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Fox Searchlight The Namesake DVD

Kal Penn (Actor), Irrfan Khan (Actor), Mira Nair (Director) Rated:
PG-13
Format: DVD
4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 1,331 ratings
IMDb7.5/10.0
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Genre Drama
Format AC-3, Dolby, Subtitled, Color, Dubbed, Multiple Formats, Widescreen, NTSC
Contributor Sukanya, Tabu, Sahira Nair, Ruma Guha Thakurta, Sooni Taraporevala, Tanushree Shankar, Jacinda Barrett, Jhumpa Lahiri, Mira Nair, Irrfan Khan, Brooke Smith, Kal Penn, Jagannath Guha, Sandip Deb, Zuleikha Robinson See more
Language English, French, Hindi
Runtime 2 hours and 2 minutes
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Product Description

Product description

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. System Requirements:Running Time: 114 Mins.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: DRAMA/AMERICANS ABROAD Rating: PG-13 UPC: 024543456087 Manufacturer No: 2245608

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Adapted by screenwriter Sooni Taraporevala from the novel by Jhumpa Lahiri, director Mira Nair's The Nameksake is populated by well-drawn characters and filled with memorable shots and engaging scenes. But in the larger sense, the film is a provocative look at the two sides of immigration: the adjustments faced by a couple who move here from a distant land, and the struggles of their offspring to reconcile their parents' traditional culture with their own distinctly American outlook. The tale begins in the late '70s, when aspiring engineer Ashoke Ganguli (Irfan Khan) and his new wife Ashima (the radiant Tabu) move to New York from Calcutta. Life in America is strange, in ways both good (the gas in their apartment stays on 24 hours a day! You can drink water straight from the tap!) and not-so-hot (New York's winters). But for their children, first son Gogol (a standout performance by Kal Penn, heretofore best known for the stoner comedy Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle), nicknamed for his father's favorite author, the Russian novelist Nikolai Gogol, and then daughter Sonia (Sahira Nair), "the American way" is at odds with their folks' more conservative mores. Gogol (who later adopts his more formal first name, Nikhil) smokes dope, calls his parents "you guys," goes to Yale, and hooks up with a preppie white girl (Jacinda Barrett); for her part, Sonia complains that she wants to "go home" when the family returns to India for a visit. Only when tragedy strikes suddenly does the young man realize how totally alienated from his family he has become, prompting some major changes. There's nothing especially original about any of this, and even those who haven't read the book may sense that some of Lahiri's material has been lost on the way to the screen (the treatment of Gogol's marriage to a beautiful Bengali-American girl, played by Zuleikha Robinson, seems oddly truncated). But even while dealing with life's Big Issues (birth and death, marriage and separation, joy and misery), Nair has created a winning, intimate film that reminds us of the strength of family ties and effortlessly persuades us to care. --Sam Graham

Kal Penn Blogs About The Namesake

Welcome to The Namesake DVD. After touring the festival circuit last year, our film opened globally (including North America) in March of this year, and I’m proud to bring you the DVD!

This is a project that has been close to me from the beginning. I was a big fan of the book ever since John Cho recommended it to me during the first Harold & Kumar shoot. John and I tried to get rights to turn the book into the film, but Mira [Nair, director of Monsoon Wedding and Salaam Bombay] had already acquired them. That began a really aggressive campaign on my part to try to get seen for the role. I’d call Mira’s office, have my manager call – but we had no luck in getting in the door. Luckily, unbeknownst to me, Mira’s son Zohran and her agent’s son Sam were lobbying on my behalf (turns out they are huge Harold and Kumar fans, so they were trying to get their parents to bring me in to read for the part of Gogol). Mira finally agreed, and I got a call saying that I’d be able to audition. I flew out to New York, and luckily things worked out.

There are some similarities between my life and Gogol’s. We are both Americans of Indian descent, both born and raised on the East Coast, both bilingual, and both passionate about our careers. But Gogol is much more subdued than I am; he carries a certain silence (which he gets from his father). His place in the world is one of constant shift -- a byproduct of being single in New York, being passionate about his job, close with his family, and so on.

This film is my favorite to -date. Mira has been a role model of mine since I was very young, Jhumpa [Lahiri, author of The Namesake] is one of my favorite authors, Sooni [Taraporevala, screenwriter for Salaam Bombay] one of my most admired screenwriters, so it’s an honor to have the chance to be part of the screen adaptation of this story.

