow immigrants; they have ties to cultural organizations and to temples. But the children have to fend for themselves, in a sense. Some of them carry considerable amount of tension about their own identities while this goes without saying that I have seen and known a lot of American Indians who have no such qualms and live a very chilled out life which is awesome.

 

I read an interview of Jhumpa Lahiri and one of my American-Indian friend suggested me this. So for her sake I will make it a part of this post.

 

Excerpts of Interview of Jhumpa Lahiri

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“Q::What was your own experience like?

Answer: I have observed that the problem for the children of immigrants -- those with strong ties to their country of origin -- is that they felt neither one thing nor the other. In any case, this was my experience. Whenever people asked where I was from, I could not really answer. If I said I was from Rhode Island, people wanted me to say something more. I could not have said I was from India because that was not accurate, though I speak good Bengali and I have strong connections with my relatives in India.

And then I also remember that I was born in London. Now, when people ask me the question, I am not bothered much. But it was a nagging question while growing up.

 

What do you think of those years you were with your parents?

I understand and sympathize with my parents' predicament now that I am an adult. But as a child and teenager, I could not understand their opposition to dating, living on one's own, having close relationships with Americans, listening to American music, wearing skirts.”

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I didn't realize the extent of this conflict between inside and outside worlds, the public and the private, until I left India. The private world is one where many of us can finally breathe, where our jokes are not lost in translation. Desis are one of the most assimilated minorities in this country. We are cardiologists, software engineers, architects (and cab drivers and Dunkin' Donuts franchise holders). But there is still a sense that we are never on sure ground in our new countries. We have learned to drop the U in 'colour', but are still looking for that haven, where we can fry fish without upsetting the landlady, where we can finally let our guard down and can just breathe away from our suited-and-booted lives in corporate offices, in sprawling office parks and our tired-and-footsore lives in cabs and motels on grimy side streets.

 

I am still in a spell by The Namesake -- the quiet, sometimes hilarious and at other moments deeply tragic way in which Mira Nair captures the essence of the Indian-American immigrant experience.

 

One American Indian said it beautifully “I am not a Bengali, like the characters in The Namesake. I was not born in this country, like the protagonist Gogol .And yet, as an Indian-American and an immigrant who has lived in America for over two decades, I feel that Nair's film speaks to me and tells my story. I am amazed at its honesty and truthfulness.”

 

Personally for me this film moved me with honest portrayal of life and aspirations and thinking of Indian immigrants and I felt for the people who will see their own immigrant experiences reflected in the film.

 

This blog will from now on try and cover now the reminiscent time of the old semester but more importantly the Transition period.