History Film / TheNamesake

* WhereDaWhiteWomenAt: The Indian Gogol and the Caucasian Maxine.

* PlayingGertrude: Combined with DawsonCasting with 37-year-old Tabu playing a young adult Ashima and an older Ashima. In fact, Tabu is only 7 years older than Kal Penn.

* AdaptationalAttractiveness/AdaptationNameChange/AgeLift: [[spoiler: Moushimi's boyfriend. In the book, his name is Dmitri Desjardins and he's an overweight, middle-aged man with a balding head. In the film, his name is Pierre, and he's briefly shown as an attractive young man]].

* AdaptationalAttractiveness: [[spoiler: Moushimi's boyfriend. In the book, his name is Dmitri Desjardins and he's an overweight, middle-aged man with a balding head. In the film, his name is Pierre, and he's briefly shown as an attractive young man]].

* AdaptationalVillainy: Gogol. While the novel offers more introspection into his decisions, he is more respectful to his parents; here is he a JerkWithAHeartOfGold with more attempts to sever ties with his family.

* TrainStationGoodbye: Inverted(or subverted) with Moushumi and Gogol. They are about to get on a train to see Gogol's parents, when Gogol finds out about Moushumi's affair. She leaves the train station and Gogol gets on the train without her.

* WhereDaWhiteWomenAt?: The Indian Gogol and the Caucasian Maxine.

The story begins when Ashima (Tabu) and Ashoke Ganguli (Irrfan Khan) move from Calcutta, India to New York. They have a son, whom they temporarily name Gogol, after Creator/NikolaiGogol, and a daughter Sonia. Gogol (Creator/KalPenn, yes ''[[Film/HaroldAndKumarGoToWhiteCastle that]] ''Kal Penn) eventually becomes his legal name, and it shapes much of the events of his life. Gogol eventually changes his name to Nikhil ("Nick" for short) and eventually falls in love with two women, both of whom reflect his attitudes toward himself and his culture.

* YourCheatingHeart: [[spoiler: Moushumi]]. Enough said.

* SheIsAllGrownUp: When Gogol meets his childhood friend and second love Moushumi.

TheFilmOfTheBook with [[Literature/TheNamesake the same name]] by Creator/JhumpaLahiri, directed by Mira Nair. The film revolves around the cultural struggles faced by Gogol Ganguli, the son of Ashima and Ashoke, who are Indian immigrants to America.

The story begins when Ashima (Tabu) and Ashoke Ganguli (Irrfan Khan) move from Calcutta, India to New York. They have a son, whom they temporarily name Gogol, after Creator/NikolaiGogol, and a daughter Sonia. Gogol (Creator/KalPenn, yes ''[[Film/HaroldAndKumarGoToWhiteCastle that]] ''Kal Penn) eventually becomes his legal name, and it shapes much of the events of his life. Gogol eventually changes his name to Nikhil and eventually falls in love with two women, both of whom reflect his attitudes toward himself and his culture.

* YourNormalIsOurTaboo: Gogol's college girlfriend makes a horrible impression on Ashoke and Ashima when she first meets them, first by bringing them an overly elaborate gift, then by addressing them both by their first names without their permission (exactly the opposite of how her less conservative parents treat Gogol), and is physically affectionate with them (kissing them on the cheek) and Gogol (holding his hand) in their presence, something frowned on in their more traditional culture.

* RaceLift: Ben, Sonia's fiance, is portrayed as white in the film. However, he's briefly mentioned to be Asian in the book.

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TheFilmOfTheBook with [[Literature/TheNamesake the same name]] by JhumpaLahiri, directed by Mira Nair. The film revolves around the cultural struggles faced by Gogol Ganguli, the son of Ashima and Ashoke, who are Indian immigrants to America.

TheFilmOfTheBook with the same name by Jhumpa Lahiri. Directed by Mira Nair. The movie talks about the differences between two first generation immigrants(Ashima and Ashoke), and their children(Gogol/Nikhil and Sonia) The story begins when Ashima (Tabu) and Ashoke Ganguli (Irrfan Khan) move from Calcutta, India to New York. They have a son, whom they temporarily name Gogol, after Nikolai Gogol, and a daughter Sonia. Gogol (Creator/KalPenn, yes ''[[Film/HaroldAndKumarGoToWhiteCastle that]] ''Kal Penn) eventually becomes his legal name, and it shapes much of the events of his life. Gogol eventually changes his name to Nikhil and falls in love with two women, both very different.

* ArrangedMarriage - Ashima and Ashoke Ganguli met only once before their marriage.

* CultureClash - The entire movie's premise
* DyingAlone - Happens to Ashoke.
* EmbarrassingFirstName - Gogol does not want to be named Gogol. He keeps changing his nickname in his quest to find an identity.

* SheIsAllGrownUp - When Gogol meets his childhood friend and second love Moushumi.
* TimeshiftedActor - In the film, Gogol is played by female infant and a male child as a young kid. Kal Penn's hair is the main age-marker between his character's teen years and adulthood. Similarly, Sonia is an infant in her earlier scenes.
* TrainStationGoodbye- Inverted(or subverted) with Moushumi and Gogol. They are about to get on a train to see Gogol's parents, when Gogol finds out about Moushumi's affair. She leaves the train station and Gogol gets on the train without her.