To me, it’s a very American film. It’s about family, about hope – about how we all got here, through the lens of this particular family. With so much negativity every time I turn on the television, I’m proud to be part of something that hopefully leaves the audience with a tremendous amount of hope, and a connection to the people we love. -- Kal Penn

Product details

  • Aspect Ratio ‏ : ‎ 1.85:1
  • Is Discontinued By Manufacturer ‏ : ‎ No
  • MPAA rating ‏ : ‎ PG-13 (Parents Strongly Cautioned)
  • Product Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 0.53 x 5.32 x 7.5 inches; 2.72 ounces
  • Item model number ‏ : ‎ 601460
  • Director ‏ : ‎ Mira Nair
  • Media Format ‏ : ‎ AC-3, Dolby, Subtitled, Color, Dubbed, Multiple Formats, Widescreen, NTSC
  • Run time ‏ : ‎ 2 hours and 2 minutes
  • Actors ‏ : ‎ Kal Penn, Irrfan Khan, Tabu, Jacinda Barrett, Zuleikha Robinson
  • Dubbed: ‏ : ‎ Spanish
  • Subtitles: ‏ : ‎ English, French, Spanish
  • Language ‏ : ‎ Unqualified (DTS ES 6.1), English (Dolby Surround), Spanish (Dolby Surround)
  • Studio ‏ : ‎ Fox Searchlight
  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B000U2U0E4
  • Writers ‏ : ‎ Jhumpa Lahiri, Sooni Taraporevala
  • Number of discs ‏ : ‎ 1
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 1,331 ratings

Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
4.6 out of 5
1,331 global ratings
See the movie for yourself!!! Great Movie!!!
5 Stars
See the movie for yourself!!! Great Movie!!!
In the Namesake, it portrays two different cultures, Indian and the American Culture. Two generations of a Bengali family that with their traditions, they are involved in an arranged marriage. The family moves to New York from Calcutta to embark on a journey of experiencing a different culture that they have never known. They have two children. The story then shifts to focus on their son, Gogul. He is very disinterested in their culture and abiding in his family tradition. Gogul and his sister sometimes resent and make fun of their parents’ tradition. This movie actually portrays being Indian and American at the same time. The family’s son meets a young girl, which is American and not of their culture. The Indian culture has many traditions, such as no kissing and no touching. This really shows the culture gap when he explains to her that none of this is welcomed in front of his parents. This movie really represents how different cultures believe and how they are so different and what takes place with interactions from someone out of your culture. This is a great movie, one culture merging with another and their differences, arranged marriages, adultery, discrimination, and self-identity.I believe this movie sheds much light on the Indian culture and may help you to understand the culture. There are great actors chosen that really tell the story as if you lived it yourself or were actually there. This is a must see movie that will help you understand how it seems that two worlds can collide and then find common ground. Being raised by one culture and then thrust your children into another can seem to be rather challenging. Family tradition is always great, but you wonder does it take the children out of the traditions, when they are trying to live in two different cultures at the same time. Watch the movie and see it for yourself!!!!
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Top reviews from the United States

Dellisia Nicole
5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing!
Reviewed in the United States on November 14, 2018
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This movie was truly more moving than I anticipated. The Namesake is about a young man by the name of Gogol and his struggle between his given Indian culture and the American culture that he was raised in. His parents Ashoke and Ashima are from West Bengal, India. His parents settled in New York and shortly after gave birth to him. Gogol was originally his nickname which eventually becomes his permanent name and the movie will chronicle the significance of his name.
The movie shows how Gogol battles to conform to his American life while his parents try to remain true to their Indian heritage. Being that Gogol’s friends are mostly white American kids, he adapts behaviors that his parents detest. He is lazy, disrespectful and smokes marijuana. After a trip to India with his parents, he seems to understand and appreciate his culture a little more.
Gogol goes off to college and after graduating he lands a job as an architect. He also decides to change his name to Nikhil and begins dating a white woman named Maxine from a wealthy family. He spends less time with his parents and they began to feel that their son is ashamed of where he comes from. As Gogol falls in love with Maxine, he decides to introduce her to his parents and their insecurities are confirmed as they fail to understand their son’s American customs. Gogol in fact grows closer to Maxine’s family and enjoys being around them more.
As Gogol is vacationing with Maxine’s family, he ignores calls from his parents as they attempt to wish him a happy birthday. While enjoying his time away, his father suffers a massive heart attack and passes away. After this he totally changes. Suddenly, he morphs into the man that his parents wanted him to be. He is open and accepting of his culture and realizes that he no longer wants to be with Maxine. He continues to support his family and take his father’s place as a male figure amongst his mother and sister.
In the movie there are several instances where culture is referenced which is closely related to religion. For instance, you will see the figures of the Hindu deities at the wedding of Ashoke and Ashima. That is one significant thing that I remember regarding religion in this movie. I ‘ve always assumed that Hindu followers are strong and devoted to their belief. Their devotion makes them strong and very proud. I see all these qualities in Ashoke and Ashima and they strongly believed in raising their children to be the same way.
14 people found this helpful
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C.Scott
5.0 out of 5 stars Could not stop watching! Growing up in America with another culture at home.
Reviewed in the United States on April 6, 2019
Verified Purchase
This is an epic movie about a boy growing up in America, whose parents are Indian immigrants. Gogol is caught between loving the American way and his cultural Hindu values. When Gogol is an adult, he has some tough realizations and discoveries during one of the hardest times of his life. Not quite fitting in with American families and not quite fitting in with his own. He feels that his families cultural is somewhat silly until, life gives him a not so great surprise and then he trys to learn to blend his American and Indian cultures together, although that does not quite work either. Only to find that finding yourself can be one of the most freeing experiences, and that you can have roots and wings.

