| Kal Penn Builds On His Namesake |
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Page 1 of 2  In "The Namesake" Kal Penn, born Kalpen Modi, portrays Gogol, an American of Indian descent who wishes to change his name   Gogol and his family in "The Namesake"  Director Mira Nair has also created such successes as "Vanity Fair" (2004), "Monsoon Wedding" (2001), and "Salaam Bombay!" (1988)  Gogol (Penn) introduces his American girlfriend Maxine (Jacinda Barrett) to his mother (Tabu)  is vastly different from his part in the hit comedy "Harold and Kumar Go To White Castle." But that's what makes this young actor someone to keep on the radar--for both his wacky sensibilities and his general sensitivities. Penn has been establishing himself as someone to take seriously beyond his ability to parody Americans of South Asian descent. As the American-born Gogol, Penn plays a character much like himself who wants to fit in as an American despite an Indian family who cling to their traditional past. Known for his role as the pot-smoking med student, Kumar, Penn has rounded a corner into unexpected places, jettisoning his comedic roles for such in-depth dramatic work as "The Namesake." In this season of Fox TV's hit show "24," he played a terrorist, and also had a secondary part in "Superman Returns." That's not to say that the New Jersey-born actor is abandoning comedy--hardly, for he's just finishing up the sequel to "Harold and Kumar." foxsearchlight.com/thenamesake Q: You wrote director Mira Nair a letter asking to play the role of Gogol. What was in the letter that had her come to a decision to choose you for the role? Kal Penn: When you're in the zone and writing something like that you retain very little knowledge of it but I believe Mira still has the letter. So you know, I should ask her exactly what was in it. I remember telling her that this film adaptation was the reason I'm an actor. The reason being a role like this comes once in a lifetime. She was an inspiration to me personally in deciding to pursue acting and so, I responded to the book in the same way I responded to "The Catcher in the Rye" when I was in 8th or 9th grade when I read it. There was just something about Salinger's writing that really draws you in. I felt the same with the book "The Namesake" and that's the reason we tell stories. That's the reason that when you feel an emotion so strongly that you need to play that part, so I think I told her all about that. But it was Mira's son Oren who really allowed me to get the audition because he would bug her every night before bed when she would tug him in and say "Mom can you audition Kal Penn from "Harold and Kumar Go To White Castle?" Same thing with Mira's agent's son, this kid named Sam. So, they would berate their parents regularly. I have a feeling that, that complimented the letter, just a little bit. Q: One point of "The Namesake" is about staying true to your name. Do you have a specific reason why you changed it from your given name, Kalpen Modi, to Kal Penn? KP: I haven't changed it legally. It's just a stage name similar to Winona Ryder and Whoopi Goldberg and a whole number of other actors. The reason behind the change was when I moved to L.A. a couple of producer friends suggested coming up with a catchier name and half of them suggested that if you come up with a more Western sounding name it would help you get more work. I really don't believe that's a barrier to getting jobs, so to prove them wrong I split my first name on my resume/headshot into two and my auditions actually went up. Q: When you saw the finished cut of the film, did it give you new revelations on the book? KP: I think the non-verbal is just as important as the verbal and I think Mira does that beautifully. There are emotions that are played out not through dialogue but through something visual or even just unspoken. There is a scene where Gogol claims his father's body and originally there was dialogue in that scene that we shot, but now it's a completely mute scene. I think it's just as effective, if not more effective, as the scene that we shot with dialogue. The cities of New York and Calcutta are characters in the film, as much as the family, so it was interesting to see that because it's never talked about or explained. You just see and experience these cities through Mira's direction. |