* YourCheatingHeart- Moushumi. Enough said.
* YourNormalIsOurTaboo: Gogol's college girlfriend makes a horrible impression on Ashoke and Ashima when she first meets them, first by bringing them an overly elaborate gift, then by addressing them both by their first names without their permission (exactly the opposite of how her less conservative parents treat Gogol), and is physically affectionate with them (kissing them on the cheek) and Gogol (holding his hand) in their presence, something frowned on in their more traditional culture. It's especially irritating as Gogol warned her about all this before the meeting, only for her to completely disregard it. She dooms the relationship by showing up at Ashoke's funeral in a black (everyone else is clad in white), ''sleeveless'' dress.
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* DawsonCasting: Kal Penn is Gogol/Nikhil in high school and throughout his life. Kal Penn in in his thirties and is in fact only 7 years younger than Tabu, the actress who plays Ashima, Gogol/Nikhil's mother.
** Tabu herself, who was 37 when cast as the 20 year old Ashima, though this is later justified as she continues to play Ashima as the character ages.

* HeyItsThatGuy: Gogol/Nikhil is played by Kal Penn from the ''Harold and Kumar'' movies. Ashoke is played by Irrfan Khan, who some may recognize as the policeman from ''SlumdogMillionaire''. Also, if you really pay attention, you will notice that Sonia's actress, Sahira Nair, was a young Meena in the movie ''Mississippi Masala'', also directed by Mira Nair.
* PlayingGertrude: Combined with DawsonCasting with 37-year-old Tabu playing a young adult Ashima and an older woman Ashima. In fact, Tabu is only 7 years older than Kal Penn.

TheFilmOfTheBook with the same name by Jhumpa Lahiri. Directed by Mira Nair. The movie talks about the differences between two first generation immigrants(Ashima and Ashoke), and their children(Gogol/Nikhil and Sonia) The story begins when Ashima (Tabu) and Ashoke Ganguli (Irrfan Khan) move from Calcutta, India to New York. They have a son, whom they temporarily name Gogol, after Nikolai Gogol, and a daughter Sonia. Gogol (KalPenn, yes ''[[Film/HaroldAndKumarGoToWhiteCastle that]] ''Kal Penn) eventually becomes his legal name, and it shapes much of the events of his life. Gogol eventually changes his name to Nikhil and falls in love with two women, both very different.

TheFilmOfTheBook with the same name by Jhumpa Lahiri. Directed by Mira Nair. The movie talks about the differences between two first generation immigrants(Ashima and Ashoke), and their children(Gogol/Nikhil and Sonia) The story begins when Ashima and Ashoke Ganguli move from Calcutta, India to New York. They have a son, whom they temporarily name Gogol, after Nikolai Gogol, and a daughter Sonia. Gogol (KalPenn, yes ''[[Film/HaroldAndKumarGoToWhiteCastle that]] ''Kal Penn) eventually becomes his legal name, and it shapes much of the events of his life. Gogol eventually changes his name to Nikhil and falls in love with two women, both very different.

TheFilmOfTheBook with the same name by Jhumpa Lahiri. Directed by Mira Nair. The movie talks about the differences between two first generation immigrants(Ashima and Ashoke), and their children(Gogol/Nikhil and Sonia) The story begins when Ashima and Ashoke Ganguli move from Calcutta, India to New York. They have a son, whom they temporarily name Gogol, after Nikolai Gogol, and a daughter Sonia. Gogol (KalPenn, yes ''[[HaroldAndKumar that]] ''Kal Penn) eventually becomes his legal name, and it shapes much of the events of his life. Gogol eventually changes his name to Nikhil and falls in love with two women, both very different.

* HeyItsThatGuy: Gogol/Nikhil is played by Kal Penn from the ''HaroldAndKumar'' movies. Ashoke is played by Irrfan Khan, who some may recognize as the policeman from ''SlumdogMillionaire''. Also, if you really pay attention, you will notice that Sonia's actress, Sahira Nair, was a young Meena in the movie ''Mississippi Masala'', also directed by Mira Nair.

TheFilmOfTheBook with the same name by Jhumpa Lahiri. Directed by Mira Nair. The movie talks about the differences between two first generation immigrants(Ashima and Ashoke), and their children(Gogol/Nikhil and Sonia) The story begins when Ashima and Ashoke Ganguli move from Calcutta, India to New York. They have a son, whom they temporarily name Gogol, after Nikolai Gogol, and a daughter Sonia. Gogol(KalPenn, yes ''[[HaroldAndKumar that]] ''Kal Penn) eventually becomes his legal name, and it shapes much of the events of his life. Gogol eventually changes his name to Nikhil and falls in love with two women, both very different.

Not to be confused with [[TheNamesake namesakes in general]] nor {{Namesake gag}}s

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* MixedMarriage- Gogol/Nikhil doesn't marry Maxine, a white woman, but they do date. Also, Sonia marries an African-American man.

* TimeshiftedActor - In the film, Gogol is played by female infant and a male child as a young kid. Kal Penn's hair is the main age-marker between his teen years and adulthood. Similarly, Sonia is an infant in her earlier scenes.

* MixedMarriage- Gogol/Nikhil doesn't marry Maxine, a white woman, but they do date. Also, Sonia marries an African-American man.
*SheIsAllGrownUp -When Gogol meets his childhood friend and second love Moushumi.
* TrainStationGoodbye- Inverted(or subverted) with Moushumi and Gogol. They are about to get on a train to see Gogol's parents, when Gogol finds out about Moushumi's affair. She leaves the train station and Gogol gets on the train without her.