The story centers around an Indian family in the American Northeast. Ashima comes to Boston as Ashoke's bride and has both of her children in America. Their oldest son has an interesting name, Gogol, one that was never meant to be his "good name" but a nickname. Ashoke has a special affinity for Nikolai Gogol, which is one of the mysteries that Gogol never understands. Gogol's issue with his name reflect his issues with his conflicted identity.
An interesting movie. I absolutely loved Irrfan Khan and Tabu, though Kal Penn didn't sit well with me in some parts. I know he was supposed to be an awkward teenager, but it was just... He looked too old and it was a bit creepy, to tell the truth.
Having already read the novel, I felt that this film remained as true as was possible and did a fine job of capturing the feeling of the novel. Maybe I shouldn't have read the book first, as I am ALWAYS of the opinion that the book is better. However, having read the book might have allowed me to understand the movie better. So much about the characters happens internally. Kal Penn doesn't have as much scope in this respect as Tabu and Irrfan Khan. These two transmit their emotions without words with the apparent ease that is the mark of a great actor. Kal Penn has his moments, but I don't feel that he was on the same level as these two.
Overall, it is worth a watch. It is visually rich and sets up the dichotomy between the American and Indian influences driving the film in a beautiful way. That said, do yourself a favor and read the book. Jhumpa Lahiri is one of the best contemporary novelists I have had the good fortune to read!!
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