Quest for Cultural Identity in Mira Nair’s Movie The Namesake

Abstract

The present research entitled “Quest for Cultural Identity in Mira Nair’s movie The Namesake” explores the cultural identity in diaspora, dislocation and pain of constructing a new life in a different world. In building a new life, something must be destroyed. This paper looks in to the state of name and sense of identity and belongingness of the characters of Indian origins and immigrants in the USA. The question of fix identity through perspective of first and second generation Diasporas seem ambiguous and in dilemma. Naming in The Namesake symbolizes the feeling of hybrid subject, or trans-cultural identity. Now days people are intentionally move to different places in the world, but they cannot change their cultural identity easily so it makes hardships to stay new place with their old cultural route. Because of their cultural route there is a clash between generations and such clashes become multiculturalism or hybrid culture.