Author: Avishek Hazra

The Namesake movie is an on screen adaptation of the debut novel by the Pulitzer-winning writer, Jhumpa Lahiri. Directed by Mira Nair, the film stars Irrfan Khan, Tabu, and Kal Penn in pivotal roles. Prior to watching this film, I had heard a lot about Mira Nair’s movies but didn’t get a chance to watch any of them. It was only last week while we were reeling from shock due to the unexpected demise of Irrfan Khan that I got a call from my cousin. We were discussing some of Irrfan’s films and the fine performances that he gave in them. But doing so,I realized that although I had watched most of his critically acclaimed movies, somehow I had missed out on this one. This along with the persuasion from my cousin, who claimed this to be his favorite of all Irrfan-starring movies, I decided to watch the film. And a little while into the film, I knew that I made the right choice. Watching “The Namesake” last weekend was like a soothing breeze with Irrfan giving a splendid performance which momentarily made me forget that he is no more with us.

So talking about the film, the story is set in the late 1970s. We see a young Ashoke Ganguli(played by Irrfan Khan), who is pursuing his PhD in the USA, getting married to an elegant Ashima(played by Tabu) in an arranged marriage ceremony. Right after their wedding, Ashima accompanies Ashoke to the USA. And thus begins the struggles of a first-generation immigrant couple from the narrow lanes of Calcutta to the suburbs of New York City. During the initial days, a homesick Ashima is often seen being comforted by her husband when she finds that things are a bit different in the foreign land. Thus, slowly and steadily the couple learns to adjust themselves to the place supporting each other in each step. Now as the story progresses, they are blessed with a son and the hospital authorities insist them to decide upon a formal name which is the local custom there. This takes them by surprise as back in their homeland, in a traditional bengali family, a child is referred by a pet name( dak naam in Bengali) till the elderly in the family decide upon a formal name. Thus, amidst this sweet confusion, Ashoke is shown to impulsively call his son Gogol. As viewers we understand the reason behind this from a prologue at the start of the film. It takes us to a turning point in Ashoke’s life a few years back. Ashoke is shown boarded on a train to Jamshedpur to meet his grandfather. During the journey he is shown to be reading “The Overcoat” by Russian author Nikolai Gogol. But unfortunately the journey is cut short by a dreadful train accident, and we see Ashoke lying under debris . If not for the book which he was holding in his hand, Ashoke wouldn’t have been found by the rescue team.

Now there are some beautiful excerpts from the movie. Like, back to the present story there is this scene where we see the Ganguli couple go on an outing with their kids( including Gogol’s sister). Ashoke and Gogol explore the beauty of the place with Ashoke looking for capturing this memorable moment behind his lens. Realizing that he has forgotten his camera back in the car, Ashoke is seen having a meaningful dialogue with little Gogol. He asks Gogol if he will remember this day. To which a confused little Gogol asks his father how long he has to remember it. On this, a chuckling Ashoke says “Remember it always…..Remember that you and I made a journey and went together to a place where there was nowhere left to go.” These lines which are completed later in the movie, have some deep meaning attached to it. It tells us that sometimes we just have to stop and absorb everything around us. The place, the people we are with, the experiences we have together, because when life becomes uncertain, these moments will help us sail through.

Moving on, we see Gogol entering into teenage and he is no different from others. He behaves like a typical rock and roll loving, rebellious American teenager. Gogol, who was pretty much ambivalent about his name until now, tries to strike a dialogue with his parents on the same. He insists on changing his name to Nikhil as he finds the latter more apt in the present day scenario. Ashoke implicitly tells his son that it is his choice and he can do whatever he wishes to. Here again, Irrfan Khan’s amazing expressions speak much more than words. Then we see that the Ganguli family comes to India on a vacation where we find Gogol sneering on a few things. While on a trip to Agra, Gogol is mesmerized by the beauty of Taj Mahal. He tells his parents about his wish to take up Architecture for his further studies much against the wish of his father who wants Gogol to pursue Engineering. The conversation between Ashoke and Gogol tells us that gone are the days when parents used to decide upon their child’s future. Nowadays it is driven more by personal choices and interests rather than family legacy. Another scene, which has been picturised very well is the one with the Victoria Memorial in background. It depicts beautifully the ever evolving relationship of the Ganguli couple. When Ashoke asks Ashima the reason for marrying him, she jokingly tells him that she liked his shoes which had “Made in USA” written over it. As these simple conversations light up the screen, the scene where Ashoke and Ashima first meet, rewinds in our head.

