This is not a review.. if you are expecting a review please move to someone else’s work.. this is a rant a pure rant… I will just try to wrap it up in 7500.. no promises..
When I was a kid I read somewhere that a picture speaks more than a 1000 words.. our director' also might have read this and might have concluded if a picture speaks thousand words.. then a video should speak a million words..and a whole 16 reel movie must speak billion and trillion words.. but in this case it killed the million words of authors great work or as Gabbar says in Sholay.. pura ka pura mitti main mila diya.. aaak thu….. Now I sympathize with those who saw RGV raping Sholay with his AAG..
I wanted to see this for a long long time.. *Amit (main_chup)* has actually tried hard to make me see this movie during my last visit but somehow I was not supposed to see it there.. finally today when I came back from a journey and wanted to rest I got a chance to watch it as my friend has purchased its DVD.. I was dieing to do a comparision review with the novel.. I thought after watching movie I will read FE’s review and my own take on the book and do a neat write up.. but was agitated after seeing it.. so couldn’t take the courage to read them again.. as I might be tempted to give up on it.. this is pure case of ... body there but soul missing..
I wrote the review on the book when I was visiting India.. and posted it few hours before the flight I planned to do the same with the movie again with my planned travel but some how after watching it I wanted to dissect it and I opened my outlook at 130 in night and here I am puking wholeheartedly.
Now to cut a long story short.. Namesake, the movie is based on the novel by the same name from Jhumpa lahari.. hang on.. the screenplay is not as it is from the Novel infact screenplay is an adaptation by Sooni Taraporevala.. so in reality it’s the vision of Sooni not Jhumpa.. every person who reads a book is free to interpret it as he wishes or understands.. my views and Mira(Sooni’s) doesn’t match.. that’s why she is Mira and I am Ravi..
The novel by Jhumpa is one of the best depiction of lifes of south asian immigrant population.. Mira’s film is nothing but a tabloid… doing a page3 of it.
Fault lines –
*All over.. but some imp ones which cant be missed..
The Gogol birth’s, the opening scene of book is screwed up.. it was imp as it signified the loneliness of Ashima in her new homeland, just shown as passing ref in movie just for the sake of it.
Pace of the movie.. pathetic.. book is like a stream of water.. and movie was like a shower from a blocked water line
Make up of Tabu – I thought Mira can afford better makeup man.. and if not.. Tabu is gorgeous enough with out makeup.. her skin looked yuk..(over use of gloss to show her young).. unluckily I have heard mira ranting on coffee with Karan in presence of Tabu.. this is Tabu’s best movie.. thank god Tabu is still alive..
Editing.. As Geoff boycott says.. my grandmother would have played this ball better.. I would say.. even a ladies tailor would have cut it better..
The making out scene between Irfan and Tabu was unnecessary and poorly shooted.( may be just for the awards circuit)
Budget – Novel is based in 3 cities and touches 2-3 more cities.. Mira retorted to only NY and Calcutta with a glimpse of Taj and Ohio. even the train accident looks to be shooted on a shoestring budget..
Biggest change in story.. Ashoke doing his Phd at NY.. In novel he is at Cambridge, Massachusetts and this is imp because the story revolves about Gogol growing away from his family in his college and then work in NY and coming back to family after his dad’s death.. If Mira thinks parents living in NY suburbs and son in city can depict distance and can show Tabu’s pain for his child.. I found it funny.. especially after living in NY.
Arjun Bhasin (dress designer) the movie chronicles from 70’s to 2000.. he forgot the era....many a times.. for ex.. the Tshirt Kal wears as a highschool guy is a recent fashion not the 90’s.
Over prolonging the Tabu’s shoe scene.. I felt like searching for scissors.
Ruth – *A major part of Gogol’s growing years given a cut.. wow.. superfast editing of screenplay.
Very wrongly used the main scene from novel.. Ashoke telling his son the reason for naming him Gogol.. Used haphazardly in the movie.
Mo’s love story.. missing.. the love scenes missing.. tch.. tch for a world class director..
Now the redeeming points –
*Starting scene (train accident) has been used nicely.. it was an imp event of his life..
Brooke smith*- a case of good casting (credit to Cindy Tolan).. Impressed me again after *weeds*… (amit bhai sorry couldn’t stop myself from mentioning her)
Titles.. Fantastic use of Bengali alphabets and English, very innovative and gels with story concept.
Capturing Calcutta.. (Watched the full version DVD.. there is a 5 min extra tribute to Calcutta too)
The hot scenes between Gogol and Mo were great.. Especially the Yeh mera deewanapan hai ya mohabbat ka saroor…part. (May be again an indian touch for award circuit but Jhumpa had better visualization.. more sensuous)
Kal penn (kalpen patel).. no one can put more soul in this character.. As he has himself gone thru the process of name change.. The movie belongs to him.
Tabu – won’t he be there dialogue..
NY bridges.. great long shots.
Being rescued was the first miracle of my life.. you are the second.. * rightly said by Ashoke.. irfan lived up even in a dead script
TRIVIA –
*Director: Mira Nair
Writers: Sooni Taraporevala (screenplay), Jhumpa Lahiri (novel)
Release: March 2007
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Cast-
**Irfan Khan ... Ashoke Ganguli
Kal Penn ... Gogol Ganguli
Tabu ... Ashima A. Ganguli
Tanusree Shankar ... Ashima's Mother
Sabyasachi Chakravarthy ... Ashima's Father
Zuleikha Robinson ... Moushumi Mazumdar
Jacinda Barrett ... Maxine 'Max' Ratliff
Sahira Nair ... Sonia Ganguli
*My take –** Dump the DVD in trash and rush to the book store..
( you can read my take on book @ https://mouthshut.com/review/Namesake___The_-_Jhumpa_Lahiri-133949-1.html )
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I believe in freedom of speech.. but dont support MS autocratic review editing.
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Arrey yaaron purra ho gaya … ab move to ratings and commenting….. Phadne ka hai toh phaad daalo…
Ratings, Comments, Discussion and Criticism are more than welcome..
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Looking forward to my first NU :-)**