This pertains to World Religions, because throughout the movie it shows many Hindu ceremonies, ones about marriage, birth, and death. How the grandmother of the mother gives the baby his or her name. The Hindu marriage ceremony. And what the death process is for grieving. We are drawn into the movie and the realisms of blending the Hindu faith with that of Western faiths.
2 people found this helpful
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R. Crane
5.0 out of 5 stars Conflicts of Immigrant Cultures
Reviewed in the United States on February 15, 2009
Verified Purchase
"The Namesake" is a look into the lives of an immigrant Bengali-American family as two generations cope with conflicts of culture and life. The parents assimilate into American life, arriving in this country as married grown adults. They adhere to their Bengali traditions but learn to build new lives, far away from their roots and relatives. The children, born in this country, regard themselves as "American" first, and seek to reconcile their family's upbringing and Bengali traditions with the secular, loose, American lifestyle. These are often in conflict.

"The Namesake" refers to why the father, Ashoke, named his son "Gogol", honoring the famed but flawed Russian author. Ashoke was reading one of Gogol's books while talking to a fellow train passenger outside Calcutta when there was a tragic train wreck. Before dying, the passenger advised Ashoke that life was short and to get out of India and see the world. This was a life transforming experience, and as one of the few survivors of the wreck, Ashoke took his advice and ended up living and raising a family in America. The name "Gogol" was a problem for the boy, making him the target of ridicule. The idea of names and identity is a theme throughout the movie.

This is an excellent movie that feels Indian but not Bollywood. There is something universal about the problems immigrants face on coming to America, and the impacts on the next generation. The movie talks to people of all immigrant backgrounds in a genuine and realistic way. It is truly a beautiful, powerful film.
4 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

Taupin Natasha
5.0 out of 5 stars namesake
Reviewed in France on August 12, 2015
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very colorful, excellent, nice story, the scenes are incredible.One wants to travel to India.
The scenes in New York are great
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Chandur Malkani
5.0 out of 5 stars Great Moie
Reviewed in Germany on July 9, 2013
Verified Purchase
This movie came right on time. It is a very good movie, specially for those, who are from India
The packing and the condition of the DVD was perfect.
One person found this helpful
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Cate
5.0 out of 5 stars Multiculturalism on the move
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 11, 2009
Verified Purchase
The movie "The Namesake" has moved me deeply. The story of this Bengali family that step-by-step enters the "New World" is told with impressive images. The inner conflict between their Indian identity and their daily life in the USA is expressed with scenes showing the family following Bengali rituals in the USA and their children in conflicts with their American classmates on the one hand and conflicts with the Bengali family in India on the other hand. A scene in which they all appear as tourists in the Tajmahal shows that they feel rather like visitors than natives in India as well.
Calcutta and New York are shown as contrasting places and the family becomes more and more like a bridge between those distant places. The perspectives change throughout the movie. A focus is certainly on Gogol and his father, but the mother's perspective, her memories of India, her feelings when her marriage was arranged and her first impressions of her new life  The NamesakeThe Overcoat (Dover Thrift) are also focussed on.
The name of the movie "The Namesake" refers to the intermedial reference that alludes the family's son "Gogol" to the Russian author of the novella "The Overcoat" which was read by his father in a crucial situation in his life.
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Jonah Christy
5.0 out of 5 stars Very good movie
Reviewed in Canada on January 5, 2022
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A real depiction of life for a Indian immigrant child who grows up in the US.
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Lyra Silvertongue
5.0 out of 5 stars A must see for any Asian who grew up in the West
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 20, 2010
Verified Purchase
I'm keeping this review short.

This movie cuts to the heart of the experience of being a part of an Asian immigrant family with kids born anytime between the 70s and 90s... the modification of one's own identity in order to 'fit in' to society, followed by the necessary balance one must achieve in order to be happy. It follows 30 years of a family's life - from the introduction of the young parents to be in Kolkata, through the childhood and adulthood of their two children.

Jhumpa Lahiri who wrote the novel, also wrote the award winning 'The Interpreter of Maladies.' This movie is smart and poignant and I guarantee that any Western Asian will recognise their own life experience in this film. For anyone who has any kind of relationship with a Western Asian, be it friendship, work colleague, or anything more, this film will help you to understand their experience and perhaps why they may indeed be the way that they are.
2 people found this helpful
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