“The Namesake” had its world debut on Saturday, at the Telluride film festival [Thanks Gautham]. We first blogged about the movie almost two years ago [We also blogged the casting call, but got no couch privileges]. The trailers [Quicktime, Real, WMP] for the movie look excellent, so I’ve been wriggling with anticipation just waiting for its release. 
For those of you just tuning in, this is a film based on Jhumpa Lahiri’s first book novel, directed by Mira Nair, and starring Kal Penn, thus making it a desi-American trifecta. The tagline is for the movie is “Two worlds. One journey,” a phrase so wonderful that it is destined to replace “blend of East and West” in matrimonial ads. Since Kal Penn even gets a blond girlfriend, I’m sure that at least one of the mutineers will go watch the movie for that reason alone. 
I have no doubt that this movie will do well with the artsy-fartsy non-brown American crowd. Mira Nair is skillful at pushing the line of prurient exoticism just far enough to maximize general interest in the movie, while never selling out.
However, this is a movie that will do well in the states but flop “back home” in India. India loves movies like Krrish, and despite annual announcements of a new Bollywood realism, I doubt that Indian audiences will take to The Namesake. “Why is the boy [Kal Penn] not dancing?”
We can get a glimpse of what the popular response to the film is likely to be from the reactions to it while a scene was being shot at the Taj Mahal. Even though the movie stars Tabu and Irfan Khan, one person stopped a journalist (confusing him with Mira Nair) to inquire:
“Are you the director Mira Nair? Why don’t you cast (Bollywood star) Shah Rukh Khan in your film?” [Link]
Another onlooker asked:
“Why is the boy [Kal Penn] not dancing?” [Link]
That’s right – a realistic portrayal of life in two countries, and people wonder why nobody is dancing. I think that pretty much sums up how Indian audiences will feel about the film. No song, no dance, no interest.
But at least it got made! I’m eagerly awaiting its US release. Anyone on the SALTAF committee in DC reading this? I’ll make the trip back East for this…
this is the holy trinity of ‘how to kill an indian movie’
otherwise known as a holy trifecta of ‘how to get this bean to watch an indian flick’
shabash 🙂
It will probably get a limited release in NYC and LA and then quickly dumped on dvd.
p.s. um ennis, it will also will be of interest artsy-fartsy brown(macaca) ‘exotic’ indian american crowds. woot woot 😉
Vikram – why so pessimistic? Here’s how Monsoon wedding did:
Foreign grosses were even higher:
Mira Nair’s no box-office naif …
America loves movies like Beerfest.
Sorry Ennis, but i don’t think this movie will “do well” in the states. Maybe its dollars per screen will be high, but if anything it will play in limited release.
Sorry Bean, I meant that to be implicit when I described it as the trifecta of desi-American bliss.
Yay! How exciting- I can’t wait for the movie to come out. ( I though the book sucked but the trailer looks awesome!) Maybe I can get some mutineers from the forthcoming LA meetup to go watch the film. And MAYBE, just maaaaybe, Kal Penn will let Sepia Mutiny do an exclusive interview for publicity for this movie. As an LA mutineer, I will kindly offer my services to volunteer for said task. 😉
Even the best of directors can have a flop due to various factors… none to really do with the film itself: timing, marketing and mood of the audience. Somehow I think “The Namesake” might be a bigger hit on video than theatrically. A film like “Blade Runner” died at the box office in ’82, but has now become a standard by which most sci-fi films are judged.
Lavanya,
Sorry but your analysis is dead wrong. India had 3x the US population. It will make a lot more here on a relative basis than it will in India. Assuming the price of ticket is around 100 rupees and adjusting for that population difference, the movie will have a better run here than in India. Yes Americans will see Beerfest, I certainly did, but I also look forward to this movie. Face it, the state of movies in India is action or overly melodramatic. Nothing much in between.
Agreed on Kal Penn, and conceded on myself. Still, Mira Nair, Tabu and Irfan Khan are all Indian, and the story is that of an Indian family.
That actress is wearing the worst blond wig I have ever seen…..
Ennis, ‘two worlds, one journey,’ is an utterly awesome phrase, I agree.
I am not sure what do people have in mind when they drool over Kal Penn. Is it his looks or talent? I think he is a mediocre at both.
Does anyone know when this comes out? The official website lists the release date as 3/9/2007, but I heard that it is being released on 9/20/2006.
Assuming that it comes out on the 20th, any mutineers in the NYC area want to check it out?
Blasphemy.
Seriously, that is the only way to describe it.
In my experience (so ya’ll don’t start freaking out on me), many (I didn’t say all) Indians-from-India either don’t understand the issues of desis in America (and, I suppose, why should they?), or think it’s one long sob story. If I felt that way about something I probably wouldn’t see a film about it.
However, I think it will be pretty successful in the States. Practically everyone I know saw Water, and that was a potentially less “accessible” film. Maybe that’s just my delusional NYC attitude, though.