Coming back to New York City, post a few years, Nikhil’s (Gogol has changed his name to Nikhil) journey as an architect starts as he relocates to another city after securing a decent job. Ashima keeps on enquiring about his well being by calling him frequently. But Nikhil ignores her most of the time. Here we also come across Nikhil’s love life with Maxine (played by Jacinda Barrett) and we find him more inclined towards his lady love and her family. Meanwhile, Ashoke has to relocate to Ohio where he has to teach for a semester. Ashima informs Nikhil about this and requests him to turn up to bid his father goodbye. When she hears the female voice on the phone while speaking with Nikhil she comes to know about his lady love. With weekend outings on the cards with Maxine and her family, Nikhil decides to visit his parents along with Maxine. He tells her about the conservative nature of his parents while requesting her to refrain from kissing even on cheeks and holding hands. Some interesting conversations take place on the dining table between Nikhil, Maxine, Ashima, and Ashoke. Maxine is impressed by Bengali cuisine and ends up telling Ashima that NIkhil is also a decent cook to which Ashima appears surprised(the director has made a sharp comment that the girlfriend is more familiar to the son than his own mother). A stark contrast between two generations has been depicted here. Now following this comes the most important part of the movie where Ashoke asks Nikhil to accompany him to a nearby store intending to have some conversation. On the ride to the departmental store, Ashoke tells Nikhil(Gogol) the very reason for naming him Gogol. He goes on to describe the fateful night when the accident took place and how he miraculously escaped alive from it. After hearing this an emotional Gogol asks him “Do I remind you of that dreadful night?” To which Ashoke responds, “No, you remind me of everything that followed. Everyday has been a gift since then.” This simple couplet of dialogues is what around which the whole movie revolves and the director has done justice to filming it. Both Kal and Irrfan give impeccable performances inside that car and highlights the momentous father-son conversation brilliantly. Following this, as Nikhil and Maxine depart, the caring mother Ashima tells him to call back once he reaches his destination. This scene will remind you about your parents if you stay away from them. Specifically, I was reminded of my father who calls me almost daily to inquire about my well being.

With this ongoing transition in Ganguly family, we see a rock steady Ashok comforting Ashima to adjust to this new norm. He is a man who has accepted this transition with dignity. Soon tragedy strikes the family as Ashok passes away. Ashima faces this adversity stoically. We see a grief-stricken Nikhil (Gogol) going down the memory lane to cherish some of his old memories with his father. In one of the scenes Nikhil (Gogol ) finds the book ”The Overcoat” by Nikolai Gogol gifted by his father on his birthday and it reminds him of his father’s words”We all come out from under Gogol’s overcoat“. It took me a while to understand what the father was trying to say. He was saying that even if you are ashamed of yourself and where you come from, hiding it is only a temporary solution. Mira Nair has subtly brought up the point of cultural identity which is a treat to watch.

As we traverse through this, we see Nikhil (Gogol) struggling in his relationship with Maxine. Soon Nikhil (Gogol) and Maxine part ways. Ashima informs Nikhil about Moushami’s (Played by Zuleikha Robinson) presence in the city. Moushami and her family are an old acquaintance of the Ganguly family. Nikhil (Gogol) and Moushami fall for each other and are hitched in a traditional Bengali wedding. Moushami is a bong girl who is also born and brought up in a foreign land. The common thread which binds Nikhil (Gogol) and Moushami together is the Bengali background. Is that enough to get along for life or something more it required? As tensions flare up between them, both of them realise that apart from the common background they need something more to keep their bond alive. As Nikhil (Gogol) comes to know about Moushumi’s extramarital affair, he confronts her and impulsively ends the acrimonious relationship. Mira Nair brings to our notice the cultural confusion which Nikhil (Gogol) and Moushami experience leading to their failed marriage.

