This page has additional observations, other than the ones noted in the main review. The Namesake is a Haiku about Hindustan: minimalist, magical and intensely moving. makes a fairly good film out of a fairly nothing novel. Mira Nair stays wedded to a muted emotional expression even in the strongest moments of drama. The sequences that hold your interest are mostly those that feature Irrfan and Tabu. It's clear that the film's central theme is alienation from other cultures and one's own, and it's remarkable how the director hits the right note from the very start. You can almost smell the air and feel the wind while watching the film. Update: Corrected spelling mistake - 'Ashim' replaced by 'Ashima'. This is one of those rare occasions where how the story is told consumes the audience rather than the story itself. The beauty lies in the depth of the relationships touched upon. High on emotions and jerking tears along the way, this one is worth a watch just for the performances. I must admit that I haven’t read the book, and this could be one of those things that didn’t find their way into the movie. However, since it is a movie that tries to be as close to reality as possible, it is the missing nuances that bothered me a couple of times during the two hours. It is amazing how with just one movement of her eye, you know exactly what her character is feeling. The lady gracefully ages from a daughter to a wife to a mother. By any standards, this is a Tabu movie all the way.

While the characters of Ashima (Tabu) and Ashoke (Irrfan Khan) are sketched out in quite some detail and are played out beautifully, some parts of Gogol’s (Kal Penn) character seemed superficial, especially his love life. They will enjoy the narrative nevertheless. This could also mean that people who haven’t lived outside India for an extended period of time might not identify with the characters. Especially, how Tabu and Irrfan lose the heavy Bangla accent gradually as the years go by. The story is no doubt a truthful and authentic narration of the average NRI family who moved abroad in the 70s - from the locations and sets to the accents and reactions of various characters.

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