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The Namesake
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The Namesake (2006) More at IMDbPro »

Photos (see all 40 | slideshow) Videos (see all 7)
The Namesake (2006) -- American-born Gogol, the son of Indian immigrants, wants to fit in among his fellow New Yorkers, despite his family's unwillingness to let go of their traditional ways.
The Namesake (2006) -- Clip: Mom, we're here
The Namesake (2006) -- Interview:  Tabu On Identifying With Her Character
The Namesake (2006) -- American-born Gogol, the son of Indian immigrants, wants to fit in among his fellow New Yorkers, despite his family's unwillingness to let go of their traditional ways.
The Namesake (2006) -- Clip: I've been thinking a lot about my name

Overview

User Rating:
7.6/10   8,634 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Up 13% in popularity this week. See rank & trends on IMDbPro.
Director:
Mira Nair
Writers (WGA):
Sooni Taraporevala (screenplay)
Jhumpa Lahiri (novel)
Contact:
View company contact information for The Namesake on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
9 March 2007 (USA) more
Genre:
Drama more
Tagline:
Two Worlds. One Journey. more
Plot:
American-born Gogol, the son of Indian immigrants, wants to fit in among his fellow New Yorkers, despite his family's unwillingness to let go of their traditional ways. full summary | full synopsis
Plot Keywords:
more
Awards:
1 win & 3 nominations more
NewsDesk:
(27 articles)
Irrfan and Divya have Clothed Sex
 (From Bollyspice. 4 July 2009, 12:56 PM, PDT)

Trailer - Airborne Hilary Swank as 'Amelia'
 (From Get The Big Picture. 25 June 2009, 5:46 PM, PDT)

User Comments:
A very well-shot, vibrant film that captures the nuances of Bengali culture, as well as the loneliness universally felt by all persons. more

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Kal Penn ... Gogol / Nikhil
Tabu ... Ashima
Irrfan Khan ... Ashoke

Jacinda Barrett ... Maxine

Zuleikha Robinson ... Moushumi Mazumdar

Brooke Smith ... Sally
Sahira Nair ... Sonia
Jagannath Guha ... Ghosh
Ruma Guha Thakurta ... Ashoke's Mother
Sandip Deb ... Music Teacher
Sukanya ... Rini
Tanushree Shankar ... Ashima's Mother
Sabyasachi Chakraborty ... Ashima's Father
Tamal Ray Chowdhury ... Ashoke's Father
Dhruv Mookerji ... Rana
more
Create a character page for: ?

Additional Details

MPAA:
Rated PG-13 for sexuality/nudity, a scene of drug use, some disturbing images and brief language.
Runtime:
122 min
Country:
India | USA
Color:
Color
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
Tabu admitted that in all the years she had lived in India, she had never seen the Taj Mahal. The scene in the movie where the family goes to see the Taj Mahal was her first time seeing famous tomb. more
Goofs:
Anachronisms: While in the International Arrivals area of JFK Airport, Gogol focuses on the holographic photos/art lining the hallway; this is a modern decoration of that area (and that technology wasn't prevalent ~20 years ago). more
Quotes:
Gogol Ganguli: Who's Pierre?
[silence]
Gogol Ganguli: Are you having an affair?
[more silence]
Moushumi Mazumdar: Maybe it's not enough that we are both Bengali.
Gogol Ganguli: That's not why I love you.
more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in The Bong Connection (2006) more
Soundtrack:
Raag Hansdhwani more

FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.
52 out of 59 people found the following comment useful:-
A very well-shot, vibrant film that captures the nuances of Bengali culture, as well as the loneliness universally felt by all persons., 7 January 2007
9/10
Author: dashing-snigdha from United States

As a fellow Bengali and Jhumpa Lahiri fan, I had low expectations for a movie adaptation of her poignant novel (though I think The Interpreter of Maladies was better written). However, I was pleasantly surprised when I finally saw the movie at today's NY Times Arts and Leisure Weekend screening. The movie addresses all issues with care, and makes a non-Bengali audience understand the nuances of Bengali culture. The movie captures the hustle and bustle of India, sets the tone of the movie from the very first scene, and, overall, is heartwarming and true. It is humorous at all the right points, and the transition from a loud, vibrant and colorful life to a lonely, cold, and snow-white New York is breathtaking. You can feel Tabu's (Ashima's) loneliness. Jhumpa Lahiri's cameo is well-appreciated, though many in the audience did not catch it. The movie is respectful of Indian culture and uses small instances as canvases for large messages. Everyone is well-cast. Kal Penn shows himself to be capable of more difficult roles than the college-boy stereotype. Tabu and Irrfan Khan do not disappoint, since they are some of the highest-esteemed actors in India today. I felt like going back to Calcutta during all the Indian scenes. Starting the opening credits with the characters of the actors' names replaced with American characters was witty. "Everyday has been a gift, Gogol," Irrfan Khan (Ashok) tells Kal Penn (Gogol) in the movie, but truly, The Namesake is a wonderful gift for its audience, especially since I saw this movie 5 days before my birthday.

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Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for The Namesake (2006)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
Wedding Night TopRounder
Moushumi looks like Sarah Palin! rainleaf
2 hot actors! In one movie! unseengbh42
Why do the parents immegrate to the U.S? michaelingp
a bit hypocritical? *****SPOILERS***** linx89
Arranged marriage (off topic?) su8963
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