The movie concludes as Ashima plans to return to India and Nikhil (Gogol) sets out to explore his newfound life. Mira Nair succeeds in turning this beautiful novel into a high quality film. The movie expresses a reassuring faith in family solidarity. Avoiding the cliché of pitting disobedient immigrant children in pitched battles against tradition-bound parents, the film proves that blood ties are the strongest bonds holding together the social order. This simple story of Ganguli family often reminds you about your family.

Irrfan Khan as the liberal father who binds his family by bridging the gaps is amazing.Irrfan’s portrayal of Ashok is one of his finest performances and his Bengali dialect seems effortless. His dialogues from the movie such as ”Books let you travel without moving your feet” will make you more fond of him. While going through Mira Nair’s recent interview, I came to know that there was no dialect coach for this movie. He had to learn Bengali and he did it with such finesse. Irrfan Khan strikes the right chords as Ashok Ganguly. I wonder if anyone else could ever do justice to this role if a remake of this movie is thought of. He was an actor of a different league who always raised the bar with such enthralling performances. Irffan Khan can only be compared with himself as his characters were not stereotyped and evolved with every movie. I have become so fond him as Ashok Ganguly that it’s extremely hard to believe he is no more. Irrfan Khan will always be remembered as an actor par excellence who created his own arena.

Although this movie was released a long time back it is a must-watch the for those who have missed out one of Irrfan Khan’s finest performance.

Blog Written by:

Avishek Hazra and Suraj Hazra

”The only solutions that are ever worth anything are the solutions that people find themselves” As I quote these lines from one of the greatest personalities of the cinematic world, I would like to tell you all that 2 May is the birth anniversary of Mr Satyajit Ray. What makes 2 May 2020 more special is the fact that this is 99th birth anniversary of this charismatic personality. I am so spellbound by the thought that even after so many decades his movies ,especially the characters he portrayed onscreen have continued to influence us in a constructive way. His eternal movies keep on entertaining us even in 21st century. Probably Mr Ray had the conviction and foresightedness to create masterpieces onscreen which were way ahead of their time and even made a deep impact on society. His movies were more about content and characters than about commercial gains. Having said that, I would like to throw some light on Mr Ray’s journey in the world of cinema in this blog. As we take some glimpses of his journey and talk about some of his must watch movies , I hope you all will become more fond of this gentlemen and his movies.

The most celebrated movie maker of the country , the only one of his kind to win the Bharat Ratna, Satyajit Ray was born on this day 99 years ago. As much as he was a genius in creating art behind the camera, Ray right from his initial days showed inclination towards making socially impactful cinema. Born to the famous poet and historian, Sukumar Ray, art was something that came naturally to him. It was only destiny and Ray’s innate passion for the craft that despite having a degree in Physics from the prestigious Presidency College, he decided to make a career in film making. It all started when working as a commercial artist in an advertising agency in Calcutta, Ray was introduced to Bibhutibhushan Banerjee’s autobiographical novel on the then typical Bengal life, Pather Panchali. It was then and there that he decided that he will make a movie out of this and retell this story in his own way on the silver screen. But this was still the early 40s we are talking about. In the upcoming years Ray set up the “Calcutta Film Society” with some of the other film enthusiasts of the region. Around the same time he also had the good fortune to meet the French director Jean Renoir who further encouraged him to pursue his dreams. Besides, Ray watched the classic Italian movie “The Bicycle Thieves” which propelled him further to try his hand in this new venture. And thus began an unforgettable journey that went on to transform the Indian scenario of movie making. Ray made his first movie “Pather Panchali” in 1955 and won the special jury prize at the acclaimed Cannes Film Festival the following year. This appreciation urged Ray to make two more sequels to the first movie that makes up the Apu trilogy which received wide acclaim and entrenched him as one of the front runners of Indian cinema.

