Diaspora and The Namesake

Foucault’s objective “has been to create a history of the different modes by which in our culture, human beings are made subjects” (Rabinow, p.7). This line reiterates the basis of films, where characters or human bodies are also made into subjects within framed context, propagating a histography of culture through the different genres of horror, comedy amongst others, but more forcefully through Third World Cinema. In this respect The Namesake, undeniably sheds some light on how culture affects the dislocated body but also moulds an identity and thereby creating the sentiment of empathy with its spectators. This is a film “culturally rooted” in Third Cinema which dwells amidst the complexities of the intermingling of two cultures and a search for identity which eventually culminates in the triumph of knowing, who you are.

The Namesake has been directed by Mira Nair and is based on the novel written by Jhumpa Lahiri of the same title. The film would be categorised as Third Cinema which as per its definition, involves “a wider circle of the cinematic productions of Third World people (retroactively defined as such), whether or not the films adhere to the principles of Third Cinema and irrespective of the period of their making” (Shohat and Stam, p.28) but at the same time it would also be called a diasporic film “…which both build on and interrogates the convention of Third Cinema” (Shohat and Stam, p.28). Diasporic films lead to “Third World” cinema being made and supported financially in the “First World”. In this sense we can say that there has been an acceptance with regards to diasporic films, even if on a rather minute scale. Initially though, post-colonial films like “Road of Life (1980), Hour of the Furnaces (1968)”( Shohat and Stam, p.29) among many others dealt mainly with political issues but The Namesake deals with the issues of the dislocated body as a result of those same post-colonial effect of race and identity. The film revolves around a Bengali family but Mira Nair takes a polycentric multiculturalist approach, rather than targeting a particular group of people or a segment of society. The film tries to bind people together and speaks to everyone irrespective of their cultural background within a reality that exists. We can say that The Namesake is an experiential piece of work since it embodies the reality of Mira Nair and Jhumpa Lahiri’s lives, of also being part of a diaspora.

The story of The Namesake is set for the most part in America. Ashoke Ganguli who has been studying in America for the past two years goes back to his hometown, Calcutta, India, and marries a Bengali girl, Ashima. Together they head back to the USA and embark on their new journey there. They eventually have a son Gogol and a daughter Sonia. The plot revolves around this family and the intricacies that come with being first generation migrant bound so much to their tradition and bringing up second generation American-Indians perpetually conflicted by identity crisis. The Namesake’s opening credit shifts continuously from Bengali script to English presenting the ambiguous nature of the film’s theme which is that of cultural identity. This could either be seen as a crisis between east and west or a harmonizing nature depicted through the mélange of both languages.

A large number of diasporic films “explore the identitary complexities of exile- from one’s own geography, from one’s own history, from one’s own body- within innovative narrative strategies” (Shohat and Stam, p.318). The Namesake does not deal with forced exile in the literal sense but an existentialist choice that Ashoke and Ashima made, which nonetheless depicts the same sentiments of being in exile which is strewn about all over the film through the experience of isolation. In the beginning of the film, a contrast has been made between India which has been shot in a very colourful décor with a crowd of family at the airport bidding Ashima and Ashoke farewell and the consecutive scene portraying an almost deserted like, snowy and grey America. The wintery atmosphere outside is reflected in the couple’s room which also seems very gloomy. This creates a stark difference setting the tone for the film that Mira Nair has tried to create inorder to enhance this feeling of loneliness one feels in a foreign land through strategic use of a fitting colour palette. It grips the viewer and everybody can easily identify to this scene of loneliness which Walter Benjamin had rightly said regarding “…cinematic intelligibility in terms of ‘tactile appropriation’ and elsewhere he speaks to the viewer’s ‘mimetic faculty’ a sensuous and bodily form of perception” (Sobchack, p.55), which is so true since one feels the loneliness through the body, where you feel like just curling up your body in a cocoon to protect yourself against the slicing loneliness while watching this scene. As we go through this scene and relating back to Ashima’s traditional ways, there is a part where she prepares some cornflakes which is traditionally a very American food, but instead of pouring milk in it, she puts chilli powder, this can come as a bit of surprise to the western audience. Having the cornflakes this way is part of her cultural background and identity, for it is the only way she has learnt to eat it. This scene on the other hand also reveals her first experience of being in a new country to which she would have to adapt and learn certain rules of the road in order to build her niche and fit in. Globally, very little is known about other cultures outside of the western context, where most people naturally would not know that India has a dish which is quite like cornflakes but is called chivda or chaat eaten with spice or massala . Ashima would simply be seen here as defying what is accepted as “normal”. Another way of translating this scene could be through the dependency theory, where there is an unacceptance of the Eurocentric ways. The west blamed Third World nation’s underdevelopment due to the fact that they kept to their cultural traditions rather than following in the latter’s footsteps . Ashima also wearing her sari throughout the film shows her firm relationship in keeping with her tradition and at the same time evolving and learning what is best from her new environment.

