The Namesake is adapted from Jhumpa Lahiri’s debut novel of the same name by director Mira Nair (Monsoon Wedding, Vanity Fair). The movie explores the clash of cultures within a family as Indian-born parents raise their children in America. Gogol, the namesake of the title, is the son of Ashoke and Ashami Ganguli whose marriage was arranged by their parents. His naming is itself a product of the culture clash, as the American requirement to have a name on a birth certificate catches the Gangulis by surprise. Ashoke chooses “Gogol” from the 19th-century Russian-language writer Nikolai Gogol from what is now Ukraine. Gogol’s writings have special meaning for Ashoke and he eventually tries to communicate this to his son who has found the name more a source of embarrassment in American schools than of pride.

The movie moves between India and America, and focuses on Gogol Ganguli’s rebellion against his parents’ customs through an eventual accommodation. But it is also about the adjustments made by Ashoke and Ashami. Ashami in particular finds it hard to relate to her completely American children, while Ashoke has a more relaxed attitude and seems confident that his children and his wife will be okay in their adopted country. Nair’s direction gives a strong sense of place to both American suburbia and the overpopulated cities of India. The disconnect between the cultures is palpable and it drives home just how much adaptation is needed by those who immigrate to a foreign country.