After Apu Trilogy, some of his notable works in 1960,s include Parash Pathar, Jalshaghar, Devi, Mahanagar, Chiriyakhana, Kapurush and Mahalurush. Parash Pathar is a light-hearted comic movie where the role of the protagonist is aptly played by Tulsi Chakraborty. The movie tells us humorously what happens when middle-class people get midas touch like boons. In Devi, we see a young Sharmila in the role of Devi which specifically deals with religious fanaticism. Satyajit Ray who comes from a Brahmin family was heavily criticised for this movie however it failed to dampen his spirits and he continued to deal with relevant societal issues onscreen. Mahanagar highlights the prejudices of society against working women in those times. It tells us about a family where the seniormost family member being a well-educated man objects to his daughter in law taking up a job. Some brilliant performances by Madhabi Mukherjee, Anil Chatterjee and Haren Chatterjee light up the screen. Kapurush meaning ”The Coward” is a story about a young man who doesn’t have the courage to marry his fiancee when she turns up unexpectedly as she is she is forced by her family to move to another town much against her wishes. However, things take an ugly turn he is left alone. The 5-minute scene where the Soumitra Chatterjee and Madhabi converse and contemplate about marriage is something to look out for. Soumitra Chatterjee’s charm and Madhabi’s expressive eyes will keep you glued to the screen. Few years down the lane their paths cross again with Madhabi settled with her husband played by Haradhan Banerjee. Soumitra tries to rekindle the romance only to find that Madhabi has moved on in her life. But is it so or is it that she is trying to act like that? The depth of the characters, their portrayal and the dialogues are amazing. At the ending scene, we can only speculate. Chiriyakhan is a must watch for Byomkesh fans given the fact that Byomkesh is played by Mahanayak Uttam Kumar.

From 1970 -1980 Mr Ray made movies like Aryaner Din Ratri, Pratidwandi, Seemabaddha, Jana Aranya, Hirak Rajar Deshe, Ashani Sanket, Sonar Kella, Joy Baba Felunath. Aryaner Din Ratri is about a group of four friends who on their outing in a forest come across some interesting people. It beautifully depicts how each of them introspects based on their experience with some new acquaintances in the forest and eventually become a better version of themselves. Pratidwandi deals with the lack of jobs for qualified personnel in those times along with the impact of Naxalite movement on youth. Dhrittiman Chatterjee’s performance is something to watch out in this movie. In Jana Aranya, we see a qualified graduate who is unable to get a job for himself becoming a middle man. It depicts his highs and lows as a middleman as he ventures into unethical and immoral practice to secure a lucrative contract. It shows the degradation of the moral fabric of society. Seemabaddha is a story about a well-qualified man who is employed with a renowned company and enjoys the confidence of all his top bosses. He is soon to be included in the board of directors when something goes wrong unexpectedly in his ongoing project. The story revolves around how once an honest man takes an unethical route to secure his position in the board of directors. Mr Ray makes a sharp criticism on screen about the corrupt practices in industry where the power hungry people go to extreme extents to get what they want.Hirak Rajar Deshe is one of the beautiful movies where Mr Ray makes an on screen commentary on authoritarian regime albeit humorously. He reminds us through this excellent movie that whenever authoritarian regimes will usher in, uprisings will happen to bring them down.Sonar Kella and Joy Baba Felunath are must watch for Feluda lovers. Soumitra Chatterjee plays the role of a detective perfectly in these movies. Ashani Sanket is a movie about the great famine of Bengal where it is depicted that it was more of a man-made calamity than a natural one.

In the 1990s Mr Ray enlightened us with movies like Ganashatru, Shakha Prosakha and Agnatuk. Ganashatru is a story about a flourishing township in which a temple attracts devotees as well as tourists. The story revolves around a Doctor played by Soumitra Chatterjee who is denounced by people when his findings suggest that charnamrit given to devotees in the temple is leading to serious health problems. Rater than speaking about Shakha Prosakha and Agantuk I would suggest you to watch them. Characters played by Utpal Dutt in Agantuk and Soumitra Chatterjee in Shakha Prosakha will stay with you forever.

