From rehearsing her answers to questions that will be asked at the US Immigration counter, joining English classes and then eventually being able to make her family proud is a transformation which has been etched out perfectly by her. She conveys the unsaid through her expressive eyes and pulls off an applause-worthy nuanced performance. She puts the act back into acting with her performance as the resilient and compliant Shashi.
If English Vinglish is a charm grenade then Sridevi is the charm. “Your eyes are like two drops of coffee in a cloud of milk,” says a love-struck Laurent to Shashi. Or even the story curve that takes place in the English Learning class. Or the scenes Shashi has with her younger niece (Priya Anand), who becomes her confidante in the US. Like the scene where Shashi, after befriending her French classmate Laurent (Mehdi Nebbou) at her English class, confides in him about her problems but in Hindi and the guy replies in French. There are few well-written, delicious scenes which you’d wish would never end. Sensitivity is the forte of this film and it naturally works wonders. Each and every aspect of family dynamics is been handled with utmost care. May it be the pent up frustration of a housewife, a young daughter grappling with the embarrassment of her mother’s inability to speak proper English or even a husband who believes his wife is only born to make ladoos. It explores family values and relationships of a workaholic husband with his wife and that of a mother with her children. Circumstances compel her to overcome her insecurities master the English language and eventually transform into a self assured and confident woman.Įnglish Vinglish portrays the most ordinary aspects of life in an extraordinary manner. These two weeks prove to be crucial in Shashi’s life. She flies to The United States of America to help out with her niece’s wedding, two weeks before her family would join her. Her adorable younger son Sagar and mother-in-law (Sulabha Deshpande) provide her with the occasional but much required comic relief. And packets of delicious food items made by her sell like hot cake in the neighbourhood. She loves cooking snacks and ladoos to be precise.
So, while her ever-busy-with-work hubby (Adil Hussain) and mocking daughter Sapna team up to scoff at her broken English, she takes it in her stride and feeds them yummy food instead. Meet Shashi (Sridevi), the perfect Indian middle-aged housewife, who knows no better than to keep her family happy.
English Vinglish is a shining testament to Sridevi’s inimitable talent and her potential to successfully carry a film to its deserved destination. After receiving a standing ovation at the Toronto International Film Festival, this charm grenade of a film promises to win hearts at home too. After a 15-year long hiatus, Sridevi makes a pleasant comeback at the movies with Gauri Shinde’s directorial debut English Vinglish. The wait has been long but it has been worth its while. Cast: Sridevi, Adil Hussain, Sulabha Deshpande, Priya Anand and Mehdi Nebbou
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