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Six years down the line and Mira Nair has returned to India to tell a story that is widely spread over India. It took her nine years to make her second movie 'Kamsutra' after Oscar-nominated 'Salaam Bombay'. She disappeared again from Bollywood with all her thoughts and sensitivity and returned to show us what we missed against the backdrop bands, garlands and shehnais in our weddings. And, now after six years of 'Monsoon Wedding', she asks us to save our heritage because the next Gen that is so accustomed to western influence, finds too hard to accept the age-old traditions.

She takes help from Pulitzer Prize winner Jhumpa Lahiri to tell us this story. The film is based on the latter's novel of the same name. So, what is this fuss all about? Why should we listen to Mira Nair when there are tsunamis in our country, when people walk whole night in knee-deep water in Mumbai? Does Mira Nair care about it? She only cares about name, fame and money. Fine! But, when Hollywood producers can release their big films in India along with their world release, why should this intellectual lady treat us as a second rate citizen, by first releasing her movies abroad? The sin is equally shared by UTV Motion Pictures that releases the film in India, after first doing it abroad... It may give Ronnie Screwwalla a peek of Hollywood cinema, as he too intends to go global; his last film 'Hattrick' is a washout in India though.

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Sorry, if I have deviated from my path. I am given the task to review the film and not tell you all those stories that are cooked behind the screen. Some day I intend to write a book, 'The News That I Did Not Break'. For instance, the news like Aamir Khan calling me dozen times a day when 'Mangal Pandey' was released to let the world know that it is doing good business. But till then let us live among the pseudo intellectuals; they are the people who will make us believe that they are supermen. Mira Nair does the same with 'Namesake'. Ok, we are not at par with the changing world in terms of getting "modern", but we are happy as we are.

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Ashok Ganguli meets with a horrible accident and survives. It is linked with his getting agreed for an arranged marriage. Irfaan Khan plays this role. Sometimes I wonder how the directors get him to shoot a whole film because what I know from my friends on small screen is that he is a difficult actor even to shoot one episode. So, Irfaan is Ashok Ganguli, he marries a singer Ashima (Tabu, does any one remember her last hit film as an lead actress, I think it was 'Maqbool' some three years back. She shares screen in 'Fanaa', but the film didn't belong to her).

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So, Mira Nair assembles a team of misfits in Hindi Cinema and adds a whole heard of foreign actors in it and sells her film in the whole world. In the west, 'Namesake' was promoted with the name of Kal Penn who plays Ganguli's son Gogol in it. Kal Penn tries his best to live up to the expectations of his director and impresses also in some scenes, but it is not a great work.

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As Gangulis live in America at present, Gogol hates to be called Babu Moshai. Hope some one in CPM sees this film! Gogol is in love with a rich American girl, played by another poster (or postcard) girl Jacinda Barret. The relationship is based on some hypothetical notions, as is Gogol's real name from his girlfriend.

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As I watch this film in a theatre located very far from the heart of Delhi, I also watch Mira Nair and Irfaan playing pricey with the media. They don't have time for the detailed questions. They just want to answer what they wish to. Any untoward question is strictly no-no. Two days before Mira organizes some interview in Mumbai and tells the top brass in UTV to call only those, who are in her good books (yes, film personalities do keep a book like this).

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I watch the film patiently, my phone on the silent mode keeps informing about the chaos outside the hall. Scriptwriter Taraporevala tries his best to keep the people in illusion that something big will soon happen, but nothing like it takes place. Tabu and Irfan are doing such films because they have been sidelined in the mainstream cinema. Yet, I shall give full marks to Tabu for the portrayal of her character.

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She deserves praise. However, Irfaan does need to act in such kind of roles. The film has a very good technical support but lacks right emotions at right places. If you have to discuss this film with colleagues in the office on the first day of next week, watch it for the sake of getting you a different tag, a level higher than that of an ordinary man. But, if you watch cinema for some sort of entertainment, then let it pass. Spend your money on the book, instead.