"The Namesake" premiers in Kolkata

After much anticipation, Mira Nair’s “The Namesake” premiered to a packed Kolkata audience on wednesday, 31st Jan. The nostalgia that director Mira Nair and writer Jhumpa Lahiri both associate with the ‘city of joy’ is evident in the movie - the story of a Bengali couple leaving their hometown and moving base to the big apple New York. Namesake portrays the migrant Indian family and the predicament of the second generation in search of their lost identity.

Speaking in a writer-director interaction with the audience after the special screening on Tuesday. Director Mira Nair said, “This film was inspired, as much as it was by Ritwik Ghatak's films, and Satyajit Ray, as by contemporary photography - by having a still austere frame and having actors move within it instead of the camera moving.

The author of the novel Jhumpa meanwhile gave full credit to the director for translating her words into a 70 mm visual treat.

“She's given it a beautiful life, a most beautiful life; she's been lovingly faithful and at the same time has brought to it her own vision,” said Lahiri.

Veteran actor Tabu plays a Bengali girl who gets married and moves to Unites States. Tabu was seen as a bit unsure and anxious facing the Kolkata audience.

“There was anxiousness and anxiety about whether I have been authentic - because I can't fool around here, they'll catch me,” she admitted.

Director Mira Nair is sure to continue making movies that force you to think. In fact she is now all set to shoot a 12-min film on AIDS. But Mira’s cream project in the wings seems to be her forthcoming film ‘Shantaram’, starring Hollywood actor Johnny Depp.