Another equally important character in the film is that of Gogol, and as the name of the film implies, The Namesake, Gogol has been named after the Russian, Nikolai Gogol, who was Ashoke’s favourite author. The story of Gogol Ganguli is that of an American-Indian boy and his struggle in situating himself in between these two worlds where he is bound to a hyphenated identity . He situates himself within a present culture but brings on the luggage of another, where one is always more obvious then the other, for if Gogol is based simply on the appearance, he would be termed as an Indian but if by his accent an American. It is tautological but whereby any meaning leads to that same individual. Gogol’s case is complex, for he is American-Indian but has a funny Russian name which makes him the centre of taunts. The Namesake tries to evade from that usual conflict of a person from any diaspora who faces having a traditional name, which becomes hard to pronounce and therefore the name is westernised. In the film Gogol’s name is changed to Nikhil to make it easier on the boy, but as one family friend in the film rightly remarks that the name would be regressed as Nick, and that obviously happens later on. The actor playing Gogol in The Namesake is known internationally as Kal Penn but his real name is actually Kalpen Suresh Modi, who is American born like his character, and it seems in order to survive and be more acceptable in Hollywood, he had to change his name as well. There is pun intended in the closing credit of the film as well, through the list of the cast next to Gogol, Kal Penn is written and next to Nikhil you have Kalpen Modi. As Gogol grows up and taking the name of Nikhil, there is a distance that has been formed between his parents and himself. He is living his own life, which at times is difficult for Ashima but she is constantly reminded by Ashoke that “this is America” and children do as they please. Amongst these conflicting cultures at times, it becomes difficult for children to situate themselves. Nikhil ultimately ends up dating a white American girl, Maxine, and feels closer with her family than his own. Her family represents the mass and the culture he has been trying to emulate while growing up. Even though he is very much accepted by them, he is introduced as the Indian Architect to their friends and his name instead of being Nikhil is pronounced as Nikool. Analysing this, there comes the issue of “denial of difference and the denial of sameness” (Shohat and Stam, p.24). Here Maxine’s family denies he is different but at the same time denies he is similar to them. When Gogol takes Maxine home to meet his parents, he tells her not to hold hands or touch him infront of his parents, because they are not used to these public displays. It reflects his obeisance to the culture that he is trying hard to escape, which could be seen as an unconscious acceptance of it as well and here his own denial of difference and sameness. Quite often it happens that minority groups are so under scrutiny that it makes them feel that being part of that minoritarian group is wrong, they are therefore in a continuous rebellion with themselves in trying to prove they can be the “other”.

Althusser argued that ideology which asserts itself through cultural and social institutions and practices “hails or “interpellates” us. Individuals do not exist prior to or apart from systems of ideology-they are produced as effects of it . The recurrent theme of The Namesake is about asserting ideology while building and assuming your identity without refuting any aspect that makes you that unique individual person. When Ashoke passes away in the film, it brings on a transformation in Gogol, he is guilt ridden for not always being present for his parents and never quite understanding them or his culture. The scene where he learns of his father’s death is heart-wrenching, Gogol goes to a barber shop and gets his hair shaved something that he saw his father do when he was younger, at the time of death in the family. As he sits in the chair getting his hair cut, the scene goes in slow motion, with a loud rap music in the background which adds to the weight of the scene. It is two opposite things happening, sadness and a fast beat song which greatly impacts viewer where we feel the loss, where we feel the emptiness. Just as Sobchack relates to The Piano, we can say the same for this particular scene which carries on in the rituals being performed for the funeral from The Namesake, we are “… able to touch and be touched by the substance and texture of images; to feel a visual atmosphere envelope us; to experience weight, suffocation, and the need for air; to take flight in kinetic exhilaration and freedom even though we are relatively bound to our theatre seats; to be knocked backward by a sound to sometimes even taste and smell the world we see on the screen” (Sobchack, p.65). Gogol goes through a meditative period in his life and so do we as viewers with this scene; he comes to the realisation that he has to make peace with his cultural identity and accept that fact that he is a product of neo-colonialism: striking a balance and not rejecting any bit that makes him who he is.

The Namesake, is not a film that tries to be partial to any culture, in situating cultural identity but it builds on what is presently the situation and presents it to viewers. People unconsciously do impose oppressive misconceptions on societies that they do not know, whether it be of the west or the east. This film is bathed in polycentric multiculralism, it constantly praises American society and towards the end of the film, you see Ashima also being broad minded about her daughter marrying a non-Indian guy. We are taught to see further beyond groups and categories we identify to and just accept it and move forward. She opened up to the country and accepted the way of life there but also never forgetting her traditions and roots just as Gogol who was finally able to culturally situate himself.

Bibliography
- Nair, Mira, dir. The Namesake. Perfs. Irfaan Khan, Tabu, Kal Penn, Sahira Nair. Fox Searchlight Picture, 2006.
- Rabinow, Paul, (ed), Michel Foucault, The Foucault Reader.
- Shohat, Ella, and, Stam, Robert, Unthinking Eurocentrism: Multiculturalism and the Media, 1994.
- Curran, Angela, and, Donelan, Carol, ‘Gender’ in The Routledge Companion to Philosophy and Film, 2008, Ebook Library.
- Sobchack Vivian, ‘What My Fingers Knew’ in Carnal Thoughts: Embodiment and Moving Image Culture, 2004.
- Biography in Mirabhai Films, Accessed on 09.11.21, http://mirabaifilms.com/bio.html.
- About the Author in Jhumpa Lahiri, Accessed on 09.11.21 http://www.randomhouse.com/kvpa/jhumpalahiri/bio.php.