Source: IMDb
Movie name: English Vinglish
Creator’s name: Gauri Shinde
Genre: Drama/Musical
Release: 5 October 2012
Runtime: 2hr 10min
Language: Hindi
Synopsis
English Vinglish is one of the comforting Indian movies starring Sridevi after her long break from the Bollywood industry of 15 years. It is basically a journey of a simple homemaker ‘Shashi’ who is also a small entrepreneur who sells laddoo, an Indian sweet, into the path of self-confidence and respect.
The movie which began by portraying the scenes of Shashi being mocked and disrespected by her husband and daughter because of her lack of communication skills in English ends with the latter looking at her with admiration and pride.
With the clear depiction of Indian families through excellent cinematography, the movie makes the major onset when Shashi had to go to New York to attend a wedding in her family. It was there she found her way of self-reliance by entering an English learning course.
This film received a lot of attention and applause for Sridevi’s excellent depiction of Shashi and wonderful direction by Gauri Shinde and bagged several awards. If you’re looking for a comforting, beautiful yet motivational drama, this is your go-to movie.
About the director
Gauri Shinde is an Indian film director and screenwriter. Shinde made her directional debut with the highly acclaimed English Vinglish. She is well-known for her scripts portraying female perspectives and views and once Shinde stated that the character of Shashi was inspired by her own mother. Also, Shinde was featured in the Financial Times 2012 list of '25 Indians To Watch.
Themes involved
English Vinglish depicts the patriarchal system which is sometimes made unseen on the screen knowingly. With Shashi’s daughter Sapna looking down on her mom for not knowing to speak properly in English, we can see Shashi’s husband also joining Sapna and mocking Shashi. The firm step taken by Shashi to learn English in an entirely new city made the first difference of all.
Women have to find their own way of attaining respect whether it is in the public or private sphere. And this film is further affirming that if you are keen on finding and developing yourself, you will get there eventually and it will surely be a memorable one. You can find kindness amidst all the chaos; This was also embarked in English Vinglish with the portrayal of Laurent, a French chef who offered Shashi a helping hand even when he had no idea who she was.
The unity that comes without considering the regional, racial, and linguistic differences is also portrayed when we see the students of the English learning course sit together in one class, talking and joking with each other, and sharing their stories and emotions. And towards the end of the film, this very class became the reason for a bunch of good friends Shashi showing us that language is not a barrier in friendship.
Public verdict
The audience of all age groups has taken this movie into their hearts as a classic. English Vinglish still stays as a film full of warmth and inspiration in peoples’ minds as it also made a landmark as the return of Sridevi into the film industry.
This movie which was celebrated in various international film festivals legit gave the audience a homely feeling and the vision of how the outside world looks from the eyes of a stranger. The commendable performance by Adil Hussain as Satish, Shashi’s husband, and the guest role by Amitabh Bachchan added a touch of perfection to the screen.
What makes it a must-watch?
For those who have lost themselves in one or other hardships of their lives, English Vinglish is the best option. It can immediately turn your mood into a better one with the best music and scenes straight out of an Indian wedding. The scenes in which Shashi is proud of herself for being an entrepreneur and the realization that love without respect is not worthy, really stay close to the people.
And to be honest, we will love the guest appearance of Mehdi Nebbou as Laurent in the movie and hope for something special towards the end. Portraying the efforts of Shashi and then later reasserting her value as a mother and wife actually made the film stand as an iconic one.
My ratings for the movie - are 5 out of 5
You may watch the movie on Amazon Prime Video
Written By - Ananya Verma
Edited By - Riya Dabas
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