Origins

Notion - For some beginnings need no endings

Song - The Namesake Opening Titles

Completion is an integral part of human existence. What begins, must end and fulfilment occurs only at the end. It is all about the climax, isn't it? Sure, the opening of a story or of musical composition are critical and are duly credited for their excellence. They have to capture our undivided attention. But is that ever enough? We never say, 'Oh! What a fantastic opening - Ok bye!'

Wouldn't argue that we shouldn't do that lest it comes across as rude. But what if the beginning was more than anything and everything you could have ever asked for? There is a reason why even after all these years,  the line "You had me at Hello" from Jerry Maguire is one of the most fulfilling romantic lines you would ever come across. Thus there are those rarities that beautifully deviate and escape the limitations of needing a conclusion to be satisfying. And oddly enough, I don't know where to and how to begin when it comes to talking about one such fulfilling beginning I wholly and absolutely adore. So do excuse the randomness of this beginning.

I watched the movie Parineeta from the fifth or sixth row of a theatre and I speechlessly and awfully fell in love with the magnificent Vidya Balan in the opening scene. It was way too much beauty and way too close to my eyes. But beyond that, Parineeta was the first time I got intrigued by the lovely city of Calcutta. For many years, I attributed the movie to my interest in the city. But it was later that I realised that it was all because of the opening sequence of the movie than the whole movie in itself. It was Amitabh Bachchan's narration and the city rising up to the morning that hooked me on. Of course, once Vidya Balan hit the screen there was a complete loss of sense and semblance. So it is acceptable that it took me a while to truly appreciate the beauty of the opening scene and its impact on me. For Parineeta onward began my love interest in the city of Calcutta. It followed through movies and books and continued to grow with every new interaction. In fact, when I first visited Calcutta in 2019 after being intrigued by it for almost two decades, I was quite delighted by my first ever encounter. My love for the city, its food, its cafes, its stories still continues. But what cemented this love was Mirabai's The Namesake.

Ab kya hi kahen about Mira ji!Ufff!

Mira Nair was a name that I used to confuse with Gurinder Chadha or Deepa Mehta till I was about 15-16. But Fire, Bend It Like Beckham, and Monsoon Wedding were distinctive enough for me to never confuse these distinguished women ever again. What Mira Nair gave all of us with Monsoon Wedding was unimaginably sweet and endearing. So there was no way I was going to miss my first time watching a Mira Nair movie in a theatre when The Namesake was set to release in India. And who would want to miss the chance of watching Tabu and Irfan when they had already missed the chance of watching Maqbool on the big screen! But what happened with Namesake for me was unexpected. In many ways, it was the origin of multiple storylines of my life. Circa 2006, I had quite fully established for myself that I have a peculiar interest in background scores - of movies, of series, some times even of trailers. But with Namesake began my obsession with opening credits and closing credits. Up until then, it was primarily the opening title of Devdas that I was completed mesmerised by. Don't get me wrong - I am not just talking about the title track but about the visuals too. Now there are various types of opening titles that can be interesting and fun to watch. Even as back as Sai Paranjpe's movies or even Hrishikesh Mukherjee's movies, these opening credits use to add to the whole movie watching experience. Then there were the James Bond opening titles which were a phenomenon in itself. But Namesake opening titles showed me how art can be present in the simplest and unexpected forms. I will come to the music in a bit but what first caught my attention was the colours on the screen. The artful use of hues and fonts transforming from Bengali characters to English letters, to this day entrances me. And all of this happens rhythmically over Nitin Sawhney's magnificent score. Now back in 2007 I don't suppose opening titles were easily available anywhere to listen to. So for years along, I possessed this clipped and converted from video to audio track of The Namesake's Opening Titles. For me, that track was the most comforting piece of music that would bring warmth and content to me. It still does. But more so, this track encompasses the entire experience of the movie, of the story for me. 

Now there is nothing that I can say or write about this movie that hasn't already been said or written. Sure, I will admit that like any book turned into a movie, where the book always trumps the movie in terms of creating an experience for its audience, Namesake as a movie isn't what Namesake is as a book. But what Mira ji managed to do with this movie goes beyond what she managed with Monsoon Wedding. Whenever I have heard her talk about the movie, personally I feel she herself was overwhelmed with what she achieved. There is a soul to this movie and souls of the movies seldom comes across while watching them. It is quite simple, isn't it? If we want to see the stories of our people, well, it is us who has to make them. And make them really really well. And that's precisely what Mira Nair did.

Jhumpa Lahiri's writing is beautiful and soulful, there is no question about that. But The Namesake for me is - 

Irfan's Ashoke. His gentle head tilt, soft smile, and gradual eye blink.

Tabu's Ashima. It is maddening how brilliant this woman can be in her performances. 

Gogol and Moushumi's 'Ye Mera Deewanapan Hai' dance routine.

Mirabai's capturing of simple yet powerful scenes that find an indelible place in your heart.

And finally, Nitin Sawhney's music, that makes one wonder how impossible it would be to imagine The Namesake without his music.

In quite many ways, Namesake inspired me to explore and search for my identity, just like Gogol searched for his identity. It wasn't necessarily an exploration of personal identity for me, but definitely of my musical identities. It allowed me to obsess over opening tracks, explore more of Sawhney's soulful music, and sit in the theatre seat till the last credit line scrolls up on the screen. It also made me curious about the world a bit more. After all, it is hard to not follow a piece of advice as simple and beautiful as -

"Pack a pillow and blanket and see as much of the world as you can. You will not regret it."

That movie, that story, that music, Mira Nair, Tabu, Irfan, Jhumpa Lahiri, Calcutta - all found a very special place in my heart. And fortunately, all of this immense feeling is encompassed aptly and completely in just 2 minutes and 56 seconds of 'The Namesake Opening Titles'. There is no thought or emotion for this movie that is left for me to express or emote outside of this track. 

Thus this beginning, for me, is complete in itself and it fills my heart with a sense of fulfilment that no definitive The End can bring.