Aside from directing, Mr Ray composed music and wrote screenplays for films, both his own and those by other directora. Often credited as a fiction writer, illustrator, and calligrapher; Ray authored several short stories and novels in Bengali, most of which were aimed at children and adolescent. Some of his short stories have been adapted into films by other directors, including his only son, Sandip Ray.

Mr Ray received numerous awards at international film festivals and elsewhere, including several Indian National Film Awards, Dadasaheb Phalke Award (1984) and an Honorary Academy Award (1992). Mr. Ray is the only Indian to be honoured with an Honorary Academy Award. In 1992, Mr. Ray’s health deteriorated due to heart complications and he left for heavenly abode on 23 April 1992.

As we traverse through the journey of this great personality I fall short of words to describe the cinematic genius of Mr Ray. With the nationwide lockdown extended for another couple of weeks, I hope I will complete watching all 36 movies directed by Mr Ray. After reading about this gentleman I know that most of you will be eager to watch his movies. On a personal note I would recommend all my friends and well wishers to at least watch below movies.

The Apu Trilogy, Mahanagar, Chiriyakhan,Kapurush, Devi, Aryaner Din Ratri, Pratidwandi, Sonar Kella, Hirak Rajar Deshe, Shakha Prosakha and Agantuk.

Friends, I hope with my blogs ” The beauty of Satyajit Ray movies” and ”Aparajito The Unvanquished” I am able to give you a fair idea about Mr Satyajit Ray and his movies. Most importantly I hope, that like me you all must have become fond of Apu. Apu is not just a character but a reflection of a journey called life.

Apur Sansar (The World Of Apu) is the last and the most intriguing movie of the Apu trilogy. Unlike the earlier movies of this trilogy, this movie completely revolves around Apu and his journey. In Aparajito we have seen that Apu is convinced by his grandfather to take up priests job after his mother’s death. Apu, having other plans refuses to do so and returns to Kolkata to pursue his education. In Apur Sansar we see Apu as a grown-up adult portrayed beautifully by Mr Soumitra Chatterjee. Apu being qualified bachelor is now in search of a job to meet his ends. In one of the scenes when his landlord pesters him for rent, Apu gives him a dose of his own medicine. Although not very impressed by this ,the landlord reminds him that if things don’t improve then he has to look for another tenant. While leaving he also reminds Apu about efficiently using the resources mainly electricity. The scene is so well shot that we all go down the memory lane of our bachelor days and recollect the epic conversations that we used to have with landlords.

Apu’s job search continues and he finds himself in a difficult situation as he is either overqualified or under-qualified for them. One fine day, he is visited by a college friend Pulu. Pulu takes him for dinner where he comes to know about Apu’s situation. After the dinner when Apu and Pulu go for a stroll, Apu tells Pulu that he as been writing a novel where the character’s journey is similar to that of Apu. Hats off to the Mr Satyajit Ray for articulating the dialogues between two friends and bringing alive friendship on screen where Apu pours his heart out to Pulu. Apu is animated and tells Pulu that although his struggle for securing a job is on, he is contemplating a novel. Pulu is excited about this and wishes to read it. Reminds us all about that one friend with whom we can share everything without hesitation. The one who will always stand by us come what may. At the end of their meet Apu is invited by Pulu for his cousin’s wedding which is planned in scenic countryside. Little does Apu know that this will change the course of his entire life.

Apu and Pulu arrive at the wedding location and during their journey, Pulu gets a glimpse of Apu’s writing which makes him more fond of Apu. For Pulu, its more of Apu’s autobiography but for Apu its his dream novel. He tells Pulu that though the character in his novel has been through crisis situations but that hasn’t changed his viewpoint about life and he still hopes for the best.

While Apu is enjoying the serenity of this place, a crisis situation arises and Pulu runs to Apu for help. The groom who was to marry Pulu’s cousin is found to be mentally unstable and the marriage is called off. To avoid bad omen, Pulu asks Apu to marry his cousin as a favour. After initial hesitation, Apu does agree and the marriage takes place. Let me now introduce Aparna who is Pulu’s cousin and now Apu’s wife. The character of Aparna is played by Sharmila Tagore when she was 15 years old. The innocence of Apu is so well portrayed on screen, his conversation with Aparna where he tries to comes to terms with this unexpected event of his life.

