04-03-2007, 05:09 PM
Thanks Viren. I want to watch when Ravan takes over.
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The key to understanding Namesake is that it is an American novel with Indian characters. It has all the three grand themes of American literature as ennunciated by John Ruskin- sex, lies and death. What the movie does is tell the American audience that the Indian 'model minority' is as dysfunctional as American Pie. Despite all the high achievers, education at the best utys in the US, and the high econmic status, the Indian family is as dysfunctional as the rest of America. In that aspect the film is a project for mainstreaming the Indian presence in the US. The film also has the grand theme of intra familial conflict between the protoganist and the father, sibling rivalry, spousal conflict and so on. The part depicting the early life of Ashoke and Ashima in the New York apartment is what most desis will relate to. The rest does not reconcile with the composite Indian American experience in the US. The film is a window on one family and should not be generalized to stereo type all Indian American diasporia. For example it is not a window on Indian American women who have marched forth and blazed new trails- Indira Nooyi, Radha Basu etc. I am not mentioning the Rutgers Uty social scientists etc.
I feel that it is part of Mira Nair's project to portray the Indian family highlighting the warts and all as she did before in Mississippi Masala genere. The film will leave a bad taste on desi immigrant viewers with a sense of emptyness. The touching thing was Ashoke character who we never see reading another book again after he comes to America and dies alone far from his family. Ashima gets to study music just as in the starting scene. I have no sympathy for the protoganist who creates a conflict like a rebel without a cause. Yeah in the end he does change but causes a lot of hurt in the meantime.
Wonder if there is a plan to project the conflicted middle class Indian immigrant as the ideal IA to the US audience? Why?
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The key to understanding Namesake is that it is an American novel with Indian characters. It has all the three grand themes of American literature as ennunciated by John Ruskin- sex, lies and death. What the movie does is tell the American audience that the Indian 'model minority' is as dysfunctional as American Pie. Despite all the high achievers, education at the best utys in the US, and the high econmic status, the Indian family is as dysfunctional as the rest of America. In that aspect the film is a project for mainstreaming the Indian presence in the US. The film also has the grand theme of intra familial conflict between the protoganist and the father, sibling rivalry, spousal conflict and so on. The part depicting the early life of Ashoke and Ashima in the New York apartment is what most desis will relate to. The rest does not reconcile with the composite Indian American experience in the US. The film is a window on one family and should not be generalized to stereo type all Indian American diasporia. For example it is not a window on Indian American women who have marched forth and blazed new trails- Indira Nooyi, Radha Basu etc. I am not mentioning the Rutgers Uty social scientists etc.
I feel that it is part of Mira Nair's project to portray the Indian family highlighting the warts and all as she did before in Mississippi Masala genere. The film will leave a bad taste on desi immigrant viewers with a sense of emptyness. The touching thing was Ashoke character who we never see reading another book again after he comes to America and dies alone far from his family. Ashima gets to study music just as in the starting scene. I have no sympathy for the protoganist who creates a conflict like a rebel without a cause. Yeah in the end he does change but causes a lot of hurt in the meantime.
Wonder if there is a plan to project the conflicted middle class Indian immigrant as the ideal IA to the US audience? Why?