What themes or representations seem to interest her – at least from what you have seen? What do you think is the most interesting aspect of the narrative style or structure of The Namesake and/or the character development so integral to the story? Whose story is it?

Discussion on Directors of the Indian Diaspora

OPTION 1: The Namesake

Background: Mira Nair, the director of The Namesake, is one of the most
prolific directors of the Indian Diaspora. Before you start writing your response, spend a few minutes watching any clips you can find from her other films, like Mississippi Masala, Monsoon Wedding, etc. (TW before you watch: Monsoon Wedding deals with childhood sexual abuse.) Check out imdb.com for Nair’s filmography to give you some idea of her style of filmmaking and common themes running through her work. What did you notice about narrative, mise-en-scene, symbolism, cinematography/visual style from the clips?

Questions to Consider:

Now that we have screened The Namesake, one of her more wide-ranging family narratives (based on the novel by Jhumpa Lahiri), do you see any similarities? What do you think might be Nair’s characteristic sensibility be as a filmmaker?

What themes or representations seem to interest her – at least from what you have seen? What do you think is the most interesting aspect of the narrative style or structure of The Namesake and/or the character development so integral to the story? Whose story is it?

What messages might the film communicate to us about home, family, immigration and migration, names, tradition, culture, language, racism/xenophobia,Americanism, music, independence, marriage, adulthood, loss, returning home? What stylistic choices has Nair made in this film to create the most impact? Do you see the same in the clips from her other films?

Last Completed Projects