Also, I think people of all walks of life can identify with various elements of The Namesake. I don’t just see films with brown people in them, so… Plus, Indian culture is, like, sooooo cool, y’know?
The Fox website just says this fall – where did you get the date of the 20th from?
I heard it was pushed back to Spring 07 from Fall 06 because of potential competition from other films.
Also, for those of you who might be as obsessed (or, um wriggling), check out The Namesake blog, written by Mr. Modi himself.
Vikram,
Go back and re-read what I wrote. Did I say The Namesake would “do better” in India? No. I said, the Namesake will not “do well” in the US. And when I said “do well,” what I really meant was, “it will not play in wide release, nor will it be a blockbuster a la Beerfest.” Ergo, it may not do well in India, but it won’t do well in the US either.
Calm the hell down before you make assumptions about what I am saying.
Ummm – even at the slowest point in the year, Beerfest isn’t in the top 10. Hardly a blockbuster.
Dunno what the obsession with Beerfest is. It will probably be gone in a week. Probably show up on dvd in the “unrated” format in a month and forgotten. Hardly a hit.
Yawn…another movie/book about confused Indian-Americans….hasn’t this already been done before? And the same tired Indian-boy-wants-white-chick-but-encounters-CONSERVATIVE-Indian-family plot….Yawn
jhumpa lahiri = overrated
R.K. Narayan wrote better books in English than almost all of these desi-English authors…
btw is it just me or does Kal Penn look like Khrisna from the DD Mahabharat serial in that pic? hmm…
Marvelous turn of phrase there. Me three.
The relevant trifecta for me is Mira Nair (I object to your “pushing the line of prurient exoticism” Ennis!), Kal Penn and Nitin Sawhney (soundtrack). I’m no fan of Jhumpa.
A couple of months ago, I had a chat with the wonderful Ms Nair in a Chinese restaurant. After gushing shamelessly about Monsoon Wedding, I had one request only before I let her return to her extra spicy garlic spinach: that she cast me as a goonda in her remake of Munnabhai MBBS.
She cheerfully agreed.
Noticed an interesting thing on the FoxSearchLight website . Tabu was listed with her real full name Tabassum Hasmi instead of just Tabu. I have never seen her go by her real name before, why do you think that is?
One clarification: maximum respect to Jhumpa Lahiri for her hard work, her poise, and her success. She simply doesn’t appeal to me on a literary level, a fate she shares with 95% of all writers.
Thanks for the link to Kal Penn’s blog. I hope the movie does well.
“I have never seen her go by her real name before, why do you think that is?”
probably because it’s a “western” movie and she’s an unknown in this part of the world. but they have put tabu in parentheses next to her full name.
Yawn…another movie/book about confused Indian-Americans….hasn’t this already been done before? And the same tired Indian-boy-wants-white-chick-but-encounters-CONSERVATIVE-Indian-family plot….Yawn
When it comes to being entertained by Indian American talent we seem to have a very low threshold. Think Kal Penn, Russell Peters ( and all those stupid desi stand ups ), Toral Mehta ( she was a featured guest at NET IP in Chicago ), DJ Rekha. This last one here recently won an Artist in Residency grant or something. I am not sure what her talent is. Besides playing the same shit (other people’s with no value addition ) over and over again. More a hustler than a real talent. Ditto for productions like Bombay Dreams, American Desi, India Rising e.t.c
At least you’re not bitter.
What? Oh.
What? Oh
Pls explain? I got the bitter part though. Maybe I am just overanalyzing. Maybe I am just paranoid.
it’s sad that we seem to expect any desi in a prominent position to act as ambassador of our little diaspora and radiate perfection. sigghhh, i blame the parents.
i can’t wait to see this movie. right after Beerfest.
I’ve not read Namesake, Suitable Boy, God of Small Things, and many, many other desi authored books that I probably should get around to reading. But big-ups to R.K. Narayan. My parents turned me on to his Malgudi stories and I’ve grown to love them.
Sorry, JM. That’s unfortunately one of the two things I don’t do.
Tabu is a such a hot MILF in this
I have no doubt that this movie will do well with the artsy-fartsy non-brown American crowd
Um….really – what was the point of this post Ennis, except, it seems to put down Indians in India? You say this movie will do well with the “Artsy-Fartsy” crowd in America. Well it will do well the “Artsy-Fartsy” crowd in India too. Or does a nation of one billion people lack an “artsy fartsy” crowd. Yes, you are right, this won’t be a mega-blockbuster with Kal-Penn’s face on every McSoda plastic cup, but so-the-fornicate-what?
So a certain segment of America will like this film, but all of India will hate it. And that makes it a ‘flop’, because random strangers passing comments at the Taj Mahal, again represent the tastes of each and every billionth of India. Thanks for the stereotypes dude.
Or will you cop out now and say that you weren’t putting India down, just saying that ‘tastes’ vary. And as for ‘a realistic portrayal of life’ have you ever been to an Indian wedding in India? Do you know how many weddings there are everyday? And that’s just weddings. Yes, there is a lot of song and dance in India. Just because the men and women don’t make their clothes and location change in an instant, doesn’t mean they don’t break out into song and dance at any given opportunity.
