Movie Review: English Vinglish (Hindi)

English Vinglish is a 2012 Indian comedy-drama, written and directed by Gauri Shinde. 

What happens when an ordinary, middle-class Indian housewife makes up her mind to change something about herself in order to bolster her self-esteem and earn the respect of her family? You get a wonderfully empowering movie called English Vinglish. 

English Vinglish premiered at the 2012 Toronto International Film Festival, where it received a five-minute standing ovation. Before its theatrical release, the movie was screened for the Indian press and critics. It received widespread critical acclaim with reviewers praising Shinde's screenplay and direction, Sridevi's performance as well as the soundtrack and cinematography. The movie went on to become a major box office success as well. 

***Plot***

Shashi Godbole (Sridevi) is a middle-aged Marathi housewife, dutifully juggling her responsibilities as a wife, mother of two and daughter-in-law while running a small home-based laddoo (an Indian dessert) business at which she excels. Despite her selfless devotion to her family, she is taken for granted and her family is insensitive to her feelings. One of the main points of contention between Shashi and her daughter is Shashi's lack of spoken English. Her daughter makes no bones about the fact that she is embarrassed by her mother in public. Shashi's businessman husband (Adil Hussain) also routinely belittles her and makes fun at her expense, reducing her identity to that of a housewife and laddoo-maker. She gets some solace from her kind and sympathetic mother-in-law and her affectionate young son who makes her feel seen. 

A trip to New York changes Shashi's life when she secretly enrolls in an English speaking crash course along with a motley crew comprising of a Mexican nanny, a Chinese hair stylist, a South-Indian engineer, a Pakistani cab driver, a French chef and an African dancer. How Shashi regains her confidence and reclaims respect in her family makes for the rest of the story.

My thoughts...

Anyone may feel it at some point of time in their life - that for some reason or the other, they are not good enough. When such feelings of inadequacy sparks a burning urge to prove oneself and rise to the occasion, even the most ordinary person can become extraordinary. That is what English Vinglish beautifully captures - a seemingly average and unassuming housewife mustering the courage to overcome a linguistic challenge that has singled her out from her family and held her back throughout her life. The movie has a delightfully uplifting message that once you learn to feel good about yourself, then everything around you looks and feels better. 

With a strong storyline, engaging characters and light-hearted moments, the movie keeps the viewer hooked from beginning to end. The family dynamics in the movie feel authentic and relatable. I loved every single one of the classroom scenes. It brought back fond memories of the British television comedy - Mind Your Language which was based on the concept of an English teacher tutoring a bunch of non-english speaking foreigners in London. Yes, there are plenty of stereotypes but I am choosing to overlook them considering the movie's hugely positive attributes.

Although I have never been a Sridevi fan, I think credit must be given where it is due. She slips into the character of Shashi effortlessly. It is hard to believe that she has come back to acting after a 15-year hiatus. The emotions of timidness, embarrassment, guilt, sadness and conviction shines through her expressive eyes and body language. Shashi's interaction with a rude cashier at a New York coffee shop, her outburst about the cruelty of children and her speech at her niece's wedding were the highlights of the movie. From a female perspective, I feel like this kind of emotional depth, nuance and sensitivity is something only a woman director could bring out so masterfully. The supporting cast is competent. I particularly enjoyed the performances of Shivansh Kotia who plays Shashi's son Sagar and Priya Anand who plays her niece Radha. All the foreign actors who are part of the English class are good especially the sensitive French character of Laurent (Mehdi Nebbou) who harbors romantic feelings for Shashi. Amitabh Bacchan in a small cameo is a delight as always. 

One of the things I really love about the movie is that Shashi remains true to herself at her core. Even after learning English, she still makes plenty of mistakes, retains her natural Indian accent and unreservedly prefers her native language. The messaging of the movie does not suggest that speaking perfect English is essential - it is more about showing that if you put your mind to something, you can achieve it, no matter how daunting it seems.

New York springs to life with its towering skyscrapers, lively streets, lush parks and vibrant colors of summer. The background music and songs by Amit Trivedi are fresh and peppy with catchy lyrics penned by Swanand Kirkire. Makes me feel happy-vappy indeed! The female version of the title track is at the top of my playlist and I can't seem to get enough of it. And not to forget, the brilliant designer Sabyasachi who reminds us why the sari is one of the most beautiful and elegant garments in the world. 

Kudos to director Gauri Shinde for a phenomenal debut and to her talented cast and crew for a job well done.

If you want to watch a well-crafted, progressive, feel-good Bollywood movie, then look no further!

My rating for English Vinglish is,

Have you watched English Vinglish? What did you think of it? Leave a comment to let me know

Cheers,

Megha