Apu and Aparna return to Kolkata after marriage and he tries to comfort Aparna in his bachelor residence. Now we all know how a bachelor residence is, in most of the cases it’s unorganised. To depict the differences between Apu’s bachelor days and post marriage, Mr Satayajit Ray uses his lens smartly to pin point few things such as the dirty or torn curtains getting replaced by new ones, new linens replacing old ones, the improvement in overall aesthetics of the room . Apu and Aparna’s chemistry is so beautifully depicted, be it Apu’s flirty eyes gazing at Aparna early morning, the smudged vermillion dot on Aparna’s forehead,all depicting the romantic moments of a newly wed couple. This is what you call a magical director who has displayed romantic intimacy without physical intimacy on screen.May be such great directors came from a different school of thought where emotions and feelings had a greater meaning.

Life moves forward for Apu and Aparna with Apu managing a clerk’s job and some part-time tutions. Soon they are overwhelmed with the joy of Aparna conceiving. Aparna leaves for her maternal home and Apu promises to visit her soon. Will this be Apu and Aparna’s last meet? In one of the scenes when Aparna us away at her maternal home, Apu is trying to go through Aparna’s letter secretly after office hours but is interrupted by his colleague. While travelling back home he again tries to go through the letter but a fellow passenger starts peeping making him uncomfortable. Apu reaches home and cannot hold his excitement to read Aparna’s letter. To his surprise he finds Aparna’s brother waiting at his doorstep. He breaks the most saddening news of his life that Aparna has passed away while giving birth to the son. What will Apu do now? Life has been posing challenges to him at every juncture. Will Apu survive this tragedy?

Apu is depressed after Aparna’s death and contemplates suicide but doesn’t commit. Apu doesn’t even go to meet his son as he considers him the reason for Aparna’s death. The director here tells us that even though we may face such extremities of life but giving up is not a solution. Negative thoughts might cross our mind in such cases but we definitely have more reasons to cherish life. Apu is a wanderer now and is more of a body without soul. Apu seems to be lost in this world and takes up odd jobs as he keeps shifting his location. He is so fed up that he tears away the pages which he had written for this novel. Apu’s friend Pulu comes looking for him and tries to convince him to take up his son’s responsibility. Apu’s doesn’t agree with him rather tells Pulu to make some arrangement for him. Apu assures him that he will take care of the money part but he his not ready to meet his son. Pulu refuses saying he is already tied up and cannot help him, with this Pulu leaves. Apu’s conscience is aroused and he finally decides to meet his son. His son’s name is ”Kajol”. In the meantime Kajol grows up under his maternal grandfathers watchful eyes. When we first see Kajol onscreen, we are reminded of our little Apu. One scene where kajol does some mischief and he is reprimanded ,he tells that his father will come and give them a good bashing. He is ridiculed saying that no one has seen his father’s tiki ( tuft of hair) for the last 5 years. Innocent Kajol asks, do fathers have tiki? A little boy who hasn’t seen his father since birth is simply drawing different images about his father. Craving of a child for parental love is conveyed through this single scene and beautifully portrayed.

Apu finally meets his son Kajol but doesn’t find acceptance from him. Apu tries hard to win over him but Kajol refuses to budge. Apu decides to leave and after walking a few steps he finds Kajol following him, he innocently asks Apu if he can take him to Kolkata to his father to which Apu agrees. He still doesn’t recognise Apu as his father but as a friend who will take him to his father. Apu is so moved by Kajol’s innocence that he realises how wrong he was to hold Kajol responsible for Aparna’s fate. He accepts Kajol and Apu’s journey continues.

With Apur Sansar and especially the concluding scene of the movie, Satyajit Ray gives beautiful ending or rather should I say new beginning or dimension to Apu’s life. Apu is not just a movie character. Apu is our reflection. Through this character , Satyajit Ray tells us, Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you respond.