The Namesake

Critics Consensus

An ambitious exploration of the immigrant experience with a talented cast that serves the material well.

86%

TOMATOMETER

Total Count: 132

79%

Audience Score

User Ratings: 64,280

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Movie Info

"The Namesake" is the story of the Ganguli family whose move from Calcutta to New York evokes a lifelong balancing act to meld to a new world without forgetting the old. Although parents Ashoke and Ashima long for the family and culture that enveloped them in India, they take great pride in the opportunities their sacrifices have afforded their children. Paradoxically, their son Gogol is torn between finding his own unique identity without losing his heritage. Even Gogol's name represents the family's journey into the unknown.

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Cast

Irrfan Khan
as Ashoke
Kal Penn
as Gogol Ganguli
Jagannath Guha
as Ghosh
Tabu
as Ashima Ganguli
Ruma Guha Thakurta
as Ashoke's Mother
Zuleikha Robinson
as Moushumi
Sandip Deb
as Music Teacher
Sukanya
as Rini
Linus Roache
as Mr. Lawson
Brooke Smith
as Sally
Tanushree Shankar
as Ashima's Mother
Sabyasachi Chakraborty
as Ashima's Father
Glenne Headly
as Lydia
Josh Grisetti
as Jerry
Justin Rosini
as Marc
Christie Moreau
as Phone Operator
Jo Yang
as Ms. Lu
Krishna Dikshit
as Funeral Priest
Noor Lahiri Vourvoulias
as Baby Sonia
Jeb Brown
as Oliver
Jessica Blank
as Edith
MIA YOO
as Viola
Benjamin Bauman
as Donald
Sebastian Roche
as Pierre
Maximiliano Herandez
as Ben
Partha Chatterjee
as Reformed Hindoo
Supriya Devi
as Ashima's Grandmother
Sahira Nair
as Sonia
Stuart Rudin
as Crazy Wino
Heather MacRae
as Nurse Patty
Michael Countryman
as Mr. Wilcox
Kousik Bhowal
as Dr. Gupta
Rupak Ginn
as Uncle
Soham Chatterjee
as Gogol--Age 4
Daniel McCabe
as Bart
Bobby Steggert
as Jason
B.C. Parikh
as Mr. Mazumdar
Sibani Biswas
as Mrs. Mazumdar
Lakhan Das
as Baul Singer
Kharaj Mukherjee
as Chotu
Amy Wright
as Pam
Gary Cowling
as Hotel Manager
Baylen Thomas
as Blake
Jacinda Barrett
as Maxine
Tamal Roy Choudhury
as Ashoke's Father
Dhruv Mookerji
as Rana
Pallavi Shah
as Kajol Mashi
Jhumpa Lahiri
as Jhumpa Mashi
Gretchen Egolf
as Astrid
Gargi Mukherjee
as Mira Mashi
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Critic Reviews for The Namesake

All Critics (132) | Top Critics (43)

  • What holds it together are the subtle loving performances by Tabu and Khan, both Bollywoood stars. They never overplay, never spell out what can be said in a glance or a shrug, communicate great passion very quietly.

    Dec 7, 2007 | Rating: 3.5/4 | Full Review…

    Roger Ebert

    Chicago Sun-Times
    Top Critic

  • It is a saga told in small pieces, a patchwork of short scenes that tumble after each other almost apologetically, as if they would love to linger a little longer, but there is too much to tell and only so much time in which to do it.

    Apr 22, 2007 | Full Review…

    Jonathan F. Richards

    Film.com
    Top Critic

  • This poignant tale resonates wherever you are placed in the world.

    Apr 3, 2007 | Rating: 4/5 | Full Review…

    Jaspreet Pandohar

    BBC.com
    Top Critic

  • Penn is just wrong for it.

    Apr 1, 2007 | Rating: 3/5

    Roger Moore

    Orlando Sentinel
    Top Critic

  • There were many moments when I found myself wanting to refer to the book to find out what really happened.

    Mar 31, 2007 | Rating: 3/5 | Full Review…

    Steve Rose

    Guardian
    Top Critic

  • Intelligent and insightful, The Namesake celebrates family in a unique way.

    Mar 29, 2007 | Rating: B+

    Eleanor Ringel Cater

    Atlanta Journal-Constitution
    Top Critic
View All Critic Reviews (132)

Audience Reviews for The Namesake

  • Jun 15, 2013
    "The Namesake" is an emotional, heart-wrenching film filled with beauty and subtlety. Mira Nair obviously feels very close to the source material because her direction suits it perfectly. As well, the cast is quite exceptional. Kal Penn is solid in the lead role, but the real strength comes from Irrfan Khan and Tabu in their supporting performances. They will break your heart.
    Stephen E Super Reviewer
  • May 01, 2012
    A beautiful journey through places, times, and mainly the souls of a group of fascinating people, struggling to find themselves in the midst of all the changes that come with life.
    Pierluigi P Super Reviewer
  • Aug 15, 2011
    Sad, sad movie. I like how the movie plays out and share the closeness we share with our parents. Great acting too by Tabu, Irfan and Kal Penn. Recommended!
    Mesh B Super Reviewer
  • Jun 17, 2011
    This film, about a young Bengali American wrestling with a cultural identity crisis, is a nice take on the culture clash/cultural identity film, and also marks a nice change of pace for Kal Penn. True, he had a serious role on House, but there was also a lot of humor.This is a more mature work for him, even though Gogol isn't too far removed from Kumar. Gogol is more smart and serious though. All the cliched words like touching, heartwarming, etc apply here, and the film hits some familair beats, but it's not totally unoriginal thanks to how everything is conducted and presented. This is obviously a labor of love for Nair, and she does a great job, especially since she can relate to the material. All of the perforances are terrific, but Penn, Tabu, and Khan are the real strong points here. Give this one a shot. It's far from brilliant or new, but it is well played, and gives some welcome portrayals of India and Indian culture.
    Chris W Super Reviewer
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