At least you’re not bitter
I actually am because I am better! It’s human!
And yet these are the people who will get all the accolades and attention. Take Jhumpa Lahiri for example. From what I have read that in The Namesake she tries to portrays Bengali culture in her book. Being a Bengali, I take offense in that, because what she is doing can be best classfied as pandering to white culture/audience. I wonder exactly how much she knows about Bengali culture herself, seeing that she was born abroad and spent all of her life there. For a person like this to try to portray Bengali, much less Indian, culture is disingenous at best. Which is why you get these typical stories about identity crisis whining and culture clashes from these new breed of so-called Indian authors. Stories like The Namesake have been done millions of times before, so there’s nothing original about them anymore. The sad part is that true Indian writing will never be exposed nor accepted here. The Western audience wants pre-packaged writing comprised of stereotypical stories about Indians, which is why you get so many Westerners swooning over unoriginal authors like Ms. Lahiri. Give them stories about arranged marriages and conservative Indian families and you are instantly taken to the top of the New York Times bestseller list. I wonder how many of these people have heard of Rabindranath or Premchand? It’s amusing to see NRIs getting orgasms over The Namesake and Kal Penn, who lacks in both looks and talent, and patting themselves in the back to see him with a “blonde” on screen. Not to mention Mira Nair, who along with Gurinder Chaddha, is part of the new breed of “let’s package Indian culture so that Westerners will like it” type directors. Let’s hope The Namesake will go away quickly.
About the indignation towards Ennis.
Why do people take everything the wrong way these days?
Amazing. That is word for word the same arguments that were being made against Brick Lane here in the UK. Just swap ‘Monica Ali’ for ‘Jhumpa Lahiri’ and word for word those words could be spoken by Syed Ali from Stepney.
Bengali women writers have it tough.
Ahh…Brick Lane, another classic “HEY WESTERNERS! Look at how Indian/Muslim culture oppresses women” book. They have been done before as well. Ask Taslima Nasreen, another Bengali woman author who has it tough, but probably has more literary prowess and experience in Indian culture than both Monica Ali and Jhumpa Lahiri.
Actually I think I have a sneaking admiration for those writers who make it rich from pandering blatantly. If they do it, the whole Mango-Curry-Arranged Marriage-Culture Clash thing, and don’t make money, then it’s just tragic. But if you sell a million, I wonder…..
Anyway, I dont agree with your putting of The Namesake in that bracket. I think it was quite low key, with some strong moments, especially in the intimate moments between father and son. Not bad. Definitely not pandering.
Er, if he cut down on the gratuitous condescension towards Indian movies and audiences, that might be a start?
Ennis, dude, I usually love your posts, but really, why would an Indian audience relate to the story of Namesake at all? Besides, Indian audiences (justifiably, to some extent) perceive the general art-film circuit as a way for moviemakers to get awards out of showing how poor or exotic etc India is. I totally grant that Mira Nair is NOT that way.
Indian cinematic conventions are different, that’s all. I refuse to entertain any comparison to Hollywood or French films or whatever. I view movies as a means of entertainment first, and art second, unlike European movie makers/audiences. And I see nothing wrong with either approach whatsoever. I would rather not see any Frenchification of Bollywood in my lifetime!
That being said, I loved the book, and totally look forward to The Namesake soon.
Are there any female Indian writers who are not wicked pandering witches to your knowledge, Fei?
You know, everyone says these things are stereotypes, but guess what? These issues and themes are real. It’s not the themes that make a book worthy or unworthy in themselves, it’s the treatment. Dismissing Monica Ali and Jhumpa Lahiri as Aunty Toms is just too simplistic. There are plenty of crappy writers out there like that, not very good writers who are full on to that mehndi-mango-sari cover type thing. You are right that this whole curry-sari-culture clash thing is like a genre. But I dont think Brick Lane or The Namesake fall into those categories. They’re not masterpieces, but there’s no way you can put them in the same bracket as Nisha Minhas or those other abominations.
Enis also seems to confuse Bollywood movies with Indian movies. Not that I disagree with him (her?) about Bollywood movies being crap.
Because we all know that “people like this” are totally devoid of any knowledge of or respect for the culture of their parents/grandparents/ancestors. Also, just to nit-pick, much of The Namesake is specifically about Bengalis who were part of the diaspora, as were Lahiri’s parents.
you seem to be confused in the sense that you think that there are only “female Indian writers” in the West.
Stop condescending Indian audiences Ennis! You have riled them like a stingray off the Australian Coast!
Apologies for condescending tone, if any….. 😀
Er…gross generalization?
Yaah. I’m really confused. I didnt know that there were male Indian writers in the West.
It’s just that your guns were blazing on two very successful and quite talented female writers, you know.
Anyway, doesnt Tabu look MILF-style hot in this film?
Maybe the people got it right. How can one be real without dancing?