I have not yet seen the movie, but I have read the novel. I had never come across the exquisite description of Indian "Bhel" in the first few pages of the book. I was hooked to the book the moment I started reading in one of the "Barnes & Noble" bookstores and bought it (though I rarely buy fiction). Jhumpa has captured the essence of an immigrant life - the smells, sights and sounds of the world an immigrant has left behind and yet how one tries to cling to it all and expects the same from their children. Many of the people in the US have been immigrants. I came across an 80 year old Greek lady who had never been back to Greece since she was a young girl, but still savored the fond memories of the Greek country-side. It is thus a universal tale of a fractured life that an immigrant lives and therefore appreciated by many.
The film had to be directed by an Indian who has been brought up in the US to really appreciate the essence of the novel and Mira Nair seems to have made the most of it. I look forward to watching it on the big screen.
