English Vinglish- A Review

 

Director: Gauri Shinde,
Producers: Sunil Lulla, R. Balki, , Rakesh Jhunjhunwala
R. K. Damani
Story and Screenplay:    Gauri Shinde
Starring: Sridevi, Adil Hussain, Mehdi Nebbou, Priya Anand,  Amitabh Bachchan( guest appearance) Music: Amit Trivedi Release date: 5 October 2012
Genre: Drama, Comedy
Rating: ***.5
Review: Birjis Adeni Rashed

(The aim and intention of my reviews is to critique and recommend while not revealing the whole story to enjoy the movie when seen. But minor details have been divulged for a proper review!)
   
       
The theme of the movie may be about English, but it’s the story of many a woman in today’s world!  It’s a story about a mom, a wife, an overworked, unappreciated, dominated, overlooked, taken for granted,  hardworking woman!  And how this woman blossoms and finds her self-worth and achieves a new dimension to life!

In a comeback movie, Sridevi after her hiatus from bollywood acts in a true woman centric movie and achieves accolades for her acting.  Sridevi plays Sashi, a demure middle class wife, mom, home-maker and Ladoo( Indian sweet) caterer; A woman who deprioritizes herself for a family who sadly undermines her personality with their constant snubs and slights and condescending attitude for just her inability to speak proper English!

When this same woman travels alone from India to America for her niece’s wedding, she manages with her meager spoken English with the help of encouraging people she meets like Amitabh in a cameo;).  Be it the air  or character of  New York or the independent, liberated and self–reliant  attitudes of  her sister and her daughters, Shashi gets  motivated to be more free-willed and secretly enrolls in a English learning crash course.

This class of immigrants from France, China, Pakistan, Africa, Spain and India get together learning English   “Mind Your Language” style.  While learning the language, the encouragement, appreciation and the little victories builds Shashi’s confidence. The romantic interest she gets from the French Chef   further boosts her morale and self worth.


Finally in control of the English language and gaining the self confidence to stand up for herself , Shashi  is able to express her in-depth emotions about a good marriage and the roles of a good family when she toasts  a speech at her niece’s wedding.  Her simple lines that a spouse has to help the other when the wheels of the marriage are not equal, strikes an arrow at her husband who used to put her down every given chance to show his superiority and male chauvinism.  But her uplifting line and the ethos of the movie is if you are not getting help, then help yourself and raise oneself , self actualize and add a dimension to your life!

The movie has pleasing music, specially the  number Ghustaq Dil. The movie is carried totally on Sridevi’s shoulders, who does an excellent job portraying the role of Shashi. The other actor who adds charm is of course the French chef  Mehdi Nebbou.  Shashi’s little son was a sweet addition whose role and the  kid who played it both were endearing . The movie would have been better with lesser melodrama and some more comedy to have a balanced movie! The screenplay and direction needed  little more depth. But not bad start for a new director, Gauri Shinde.

Flaws: It doesn’t make sense that a software engineer didn’t know English and joined the class! The  English accents  of  a south Indian may not be perfect but the grammatical  English of an educated person should be right. I guess the director just needed more Indians in the cast for the class;)

Merits:  A Motivating movie for women to emancipate oneself and  find their self-worth!  Subtle one liners which carry a lot of emotional depth  giving  hints to the families in the audience to help the women in their lives empower themselves and self actualize;)