Soham to make debut in Mira Nair`s Namesake.
Born in New Jersey to a Bengali parents Soham is the second child of Dr Abhijit and Mrs Sashwati Chatterjee. Soham goes to Marlboro Early Learning Center in Marlboro New Jersey. Soham who is five who is very excited for his new role as Gogol Ganguli in Namesake. He plays the child hood to Kal Penn. We talk to Mrs Sashwati Chatterjee, Soham`s Mom. I asked Mrs Chatterjee"How did you came to know about Namesake`s audition?". She replied "They had fliers all over asking for pictures of little children, I sent both my son`s pictures. Mira Nair`s casting director called me to have Soham audition for the part of Gogol at 4. They emailed me the script. I spent one hour before the audition and helped him memorize the part (quite long) since he is just learning to read. What was the reaction I asked her when you start training her for the role? "Immediately he memorized the part and got into the character and was quite comfortable with it. He impressed me totally!!" she said while talking to me.
After that she explained me how his audition was video taped. Within the hour of our departing the production office in Manhattan, the casting director called her inviting them back to audition live for Mira. Sash told me how Mira really loved Soham. "We went back, and as soon as we walked in Mira ran over to him and sat down on the floor with him and started telling him how wonderfully he did the part. Mira told Soham how she really liked what Soham did with his eyes and eyebrows". Mrs Chatterjee was excited when she was told by Mira herself how Soham auditioned for her live and she absolutely loved him and his expressions. Before we left she kept hugging me to express her joy that she has finally found her Gogol at 4.
When I asked Mrs Chatterjee to tell some thing about the charactor which Soham is playing. She told me who does not know about the award winning Author Jhumpa Lahiri`s novel The Namesake. But to quickly she added about the role Soham is playing. "Gogol, son of Ashima and Ashok Ganguli new arrivals from Calcutta trying their best to become Americans even as they pine for home. Gogol was named after the Russian writer Nikolai Gogol given this name as a nick name.
When I asked about his dad`s reaction Mrs Sashwati replied Abhijit was very happy for Soham when the news of his casting was announced. She said "we were delightfully surprised that he obtained the role given his tender age and lack of experience". His teacher was stunned by the news and wants to help him in any way she can. She too wants to sit in the park just reading a book if she can be in the movie with him.
As far his studies Soham is a kindergartener and he will be provided with a tutor on the set the day of his shootings. "Well he is too young to realize what he really wants to do, and if the right opportunity comes I would not mind him getting exposure in the main stream" Soham`s mom said to us.
The shoot was in Rockaway beach in Queens and the temperature was in the high 20s with the wind chill and Soham handled the many takes with a smile and without any complaint. He is a happy go lucky child with a good sense of humor as well as a very firm voice. He voiced his likes and dislikes quite openly to the director as well as the producer. He was very friendly with Irfan Khan and Tabu. Soham`s mom said "the only thing he insists upon is that we all call the two of them "pretend dad and pretend mom" off camera".
The movie`s cast includes Jacinda Barett, Zuleikha Robinson, Kal Penn, Tabu and Irfan Khan.
Hyder Bilgrami
(Film maker from New Jersey)