Mira Nair’s The Namesake just went into wider release, garnering solid reviews after it opened in six theaters on March 9, putting Indian immigrant stories up there on screen.

But the best thing about The Namesake is that a quick scouring of the headlines in mainstream media reveals a miracle – no “spicy” “masala” “curry” or any such food-words to describe the film, at least not in the headline.

Here’s a sampling – Modernity and Tradition at a Cultural Crossroads – New York Times

The Emotional Journey to a New Home

A Guilt Trip to India Gets to the Heart – Newsday

Depth of family is in ‘The Namesake’ – USA Today

Only the Wall Street Journal makes the cultural kitchen stop
‘Namesake’ Is A Richly Spiced Immigrant Saga—- An
Endearing, Wry Tale Of Indian Family in U.S

Not bad, given that once upon a time a movie like The Namesake would probably be called Whitebread Naan.

EvenMira Nair when she was first breaking into the mainstream followed the naming formula – Mississippi Masala. Since then we’ve had Tortilla Soup, Chutney Popcorn, Tandoori Nights, Lumpia, Catfish in Black Bean Sauce, Dim Sum: A Little Bit of Heart. Even when it’s not food we have to bow to the take-a-little-bit-of-ethnic, add a-little-bit-of-mainstream and voila you have a title that everyone can digest. Monsoon Wedding. Shanghai Knights. Shanghai Kiss. Shanghai Knights. Night of Henna.

Now we have just plain old The Namesake. Not a whiff of curry in that title. Bland as whitebread. I think that’s progress enough to rejoice about.