Brain Snacks: Tasty Tidbits of Knowledge
Ashoke and Ashima Ganguli are based on Jhumpa Lahiri's parents, Amar and Tia Lahiri. Oh, and Ashoke's train accident is based on a similar incident that happened to one of Amar's cousins. What's that saying about writing what you know?... (Source.)
Jhumpa Lahiri was partly inspired by a friend of her cousin who actually had the pet name "Gogol." Do you think he hated the name as much as our dear protagonist does? (Source.)
Jhumpa Lahiri and her family appeared as extras in the film version of her novel. So if you ever want to get cast in a movie, just write the great American novel, first. (Source.)
Kal Penn, who is probably most famous for his role in the Harold and Kumar films, starred as Gogol Ganguli in the 2006 film version of the novel. He would even check into hotels with the name. Now that's method acting. (Source.)